hospital-cave-cat-ba-island-vietnam — **The Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y)** is an interesting historical site on Cat Ba Island.

ℹ️ Info – Hospital Cave
🚍 How to get to the cave
☀️ When to visit this cave
🏡 Hotels in Cat Ba town
❓ FAQ + Travel Tips
📸 Photos from the cave

Quick answer: Hospital Cave on Cat Ba Island is a historic wartime facility built inside a limestone mountain. Used from the 1960s to 1975 as a secret medical shelter and bomb-proof hospital during the war, it features three levels, 17 rooms, and even a makeshift cinema — combining natural geology with engineering and wartime resilience.

At a glance:

📍 Location: About 10 km north of Cat Ba Town, on the route to Cat Ba National Park.
🏥 History: Built between 1963–1965; it housed wounded soldiers and served as a command site during the American-era war.
🔦 Structure: Three floors with 17 rooms: medical rooms, a cinema, storage, and staff quarters.
🚪 Design: Reinforced with concrete, with stout iron doors and an emergency exit system.
💰 Entrance fee: About 50,000 VND per adult.
🕰️ Visiting: Open daily; wear good shoes and bring a light — cave interiors are dim but walkable.

Last updated in November 2025

The Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y) is in the southern part of Cat Ba Island.

- Cat Ba Island in Quang Ninh Province is a popular tourist island in northern Vietnam. Its city Cat Ba is located about 160 km from Hanoi, if you go by bus + boat transfer via Hai Phong or Tuan Chau near the city of Ha Long. In recent years, it has changed considerably and various hotels and resorts have been build, as well as private beaches by the sea. Cat Ba Island also offers historical sites such as the easily accessible Cannon Fort above Cat Ba town or the so-called Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y), which is located about 10 km north of Cat Ba town.
- The Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y) is located on the main road in the village of Trân Châu, this road crosses Cat Ba Island from north to south into the city. So when exploring the island, for example, on the way to Cat Ba National Park, you can’t miss this place, so it’s worth considering visiting this place. It is a historic place for tourists and maintained, which will illustrate a small part of the war history, which took place on this island.

hospital-cave-hang-quan-y-cat-ba-island — Concrete bunker and rooms for the army or the wounded in the Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y) on Cat Ba Island.

The Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y) in Cat Ba was used during the Vietnam War.

- The Vietnam War, a war conflict that took place between 1955 and 1975 in Vietnam and also at the borders of neighboring countries. It was between these years that the cave was used by the locals and the Viet Cong (National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam). In North Vietnam, the cave was used mainly during the bombing the northern part of the country and thus served the army, healing the wounded or hiding local residents and soldiers. The Hospital Cave (Hang Quân Y) on Cat Ba Island was built in 1963-1965. This cave served its purpose until the end of the Vietnam War, until 1975. Gradually, it was converted into a tourist historical monument.

Book Hotel in Cat Ba Island ➜

- In the Hospital Cave there were several rooms, infirmaries, a cinema / theater, office rooms for commanders, ammunition rooms and even a small pool. These rooms, bunkers and chambers are also open to tourists, so you have the opportunity to get a picture of what used to happen here and what everything looked like and what was used where and for what. Set aside 1 hour to visit the Hospital Cave, it is not a big place. Ticket for visiting Hospital Cave cost about 40,000 VND (may change over time), you can buy them at the spot, and before entering the complex you can park a motorcycle / scooter or bicycle in the paid parking lot.

vietcong-soldier-hospital-cave-cat-ba — In the Hospital Cave, imitations of soldiers and various other imitations of furniture or military objects are placed in various chambers.

How to get to the Hospital Cave in Cat Ba (Hang Quân Y)?

- Hospital Cave is located in the southern part of Cat Ba Island. So the best way to get there is to travel to the town of Cat Ba, which is in the south of the island. You can get to Cat Ba Island, for example, from Hanoi by bus + boat via Hai Phong or Tuan Chau Island. Boats to the Island depart from Hai Phong or Tuan Chau, either to the town of Cat Ba or to the northern and western part of the island. Various private bus companies from Hanoi to Cat Ba offer bus and boat or ferry tickets. The bus and boat ride from Hanoi to Cat Ba takes about 4 hours and tickets cost about 9-17 USD / pp. There is no airport on Cat Ba Island, so you can’t get there by air.
- From Hanoi to Hospital Cave – bus / minivan + boats via Hai Phong or Tuan Chau (Ha Long town).
- From Ha Long to Hospital Cave – by boat from Tuan Chau to the northern part of Cat Ba Island + bus to Cat Ba.
- From Hai Phong to Hospital Cave – by boat / ferry to the town of Cat Ba in the south.
- From Cat Ba town to Hospital Cave – by motorbike / scooter, bicycle or private taxi/car.

Tickets from Hanoi to Cat Ba ➜

What is the best time to visit Hospital Cave in Cat Ba Island?

- It probably depends on what you want to do on Cat Ba Island.You probably won’t get much swimming here in the winter and unfortunately there may be a monsoon rain in the summer season. Suitable months to visit the Hospital Caves on Cat Island can be September – November or spring months, theoretically you can swim in the sea during this period. If you do not want to swim, you can come in the winter, but there may be limited services and some hotels may be closed. The tourist season is in the summer. Read carefully this article: Weather in Cat Ba.

▶ The best time to visit the Hospital Cave in Cat Ba – autumn or spring.
▶ The Hospital Cave is opened from 8.00 am to 5.00 pm, all the week.
▶ In the winter time it is not very convenient to travel to Cat Ba Island.

hospital-cave-cat-ba-island-medical-room — The medical room in the Hospital Cave on Cat Ba Island. There are several infirmaries in the cave.

Where to stay near the Hospital Cave in Cat Ba Island?

- The best option is to choose accommodation in the town of Cat Ba, which is located about 10 km south of the Hospital Cave. Here are the most services, various hotels, cafes, restaurants, guesthouses and homestays right on the main street and harbor. Accommodation in Cat Ba can be cheap for low-cost travelers but also more expensive for demanding clients, depending on the type of hotel, resort or guesthouse. The offer of accommodation is quite wide, especially in the town of Cat Ba. Check this article > The Best Hotels in Cat Ba Island.