We returned to Ninh Binh in 2025. It has long been a popular place to visit in Vietnam, either to stay a few nights or as a day trip from Hanoi. Many say it is one of the most beutiful places in the country. We have visited twice, once over 20 years ago. This post covers how to visit, and whether you should visit. Is it worth visiting Ninh Binh today, and what is there to see and do there?
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Ninh Binh Vietnam
Ninh Binh is a province in Vietnam, just south of Hanoi. Ninh Binh Railway Station, Ga Ninh Binh, is where you will arrive by train.
However, you can also reach Ninh Binh by bus, minibus, luxury van, or taxi/Grab car. There are plenty of day trips to Ninh Binh Province’s many attractions from Hanoi.
Vietnam’s first capital city was established at Ninh Binh, and the area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site today. There are many ancient pagodas to discover, limestone karst scenery to explore, and the famous foot-rowers giving tourists boat tours.
Tam Coc is to the west of Ninh Binh station, as is Trang An. We liked Ninh Binh town or city, we only spent an hour or so there drinking coffee and eating breakfast, straight off the sleeper train from Da Nang, but it seemed nice.
When people talk about Ninh Binh they normally mean Trang An or Tam Coc. We chose to stay in Tam Coc to be within walking distance of the famous boat rides.
You can take a rowboat tour in Trang An or Tam Coc. You will see bamboo rafting mentioned, in the old days, when we first visited, there were bamboo boats that had to be carried over a dam on the way to the caves.
In 2025, we saw none, only metal boats, but there may be some left somewhere.
This tour mentions bamboo rafting but the photos show metal boats. It’s very comprehensive and there is a good drone photo of Tam Coc boat harbour, showing the Emeralda Resort Hotel on the left, on the waterside. This famous hotel is on Booking.com here, and on Agoda here.
How To Get To Ninh Binh
DAY TRIP TO NINH BINH. The easiest way to experience the best things to see and do in Ninh Binh, including Hoa Lu – the ancient capital, a Trang An boat tour and Mua Caves, is to book this day trip from Hanoi. Please check what’s included for yourself; these tours can change their itinerary.
TRANSPORT TO NINH BINH OR TAM COC FROM HANOI. To travel south from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, check all transport options with times and prices here. If you’d rather travel direct from Hanoi to Tam Coc (where the boat jetty is), look here (we have done this trip by luxury minibus, it was great, and cheap)
TRANSPORT TO NINH BIN FROM HOI AN/DA NANG. We took the sleeper train north from Da Nang to Ninh Binh. Hoi An does not have its own train station; Da Nang railway station is only about half an hour away. It was a comfortable ride for us as we’re not over 5 feet 10 inches tall. Tall people will struggle with the length of berths on some Vietnamese sleeper buses and trains. The bus we took from Hanoi to Da Nang, had even shorter berths.
Things To Do and See in and Near Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Tam Coc Vietnam is possibly the best place to stay near Ninh Binh. But it depends on what you’d like to do. All of these “things to do” are accessible from anywhere in and near Ninh Binh.
See Bich Dong Pagoda, Just Outside Tam Coc
Bich Dong Pagoda is included in the tour by bus from Tam Coc Wharf. If you’re planning on cycling to this pagoda, it’s quite a long way. We went by electric vehicle mini tour bus from Tam Coc.
The pagoda dates back to the 1400s. You enter the complex by a stone bridge over a lotus pond and then climb up through 3 levels, through caves and up steps, to the final pagoda at the top of the mountain.
Bich Dong Pagoda is worth visiting and admission was free. It’s part of the local UNESCO heritage area. I’ll post about this pagoda and share more photos soon.
Tour Hoa Lu Ancient Village
Hoa Lu Ancient Village is about 20 minutes by road from the Trang An area. It is the site of Vietnam’s first capital city in the 10th and 11th centuries.
Hang Mua, the famous 500-step lookout in Ninh Binh
If you’ve been with us a while, you’ll know that I’m not good with heights. While a 500 step climb sounds great to me, I love a workout, I was told that parts of the climb are pretty scary. So we didn’t go.
If you want to read about visiting Hang Mua Viewpoint, this female travel blogger is braver than me.
Hang Mua is normally included in 1 day Ninh Binh tours.
Linh Coc Pagoda and Tien-Cave, near Tam Coc
If you enjoy scrambling through caves, check out Tien Cave to the rear of Linh Coc Pagoda.
Fairy Cave is also nearby.
Bai Dinh Pagoda (a must-see in Ninh Binh)
Bai Dinh Pagoda (Chua Bai Dinh) is a huge complex on Bai Dinh Mountain. It’s billed as the largest Buddhist temple in Southeast Asia and the pagoda itself stands 13 stories high.
We didn’t go, because I didn’t do enough research. I wish we had. It’s normally included in full-day tours of Ninh Binh, like this one..
Cooking Classes and Food Tours in Ninh Binh
This half-day cooking class in a local home and garden, is available to visitors staying in Tam Coc area, Ninh Binh city, and Trang An area. It’s very affordable.
I think that if you’re travelling to Ninh Binh from Hoi An, it would be better to take a cooking class there. If you’re travelling from Hanoi, we’d recommend the Michelin guide food & coffee tour we took in the city.
Ninh Binh Jeep Tours
We booked an army jeep tour in Ninh Binh, but our driver didn’t turn up. Luckily, as we’d booked through a big company, we got a refund, but it meant we wasted half a day in Ninh Binh.
It looks like a fun thing to do and the roads are fairly quiet in this part of Vietnam. Check out jeep & 4WD tours here.
Visit Cuc Phuong National Park from Ninh Binh
Cuc Phuong National Park is about an hour away from Ninh Binh City. It is one of the oldest national parks in Vietnam and you can visit from Hanoi, or Ninh Binh.
Tours normally involve a jungle hike and wildlife spotting. There are some really cool monkeys to see. Take a look here at a tour from Ninh Binh, it’s very cheap, as are most things in this area.
Visit Van Long Wetlands
Van Long Wetlands is a marsh reserve, popular with bird watchers. Tours of the wetlands are normally included in the tours to Cuc Phuong National Park.
How To Visit Ninh Bin
As we mentioned above (in how to get to Ninh Binh), you can easily visit Ninh Binh from Hanoi on a day trip, like this one. Alternatively, stay a day or two and fully explore.
For us, I think a day trip would have been better, because we weren’t big fans of Tam Coc town.
Is It Worth Visiting Ninh Binh Today?
We have only visited Ninh Binh twice in our lives, 20+ years apart, whereas we have visited many other places in Vietnam way more often. I don’t think we would bother visiting Ninh Binh again. Does that tell you what you need to know?
Tam Coc’s boat ride is often compared to cruising Halong Bay, but with fresh water instead of salt. The two are similar, and I’m not very keen on either. Dare I say it, it’s kinda boring.
We did enjoy visiting various temples and pagodas, climbing high peaks and generally having a bit of an adventure in the mountains.
If you have mobility issues, these temple climbs and scrambling through caves probably isn’t for you.
Of course, it depends on your interests and what you’d like to see and do in Vietnam. If you’re the sort to just enjoy the scenery, you may love it. If you’d like a peaceful weekend in a beautiful hotel, again, it could be perfect.
Our interests are more cultural and historic, plus food, obviously! We always look at places through the lense of, could we live here for a while? Hanoi, yes we could, Hoi An, we have, Ninh Binh, no.
On our first stop in Ninh Binh, many years ago, it was almost completely undeveloped. We were shocked by the level of development today, yet the ancient temples and pagodas and the background of limestone karst landscape remain pretty much unscathed.
Tam Coc was busy. Very busy. Where we stayed, we just didn’t enjoy the vibe. We also struggled to find good places to eat, but that’s fairly typical when you only stay a few nights. It takes time to find the good restaurants and “where to eat” guides often aren’t written by real food enthusiasts.
Hotels in Ninh Binh
There are plenty of accommodation options in Ninh Binh. It would be nice to book somewhere with water views, we didn’t, our accommodation was very nice, modern and clean, but if we were to visit again I’d book somewhere on the water, probably the Emeralda, which is a lovely place, with a moderate price tag.
Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh (Tam Coc)
This is a must-stay, I think, if you’re not on a tight budget. This resort hotel is on an island, in the Tam Coc boat wharf. It looks beautiful. It’s on Booking here and on Agoda here.
Tam Coc Garden Resort
Tam Coc Garden Resort is another popular spot. This resort hotel is more expensive and looks stunning. It’s outside Tam Coc in a much more peaceful spot. See it here on Booking.
Tam Coc Minh Hung Homestay
This small hotel is much more budget-friendly than the 2 above! It’s close to town, but has those beautiful rice field views. See it on Booking here, and on Agoda here.
Best Time to Visit Ninh Binh
Visit during the dry season. We visited in the cooler months, January and February. It was a little cloudy but not too hot. If you’re there in the hotter months, book your boat tour for early in the morning. I believe the boats start taking tourists at about 7.30 am.
Over to you in the comments. Have you been to Ninh Binh? What did you think? I know that some long-term family travellers and digital nomads choose Ninh Binh as a base. Would it appeal to you?
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