Ninh Binh Travel Guide: What to Do, See, and Avoid in 2026

Getting there and getting around Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is about two hours south of Hanoi. Most people book a minibus through 12Go Asia for around $6 USD to $8 USD which is usually the simplest route because they pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi and drop you in the center of Tam Coc or Ninh Binh town.

You can also take the train, which takes about two and a half hours. The local buses are cheaper at roughly $3 USD, but the convenience of the minibus is worth the extra few dollars. Getting an Uber down from Hanoi is possible and costs around $60 USD, but do not rely on finding one for the trip back north.

Once you drop your bags, rent a motorbike. You will pay between 80,000 to 150,000 VND per day. Many homestays also offer bicycles for free, which works fine if you are only staying around Tam Coc. But you will want a scooter to reach the further temples comfortably, especially in the humidity.

If you are heading south afterward, a lot of people take the Ninh Binh to Phong Nha train or sleeper bus. The bus drops you closer to the caves there, so check your onward route.

You might be interested in top hiking trails of Vietnam when visiting Ninh Binh!

The boat tours of Ninh Binh: Trang An vs Tam Coc

This is the main attraction where you sit in a small metal boat while someone rows you through a network of rivers and caves.

Boats drifting through Tam Coc's golden rice paddies, where every bend in the river reveals a new postcard view!

There is a big debate between doing the Tam Coc boat tour or the Trang An boat tour. We ended up at Trang An. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and feels significantly more organized. You pay 250,000 VND (about $10 USD) and share a boat with up to four people.

The UNESCO-listed Trang An complex at golden hour, with ancient pavilions, mirror-still rivers and jungle-covered peaks all in one frame

They offer three different routes. Route 1 is heavy on the caves, Route 3 focuses more on the temples, and Route 2 sits comfortably in the middle. We took Route 2 to avoid the larger crowds on Route 3, where many visitors were trying to visit every temple. Floating through the caves is surreal, mostly because you have to actively duck to avoid hitting your head on the stalactites. Remember to tip your rower at the end, and consider helping them row if they offer you an extra paddle.

Tam Coc river tours are also beautiful, but we heard a few too many stories about aggressive vendors trying to sell snacks on the water. Trang An felt like a safer bet.

Climbing the 500 steps at Hang Mua

The climb to Mua Cave summit is tough, but the payoff is a sweeping panorama over the river valley that makes every step worth it!

Everyone calls this the Lying Dragon Mountain or Mua Caves Ninh Binh. The cave itself is easy to skip; the real reason to visit is the 500-step climb up the mountain.

Timing Tip: Go early in the morning. We went in the middle of the day because it was heavily overcast, assuming it would be quieter. We were very wrong.

The steps lead up to a beautiful little pagoda, and if you take the other fork, you reach the famous dragon statue draped across the rocky spire. The view over the Tam Coc river winding through the rice fields is extraordinary. It almost does not look real. But the top gets uncomfortably crowded, especially around sunset.

Parking Tip: Ignore the people waving you into dirt lots before the official entrance. Some will step directly in front of your motorbike and tell you the main lot is full. Just say no and keep driving to the official gate where parking is included with your ticket. We learned this the hard way at a different temple.

Bich Dong Pagoda

Stepping back in time at the ancient Bich Dong Pagoda

You walk over a simple stone bridge covered in blooming lotus flowers to reach a gate built directly into the karst mountain. The pagoda has three levels, with the top one wedged inside a cave.

Google map location of Bich Dong Pagoda.

It does not cost anything to enter. But this is where we had our most frustrating parking experience. We parked at a local coffee shop instead of a designated spot, and a parking attendant chased us down demanding 50,000 VND, which is five times the normal rate. He even grabbed our bikes. We ended up walking away, but if you want to avoid the headache, park slightly further down the street or simply hand over the two dollars.

This could be one of the common scams you should watch out for in Vietnam which although is rare but good to be aware of as it just spoils the mood!

Dộng Thiên Cung (The Secret Cave)

Right when you walk out the gates of Bich Dong, you will see a path leading to the left beside the pond. Take it.

This leads you to a beautiful, overgrown area and the entrance to the Secret Cave. When we visited, the actual cave was unexpectedly locked for the day, which happens fairly often in Vietnam. Even if you cannot get inside, the short walk through the surrounding jungle feels completely removed from the busier main pagoda.

Here is the google map location of the secret cave.

The Bai Dinh Temple Complex

The towering Bao Thien Stupa at Bai Dinh Pagoda

I went into this completely blind and had no idea of the actual scale. Bai Dinh is enormous, and it turns out to be the largest Buddhist temple complex in all of Vietnam.

Google map location of Bai Dinh Pagoda.

You have to buy a ticket for electric shuttle buses just to get from one section to the next. You could easily spend an entire day wandering through the endless corridors of stone Buddha statues. Most people come here on a religious pilgrimage, so it has a completely different, much more serious atmosphere than the other tourist sites.

Thung Nham Bird Valley

Thung Nham Bird Park is where you slow right down, drifting across a tranquil lake with jungle peaks and birdsong all around you

If you have a spare afternoon, drive over to Thung Nham Ninh Binh. Time this for late afternoon, when thousands of birds return to the trees for the night.

It has over 7000 google reviews as of May 2026 with an average rating of 4.3/5 stars to give you the perspective of its popularity. Remember they also have a resort so the reviews are combined for both resort and Thung Nham bird valley (Thung Nham Ecotourism Zone - Ninh Binh).

Here is google map location of Thung Nham. 

During the middle of the day, you will mostly see goats and ducks wandering around the property. It is peaceful and a nice break from the temple crowds, but the large flocks of birds at dusk are the real reason to visit.

Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Exploring history at the gates of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

This was Vietnam's first capital city. The temples dedicated to the Dinh and Le dynasties sit in a valley completely walled in by limestone mountains. It feels like a natural fortress.

Explore the things to do at Hoa Lu ancient capital in our travel guide and find out if its worth it to go there!

If you stick around the area until evening, head over to Phố cổ Hoa Lư. The entire lake area lights up with lanterns. We stumbled into it by accident after dinner and spent an hour walking through the food stalls and lit-up pavilions. It ended up being one of the best nights of the trip.

Where to eat

The food in town caters heavily to backpackers, but there are some genuinely great spots if you know where to look.

We kept going back to T-Pub Restaurant. They do a mix of Western and Vietnamese food, and their Bun Dau Phu (tofu and mushrooms) is excellent. Cozy Garden is another solid spot where you can sit by the river and watch people navigate their bicycles through town.

After a day on the river, T-Pub is exactly where you want to land: outdoor tables, string lights and a cold drink in hand!

If you want a cold beer and a generous burger after hiking 500 steps, go to Chookie's Beer Garden. We loved their sister location up north when doing the Ha Giang Loop, and this one has the same laid-back traveler feel.

Where to stay

You have a choice between staying in Tam Coc town or heading out into the quieter countryside.

Trang An River view homestay in Ninh Binh homestay

Tam Coc is infinitely more convenient. You can walk to dinner and grab a coffee without thinking about it. Lys Homestay is a great option right by the lake.

We opted for the countryside and stayed at Trang An River View Homestay. It is gorgeous and completely isolated. The tradeoff is that you are entirely dependent on your scooter to get almost anywhere. Do not stay out there if you are uncomfortable driving at night on unlit dirt roads.