If you’re travelling Vietnam, you cannot miss Ninh Binh in your itinerary. In this travel guide, we’ll show you the best things to do in Ninh Binh, a 3-day itinerary and all the information you need.
Approximately 2 hours away from Hanoi, Ninh Binh was my favorite place in Vietnam. You’ll find rice fields surrounded by limestone karts, amazing viewpoints, scenic boat rides, and beautiful temples. Due to its similar landscape to Ha Long Bay, it is often referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land.”
You may also like: Two-Week Vietnam Itinerary – From North to South
Travelling in Southeast Asia? Check our two-month itinerary: Two Months Traveling in Southeast Asia: Our Itinerary.
What’s Included in This Guide?
Use the links below to quickly navigate to the parts that interest you the most.
Things To Do:
Practical Information:
- Where is Ninh Binh?
- Best Time to Visit Ninh Binh
- How Many Days in Ninh Binh
- Where to Stay in Ninh Binh
Getting Around:
Where is Ninh Binh?
Ninh Binh is located in the Northern part of Vietnam approximately 90 km south of Hanoi. It takes around 1.5 to 2 hours to travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by car, bus, or train. See the section How to get to Ninh Binh.
You may also like reading: How to Spend Two Days in Hanoi (Itinerary and Travel Guide)
8 Best Things to do in Ninh Binh
Here’s a list of the best 8 things to do in Ninh Binh. You’ll need at least two to three days to cover them all.
1) Explore the Rice fields by Bike/Motorbike
One of the best things to do in Ninh Binh is to rent a bike or motorbike and discover beautiful landscapes with rice fields in the background. You may also spot water buffalos—an animal we’re not used to see in Europe.
Driving a motorbike in Ninh Binh is relatively easy. A bike is also a great option as the terrain is mainly flat.
There are also several options of bike tours that go through some of the most popular spots in a day.
2) Tam Coc Boat Tour
There are two popular boat tours in Ninh Binh. The one in Tam Coc and another one in Trang An. We did both tours, and it’s hard to tell which one is the best. If you can, and if you like boats, we recommend doing both.
The Tam Coc boat ride starts at the Tam Coc Van Lam Pier and the journey takes around one and a half to two hours. The boat only takes two passengers plus the rower. What makes this tour quite unique is that the rowers use their feet to drive the boat.
The landscape is super beautiful with views of the limestone cliffs and you can even see the top of Hang Mua mountain (that we also recommend going). It also goes through three different caves along the way.
About our Tam Coc Boat Ride
Our tour was very peaceful and everything went smoothly. But, you may be approached by several boats along the way trying to sell you something. In our case, there was a part in which a boat came out of nowhere to took some pictures of us. We didn’t want, but the picture was something like one euro or less, so we just accept it—in the end, they’ll try to sell you more pictures, and they were quite bad quality, but we bought the picture anyway.
Most rowers have a plastic bucket on their boat with small trinkets and souvenirs that they’ll try to sell you close to the end of the tour. We were thinking about giving a small tip in the end, but instead, we ended up buying a souvenir.
She was very polite and was not very pushy. But, I’ve read other not so positive stories, in which the rowers are very pushy selling stuff and have a deal made up with other boats that sell food and drinks and will demand you to buy something from them claiming they are hungry or thirsty (which is not the case). I recommend reading this article so that you’re prepared for what you might encounter—in our case, we had a good and peaceful experience. But if you want to avoid this kind of situation, you may want to go to the Trang An scenic boat ride instead.
3) Mua Caves
The Mua Caves is one of the most famous landmarks in Ninh Binh. The highlight is climbing the 500 steps to the Hang Mua peak that offers amazing panoramic views. You can see the boats from the Tam Coc ride from there.
At the top, there are two viewpoints, one is a dragon and the other one is a pagoda. We recommend climbing to both viewpoints. Make sure you take it slowly climbing to the viewpoints because the high humidity will make it quite challenging.
Another interesting sight right at the entrance to the Mua Caves is a beautiful lilypond that you can explore by walking on wooden walkways.
At the time of our visit, the entrance was 100K VND per person plus 10K to park the motorbike.
4) Bich Dong Pagoda
Bich Dong Pagoda is one of the most famous pagodas in Ninh Binh. Here you’ll find several more pagodas, a temple and a cave.
I enjoyed coming to this place, but I thought the complex would be bigger. The highlight is the entrance where you can take great pictures.
The entrance was free and we only had to pay 20k VND to park the motorbike.
5) Trang An Scenic Area
The Trang An Scenic area is a UNESCO world heritage site and the landscape is just amazing. The best way to see this landscape is to go on a boat tour.
This place is much more touristic and has more infrastructure than the boat ride in Tam Coc. Because of that, it is more regulated and you won’t be bothered with other boats trying to sell you stuff.
You can choose one of three available routes and each boat takes four persons. Once you choose a route, you’ll be allocated with other persons that also choose the same route. If you want a boat just for yourself, you have to buy four tickets.
The journey is beautiful and peaceful and goes through the limestone rocks and several caves. It makes several stops along the way where you get out of the boat to explore some temples. The boat ride takes around three hours. In the end, don’t forget to give a tip to the rower.
6) Bai Dinh Pagoda
The Bai Dinh Pagoda is part of a huge spiritual complex with multiple temples and pagodas. The Bai Dinh pagoda is the biggest pagoda and can be seen from the whole complex. In fact, this is the biggest pagoda in Vietnam and holds 9 records.
This complex is huge, spanning around 1700 hectares, and you can explore it using a hop-on-hop-off electric car. Be sure to get a map to navigate the area; otherwise, you might get lost and lose track of which stop you’re at.
In addition to the magnificent temples and stunning views of the pagoda, the area offers breathtaking scenery of the surrounding landscape. There’s even a small mountain you can climb for great panoramic views.
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To finish our day in this place, we went to the top of the pagoda. There’s an elevator to take you there—here you’ll have a better idea of the huge dimension of this place.
About our visit to Bai Dinh Padoga
We arrived at this place around 4PM because we didn’t know it was so big. We ended up rushing our visit because we didn’t want to drive the motorbike at night. We recommend that you come a bit earlier and spend at least four hours exploring.
Even though I enjoyed visiting Bai Dinh Pagoda and recommend it, there’s limited information for English-speaking visitors. While some places have QR codes you can scan, there isn’t much guidance on how the visit works, which can make it a bit confusing at first.
7) Hoa Lu Ancient Capital City
Hoa Lu was the first capital of Vietnam and it has several historical landmarks worth exploring like temples, caves, and pagodas. Don’t miss the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang, temple of King Le Dai Hanh, Nhat Tru Pagoda and Am Tien Cave.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have the chance to explore this place during our time in Ninh Binh
8) Van Long Nature Reserve
If you want something a little out of the touristic route, then the Van Long Nature Reserve is a great option. Nestled amid the stunning limestone cliffs, this wetland is a very diverse ecosystem that offers plenty of opportunities for bird watching and animal spotting. If you’re lucky, you can even spot the white rump langur (Delacour’s langur), an endangered species.
The best way to explore this place is going on a boat ride. This is much less touristic and cheaper than the Trang An and Tam Coc boat rides, but seems equality beautiful and interesting. Unfortunately, we didn’t have the time to visit this place.
How to Spend 3 Days in Ninh Binh – Itinerary
Here’s a suggestion of how you’d spend three days in Ninh Binh:
Day 1:
– Tam Coc boat ride
– Mua Caves
– Bich Dong Pagoda
Day 2:
– Trang An scenic area
– Bai Dinh Pagoda
Day 3:
– Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
– Van Long Nature Reserve
Day 1 in Ninh Binh
Day 1 in Ninh Binh – Places to Visit
- Tam Coc boat ride
- Mua Caves
- Lillypond
- Dragon and Pagoda viewpoints
- Bich Dong Pagoda
For your first day, we suggest that you explore the Tam Coc area. Take a scenic boat ride and see the top of Hang Mua mountain from the river while on the boat. This will take you around two hours.
Afterward, we suggest visiting the Mua Caves, taking beautiful pictures at the lily pond, and hiking to the top of Hang Mua Mountain. From there, you can see the same landscape you explored by boat, but from above.
Finally, make a quick stop at the Bich Dong Pagoda.
As you go to those places, make several stops along the way to admire the beauty of the rice fields and spot some water buffalos.
Day 2 in Ninh Binh
Day 2 in Ninh Binh – Places to Visit:
- Trang An scenic area
- Bai Dinh Pagoda
Start your day by going to the Trang An scenic area. Get on a boat to see the Trang An UNESCO world heritage landscape. Choose from one of the three available routes that go trough several caves and stop at different temples. This will take you around three hours.
In the afternoon, explore the Bai Dinh Pagoda Spiritual complex (home to the biggest pagoda in Vietnam). It’s a huge complex with beautiful temples, gardens, pagodas and viewpoints. Make sure you reserve a full afternoon to explore this area.
When you buy your boat ticket for the Trang An boat ride, you can buy a combo ticket that also includes the Bai Dinh Pagoda, including the electric car to explore inside the complex and some free pictures.
Day 3 in Ninh Binh
Day 3 in Ninh Binh – Places to Visit:
- Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
- Van Long Nature Reserve
If you couldn’t visit all the previously recommended places, reserve this day to cover them. If you managed to see all the recommended places earlier, use this day to visit the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and explore the Van Long Nature Reserve.
How to Get to Ninh Binh
From Hanoi, you can get on a minibus or get the train. You can see and book from the several options available on 12GoAsia. You can also easily ask at your accommodation to sort a transportation for you.
We took the train and got our tickets at the train station on the day before, but we could have bought them on 12GoAsia for better convenience. After arriving at Ninh Binh train station, you’ll need to get on a taxi to Tam Coc. They’ll be waiting for you at the exit.
Best Time to Visit Ninh Binh
The recommended time to visit Ninh Binh is from February to May or September to November for better weather — mild and dry.
We went in November and the temperature was mild and comfortable (not very hot, but still a bit humid for our standards). We got sunny and cloudy days, and no rain. I needed a light jacket in some occasions, so make sure you pack one.
Related article: Halong Bay Cruise – What to Expect and How to Choose One
How to Get Around Ninh Binh
The best way to get around Ninh Binh is to rent a motorbike. Don’t worry, the traffic in Ninh Binh is nothing compared to the traffic in Hanoi—there is little traffic and the roads are in relatively good condition. Just avoid driving at night because of low visibility. Expect to pay around 100K VND for motorbike rental for the day.
There are many places renting motorbikes in Ninh Binh. For better convenience, most hotels/homestays will arrange that for you.
Another great and more affordable option to explore Ninh Binh is by bike. The terrain is mainly flat and most places are easily reachable. Some homestays have bike rental included in your room rate—as it was our case.
Finally, you can also rely on taxis, but since you’ll probably visit multiple places in one day, I recommend hiring a private driver. Most homestays can sort that out for you.
How Many Days in Ninh Binh
While it’s possible to visit Ninh Binh as a day trip from Hanoi, I really recommend spending two to three days at minimum. We spent three full days and we didn’t have the time to do and see everything we wanted.
The scenery is just beautiful and the accommodation is very affordable and with great quality for the price you pay. So, I think it’s worth spending some extra time in this area.
Where to Stay in Ninh Binh
We recommend staying near Tam Coc village. The accommodations on these area are inserted between the limestone karts with beautiful views to the rice fields. Most places of interest are relatively close to this area.
We really recommend the place we stayed at. It was beautifully inserted in the landscape, had a great pool, the rooms were big, spacious and clean, and it was super affordable. Click the following link to check out that place.
Here are some recommendations according to your budget:
- Tam Coc Minh Hung Homestay (budget—the one we stayed at)
- Trang An Lamia Bungalow (beautiful bungalow-style accommodations with a small “private pool”) (budget)
- Tam Coc Windy Fields (with beautiful pool overlooking the limestone karts) (mid-range)
- Nham Village Resort (Luxury)
Where to Go From Ninh Binh?
After Ninh Binh, some of the most popular options to head next include:
- Ha Long Bay cruise: going on a cruise is the most popular option to discover the beauty of Ha Long Bay. There are several companies offering pick-up from Ninh Binh. This way, you don’t have to go back to Hanoi to get a transfer to Ha Long Bay. You can read a detailed overview of our Halong Bay cruise experience in this article.
- Hanoi: if you’re travelling Vietnam from south to North, proceeding to Hanoi is usually the next move. You can read all the tips for a great time in Hanoi in our Hanoi travel guide.
- Da Nang: if your Vietnam itinerary goes from North to South and you’re flying to the different regions, getting a flight to Da Nang is a great option to start exploring central Vietnam, and visit Hoi An (probably the most beautiful village in Vietnam).
Related article: Best Things to Do in Danang and Hoi An (Central Vietnam)
Wrapping Up
Ninh Binh was my favorite place in Vietnam, and I highly recommend including it in your Vietnam itinerary. If you don’t have much time, at least make it a day trip from Hanoi.
Other Vietnam Travel Guides:
- Two-Week Vietnam Itinerary – From North to South
- How to Spend Two Days in Hanoi (Itinerary and Travel Guide)
- Best Things to Do in Danang and Hoi An (Central Vietnam)
- Halong Bay Cruise – What to Expect and How to Choose One
- » More Vietnam Travel Guides «
If you’re planning a trip to Southeast Asia, make sure to check other guides:
- Two Months Traveling in Southeast Asia: Our Itinerary
- Thailand Travel Guides (more than 10 free travel guides)
Finally, you can use our links to book accommodation and activities and find cheap flights. You won’t pay more and you’ll be supporting our work.
Thanks for reading.
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