Ninh Binh, Vietnam: travel guide
The "Ha Long Bay on land" — a UNESCO landscape of limestone karsts rising from rice paddies. Row through Tam Coc and Trang An grottoes, visit the ancient capital Hoa Lu, and climb Mua Cave for panoramic views.
- Country
- Vietnam
- Currency
- VND
- Time zone
- Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh
Top places to visit in Ninh Binh
Trang An Grottoes (UNESCO)
Nature · 4.8 rating · about 3 h · entry VND 250,000
A UNESCO World Heritage site — spectacular limestone karst peaks and interconnected cave grottoes navigated by flat-bottomed rowing boats. Three circuits of 2–3 hours each. Filming location for Kong: Skull Island (2017).
Tam Coc Grottoes
Nature · 4.7 rating · about 2.5 h · entry VND 120,000
The original "Ha Long Bay on land" — a 2-hour boat ride through paddy fields into three dramatic limestone caves. Particularly beautiful in June (green rice) and October (golden harvest).
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h · entry VND 20,000
Vietnam's first capital city (968–1010 AD), seat of the Dinh and Le dynasties. Temple complexes of Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Hoan stand among dramatic karst peaks, easy to combine with Trang An boat tours.
Mua Cave & Viewpoint (Hang Mua)
Viewpoint · 4.6 rating · about 2 h · entry VND 150,000
500-step climb to a dragon-topped peak with the iconic view over the Tam Coc river bends.
Bai Dinh Pagoda
Temple · 4.4 rating · about 2.5 h
Vast modern Buddhist complex, the largest in Vietnam, with a corridor of 500 arhat statues.
Bich Dong Pagoda
Temple · 4.4 rating · about 1 h
Three-tier cave pagoda built into a limestone cliff above lotus ponds near Tam Coc.
Cuc Phuong National Park
Nature · 4.5 rating · about 5 h · entry VND 60,000
Vietnam's first national park, ancient rainforest with caves and a primate rescue centre.
Phat Diem Stone Cathedral
Church · 4.5 rating · about 1.3 h
Remarkable 1891 cathedral blending Vietnamese pagoda and European church architecture.
Dinh Tien Hoang Temple
Temple · 4.3 rating · about 0.8 h
17th-century temple in Hoa Lu honouring Vietnam's 10th-century founding emperor.
Am Tien Cave (Tuyet Tinh Coc)
Nature · 4.3 rating · about 1 h · entry VND 100,000
Serene "valley of innocence" — an emerald pond ringed by cliffs with a cave temple.
Cuc Phuong Endangered Primate Rescue Center
Wildlife · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h
Conservation centre rehabilitating rare langurs, gibbons and lorises inside Cuc Phuong.
Thung Nang (Sunny Valley)
Nature · 4.3 rating · about 2 h
Quiet boat route through golden rice fields and water caves, less crowded than Tam Coc.
Things to do
- Trang An Boat Tour Through Limestone Grottoes Outdoor · 3 h · from VND 124,000 per person
- Tam Coc Cycling & Boat Tour Outdoor · 5 h · from VND 193,000 per person
- Trang An Boat Tour (Route 1) Nature · 2.5 h · from VND 413,000 per person
- Tam Coc Rowboat Tour Nature · 2 h · from VND 331,000 per person
- Mua Cave Sunrise Climb Adventure · 2 h · from VND 221,000 per person
- Hoa Lu & Tam Coc Day Tour Cultural · 9 h · from VND 551,000 per person
- Bai Dinh & Trang An Day Tour Cultural · 9 h · from VND 606,000 per person
- Ninh Binh Countryside Cycling Tour Adventure · 3 h · from VND 276,000 per person
Day trips and tours
- Ninh Binh: Trang An UNESCO Boat + Mua Cave Sunset 9 h · from VND 441,000
Where to stay in Ninh Binh
- Trang An / Van Lam Village about VND 900 per night
Stay in a local homestay or boutique hotel right at the Trang An Grottoes entrance. Cycling and rowing tours depart at dawn before tour groups arrive.
Hotels
- Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh 5-star · VND 4,000,000 to VND 15,000,000 per night
- Tam Coc Garden Resort 4-star · VND 1,800,000 to VND 3,500,000 per night
- Tam Coc La Montagne Resort & Spa 4-star · VND 1,500,000 to VND 2,800,000 per night
- Tam Coc Sunshine Homestay 2-star · VND 400,000 to VND 800,000 per night
- Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort 4-star · VND 1,500,000 to VND 2,900,000 per night
- Tam Coc Banana Bungalow 3-star · VND 700,000 to VND 1,300,000 per night
Where to eat
- Van Long Eco Restaurant Vietnamese · about VND 180,000 per person
- Chookie's Beer Garden & Restaurant Vietnamese, International · about VND 180,000 per person
- Father Cooking Restaurant Vietnamese · about VND 200,000 per person
- Trung Tuyet Restaurant Vietnamese · about VND 200,000 per person
- Nha Hang De Nui Hoang Giang Vietnamese · about VND 250,000 per person
- Tam Coc Banana Tree Hostel Restaurant Vietnamese, International · about VND 150,000 per person
- Minh Toan Restaurant Vietnamese · about VND 200,000 per person
- Tam Coc Garden Restaurant Vietnamese · about VND 300,000 per person
Getting around
- Bicycle main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Motorbike Rental main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.
Best time to visit Ninh Binh
- May 32°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Ninh Binh admin1 (city is the provincial capital, near the centre of a small, mostly lowland province, so the provincial mean is a close proxy). Precipitation normal for May: 185.69 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 32.07 degC.
- Jun 33°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Ninh Binh admin1. Precipitation normal for June: 259.51 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 32.94 degC.
- Jul 33°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Ninh Binh admin1. Precipitation normal for July: 309.6 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 32.94 degC.
- Aug 32°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Ninh Binh admin1. Precipitation normal for August: 344.74 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 32.29 degC.
- Sep 32°C · World Bank CCKP, CRU TS 1991-2020 climatology, Ninh Binh admin1. Precipitation normal for September: 231.19 mm. Average daily maximum temperature: 31.54 degC.