Our Ninh Binh Itinerary was to be our last trip to Vietnam. Neither was I too excited, nor too dull about visiting Ninh Binh. For one, I didn’t know much about it.
But the better reason was that most things had been simply wonderful so far in Vietnam, and I assumed Ninh Binh was no less. As expected, it was another journey with breathtaking views of the countryside valleys of Northern Vietnam.
Similar to our Halong Bay trip, this was unfortunately only a one-day trip for us.
However, even after 2 weeks of my Vietnam travel, Ninh Binh managed to stand out to make vivid impressions. Trang An (Tràng An) is considered a world heritage site. No matter how much we love history, most places just meant standing somewhere, taking pictures, and returning all sweaty and tanned regardless.
Well, we did return sweaty here as well, but the trip was energetic throughout with boating, temple exploration, and trekking (well, sort of)! Here goes my Ninh Binh Itinerary.
Ninh Binh Travel Guide
Ninh Binh isn’t a single spot; it refers to the Ninh Binh City or Ninh Binh Province(thành phố ninh bình). Only after my Ninh Binh day trip did I realize that the heavenly spot simply had far too many hidden gems to cover in a day.
How many days in Ninh Binh? Stay for 2-3 days in Ninh Binh to fully explore the valleys, caves, and moss-covered temples. To those longing for sunlight and warm air, this place has plenty (a little too tropical, actually)!
What is Ninh Binh Famous For?
While not a big fan of heat myself, I wouldn’t mind having stayed longer here. To me, Ninh Binh felt like real-life Minecraft with the lush greenery, streams flowing through rifts, and farmlands as far as the eye could see.
It felt unreal.
So what’s Ninh Binh famous for? Well the city is filled with historical temples, pagodas, and shrines for one, but it’s the panoramic views set in various places around that are absolutely stunning.
However, being a history-geek of sorts myself, it was the history that allured me more.
Unique structures like the Lying Dragon atop a mountain (Núi Ngoạ Long), all deep-rooted in the flora today, have centuries of history. Boasting 3000 years of history of settlements, rulers, and culture, it’s no surprise it’s preserved as a UNESCO heritage site.
Another post for you to read: Hanoi Train Street: Wandering the Mystic Alleys
How to Get There?
Ninh Binh Itinerary: From Hanoi, the options come down to package trips (where they handle your transport), cars, and finally motorbikes. We got there with a package trip which comes along with a tour guide who spoke English, so it was convenient.
Ours was probably different, but a really popular tour operator in Hanoi when heading towards Ninh Binh and Halong Bay is Win Win Travel (no affiliation here, sadly).
Car rentals are hard to come by and require a temporary local license or an IDP. That leaves motorbikes to be a popular option.
How to get to Ninh Binh? The fastest route to Ninh Binh from Hanoi for motorbikes is QL1A main highway, which takes close to 2 hours from the city (do NOT get on the Expressway with your scooter).
If you’re lucky enough to grab a car, take the faster route with CT01 North-South Expressway (again, not allowed for motorbikes unless you’re bribing your way through).
Keep in mind that the QL1A highway heads straight to Ninh Binh, but it’s a busier route only for local buses and motorbikes. I did ride a scooter during my Vietnam trip and found it fairly easy. Here’s a cool insightful post I found on riding motorbikes on Vietnam highways.
Getting around Ninh Binh
How to travel Ninh Binh? The best way to get around is by motorbike. God, I so wish we actually did this now that I’m writing this post. Anyway, taxis are plentiful but will undoubtedly cost more.
But for the more adventurous ones, cycling in Ninh Binh is a great option too! Crazy about cycling myself, I wouldn’t mind getting around on a gravel bike. The distances around most visiting places lie in no more than a 20km range.
Tam Coc (Tam Cốc-Bích Động) seems to be the most popular spot for cycling around quiet paddy fields, and the bicycle rental fares are pretty affordable starting at (VND 40,000).
However, if you’re headed there without wanting the hassle of planning the travel, there are plenty of tours available from Hanoi that arrange the transport for you in comfortable vans as a package trip. Though the places, routes, and the amount of time you spend at a place are, however, not in your control, I daresay most popular trips are planned at a reasonable pace for most sightseers.
Another post for you to read: 13 Jewels to Explore in Ba Na Hills
Ninh Binh Itinerary
Hoa Lư Ancient Capital
This was our first stop on our Ninh Binh Itinerary. I have a vivid memory of the picturesque bridge that we walked across after stepping out of our tour van.
As the name says, Hoa Lư was the capital of Vietnam for a time between 968 and 1010 AD. This was during the Dinh Dynasty, Le Dynasty, and then the Ly Dynasty. 1010 AD was when King Ly Thai decided to shift the capital to Thang Long (named Dai La back then and the current day Hanoi).
The preservation of the ‘Ancient Capital’ with numerous historical relics is what we see today, and it’s quite an amazing sight.
Though the area’s large, there isn’t a whole lot to cover here. We had a guided tour which lasted no more than two hours.
Another post for you to read: Hanoi train street blog
Climb the Hang Mua Viewpoint
Visit the Hang Mua Viewpoint (Viewpoint Đầm sen Hang múa), or what I like to call the Dragon Mountain, early morning or late afternoon. For one, the sunrises and sunsets are out-of-the world. The other reason is to save yourself from Vietnam’s heat, to explore the rest of the place as well.
Speaking of climbing, it isn’t a real ‘trek’ of sorts. Over 500 steps are carved out of the stone mountain up to the peak. But considering how the stone steps started off wide and easy to later steep and slippery, narrow places, let’s resort to calling it a ‘climb’.
Since we had a day trip, we hadn’t a choice but to visit in the afternoon. Even worse, I couldn’t even climb one of the two peaks. You see, Hang Mua isn’t a single mountain. The rock steps start at a single entrance and divide at a point into two stone pathways up to two different peaks… like binary fission.
The right side one (and a shorter climb) has a pagoda atop, while the left side is a much higher point with a metal dragon statue mounted at its peak.
Writing about this, I realize it was quite an experience – I’ll write another post on it soon. For now, I found a blog on Mua Caves, which I had a good laugh reading.
Take a Ninh Binh Boat Tour
Our next stop was the boat tour in Trang An, Ninh Binh – also referred to as the “Ha Long Bay on land”. However, this is more of a maze of water pathways winding through paddy fields and limestone mountains.
And the network runs so surprisingly deep that it takes you under the limestone mountains through narrow caves, past temple blocks amidst the waters, and a stop by an ancient temple. The boat dropped us at the historical site to take a tour for ourselves around the block, and then we returned to the same boat.
Unlike our basket boat ride in Hoi An, this one was a slow row through the maze.
The boat typically seats four people, excluding the rower, most of whom are aging locals. While paddles are handed to each of us, the route is steered through by the rower. While we shared the boat with a couple, one could also book a private boat. The whole ride takes around 2 – 3 hours, depending on our pace.
We booked offline, but it turns out, you can book it in advance online as well – though the price doesn’t seem to change anyhow.
There are three routes to pick from – the classic route, scenic, and adventure trail, with the scenic being the shortest, between 2 – 2.5 hours, while the other two last 3 – 4 hours. The movie Kong: Skull Island was shot here, and only routes 2 and 3 take you through the shooting location – if that’s something you’re into.
Another post for you to read: Visiting Ho Chi Minh’s Mausoleum, Vietnam’s Past of War and Glory
Get around Hoa Lu Old Town
For our Ninh Binh Itinerary, we visited only for a day; this was our last stop in the evening. I assumed “Old Town” meant a whole bunch of places to stroll around through. Turns out it was a single large picturesque complex built around the Ky Lan Lake.
However, the attraction itself is vast with shopping kiosks with traditional handicrafts, Mao temple at the foothills of the Ky Lan Mountain (though it barely suffices as a mountain), the Silver Pagoda complex, and the eye catching Tu An Tower (Tháp Tứ Ân) at the center of the lake with a stone pathway connected to it.
We had no more than an hour to get around the spot. While it would definitely take a little more time to explore, we were exhausted from the day tour and all the paddling in the heat. But getting here in the evening seemed perfect – the “Silver” pagoda beamed with golden hues reflecting off its reddish brown walls, thanks to the late afternoon sunset.
Though neither of us had the proper camera (I didn’t even have a working phone), we got the best of pictures we could.
Night Stay at Ninh Binh
While we didn’t stay back, some do say 2 days is a sweet spot for getting around Ninh Binh. A bit more relaxed tour to breathe in the scenery.
I’ll keep this short as I haven’t stayed here myself, but some of the most recommended stays here are:
*The above link to Klook.com, an affiliate partner of mine. I also recommend this as I personally use it for all my travels in Southeast Asia. Since I use it extensively, I usually get discounts on activities and other hotels – check it out, it might help you too!
Another post for you to read: History Beneath the City Skyline – The Saigon Story
Tailpiece
Towards the end of my Ninh Binh Itinerary, I managed to crack my phone’s screen with the heat. Thankfully, I could restore the pictures, but that was the end of it.
Apart that, we returned quite fulfilled with the trip. Exhausted too. Our heads swayed like ducks in a truck as the van sped back to Hanoi carrying our sleeping butts, leaving behind the scenic landscapes of the place.
That finishes my Ninh Binh Itinerary. Hope you enjoyed reading :)