Ninh Binh: top things to do, hidden gems and key tips

Stay one night rather than rushing a day trip: the boat rides alone take up to three hours each. Base yourself near Tam Coc and do one boat ride a morning. Trains from Hanoi arrive at Ninh Binh station in the city, a few kilometres from the sights.

How long have you got?

• A day trip from Hanoi: one boat ride (Trang An route 4 takes 1.5 to 2 hours) and Mua Cave. Skip the rest.
• One night: Trang An in the morning, Hoa Lu in the afternoon, Mua Cave at sunset, Tam Coc the next morning.
• Two nights: add Bai Dinh and Van Long.

When are you going?

• Late May to June: the rice along the Ngo Dong River turns gold at Tam Coc, with May and June the busiest harvest months.1VIR (opens in a new tab)vir.com.vn There is one crop a year, so it is the only time.
• Late May: Ninh Binh Tourism Week, themed “Golden Season of Tam Coc - Trang An”, ran from 23 to 31 May in 2025.2Ninh Binh Tourism (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn
• 3rd lunar month: the Trang An festival honouring Quy Minh Dai Vuong, held on the 17th and 18th days at Suoi Tien Temple.3Ninh Binh Tourism (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn
• After heavy rain: caves flood. Trang An closed route 3 from 31 July 2026 until water levels fell.4CafeF, July 2026 (opens in a new tab)cafef.vn

Top things to do

• Trang An boat tour (UNESCO): 300,000 VND for adults and 150,000 VND for children 1 to 1.3 m. Routes 1, 2 and 3 take about 3 hours each; route 4 takes 1.5 to 2 hours.Tip Route 3 has Dot Cave, the longest at over 1,000 m.5CafeF (opens in a new tab)cafef.vnNinh Binh Tourism (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn
• Tam Coc boat ride: 250,000 VND for adults, including the boat, along the Ngo Dong River through Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba caves.Tip The ticket with the electric car to the transfer points costs adults 350,000 VND, so skip it if you can walk.6Ninh Binh Tourism, March 2025 (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vnNinh Binh Tourism (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn
• Mua Cave viewpoint: 150,000 VND from 1 April 2026, with about 500 stone steps up Ngoa Long mountain.Tip Children under 1 m are free.7Zing News, March 2026 (opens in a new tab)lifestyle.zingnews.vn
• Hoa Lu ancient capital: 20,000 VND for adults and 10,000 VND for children 6 to 15 and over-60s.Tip Boats at Hoa Lu ancient town cost 100,000 VND for adults.8Ninh Binh Tourism, March 2025 (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn
• Bai Dinh pagoda: the round-trip electric car is 100,000 VND and the Bao Thap entry 60,000 VND.Tip The combo for both is 150,000 VND.9Ninh Binh Tourism, March 2025 (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn
• Van Long reserve: 100,000 VND per person.Tip A guide at Trang An costs 300,000 VND per tour if you want one.10Ninh Binh Tourism, March 2025 (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn

Getting there and around

• By train: Trains leave Hanoi Station for Ninh Binh station on the North-South line. Check the times on the Vietnam Railways timetable (opens in a new tab).
• Day trip or overnight? Overnight if you want two sights, because Trang An alone takes about 3 hours on the water.
• Tam Coc, Trang An and Hoa Lu are a few kilometres from the station, so take a Grab or taxi.

If it doesn’t go to plan

• Route 3 closed? Take route 1 or 2, which stayed open in July 2026.11CafeF (opens in a new tab)cafef.vn
• Short on time? Take route 4 at Trang An, which takes 1.5 to 2 hours.12Ninh Binh Tourism (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn
• Tam Coc not for you? Van Long is a separate reserve, 100,000 VND per person.13Ninh Binh Tourism, March 2025 (opens in a new tab)dulichninhbinh.com.vn