Hoa Lu Ancient Capital: Worth It or Nah in Ninh Binh?

Besides travelling here myself, I read through a bunch of reviews for Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and they're all over the map. Some people loved it. Some people thought it was boring. I figured I'd give you the actual breakdown instead of the usual Vietnam's ancient capital travel blogger fluff.

Here's what Hoa Lu is: old temples sitting in the middle of limestone mountains. Really quiet. You can walk through it in an hour. The history is genuine but not flashy. If that sounds interesting to you, go. If you need constant action, skip it. 
I can not recommend you enough to read about the history of this place completely if you really want to enjoy your visit, else it will be just old buildings for you without much context!

If you are planning your Vietnam trip soon then remember to read our guide on what not to do in Vietnam!

History of Hoa Lu

In 968 AD, Vietnam was fragmented. Different kingdoms, different rulers. An emperor named Dinh Bo Linh came along and unified everything. He needed a capital and he picked this place surrounded by massive limestone mountains. It was a smart move because the mountains gave him natural defense.

For about 40 years, Hoa Lu was Vietnam's main city. Three dynasties ruled from here. Then in 1010, the king moved everything to Thang Long, which is Hanoi now. That's it. Hoa Lu became history. Literally.

The temples you see when you visit are actual structures from that era. Not recreations. Not built for tourists. Real places where real kings ruled. That matters if you care about it. It doesn't if you don't.

What You'll See in Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Two main historic temples of Hoa Lu are Dinh Tien Hoang Temple and Le Hoan Temple.

The main temple is pretty nice. Stone pillars with dragons carved into them. The architecture fits with the landscape. There's statues inside, some guardian elephants made of stone and ornate thrones. It's clearly a place where something important happened. You can walk through it and see why.

There's another temple about 500 meters away. Similar vibe. Smaller. If you're into this stuff, go see it. If not, don't bother.

There's a Buddhist pagoda known as Nhat Tru Pagoda with a stone pillar carved with scripture. It's quieter, more peaceful than the temples. Good place to sit for a bit and rethink your life decisions…

The best looking part is a cave about 300 meters away surrounded by limestone cliffs. There's a freshwater lake. You have to climb about 200 steps to get up there but the view is actually worth it. The landscape looks kind of surreal, to be honest. If you're going to take photos of anything, make it this.

Here is the google map location of Hoa Lu complex.

Reviews of Hoa Lu

I'm listing what people in the reviews said (you can check yourself too on google and tripadvisor reviews) because it's more useful than me trying to describe it. I am condensing them reading more than a hundred reviews so it's easier for you to understand without spending too long.

The entrance fee is 20,000 VND. That's 85 cents. Not worth getting upset about (unless you are broke but then how could you afford an overseas trip far away from your home to Vietnam then. right?)

You can do the whole thing in an hour. Some people felt that wasn't enough to justify going out of your way. They're probably right.

We highly recommend you to do a tour of Thung Nham Ninh Binh as its nearby!

The temples aren't huge. One review literally said "just a couple of temples." If you're expecting massive palace complexes, this isn't it.

There isn't much information posted around. A QR code links to some info but people said it doesn't work great on mobile. Bring a basic understanding of what you're looking at or just wing it.

Parking areas outside have people trying to upsell you. They say parking is free then ask you to buy drinks. Restaurants nearby try to get you to park in their lots. It's annoying but not a deal breaker. If you ride a motorbike directly in, you avoid it. There's legitimate parking near the actual entrance.

The place is quiet most days. Some people loved that. Some found it boring. Depends what you're after.

The limestone mountains around everything look genuinely nice. That part most people agreed on.

If an Hour Was Enough, You Have Time for the Rest of Vietnam

The honest summary of Hoa Lu is in the entrance fee. Twenty thousand dong is under a dollar, and the reason it is that cheap is that there is not much left. Two temples, a courtyard, and a set of hills that were once the walls. It is worth an hour and it does not want two.

Ninh Binh works the same way at a larger scale. It is a place you see in two days rather than a place you stay. And after two days of boats and temples, the thing most people want next is somewhere that is not either. If the rest of the trip is still a blank, a 1 week Vietnam itinerary built stop by stop with the cost per person is the quickest way to fill it.

Phong Nha is four to five hours south, and it is the other kind of limestone: the same rock as the Ninh Binh karst, except in Phong Nha the caves are big enough to walk into for a day. Our Elephant Cave and Ma Da Valley day trek is the short version of that, morning out and mid-afternoon back.

Should you really go here

If you care about history and want to see where Vietnam actually started, yeah. If you're already in Ninh Binh for a couple days anyway, go for an hour. If you like quiet places and don't need entertainment the entire time, this is it.

Don't go if you've only got one day in Ninh Binh and want to maximize outdoor stuff. The boat tours at Trang An are more visually interesting. Don't go if you hate places without good guides or explanations. Don't go if you're timing every hour. It's not worth making a special trip unless you actually want to.

Think about yourself here. Do you get interested in history? Does standing where something important happened feel meaningful to you? Or does it feel like looking at rocks and buildings? That's the real question.

When to Visit

Spring and autumn are good. February to April, September to November. The weather's decent, rice fields look nice, you won't be sweating bullets.

There's a Hoa Lu festival in March (6th-8th). It gets crowded. If you want a quiet experience, avoid it. If you want to see something cultural and busy, go then.

How to reach Hoa Lu from Hanoi/Ninh Binh

From Hanoi, most people don't make this trip alone. You'd combine it with other Ninh Binh tours (like this one with Hoa Lu + Trang An boat tour + Mua caves for around $45 ). It takes 2 to 2.5 hours by bus, 1.5 to 2 hours by private car.

From Ninh Binh, rent a motorbike. Costs 100,000 to 150,000 VND for the day. Takes 15 to 20 minutes to get there. You pass through rice fields which look pretty nice. Or use the Grab app (uber of Vietnam) if you don't want to ride.

If you rent a motorbike, test the brakes and rearview mirrors plus lights before you leave. Do not skip this as all it takes is just one minute and saves headaches.