Ninh Binh One Day Tour

Ninh Binh one day tour from Hanoi – What Should you do in only one day trip ?

Ninh Binh Tourism is the combination of river, caves, culture, history, discovery and relaxation. This province has a lot of locations to visit than you expect for a Day Trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh

If you want to leave a bustling city to enjoy fresh air without smoke, dust, or noise. Let’s start make plan for your trip with Hanoi Explore Travel to discover immediately your  journey to Ninh Binh One Day Tour

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Take a trip around tourist destinations

Hoa Lu ancient capital

Once you get here, you will stay in the capital of Vietnam during the reigns of Dinh king (968 – 980) and the beginning of Le king (980 – 1009). Hoa Lu capital has an area of about 3 km2 with temples, shrines and the king’s palace

The royal family lives in the inner city. It’s very peaceful inside the complex and you can wander on your own or with the help of the temple guides who work for free.

The ancient capital of Hoa Lu is surrounded by high ranges of limestone mountains creating a solid wall to protect the ancient capital.

In the northwest of the ancient capital, adjacent to the Hoang Long River, the city is kept cool by the prevailing wind from river during the hot summer months and provides a convenient waterway for commerce and other businesses.

Tam Coc (Three caves)

Tam Coc also known as Halong Bay on Land ( you can learn about Halong Bay if you haven’t visited it before). Ha Long Bay stands out with rocky mountain, islands of rock stuck up out of the sea.

Tam Coc is completely different with limestone mountain ranges running along both sides of the river create a majestic scenery.

Tam Coc has 3 caves : Ca cave – the first cave is 127 meters long, Middle Cave – the second cave is 70 meters long and the third, End Cave is only 40 meters long.

There is no way to explore all the caves better than a boating trip. It takes 2 hours for the boat trip to all the caves. These boats will float down Ngo Dong River and This wonderful scenery will make an unforgettable experience for you! Price ticket is 195,000 VND / Person.

Please note that you should bring drinking, hat, umbrella and sun-protective clothing if you don’t want to get sunburned. Maybe you should bring a thin raincoat to keep out of the rain in the summer. In the winter you should bring thin coat.

Bich Dong pagoda

Bich Dong Pagoda ,which is 2 kilometers from Tam Coc depot, means “ the emerald cave”.

It is named in 1773 by chancellor Nguyen Nghiem. In front of the cave is a branch of the Ngo Dong river winding around the moutain slope. There is a field opposite the cave.

Thai Vi temple

Thai Vi Temple is located in Van Lam Hamlet, Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District. It is on the right of the Ngo Giang river and on the left of Coi Linh mountain, which brings the perfect harmony for thousands of years and creates Tam Coc as today, which is also known as “ shallow Ha Long Bay”.

Visiting here, we not only can feel poetic beauty of mountains and rivers, but also admire the fine architectural works which are typical of attractive ,original identity and made by ancient people.

Trang An landscape complex

It recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Trang An scenic complex is a mixed natural and cultural resource, mainly located in three protected areas: Hoa Lu ancient capital, Trang An, Tam Coc-Bich Dong and Hoa Lu the existing forest.

Trang An is known as the most popular attraction in Ninh Binh, it consists of a complex of limestone caves stretching across the Sao Khe River, surrounded by majestic limestone mountains, creating a picture of beautiful scenery.

Entrance fee is 250,000 VND, it will be completed in 2.5 – 3 hours on boat with an experienced woman row the boat. You must buy tickets directly at the ticket counter at the entrance of the resort.

Mua Cave viewpoint

Mua Cave is probably the most dramatic. At the top of the hill, 500 steps above the ground. The temple on the top of the mountain is obviously not impressive, but the view from the top of the mountain to entire Tam Coc area and Ngo Dong river is really worth to give a try and the results will match your efforts when you have climbed to the top of the mountain.

Entrance fee is 100,000 VND and it takes about 2 hours to explore. Mua Cave is wholly unworthy of our respect.

Bai Dinh pagoda

Bai Dinh pagoda is less challenging than Mua Cave . But it still is a good choice. The largest temple in Southeast Asia will immerse you in Buddhist culture and understand how this religion affects Vietnamese.

Built in 2003 and finally completed in 2010 with traditional Vietnamese design along with special materials from selected local craft villages for the interior.

Cuc Phuong national park

Cuc Phuong is the oldest national park with well-preserved tropical rain forest. Located 45 km from Ninh Binh, this Botanical Garden is the best place for cycling, hiking and observing wildlife and plants.

Another thing that will surprise you, is a wonderful setting created by many colorful butterflies. Welcome to one of Mother Nature’s living places.

Thung Nham bird garden

Thung Nam Bird Garden belongs to Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District, one of tourist attraction representing culture, spirit, diverse ecology and stunning views.

Besides being given the chance to admire the landscape of the wetland, tourists can explore wild lifestyle of nearly 40 different types of birds, around 50 thousand birds.

Van Long nature reserve

Van Long Nature Reserve area belongs to Ninh Binh province and is located around 80 kilometers from Hanoi city, which is also an extrememly interesting spot for one-day trip. If you are planning to travel to this beautiful place, our below experience and instructions for fully exploring Van Long should not be missed

Phat Diem stone cathedral

The church, usually called Phat Diem Stone Church, is a religious Catholic complex with the area of 22 hectares; it is located in Phat Diem town, Kim Son Commune, Ninh Binh province. It is assessed to be one of the most wonderful churches in Vietnam by the press, considered to be the “religious city” of Vietnam

Other tourist destinations: Nang Valley, Ma Tien Cave, Dong Chuong lake, Non Nuoc mountain, Kenh Ga hot spring …

Tourist attraction entrance fee ticket

• Hoa Lu Ancient Capital (Temple of King Dinh, King Le): 20,000VND/person
•  Trang An Complex: 250.000 VND/person, including scenic tickets and boat trips.
• Tam Coc: 250,000VND/person, Included entrance fee ticket and boat ticket
• Mua Cave: 100,000VND/pax
• Van Long Natural Reserve: 150,000VND per person
• Tuyet Tinh Coc (Am Tien Cave): 20,000VND/person
• Thien Ha Cave: 150,000VND/person
• Thung Nham Bird Park: 150,000VND/person

Have a look at itinerary for Ninh Binh day trip from Hanoi

Ninh Binh has many destinations, and you should spend 3-4 days for these places to explore. Perhaps not everyone will have time to go to all these places. Here are some suggestions for Ninh Binh 1 Day Tour.

Temple of King Dinh Le – Nham valley – Thien Ha cave

• 5h30 or 6h: Depart by Private car from hanoi to ninh binh. Tourist will have breakfast and start the Ninh Binh tour in 1 day by going to Hoa Lu ancient capital to visit King Dinh-Le temple (Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district) to burn incense and pray for peace.
• 9h: Departure to  Nham Valley- bird garden (Ninh Hai commune, Hoa Lu district), it is about more than 10km from King Dinh-Le temple. Normally, when you want to reach Nham Valley, you usually go through Tam Coc-Bich Dong Street about 4km, then cross Nang Valley and continue by motorbike (car) or boat (if you go in the direction of Temple Cave in Tam Coc-Bich Dong ).

After coming to Nham Valley(Thung Nham), you can watching a lot of birds such as: stork, cauldron, le le, common teal, magpies, starling … After having satisfied your eyes, you can go ashore and visit gardens, primeval forests, love valleys, thousand- years- old banyan tree…

Or you can continue taking a boat to explore other caves of Nham Valley ecological community.

Afternoon  Activities

• 12h: You come to Nham Hill  to rest and have lunch. There are many popular specialties for you to choose, such as meat, chicken,  fish, bitter bamboo shoots, forest vegetables …All traditional folk cuisines processed from ingredients from gardens and nearby rivers and canals. They are fresh and tasty.
• 13h: After lunch and rest, you start to return to the parking to come to Thien Ha cave – The strong walls protect Hoa Lu ancient capital in the 10th century.
• 15h30: After leaving Thien Ha cave you start moving forward to Dong Chuong Lake. This is a fairly pristine tourist destination and in the process of exploitation, so it is very quiet and suitable for you to rest and relax after walking a long day to discover Thien Ha cave.

Here, you can take a boat around the lake, go fishing, or visit these entertainment areas, sports area or go to house on stilts to rest, have a light before come back to Hanoi.

• 16h30 or 17h you will go far from Ninh Binh and return to Hanoi, that is the end of the programme 1 day tour in Ninh Binh.

Hoa Lu Tam Coc Mua cave day tour from Hanoi

With this schedule, you will visit 3 famous destinations: Hoa Lu ancient capital, Tam Coc Cave and Mua Cave

• Morning: Depart around 8:00 am from Hanoi. Tour guide will pick you up at your hotel in the center of Hanoi Old Quarter. It takes about 2 hours by car. The first destination is Hoa Lu ancient capital – A place that preserves many thousand-year-old historical imprints of King Dinh – Le dynasties. The time appointed for visiting this place is about 45 ’- 60′

Then move to the restaurant to rest and have lunch. You will have the opportunity to admire the majestic high mountains, romantic rice fields, peaceful scenery of the countryside on the way to the restaurant. If you’re lucky, you may come across flocks of buffaloes, cows or goats grazing on the hillsides or along the road.

Afternoon Activities

• Afternoon: After finishing lunch. You will move to Tam Coc boat station to begin the trip on boat to explore tam Coc.I believe it was an exciting experience to enjoy the majestic and poetic scenery of the river and mountain ….
• Before you are on boat, you should bring food and drinking, do not buy water from the sellers on other boats, they will overcharge you . After finishing the journey, you should tip the rower about 2usd to express your gratitude to them, they also contribute to the success of your trip.

Next, you will return to home to get a bicycle and prepare for a cycling journey on the rice fields and the peaceful village here.

After that, you will move to Mua cave where you will have  a lot of beautiful photos, will have a panoramic view of tam coc and Ngo river. To reach the top you must climb 500 steps. If you’re an exercise -loving person, it’s an easy hiking trip.

At the end of the climb, you will be back to your car and prepare to return to Hanoi.

Hoa Lu Trang An Mua cave tour from Hanoi

In common with the schedule of Hoa Lu Tam Coc Mua Cave. In this proc

• Morning: Visit Hoa Lu ancient capital and have lunch
• Afernoon: You ess, you will also visit 3 destinations: Hoa Lu, Trang An, Mua Cavewill get a chance to visit An Giang landscape, experience 3 hours on a boat, discover the wild and majestic beauty of Trang An. You will come to visit King Kong film studio – one of the places that makes the name of the American movie: Kong – Skull island to get beautiful pictures and unique experiences.

Then, you will have the possibility to explore peaceful villages, mountains, fields through cycling. At the end of the journey, you can climb to the top of Mua Cave and return to Hanoi.

Trang An Bai Dinh Mua cave day trip from Hanoi

For those who are passionate about exploring the history, culture, architecture, this schedule is the right choice.

• Morning: You will visit Bai Dinh pagoda – the largest temple in Southeast Asia, designed boldly Buddhist culture of the Asians. To visit the entire campus of the temple, you will have to move up by tram.

Afternoon activities

After finishing the tour, you will keep moving to the restaurant for lunch.

Start visiting Trang An by boat for about 3 hours and visit the Kong king’s studio

Then continue visiting by bike lasting about 45 ‘

• At the end of the journey, you will have the opportunity to visit Mua Cave- a panoramic view of the rice fields along Ngo river. You will have to overcome 500 steps to get to the top.

There are many options for one day trip to Ninh Binh. Because we have more than one attractions, you need to make sure that which attractions really make an impression on you.

You can look for some help from a travel agent, advice from experts is very helpful in this situation, given you more information for you from high rated agency.

What is included in a day trip to Ninh Binh tour from Hanoi ?

The best way to explore Ninh Binh in a day is to reserve a one-day package tour with transfer from Hanoi. The tour is led by a professional local guide, and a shuttle bus will take you to different tourist attractions in Ninh Binh, allowing you to save time and comfortably take in the stunning beauty of Ninh Binh.

• Limousine bus to pick up and drop off passengers at hotels in the Hanoi Old Quarter area
• Entrance tickets to tourist attractions such as Hoa Lu, Trang An, Hang Mua depending on the itinerary you choose.
• Lunch at a local restaurant with delicious famous Vietnamese dishes
• Professional English-speaking tour guide
• Bamboo boat to visit caves and enjoy river views (at Trang An, Tam Coc…)
• Cycling in the countryside to local villages and meeting some local people
• Drinks and personal expenses are not included.

Activities in a Ninh Binh day tour

Since one day is insufficient to see all of Ninh Binh’s attractions, you might wish to select the itinerary that best fits your needs and schedule. We will provide you some detailed itineraries that include activities, costs, and schedules.

Rowing a bamboo boat down a river to visit a cave

This is an extremely unique and exciting experience for a trip to Ninh Binh.

Visitors can explore amazing caves formed over millions of years by sitting in a boat on the rivers circling the gorgeous limestone mountains.

Take a boat tour at Tam Coc to see three caves through the mountains and take in the beauty of ripe rice fields alongside the river. Alternatively, you can go to the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex to see a number of caves and ancient temples.

Another location you could visit during your trip is Thien Ha cave.
Below are attractive attractions on bamboo boats:

• Tam Coc
• Trang An
• Thien Ha Cave
• Van Long Nature Reserve
• Thung Nham bird garden

Cycling in Tam Coc

You can cycle anywhere in the peaceful countryside of Hoa Lu. But it is much better if you know about the most beautiful cycling routes, taking you to beautiful landscapes with rice fields, lotus ponds or peaceful villages.

• Hoa Lu route (Temple of King Dinh and King Le) – Tam Coc
• Tam Coc – Bich Dong route
• Route around Van Long lagoon
• Tam Coc – Hang Mua route

Visiting temples and pagodas

Hoa Lu ancient capital and surrounding areas are the center of many pagodas. Here you can visit King Dinh temple, King Le temple or Bai Dinh pagoda, which set many records in Southeast Asia.

Temples and pagodas are all scattered among the famous landscapes of Ninh Binh, making you feel lost on a spiritual journey.

Kayaking at Trang An

Kayaking is a new activity you can try when visiting Trang An. The best experience is kayaking along the Sao Khe River, getting closer to the limestone mountains or going through amazing caves.

However, the activity is only appropriate for individuals who are in good physical shape, particularly those who have the flexibility and stamina to undertake the lengthy journey.

Conquering Ngoa Long Peak

Considered a miniature Great Wall in Ninh Binh, the road to Hang Mua Cave is not an easy journey as you need to climb up to 500 stone steps to reach the peak of Ngoa Long mountain.

The stunning beauty of Ninh Binh will be a merited award for your effort.

You can immerse yourself in the natural scenery and have a great opportunity to take the most beautiful photos that will astound others.

Taking a farm trip in Trang An complex

Farm visits in the Trang An area have become a trend in recent years and are becoming more and more popular with tourists.

A farm visit helps you become a real farmer in the lovely and tranquil rice fields, allowing you to discover Northern Vietnam’s agriculture and learn some common agricultural techniques.

After the farm trip, you will have real-life experiences about the characteristics of rural Vietnam.

Enjoying Trang An panoramic view by helicopter

From 2020, visitors can enjoy panoramic views of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex by helicopter. This tour is taken by a modern Bell 505 helicopter imported from the US with only 4 seats. Each cabin is designed with transparent glass, so visitors will enjoy the entire majestic natural landscape while flying.

Visiting temples and pagodas

Hoa Lu ancient capital and surrounding areas are the center of many pagodas. Here you can visit King Dinh temple, King Le temple or Bai Dinh pagoda, which set many records in Southeast Asia.

Temples and pagodas are all scattered among the famous landscapes of Ninh Binh, making you feel lost on a spiritual journey.

Exploring to Ninh Binh from Hanoi in a day by the best way

Ninh Binh City is about 93km from Hanoi to the South, traffic is extremely convenient when both National Road 1A and North – South Railway run through. Therefore, you can come to Ninh Binh by both road and rail.

By train

There is at least 3 southbound train available at least (SE5, SE7, SE19). It costs you around 15 US$ to 18 US$ per person for one seat based on the type of ticket you choose.

To check the information for train, visit Vietnam Railway’s Website. The station opens all day 24/7 with almost 10 trains per day from 6 a.m to 8 p.m, that means you can essentially approach Ninh Binh city at any time you’ve scheduled before.

The Hanoi train station is at 120 Le Duan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi and Ninh Binh railway station is at 1 Hoang Hoa Tham street, Ninh Binh city. It takes about 2 – 2,5 hours without delay.

Through the window of the train, you will see the constantly alternating view. The seat types include the hard seat, the soft seat, hard berth (6 berths in a cabin) and the sort berth (4 berths in a cabin) – From Soft Seat type to Soft Berth type, all carriages and cabins are air-conditioned with the comfortable seats/berths.

By bus

Not a quite good choice but doesn’t mean forget about it. It is easy and favorable to book a bus ticket online or offline. You can book it online at VeXeRe.com or buy the ticket at the bus station.

About the bus, some bus agencies provide the service picking you up at an arranged point and drop you at the determined one.

You should ask your concierge for more information, they also can help you to book a ticket and set up for picking you up at defined spot proximity to your hotel.

List of bus station

It is possible to catch the bus at the bus station. There are 4 stations for you depending on your situation included:

• My Dinh bus station at 20 Pham Hung.
• Giap Bat bus station at 6 Giai Phong street, Hoang Mai district.
• Yen Nghia bus station at Highway 6, Ha Dong district.
• Nuoc Ngam bus station at 1 Ngoc Hoi road, Hoang Mai district.

If you are an audacious tourist and absolutely desire to explore Vietnamese daily living, this should be your first choice.

Locals usually choose the bus to move among the provinces.It is cheaper but more cramped.

You have to share your seat with other people or take cognizant of the feeling of taking a seat on a plastic chair right in the middle of the bus. It is a different and specific experience.

It costs you around 50.000 VND (2.5 US$) to 100.000 VND (5 US$)/person.

Make sure you ask the price before getting on the bus, some bus-drivers will try to charge the foreigner more than the normal rate.

By private transport or motorbike

If you travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh in a group, the best option for you should be rent a private car. It is a bit pricey if your group is small (under 10 people).

But if you go in a large group (more than 15 people), it can be cheaper than traveling by bus.

The advantage of this way is the flexible schedule, faster and more comfortable. Actually, it has some problems that you should pay attention to.

When you rent a private car shared by groups in order to save the money, you should offer them to choose a place among the hotels of each person and everyone concentrates on this spot and begin the journey if you don’t want your schedule broken by late because of picking each individual person from their hotel.

You should check for the car and the contract carefully to avoid scam. Ask for a full package price, including insurance, fuel fee and other fees. Some agencies can try to overcharge you with these fees.

There are agencies that provide English-speaking drivers, quite a bonus for tourists. remember those limousine cars are more expensive than a normal car but they are the most comfortable ones.

By limousine bus

You should consider all these choices, you have more than one way. The other option is the luxury limousine car and (more money of course more satisfying).

It costs you approximately 200.000 VND/person or 10 US$

There are the names of limousine cars that you should check (price per person):

• Ninh Binh Excursion Bus( 19008021) Price from 200.000VND
• Non Nuoc Ninh Binh – Price: 175.000 VND
• An Binh Travel – Price: 200.000 VND
• Binh Minh Limousine – Price: 180.000 VND
• Tu Tai Limousine: Contact booking: 0912291840
• Khanh An Limousine: Ticket price: 180.000 VND – Contact booking: 0888 123 010
• Trang An Limousine (19000336)
• X.E Vietnam ( 19001551)
• Duy Khang Limousine (19003086)

Both of them has their own website, if the website doesn’t have English version, you can use Google Translate Tool to check the information or ask the concierge or one Vietnamese buddy to help you.

In the other hand, you can choose one day scheduled tours if you don’t want to think so much about how to go, what to do or where to visit.

Traveling cost to Ninh Binh on your own

If you don’t want to take a package tour organized by trustworthy travel agencies, you can also create your own itinerary with the suggested prices listed below.

Food

Ninh Binh is well-known for goat meat and other regional specialties. A satisfying meal costs between 150,000 and 300,000 VND. Restaurants can be found in the city and around tourist areas such as Tam Coc, Trang An, Hang Mua, Bai Dinh pagoda…

Transportation costs

• Hanoi – Ninh Binh bus or limousine tickets: 100,000 VND – 300,000 VND/one way.
• Bicycle rental: 50,000 VND/day.
• Motorbike rental price: 100,000 – 150,000 VND/day.

Hotels and motels

There are many homestays, hotels and 3-star, 4-star, and 5-star resorts that are located in Ninh Binh city and close to popular tourist attractions available if you plan to stay overnight in Ninh Binh

• Hostels: from 250.000VND per room/Night
• Budget hotels: from 450.000VND per room/Night
• 4-star, 5-star resorts: From 1.500.000VND per room/Night

Best time to visit Ninh Binh

It is not really for sure right or wrong time to visit Ninh Binh city, it depends on how you feel when you are in a country with about 3200 kilometers of coastline and three different weather systems.

Like in all north Vietnam, it is hot and humid in Ninh Binh from May to October.

Unfortunately, it has a high percentage of chance to typhoons during September. From November to April seems less challenging from the sky with dry and cooler weather.

Not for sure that which time is better, in the rainy season, the scenery is so bright because the rice fields are at their best vivid green, so there’s no reason to think about which is the best time to go. The best time is around the year.

Some tips for your AMAZING Ninh Binh day trip

Make sure you bring enough money

There are no ATMs in anywhere around Trang An Complex and it definitely is so far to come back Ninh Binh city to withdraw the money. Not so happy if you realize that you don’t have enough money when paying something.

Keep calm and keep driving

Don’t be rushed each time you hear quite lots of honks behind you. Vietnamese people just want to announce their presence to you, you’re not doing anything wrong.

Don’t forget to try the specialty of Ninh Binh

Goat meat and burning rice (elderberry)! The burning rice is absolutely different because of the taste of the sauce. Nice pale yellow with nuts inside, pappy, fat but not bored.

Goat meat might be the real specialty of Ninh Binh. The resources of goat meat are from Limestone Mountain or from the farm.

The meat is cut pieces and cook with many ingredients such as lemon leaf, ginger, sliced-chili, lemon juice and sodium glutamate. It can’t be expressed how delicious the dish is. Let come and try it!

Being flexible if you share a car

Like we said in the blog, if you rent a private car shared by groups in order to save the money, you should offer them to choose a place among the hotels of each person and everyone concentrates on this spot and begin the journey if you don’t want your schedule broken by late because of picking each individual person from their hotel.

Hope that you find this article useful and will have a great time in Ninh Binh. If you want any further advice and information, feel free to contact us, the Hanoi Explore Travel Team. It is our pleasure to help you!