Ninh Binh Trips from Hanoi: A Day Trip, 2-day itinerary or 3-day itinerary
As Ninh Binh is just approximately a 2-hour drive from Hanoi, tourists can choose to visit there in a day tour or on their own.
In this article, we will share with you how to visit Ninh Binh on a day trip and what to do in this beautiful destination. To explore this region, tourists might spend 1 to 3 days.
Suggestions for a Day Excursion in Ninh Binh
A full day excursion to Ninh Binh costs about €50 and includes round-way transportation from Hanoi to Ninh Binh as well as all of your local transportation, which is very convenient given that the sights are spread out throughout the countryside. It will also include the cost of the entrance fees, the tour guide, and lunch.
You can visit historical places and take in the scenery of nature on a day excursion to Ninh Binh. Some tours include a short bike ride through nearby villages.
A day trip to Ninh Binh will undoubtedly give you a wealth of unique experiences. In this article, Hanoi Explore Travel will assist you in finding out more about the Ninh Binh day trip.
Tourist attractions in Ninh Binh
- Trang An Landscape Complex (taking a boat ride) >>> Read more
- Tam Coc (taking a boat ride) >>> See more
- Mua Cave (climbing & taking pictures) >>> More Detail
- Van Long Nature Reserve (taking a boat ride) >>> More detail
- Bai Dinh Pagoda >>> Read More
- Hoa Lu historical site (visiting & taking pictures) >>> See More
- Cuc Phuong National Park (cycling & trekking) >>> More Detaikl
- Bich Dong Pagoda (cycling) >>> See More
- Thien Ha Cave (taking a boat ride) >>> Rea More
Since one day is insufficient to see all of Ninh Binh’s attractions, you may wish to select the itinerary that best fits your needs and schedule. We will provide you with several detailed itineraries that include activities, costs, and schedules.
|
|
|
|
|
|
What is included in a Day Trip to Ninh Binh?
Booking a day tour package with transportation from Hanoi is the best way to visit Ninh Binh in a single day. By doing so, you can save your time and freely take in the natural beauty of this destination.
- Shuttle bus/limousine pick up and drop off at your hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter area and some other points in Hoan Kiem district
- Entrance fees to attractions such as Hoa Lu, Trang An, Hang Mua depends on the itinerary you choose.
- Lunch at a local restaurant
- Local tour guide
- Bamboo boat to visit caves, enjoy riverside scenery (at the complex of Trang An, Tam Coc)
- Bike tour in the countryside to visit local villages and meet some locals
- Drinks, personal expenses and things not mentioned above are not included
Ninh Binh One-day tour itinerary
Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Cycling (the most popular itinerary)
- Start from Hanoi at 7:40 am, back to Hanoi at 7:30 pm
- Activities: Víit King Dinh, King Le (Hoa Lu ancient capital), Tam Coc boat ride, cycling in local villages.
- Suggestion price: 830.000 VND PẺ PERSON
Morning: Pick up passengers from hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter around 7:30. After traveling around 90 kilometers south of Hanoi, you will reach Hoa Lu, the former capital of Vietnam in the 10th century. Here you can visit the temple of King Dinh and King Le and learn more about the nation’s valiant history of creating and defending the country.
Buffet lunch with Vietnamese dishes served at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Visit Tam Coc. Take a 1.5-hour boat ride to admire the beauty of imposing limestone karsts and mysterious caves, as well as village images like calm rivers and rice fields. You’ll also be able to enjoy the fresh air and peaceful moments, which is a great opportunity to capture beautiful images and save your memories. The golden rice paddies can be viewed in Tam Coc if you’re able to travel there during the harvest.
15:30: Take a leisurely bike ride on small countryside roads along the extensive network of canals. With this activity, tourists can explore nearby villages, and take in the beautiful scenery of the limestone karsts.
16:30: Get on the bus back to Hanoi. The tour ends at 19:00 at your hotels in Hanoi.
>>> EXPLORE HOA LU TAM COC DAY TRIPO with Favorably Priced, Quality Guaranteed and Realiable Services – ALL INCLUDED <<<
Bai Dinh Pagoda – Trang An (with electric car)Pick up from Hanoi at 7:30 am, back to Hanoi at 7:30 pm
- Activities: Boat tour in Trang An ( 2 hours), Bai Dinh pagoda visit on electric car
- Tour price: 900.000 VND PER PERSON
With this itinerary, you’ll visit the Bai Dinh Pagoda, which holds several Southeast Asian records. A boat ride is also offered for viewing the stunning surroundings at Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.
Morning: Depart from Hanoi to Ninh Binh at 7.30. The car takes you to Bai Dinh Pagoda, which is the first stop in the itinerary. The pagoda holds many Southeast Asian records with Tam The Palace, the tallest bronze statue, the longest Arhat corridor in Asia…
Buffet lunch with Vietnamese dishes served at a local restaurant
Afternoon: Continue the day excursion to Trang An scenic landscape complex with 3 spiritual landscapes and 9 caves such as Bright Cave, Dark Cave, Nau Ruou Cave… In addition to the caves, you can also visit other spiritual places such as Tran Temple, Bao Hieu pagoda.
End the tour: The car will take you back to your hotel in Hanoi around 07.30 p.m.
>>> BOOK A TOUR WITH BEST PRICE <<<
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital – Trang An – Mua Cave
- In the morning: Tourists will be given a 30- to 40-minute tour of the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and opt to visit the King Dinh and King Le temples’ historical sites as well.
- At noon: After the morning visit, tourists have lunch at a local restaurant, enjoying delicacies made with goat meat from Ninh Binh.
- In the afternoon: Continue the journey to Trang An scenic complex with 3 spiritual spots and 9 caves, including Bright Cave, Dark Cave, Nau Ruou Cave… Aside from the caves, you can also enjoy visiting various spiritual sites like the Tran Temple and Bao Hieu Pagoda.
>>>BOOK A Deluxe Hoa Lu Trang An Mua Cave Small Group – Limousine Transfer
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital – Tam Coc – Mua Cave
For this itinerary, tourists will visit 3 main attractions: Hoa Lu Ancient Capital – Tam Coc – Mua Cave with the details shown below:
- In the morning: Depart from Hanoi for Hoa Lu Ancient Capital where tourists will visit the Temple of King Dinh, King Le and learn about the traditional culture and historical relics that have been preserved to this day. Besides, you also have time to take check-in pictures inside the ancient capital area.
- At noon: Take a break and have lunch at an eatery or restaurant near the Tam Coc area.
- In the afternoon: continue your journey to Tam Coc, where you may take a boat tour down the Ngo Dong River and see several beautiful caves like Ca Cave and Hai Cave. Following that, you can ascend 486 limestone steps to Mua Cave. You may admire the majestic mountain landscape of Ninh Binh from here and take many beautiful photos.
>>> BOOK A Deluxe Hoa Lu Tam Coc Mua Cave Small Group – Limousine Transfer
Bai Dinh Pagoda – Trang An Complex Landscape – Mua Cave
- Pick up from Hanoi at 7:30 am, end at 7:30 pm
- Attractions: Bai Dinh Pagoda, Trang An (boat ride), Hang Mua (conquering the peak for a panoramic view)
- Suggestion price: 1.050.000đ Per Person
This tour will take you to three famous locations, including Bai Dinh Pagoda, Trang An, and Tuyet Tinh Coc. You will have the opportunity to see the renowned pagoda with many records, the picturesque Trang An landscape, and Tuyet Tinh Coc, a popular check-in spot for young people.
Morning: Depart for Ninh Binh from Hanoi at 7:30 am. The first stop is Bai Dinh pagoda which holds many Southeast Asian records with Tam The Palace, the tallest bronze statue, the largest temple in the world, the longest Arhat hall in Asia.
It would take an entire day to fully tour this pagoda complex, which has the largest and most spectacular pagoda architecture in the traditional Vietnamese style ever constructed. You will see 2 enormous bronze bells that each weigh 27 and 36 tons and 500 stone statues of the Arhats. The statues of Buddha Shakyamuni and Kuan-Yin, who has a thousand hands and a thousand eyes, also could be seen there.
Afternoon: Continue the tour to Trang An Landscape Complex. This 20-square-kilometer area boasts excellent natural beauty, with imposing limestone karsts rising dramatically from the surrounding rice paddies. There are unspoiled landscapes with mystic valleys, abundant freshwater ponds, and forests created by the interconnected towering mountain ranges. Here, tourists will take a traditional bamboo boat that leisurely paddles through a variety of caves, including Lam Cave, Vang Cave, Dai Cave, Thanh Truot Cave, and visit some temples such as Vu Lam Temple, Suoi Tien Temple, and Cao Son Temple.
15:30: Visit Mua Cave and then to the top of Ngoa Long mountain to enjoy the spectacular view of rice valley with natural scenery.
19:30: Arrive in Hanoi.
>>> BOOK A Deluxe Bai Dinh Trang An Mua Cave Small Group – Limousine Transfer with SPECIAL PRICE <<<
Ninh Binh 1 day tour – Suggested Price & options
If you are looking for a day tour to Ninh Binh from Hanoi, check out our suggested tour options with pricing that includes transportation, meals, English-speaking tour guides, entrance fees and tickets.
| Itinerary | Highlight | Price |
| Hoa Lu – Tam Coc (with cycling) |
|
|
| Bai Dinh Pagoda – Trang An Landscape Complex |
|
|
| Hoa Lu Ancient Capital – Trang An (with cycling) |
|
|
| Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Mua Cave (with cycling) |
|
|
| Hoa Lu – Trang An – Mua Cave (with cycling) |
|
|
| Bai Dinh – Trang An – Mua Cave |
|
|
Expenses for traveling to Ninh Binh on your own
If you don’t want to take a package tour, consider planning a trip to Ninh Binh on your own. Here are some details you should know:
Transportation costs
- Bus ticket, limousine bus Hanoi – Ninh Binh: 160,000 VND – 200,000 VND / 1 way.
- Bike rental: 50,000 VND/day.
- Motorbike rental: 100,000 – 150,000 VND/day.
Entrance fees to some tourist attractions:
- Hoa Lu ancient capital (Temples of King Dinh and King Le): 20,000 VND/pax
- Trang An Complex: 250,000 VND/pax, including sightseeing ticket and boat ride.
- Tam Coc: Sightseeing ticket: 120,000 VND/person. Boat ticket: 150,000 VND/boat
- Mua Cave: 100,000 VND/pax
- Van Long Nature Reserve: 20,000 VND/pax for sightseeing tickets
- Tuyet Tinh Coc (Am Tien Cave): 20,000 VND/pax
- Thien Ha Cave: 120,000 VND/pax including sightseeing ticket & boat ticket
- Thung Nham Bird Park: 140,000 VND/pax including sightseeing ticket & boat ticket
A longer stay in Ninh Binh?
Why not stay the night to further explore after your day excursion to Ninh Binh? The second day would allow you to explore more of the landscape and visit several impressive temples.
For 2-day itineraries in Ninh Binh
There are many different itineraries for the Ninh Binh tour in 2 days, 1 night. Below is our suggestion on some unique itineraries:
Option 1
For tourists who enjoy exploring nature, viewing the imposing limestone mountains and taking “check-in” photos.
- Day 1: Deluxe Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Mua Cave Small Group Tour from Hanoi
- Day 2: Bai Dinh Pagoda – Trang An Day Tour and Back to Hanoi
Option 2
It is suitable for tourists who want to learn the heroic history of the ancient capital.
- Day 1: Hanoi– Bai Dinh Pagoda – Trang An
- Day 2: Phat Diem Stone Cathedral – Kenh Ga hot spring – Hanoi
>>> Follow our itinerary or get your own FREE one here <<<
Option 3
It is suitable for those who want to visit spiritual sites.
- Day 1: Trang An Grottoes – Hoa Lu Ancient Capital – Bai Dinh Pagoda
- Day 2: Phat Diem Stone Cathedral – Thien Ha Cave – Hanoi
Option 4
- Cuc Phuong National Park – Kenh Ga Hot Spring – Van Long Nature Reserve – Thung Nham Bird Park
- For those who want to visit spiritual sites and For those that are passionate about eco-tourism, being immersed in pristine nature.
For tourists who love nature and are passionate about ecotourism, option 4 is a great choice. You will be able to visit Thung Nham Bird Park, which houses thousands of bird species ranging from common species to nearly extinct bird species, or Cuc Phuong National Park, a complex of incredibly diversified old-growth forest ecosystems and rare plant and animal species. Visitors may expect to have a lot of exciting experiences with this ecotourism option.
>>> Let’s visit our website for different types of 2 Days 1 Night Tour available for every budget, from backpackers to luxury. Check out for the best deals
3-day Ninh Binh Itinerary – Cuc Phuong National Park
If you have more time, let’s spend an extra day exploring Cuc Phuong National Park, which is home to many rare flora and fauna. Here you also can ride a bike around the primeval jungle, hike through the jungle and see a 1,000-year-old tree.
Furthermore, please contact us immediately if you need more details or have any questions about the tour. Our Hanoi Explore Travel Team is always here to assist you! Hotline/What’s app: + 84 974 805 797
