Explore Trang An ecosystem site in Ninh Binh – A heaven on earth
Located less than 100 kilometers from the capital Hanoi, Trang An Landscape Complex is a stunning ecological and spiritual tourist destination in Ninh Binh with breathtaking natural landscapes, rich history and cultural significance. To make travel to this “heaven on earth” more unforgettable, let’s have a look at the following article!
Trang An Landscape Complex Ninh Binh was recognized by UNESCO as a dual world heritage site (World Cultural and Natural Heritage) in 2014. Famous for its stunning natural beauty with majestic mountains and calm river, this destination is a must-see on your Vietnam travel itinerary.
An introduction to Trang An Landscape Complex Ninh Binh
Trang An is a unique scenic complex recognized as the first mixed heritage in Southeast Asia. Possessing beautiful, poetic natural scenery, Trang An is a popular tourist destination in Ninh Binh that promises to bring visitors unforgettable experiences. Visitors to Trang An landcape complex can be immersed in the breathtaking natural surroundings, which includes rolling limestone mountains and clear blue river meandering through caves. From the boat, visitors will take in lush green rice fields and clear blue water, blending together to create a serene natural scene.
Location of Trang An eco-tourism site
Trang An is situated along Trang An Avenue about 8 kilometers west of Ninh Binh city center and around 100 kilometers south of the capital of Hanoi. Trang An eco-tourism site is a part of Trang An scenic landscape complex that spreads over 2,000 hectares and also includes Tam Coc – Bich Dong tourist area to the north 9 kilometers away, Hoa Lu ancient capital to the south 3 kilometers away. These tourist areas are linked by a special-use forest and meandering valleys and rivers that blend together.
Trang An possesses a 250-million-year-old limestone geological system with a diverse ecosystem, including flooded forests, limestone mountains and archaeological and cultural relics. In the tenth century, Emperor Dinh Tien Hoang selected it to be the southern defense wall for the capital city of Hoa Lu. This location later served as the Vu Lam palace for the Tran Dynasty during their resistance battle against the Yuan Dynasty. Nowadays, the site still preserves many historical relics from the Dinh and Tran dynasties.
Sightseeing ticket prices and other costs
The costs of visiting Trang An Landscape Complex – Ninh Binh includes sightseeing tickets, boat tickets and parking fees. Currently, Trang An sightseeing and boat ticket prices are regulated as follows:
- Sightseeing tickets to Trang An cost 250,000 VND/ticket/adult.
- For children with a height of 1 meter to 1.3 meters, the ticket price is 120,000 VND/ticket/child.
- Free tickets for children under 1 meter in height.
- Parking fees: About 10,000 VND/motorbike.
Time to purchase tickets:
- Weekdays (Monday to Friday): 6:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
- Saturdays and Sundays: 6:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m
When is the best time to go to Trang An landscape complex Ninh Binh?
Trang An – Ninh Binh owns unique beauty every season of the year: spring, summer, autumn, winter. And every time of the year, visitors also find many interesting things worth exploring here:
- In spring: Visitors can immerse themselves in special festivals such as: Trang An Festival (mid-March of the lunar calendar); Co Lau Festival (8th – 10th day of the third lunar month).
- In summer: Trang An offers an enchanting beauty with golden rice fields or fragrant lotus ponds.
- In autumn: The weather is cool and pleasant, ideal for outdoor sightseeing and exploration activities.
- In winter: Trang An is hidden in the mist like a fairyland.
As it offers unique experiences in every season, Trang An – Ninh Binh is a destination worth visiting all year round.
What time to go to Trang An? In the morning or afternoon?
- Trang An eco-tourism site opens to welcome visitors from 07:00 to 16:00 every day. During the festive season or holidays, the opening hours will be extended from 06:00 to 16:00.
- It will take three to four hours to visit the entirety of Trang An. As a result, visitors to Trang An should leave early in the morning, between 6:00 and 7:00, to avoid the intense afternoon sun and take in the peaceful natural surroundings in a more relaxing way.
>>> Check out more: Best time to visit Ninh Binh to get ready for an amazing adventure!
How to get to Trang An eco-tourism site
There are several transportation options to get to Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex from Hanoi. The most common way is by road, including taking a taxi, private car, bus or driving a motorbike.
- If you choose a taxi or private car, it takes roughly 1.5 hours to move from Hanoi to Trang An – Ninh Binh, depending on the traffic situation. National Highway 1A is the most popular route to Ninh Binh City, and from there you can continue to Trang An Eco-tourism site.
- Alternatively, you can take a bus or limousine from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, with ticket prices ranging from about 80,000 VND to 180,000 VND. Traveling by a motorbike is also an option that brings you a unique experience. However, make sure you are an experienced and safe motorcyclist before embarking on this adventure.
- If you travel from Ho Chi Minh City or other southern provinces, you can fly to Hanoi and use the above means of transportation to get to Ninh Binh. It is important to note that Ninh Binh does not yet have an airport. Additional ways to go to Ninh Binh include train and bus.
From Ninh Binh to Trang An
Trang An Landscape complex is only about 8 kilometers from Ninh Binh City center and bus station or about 10 kilometers from Ninh Binh train station, so you can rent a motorbike in Ninh Binh if you want to go on your own, otherwise take a motorbike taxi or taxi. If you are driving yourself from Hanoi, as soon as you approach the center of Ninh Binh city, pay attention to the right hand side, turn in Trang An street and go straight for a few kilometers to get there.
What to do in Trang An Landscape Complex
Famous for its outstanding natural beauty, including towering limestone cliffs, lush forests and peaceful rivers. Furthermore, Trang An cave also fascinates visitors with the beauty of its magnificent stalactites. Every year, this place attracts a large number of domestic and international tourists. In 2014, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was also recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site for its natural and cultural significance.
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Taking a 2-hour boat trip to admire the scenery of rivers and mountains
- One of the highlights of a trip to Trang An is the chance to take in the breathtaking views of the surrounding natural environment while relaxing on a boat. In addition to taking in the refreshing breeze, visitors can engage in conversation with the boatmen to learn more about the history and culture of the area.
- The Trang An boat tour also allows you to explore the beauty of Bright Cave, Nau Ruou Cave, Dark Cave, Tran Cave. The feeling of gliding through the caves on a small boat, hearing the sound of oars and the sound of water falling down the cliffs is definitely an exciting experience. In particular, on days with light rain and hazy clouds surrounding the mountain top, you can enjoy a romantic and poetic scenery.
Three different sightseeing boat routes:
- Route 1: Boat wharf – Trinh Temple – Dark Cave – Bright Cave – Nau Ruou (wine-cooking) Cave – Tran Temple – Ba Giot Cave – Seo Cave – Son Duong Cave – Khong Palace – Bao Hieu Pagoda – Khong Cave – Tran Cave – Quy Hau Cave – return to the wharf.
- Route 2: Boat wharf – Lam Cave – Vang Cave – Thanh Truot Cave – Suoi Tien Temple – Dai Cave – Vu Lam Palace – back to the boat wharf.
- Route 3: Boat wharf – Trinh Temple – May Cave – Suoi Tien – Dia Linh Cave – Dai Cave – Vu Lam Palace – back to the boat wharf.
Capture beautiful photos
Offering visitors unique natural beauty, extremely poetic and majestic scenery, Trang An is definitely a great place to create lifetime photos for your visit! When visiting Trang An, you can visit some locations such as the boat wharf or Vu Lam Palace to have eye-catching photos. In addition, you should dress appropriately for this attractive scene so that you can stand out in the natural setting.
Learning about history and culture
A trip to Trang An – Ninh Binh will provide visitors with the opportunity to experience extremely unique and interesting activities such as getting to know the historical years of the ancient capital and understanding more about the culture of Vietnam. This must be a unique experience that is difficult to get elsewhere for every visitor.
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What to see in Trang An – Ninh Binh
Trang An in Ninh Binh is truly a wonderful destination with lots of stunning scenery and fascinating activities. Below, let’s take a closer look at some of the distinctive locations in Trang An that you may visit:
TOP 5 mysterious and enchanting caves in Trang An, Vietnam
Trang An is also known for its beautiful natural caves that attract tourists from all over the world. Below are the top 5 enchanting caves in Trang An that you should not miss:
- Dia Linh Cave: Situated at the heart of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, this 1500-meter cave is the first cave reached by route number 1, which departs from the Sao Khe river wharf. The cave is also known as Chau Bau (literally, “treasure”) because it gives visitors the impression that they are lost in a treasure trove of fossilized stalactite. A picturesque scene of clouds, sky, mountains, and rivers with several enchanted hanging stalactites may be seen as you emerge from the cave mouth.
- Nau Ruou cave: In Nau Ruou cave, there is underground water more than 10 meters deep. According to legend, our forefathers came here in the past to gather water to make wine for the king.
- Ba Giot cave: Ba Giot Cave has an array of colorful stalactites as well as an unusual kind of tree that grows from the roof upside down. The stalactites in Ba Giot Cave are unique in that they are moist and constantly changing, taking on new forms and hues, unlike the stalactites in the other caves described.
- Boi cave: This is a significant archeological site in the Trang An World Heritage Complex. The pathway is covered with carpets of leaves and moss due to the deep and dark cave entrance, where numerous types of trees grow densely and sunlight cannot reach the bottom.
- Bright Cave – Dark Cave: These two caves are close to each other and frequently visited together. The cave known as Bright Cave gets its name from the natural light that fills the entire space, whereas Dark Cave is totally dark and requires visitors to use a flashlight to explore its depths. Visitors can expect two unique and contrasting experiences from these caves.
TOP must-see historical and cultural relics in Trang An
Trang An – Ninh Binh is not only known for its stunning natural beauty but also for its rich cultural and historical heritage, with many attractive places to explore. Here are some cultural and historical attractions not to be missed in Trang An, Vietnam:
- Vu Lam Palace: This is a famous historical architectural relic in Trang An, Ninh Binh. This location has an ancient and charming beauty with stacked stone blocks combined with delicate, ancient architecture, creating a beautiful scene. This is also an ideal spot for visitors to take artistic photos and create unique, beautiful photos.
- Suoi Tien Temple: Located upstream of the Ngo Dong River, Suoi Tien Temple basically serves as an extension of the Tam Coc sightseeing route but it is included into the sightseeing route number 2 in Trang An eco-tourism area. The temple worships the god Quy Minh defending the south of Hoa Lu. As located in the middle of a desolate mountainous area, upstream of Tien stream, Suoi Tien temple can only be accessed by boat.
- Trinh Temple: Trinh Temple is the place to worship four meritorious officials of the Dinh Dynasty. At that time, they were the General Supervisors in charge of the king’s gold treasury and coffers.
- Tran Temple: It was first built by King Dinh Tien Hoang at the same time as Hung Temple. Then, King Tran Thai Tong came here to establish Vu Lam Palace and continued to renovate it to make it more grand, making it the name Tran Temple.
- Khong Palace: Set on a small strip of land, it faces a large water valley in front and a steep range of rocky mountains to the right. The back of the palace leans against Khong Cave. Khong Temple is the place to worship 7 loyal mandarins of the Dinh Dynasty.
>>> You may like to see more: Top Best Ninh Binh One Day Tour from Hanoi
What to eat in Trang An
When visiting Trang An Ninh Binh, you cannot miss the delicious and unique dishes of Ninh Binh that have made this region famous.
- Com chay – Crispy scorched rice: This delicious, crispy food is considered one of the most famous specialties in Trang An, Ninh Binh. People use charcoal to cook rice at the appropriate temperature. Charcoal is used to cook rice to the right consistency. To retain the flavor, let them dry in the sun and store them in a cool place. The rice slices will next be fried in hot oil until the rice’s surface turns yellow. The blend of ingredients, which includes beef, carrots, and mushrooms, is then fried and served with fried rice.
- Mountain goat meat: When coming to Ninh Binh, you must definitely enjoy the famous delicious mountain goat meat there. Goats are raised naturally on rocky mountains and eat a variety of vegetables and herbs, so their meat is firm, low in fat and exceptionally delicious.
- Mountain snail: This is a mountain snail that only emerges during the rainy season from its home in rock caves. Those who visit Trang An between April and August will have the chance to indulge in this specialty. Mountain snail meat is crispy, sweet, and fragrant with herbal medicine, processed into steamed dishes, stir-fried with tamarind, mixed in salads or grilled.
- Tong Truong perch: This type of perch inhabits the flooded caves of Tong Truong Yen, which is presently a part of the Trang An World Heritage site. With its firm, sweet, and fragrant meat, Tong Truong perch is used in sour soups, dry braises, roasts, and fried meals.
Things to note when visiting Trang An
- Because there are a lot of rivers and mountains in Trang An, you should pack light, comfortable clothing and athletic shoes in case you plan to engage in any climbing-related activities.
- If you come to Trang An in the spring, remember to bring an umbrella to prevent drizzle.
- When purchasing souvenirs in tourist destinations, be sure to inquire about prices carefully to avoid purchasing goods that are incredibly expensive but do not live up to expectations.
With stunning natural landscapes, unique cultural sites and irresistible cuisine, Trang An Landscape Complex Ninh Binh offers an unforgettable experience for every visitor. After taking in the amazing splendor of Trang An – Ninh Binh, you should explore other charming destinations that Vietnam has to offer. Numerous destinations await you, such as the stunning Halong Bay, the misty city of Sapa, the historically significant ancient town of Hoi An, and the energetic metropolis of Da Nang.
