Ninh Binh Travel Tips & Experiences

How many days to spend in Ninh Binh?

Ninh Binh has become an increasingly popular destination for travelers who visit North Vietnam. It is not famous like Halong Bay but it is worth visiting besides Halong Bay. So How many days you should spend in Ninh Binh?The answer to the question “ How many days in Ninh Binh” depends on the time budget you have and the places you wish to visit in Ninh Binh. There are several places to visit in Ninh Binh like Tam Coc, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Bich Dong Pagoda, Bai Dinh Pagoda, Hang Mua Peak, Thung Nham Bird Garden, Phat Diem Stone Church, Cuc Phuong National Park, Van Long, Kenh Ga..etc. It depends on what type of activities you like and you may choose for you the best places and it depends on how many days you have. There are some places you will do the same activity as in Tam Coc, Trang An and Van Long you will take a boat trip so you should visit one of them only. There are some pagodas so in your itinerary you should visit one of them and that is ideal.How many days should I spend in Ninh Binh?In general, 2 days is ideal to visit the highlights of Ninh Binh. If you do not have time, one day tour will be fine and below we will give you the best things to do with 2 days and the best things to do with 1 day trip.1 day to visit Ninh Binh - What to visit?If your time is limited when you need to spend your time on other destinations in Vietnam and you only can spend one day for Ninh Binh. We suggest you can choose one of the day tours as below.Hoa Lu  - Tam Coc Day TourThis tour, you will visit Hoa Lu – The ancient capital of Vietnam from thousand years ago and take a boat trip to Tam Coc along Ngo Dong River. You will know more about the history of Vietnam and enjoy seeing the natural beauty of Tam Coc – Dry Halong Bay.Hoa Lu – The ancient capital of VietnamBai Dinh – Trang An Day TourThis tour, you will visit one of the biggest pagodas in Vietnam and get to know more about Buddhism in Vietnam. You also take a boat trip to Trang An and enjoy seeing the beauty of limestone mountains and the rivers in this area.  Trang An Complex2 days to visit  Ninh Binh -  What to visit?2 days is ideal to visit Ninh Binh as it is not rush and you can combine different activities and you will have an interesting trip in Ninh Binh. You will save some hours for transfer also because if you visit Ninh Binh you will need at least 4 to 5 hours for transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh and back to Hanoi so if you visit Ninh Binh in 2 days you will only need that duration for transfer and you can spend more time for doing tours.Visiting 2 days in Ninh Binh, you can visit about 6 to 7 destinations depending on your interests.Below is an itinerary suggested by experts of Incredible Asia Journeys. If you do not like any activities in this itinerary and it is easy to change with other activities.Day 1: Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Cycling - Thung Nham Bird ParkOn the first day, you can visit 3 places adding more a short cycling trip. You can start from Hanoi to Ninh Binh and it takes about 2 hours for driving to Ninh Binh. If you start from Hanoi around 7.30 to 8.00 AM then you will be in Ninh Binh around 10.00 AM.Hoa Lu Ancient CaptialHoa Lu is the ancient capital of Vietnam. It was the capitals for Dinh and Le dynasties from 1000 years ago. It was founded by Dinh Bo Linh in the 10th century and Dinh Bo Linh was the first emperor of Vietnam.Tam Coc is located 14 km from Ninh Binh Town. Now, it is not the capital anymore as from 1010 it was moved from there to Hanoi and now Hanoi is still capital of Vietnam. In Hoa Lu now, you can visit Dinh and Le Temples where we worship Dinh and Le dynasties. 1000 years ago the royal palace of Dinh Dynasty was built there and now you still can see the remains of this palace. The ruined palace building under the group 3 meters is still there and travellers still can see the old items used to build that palace by the royal family. That is an interesting place to visit and that is a live – museum. Tam Coc Boat TripTam Coc means 3 caves because you will visit 3 tunnels caves there. Tam Coc is located about 6 km from Ninh Binh. Travellers to Tam Coc can take a boat trip on Ngo Dong River to enjoy the sightseeing of this area. Along the river are many karst mountains and the small rice farms. You may see the mountains goats climbing on the rocks or storks flying around in the blue sky.In the rice season, that is ideal to take the photos of this area. Everyone will become a professional photographer just with a normal camera or a phone. On the way, you can talk with the boat rower and the boat rower is happy to support you and talk to you.Cycling around Tam Coc AreaCycling around Tam Coc is one of the best things to do in Ninh Binh. Beautiful area of mountains and rural area with fresh air always attract tourists to cycle around. The local people in Ninh Binh are very friendly so on the way you also can talk to them and they are happy to talk to you even they cannot speak much English. You can cycle inside the village and to the farm and back to your hotel or homestay. That is an interesting trip.Thung Nham Bird ParkThung Nham Bird Park is located just about 6 km from Tam Coc Dock. That is easy to get to Thung Nham Bird Park by bicycle or by car. Thung Nham is the home of different kinds of birds like storks, heron, mallard.. etc. There are 2 species in the Red Delta Book, they are phoenix and flamingo. Thung Nham is really nice places for people who love nature and eco-tourism.  The best time to visit Thung Nham is from 5 to 6 pm or from 5 to 7 am. So you can cycle from Tam Coc to Thung Nham in the afternoon for seeing thousands of birds flying back home from other areas after one day finding for food. If you miss this afternoon then you can do it the next morning. Stay overnight in a hotel or a homestay in Tam Coc.Thung Nham Bird ParkDay 2: Bich Dong Pagoda – Trang An Boat TripAfter a night in Tam Coc, you can get up early for seeing local life in Tam Coc. That is amazing as you can see the real life of Vietnamese in a rural area.Bich Dong PagodaBich Dong Pagoda is a pagoda in a quiet village. That is a very typical pagoda in North Vietnam as it leans to the mountains and looks to a valley with a nice lake or river. The pagoda has a very good location and the monks in the past had to spend time for looking a good location for meditation. To visit Bich Dong Pagoda, you can do cycling from your hotel in Tam Coc for about 30 minutes. There are lower pagoda, middle pagoda and upper pagoda. To visit all of them you will need to climb to the middle of the mountains to visit the upper pagoda in a karst cave. It is a quiet and beautiful area. Please note to wear long pants when you visit Bich Dong Pagoda.Trang An Boat TripAfter visiting Bich Dong Pagoda, you can take the transfer to Trang An Dock where you take a boat trip to visit Trang An. The boat trip in Trang An will take about 2.5 to 3 hours depending on the caves we can visit on that day. It depends on the level of water so you can visit more caves or fewer caves because there are some caves you cannot visit when the water level is too low or too high. The local people will row the boat and they are very friendly. They do not row the boat every day because normally they work on farm and they only work as a rower some days per month in turn. After Trang An Boat Trip, you can go back to Hanoi and end 2 days in Ninh Binh.We hope that the information above is useful for you when you want to know how many days is ideal for Ninh Binh. Yes, 2 days is the best but you may spend more days in Ninh Binh if you really love the countryside of Vietnam.Hang Mua PeakIf you visit Ninh Binh in from March to early June then we suggest including Hang Mua Peak to your trip and you are in good health. To get on the top of Hang Mua Peak, you need to climb about 500 steps and it takes about more than 20 minutes. That is steep so make sure that you are in good health condition and there is no problem with health. That is hard to do hiking there but the result is excellent as there is a beautiful view of Ninh Binh and Tam Coc in front of you. In the rice season of Tam Coc from May to early June that is very beautiful and that is the best place for Check-In.So Hang Mua Peak can be an option for you if you are in the right time, good health condition and you are interested in.View from Mua PeakSee more information in a day tour to Hang Mua, Hoa Lu and Tam Coc.The best time to visit Ninh Binh?After knowing how many days to spend in Ninh Binh, you may wonder when is the best time to visit Ninh Binh. The best time to visit Ninh is from May to the beginning of June and from September to October. That is the time when the sky is blue and the rice is ripen. That is a good time to visit Ninh Binh. You can take many nice photos of green and yellow rice fields. Please note that from May to June will be hot in North Vietnam. The temperature outside is about more than 30oC.September to October will be cool so this time is a good time for visiting Ninh Binh. However, there is only 1 rice crop for Tam Coc boat tour so if you visit Tam Coc from September to October then there is no nice along the river.May to early June Tam Coc is the most beautiful with photos because local people grow rice along the river.See the best time to visit Tam Coc for more information.If you cannot visit Ninh Binh the months above, then you can visit Ninh Binh in March to April and from July to August and there is still a green rice field. This time, the weather is cooler so that is ideal for travellers who do not wish the hot weather.How to travel from Hanoi to Ninh BinhThere are different ways to visit Ninh Binh. You can travel by train, taxi, motorbike, local bus, limousine bus, tour bus or by private car.Among those ways, we suggest traveling by a tour bus or a private car as a tour bus will pick you up and drop you off at your hotels so that is very convenient.If you do not have much and you do a day tour to Ninh Binh so a tour bus is ideal for you as you can save time for transfer and waiting and you can maximize the sightseeing time when your guide will arrange everything for you.Of course, a private car with a private guide is the best if you are a big group or your budget for your trip is high because a private tour will cost more than a  group tour. This is also the best when you travel with a family with kids. Your guide will arrange everything for you and you do not have to worry much about scam or waiting time to look for services you are not familiar with.Now we hope that you have an idea for how long to spend in Ninh Binh. So with 2 days suggested by our expert then where to stay overnight in Ninh Binh?See the best hotels and homestay to stay in Ninh BinhEmeralda Resort Ninh BinhEmeralda Resort Ninh Binh is a 5 star resort in Ninh Binh. Located in Van Long Nature Reserve with garden around the luxury rooms. There are different buildings in Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh and it is like a village in the country of Vietnam. There are 3 swimming pools and 2 restaurants, Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh is the most luxury accommodation to stay in Ninh Binh.Ninh Binh Legend HotelNinh Binh Legend Hotel is located in a new area of Ninh Binh City. It is a 4 star hotel with a lot of rooms. That is a best hotels for big groups with deluxe services.Ninh Binh Hidden CharmLocated in Tam Coc area, Ninh Binh Hidden Charm is one of the best option for travellers to travel to Ninh Binh and Tam Coc. You can walk for some minutes to go to Tam Coc Dock and it is closed to the villages around Tam Coc so you can walk around or do cycling around.With friendly atmosphere and charming decoration, Ninh Binh Hidden Charm provide excellent services for travellers with high budget.La Belle Vie Tam Coc HomestayLa Belle Vie Tam Coc Homestay is 2 star homestay in Tam Coc. With a good location and friendly staffs, La Belle Vie Tam Coc Homestay is one of the best option for tight budget travellers. With the location in Tam Coc so travellers may get to the restaurants and go shopping easily around in the villages. There is bicycle rental service also in the homestay.You May Like:Best Things to Do in Ninh BinhWhere to Stay in Ninh BinhBest places to Visit in Ninh BinhHow to travel from Hanoi to Tam Coc

Halong Bay or Ninh Binh

It was never quite pinpointed exactly who was the first person to describe Ninh Binh as ‘Halong Bay on Land’. The phrase has become popular for the sole reason that it is repeated by pretty much every guide before every tour of Ninh Binh in the hopes of inspiring images of the famous, original Halong Bay. It’s certainly not a bad comparison to make, and as the popularity of Halong Bay grows higher, more and more tourists are looking to Ninh Binh as a way to beat the crowds while still enjoying that world-renowned limestone karst backdrop. These are two of the most popular day trips from Hanoi, but as Ninh Binh’s infrastructure grows while Halong Bay struggles to cope with consistently high tourist levels every year, there seems to be a new momentum shift, and the question of Halong Bay or Ninh Binh is crossing more minds than it did in the past.Overview of Halong BayLimestone IslandsThe entire reason that the words ‘Halong Bay on Land’ feature in so many TripAdvisor reviews from contented tourists is that Ninh Binh’s scenery matches Halong Bay stride for stride. You could transplant any of Halong Bay’s gorgeous limestone mountains in Ninh Binh and it wouldn’t look out of place at all. A visit to either Halong Bay or Ninh Binh is one with the guarantee of amazement at the near-identical rock pillars jutting out of the water. Of course, it’s the water itself that makes all the difference, as the huge expanse of the Gulf of Tonkin where Halong Bay lies dwarfs the tiny canals found around Ninh Binh.Certainly, there is more on offer in Halong Bay, but views are pretty much the same throughout any day or overnight trip. There are a few exceptional limestone mountains in Halong Bay, including Titop Island, Hon Co and Fighting Cock Island, featuring proudly on the 200,000 VND note. Aside from looking at them, you can disembark your cruise and feel the rock and sand beneath your feet, providing a ‘castaway’ feeling that you can’t really get in Ninh Binh.What you can get in Ninh Binh, however, is a more enclosed feeling, as the thinner water paths are flanked by high-rising cliffs stretching proudly upwards. This makes the atmosphere a little more magical in our opinion, but there are very few opportunities to get up really close and personal with the mountains. In fact, there’s only one: Lying Dragon Mountain, a 450-step climb to a statue of a winding dragon and a view of the valley below, where the river skirts its way around the foothills of forested mountains.View from Lying Dragon MountainHalong Bay or Ninh Binh?• Halong Bay probably takes this one through sheer quantity, but it’s a very close call.TransportationA big part of discovering Halong Bay or Ninh Binh is the method of transport used to get around. Obviously, in Halong Bay, there’s really only one, given that it’s on the sea. In Ninh Binh, there’s a few, because of its access to land and roads as well as rivers.Cruises around Halong Bay span the gamut from cheap, no-thrills day boats to 5-star luxury cruises, and the same waterways are shared between everyone. Activities don’t vary too much between cheap and expensive cruises, but the quality of life onboard certainly does. The cheaper day boats usually comprise of one large sitting room with benches and an undecorated sundeck on top, while a 3-day cruise on a luxury boat will give you a feeling of royalty with top-class amenities, service and food; though it will potentially be about 10 times more expensive. When you want to get up close and personal with the bay, you can explore via kayak, a sampan boat rowed by a local, swimming or even a seaplane on the most exclusive of cruises.Cruise in Halong Bay with Incredible CruiseThe 90% of Halong Bay that you will see by cruise is not the same in Ninh Binh, where you have the options of cycling, trekking, climbing, motorcycling and taking a variety of different boats on its waterways. The most popular activity is certainly the local service that operates the sampan boats made of bamboo and paddled by middle-aged ladies (and a token couple of men) with their feet. At Tam Coc in Ninh Binh, these boats will carry you down the Ngo Dong River, while at Van Long Nature Reserve, they fan out into the wide basin of wetlands. Taking a cycle around the village of Tam Coc also finds regular appeal with tourists and visitors can rent bikes easily for a very good price. Motorcycling and trekking are usually reserved for Cuc Phuong National Park and its long path that cuts through the jungle, while multi-day treks to villages of the Muong minority tribe can be made at the north-west corner of the park.Boating in Tam CocHalong Bay or Ninh Binh?• With a wider range of activities for getting around, Ninh Binh wins here.Check our best tours to Ninh Binh from Hanoi: Hoa Lu Tam Coc Day Trip, Trang An - Bai Dinh Full Day Tour, Tam Coc Bich Dong Full Day Tour, and Cuc Phuong National Park Day Trip.CavesNeither Halong Bay nor Ninh Binh has Vietnam’s best cave systems; you’ll have to go to Phong Nha for that, but there are some pretty amazing offerings in both locations. Halong Bay’s caves are a big part of the reason that UNESCO has inducted the region twice into the World Heritage list, once in 1994 and again in 2000. Its most famous by far is Sung Sot Cave, translating to the ‘the Surprising Cave’ allegedly after a French explorer was surprised by its presence and the hundreds of differently shaped rock formations found throughout. This cave features on a lot of tour itineraries alongside the less frequent appearances of Me Cung, Trinh Nu, Trong, and Thien Cung, but quite possibly its most incredible is Luon Cave, a very short corridor of water that, when kayaked through, reveals an enclosed emerald lake shimmering on the other side.Sung Sot CaveBy comparison, Ninh Binh is relatively lacking in the cave department. You will be rowed through a few in Tam Coc, Trang An and in the Van Long wetlands, though they are really just short gaps in the mountains. The caves still create a wonderful atmosphere, but nothing like the grandeur of Halong Bay, where stalactites and stalagmites dwarf people and are illuminated in colourful lights for a more dramatic effect. The best example of a Ninh Binh cave is definitely the Cave of the Prehistoric Man in Cuc Phuong National Park, excavated in 1966 to reveal an array of human graves as well as sharp weapons and tools dating back over 7,500 years.Halong Bay or Ninh Binh?• Halong Bay. It is famous for its amazing caves and will continue to best Ninh Binh until more are potentially discovered.Halong Bay Cruises that go to Halong Bay: V'Spirit Premier Cruise, Perla Dawn Sails Halong Bay, Indochina Sails, V’Spirit Cruise, Aphrodite Cruise, Alisa Cruise.FarmingTwo of the most beautiful sights you’ll see in Vietnam are locals going about their farming in both Halong Bay and Ninh Binh. They use vastly different methods and harvest vastly different products, but the process of planting (or breeding) to harvest affords the most amazing views.One wouldn’t assume Halong Bay would be able to engage in much farming, but the villagers here are very adept at the cultivation of fish, which is the origin for human habitation in the bay. Fishing villages such as Cua Van and Ba Hang, as well as Vung Vieng in Bai Tu Long Bay, remains as stalwarts of a way of life that’s becoming more and more redundant and being kept alive for the tourism trade. These colourful floating houses sit atop huge buoyant drums and bob up and down with the water, just metres from a backdrop of gorgeous limestone. It’s clear to see how the allure of tourist money has replaced the meagre living families can make with traditional fish farming, but you can see examples of this past practice through enlightening farming demonstrations.Cua Van Fishing VillageAbout 220km south-west of Halong Bay, Ninh Binh is a completely different level of agriculture. Rice paddies took over the perfect flat valleys in the past and Ninh Binh is now known as one of the best spots in the country to see golden rice paddies stretching far into the distance. Tam Coc and Trang An especially are favourites for their views, aided heavily by the presence of undulating mountain scenery rolling further beyond the rice fields here. A visit between the start May and the end of June will allow for views of the typically crisp, golden fields that tourists come from afar to see. Tam Coc PanoramaHalong Bay or Ninh Binh?• Ninh Binh. Though beautiful, the token offerings of Halong Bay’s fishing villages pale in comparison to the splendour of Ninh Binh’s rice fields.Relaxing vs Exploring CultureOf course, you can relax and explore in either Halong Bay or Ninh Binh, but overall there is a pretty clear divide between the two of them when it comes to available activities.Halong Bay’s beaches are another of the region’s huge attractions, and while certainly not the most remote in the world, the white sand coupled with the feeling of being on another, much more beautiful planet equates to one hell of a relaxing time. Some of the more luxury cruises commit entire days to hang out at the beach, with just the serving of lunch and the availability of swimming and kayaking to tempt you away from the sands. Well, this is actually more of a feature of both of Halong Bay’s neighbouring bays, Bai Tu Long Bay and Lan Ha Bay; Halong Bay features a small number of accessible beaches, which can get pretty touristy. For the best time in the Gulf of Tonkin, head to Ban Chan and Ngoc Vung beaches in Bai Tu Long Bay, or Ba Trai Dao beach in Lan Ha Bay.Kayaking in Halong BayThe more adventurous readers might prefer to head to Ninh Binh, and in particular Hoa Lu, for an interesting look at Vietnamese culture throughout its history. Hoa Lu was once the capital of Vietnam for 44 years, spanning the reign of two separate kings who had set up shop here and is now a fascinating area with temples, statues and monuments behind a gorgeous palatial gate and moat. Bich Dong Pagoda sits near a lily pond in Tam Coc, rising high as you climb up steps and through temples and caverns to the amazing view provided from the top. However, Bai Dinh is the jewel in the crown of Ninh Binh’s religious buildings; its Buddhist complex spans 700 hectares, all of which stems from one tall pagoda built over one thousand years ago. If you get the understandable feeling of ‘temple fatigue’ in Ninh Binh, you can visit Phat Diem Cathedral, sure to be one of the most unique mixes of Asian and Western architecture that you will ever see.Halong Bay or Ninh Binh?• This one is down to personal preference, so we’re going to call this round a draw.TourismEvery tourist hears the same stories of overcrowding on Halong Bay’s waters and islands, and that sometimes makes the decision of whether to head to Halong Bay or Ninh Binh an easy one. Rumours aren’t always true, however.Though it is true that Halong Bay gets substantially more tourists than Ninh Binh does (what doubly-recognised UNESCO World Heritage site wouldn’t?), it is certainly not the picture of converging crowds that people like to paint. In its 1,553km2 frame, believe it or not, Halong Bay, can still be postcard-perfect, free of tourists and utterly serene. Areas like Ho Dong Tien (Fairy Lake Cave) and Luon Cave can bestow the ultimate feeling of calm through the isolation they provide. There are many, many more examples of tranquil spots across the neighbouring bays, which are quieter still during Gulf of Tonkin’s off-season over winter and summer.Van Long Nature ReserveNinh Binh, on the other hand, is a province on the rise. There are big plans by the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism to make Ninh Binh the next destination recognised internationally, as Halong Bay is now. There’s a long way to go, but the entire province boasts nature and variety in abundance, so there’s no reason to assume it won’t happen. This means that right now is probably the best time to see Ninh Binh to avoid eventual crowds. Crowding can indeed be a small problem for the more popular activities such as the boat trips in Tam Coc and Trang An as well as some of the cycling paths when the rice paddies are golden. There are always alternatives though, and Van Long Nature Reserve, as well as Cuc Phuong National Park, provide two great ones with plenty of space for the future.Halong Bay or Ninh Binh?• For sheer levels of tourists on an average peak season day, you’ll probably get more space in Ninh Binh.So Ninh Binh just tips the balance at the end there, but of course, all of these aspects of both destinations are meant to suggest and guide, not instruct. Fantastic times can be found in both Halong Bay and Ninh Binh, and you can enjoy both on day trips from Hanoi with Incredible Asia Journeys.