Ti Top Island is a tiny limestone island in Ha Long Bay, northern Vietnam, about 8 km by water from Bai Chay. It has two reasons to stop: a stone stairway of roughly 400 to 450 steps up to a small lookout, and a crescent beach at its foot. You can only reach it by boat, and almost every visitor comes on a Route 2 day trip or an overnight cruise.
It is well worth an hour for the view. It is a busy island, and at midday both the steps and the sand show it. The hour you land changes the visit more than anything else, and that is what this guide helps you plan.
Land on Ti Top at the hour you choose
Private boat, private car and a licensed local guide, from your hotel in Ha Long or Hanoi. Free to cancel up to 3 days before.
★Ti Top Island Tour, Private Morning from Ha LongYour own boat to Ti Top ahead of the midday crowd, then Sung Sot and Luon caves. · about 7 hoursSee the tour →Private Ti Top Island Tour from HanoiCar and boat all yours from Hanoi, with Ti Top as the midday boats thin out. · about 12 hoursSee the tour →Where Ti Top is and how it fits into the bay
The island lies in Cua Luc Bay, about 7 to 8 km southeast of Bai Chay port, directly opposite Sung Sot Cave on Bo Hon Island. It covers only about 3.7 hectares, so it looks more like one steep forested peak than an island you could explore. The pier and the beach sit on its one sloping side; the seaward side is a bare limestone cliff.
On the sightseeing map it belongs to Route 2, the bay’s official route that also takes in Sung Sot Cave and Luon Cave. Those three stops are close together, so most people do all of them in one day. Boats leave from Tuan Chau pier or the Ha Long International Passenger Port, and we allow about an hour from Tuan Chau to the island.
What you actually do on the island
Climb to the lookout
Roughly 400 to 450 stone steps zigzag up the slope, with railings and a place to rest partway. Most people reach the top in about 10 to 15 minutes. The lookout is small, around a tiny red-roofed pavilion, and the same narrow path carries people up and down. From the top you see the crescent of sand below you and limestone islands in layers on every side.
Swim from the beach
The beach is small and golden, with basic changing rooms, freshwater showers and a few drink stalls. Swimming is best from about May to September. As of July 2026 it was the only swimming beach working on the bay, which is why it fills up every summer.
See the monument and hear the story
At the foot of the island stands a white stone monument to Gherman Titov, the Soviet cosmonaut and second man to orbit the Earth. He came here with Ho Chi Minh on 22 January 1962, and the island took his name. Before that it had been called Cat Nang, and locally Cemetery Island, after French sailors from a ship wrecked in 1905 were buried here.
How to get there
There is no public ferry, and every option below is a boat you join or hire. The ticket is the same in each case: Route 2 entry at 250,000 VND (~$10) plus the port fee at 60,000 VND (~$2) from Tuan Chau, on the figures published up to 2026.
| Way to go | Time on the island | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Shared day boat from Ha Long | About 30 to 60 minutes | Lowest cost, happy with a fixed plan |
| Shared day tour from Hanoi | About 30 minutes to an hour, often near 15:45 | One-day visitors on a budget |
| Overnight cruise | Varies, often with a tender boat | A night on the bay, less control of timing |
| Private boat | As long as you want | Choosing your hour, small groups and families |
Hanoi to the pier is about two and a half hours by road each way, which makes a long day of it. If you can sleep in Ha Long the night before, the visit is easier in every way.
When to go, by month and by hour
May to September is the swimming season on Ti Top. From about July to early October storms can close the bay at short notice, and the port authority decides when boats may sail. From December to February the water is cold and the view is often misty, so the day is about the climb and the caves.
The hour matters more than the month. Sources on the bay put the peak at about 10:30 to 14:30, when the morning boats overlap. Shared tours from Hanoi often arrive nearer 15:45. Landing at about 09:00, or from about 14:15 as the peak eases, gives you a better chance of space on the stairs, though not an empty island.
Prefer the climb before the crowd?
On the morning tour your own boat leaves at 08:00; from Hanoi we time the island for when the midday boats are thinning out.
Ti Top Island Tour, Private Morning from Ha Longabout 7 hoursSee the tour →Private Ti Top Island Tour from Hanoiabout 12 hoursSee the tour →Questions about Ti Top Island
Is Ti Top Island the same as Titov Island or Titop?
Yes. Ti Top, Titop and Titov Island are the same place. The name is the Vietnamese spelling of Gherman Titov, the cosmonaut who visited in January 1962.
How many steps are there on Ti Top Island?
Roughly 400 to 450 stone steps, depending on the source, up to a lookout about 100 metres above the sea. There is no lift or cable car.
Can you visit Ti Top Island without a tour?
You need a boat and a Route 2 ticket, but not a tour. You can buy a ticket and a seat on a shared boat at the pier in Ha Long. There is no public ferry to the island.
How long do you need on Ti Top?
About an hour covers the climb and a look at the beach, and 75 minutes or more lets you swim as well. Shared boats often allow 30 to 60 minutes.
Plan your Ti Top day
Two sample days, one all-inclusive price for your group, and every part can be changed. A licensed local guide comes with you throughout, and it is free to cancel up to 3 days before.
★Ti Top Island Tour, Private Morning from Ha LongYour own boat to Ti Top ahead of the midday crowd, then Sung Sot and Luon caves. · about 7 hoursfrom$128/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$375BOOK →2 guests$420BOOK →3 guests$465BOOK →4 guests$510BOOK →See the full tour page →Private Ti Top Island Tour from HanoiCar and boat all yours from Hanoi, with Ti Top as the midday boats thin out. · about 12 hoursfrom$168/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$530BOOK →2 guests$580BOOK →3 guests$625BOOK →4 guests$670BOOK →See the full tour page →Facts checked in November 2026. Tickets and sailing rules are set by the bay authority and can change.