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Trang An Ninh Binh or the tourist name "Trang An Grottoes" because the places with many water caves, Trang An Ninh Binh in this article, we want to introduce a review for one of top 1 must visit and most famous destination in Vietnam, hope you will have an overview of Trang An landscape, should go to Trang An at any time as well as what to do in Trang An to have the best experience with NinhBinhTours.com.

1. Why call Trang An Ninh Binh is Scenic Landscape Complex.

Trang An covers an large area of ​​​​more than 6172 hectares, including 3 interconnected areas, the historical and cultural relic of Hoa Lu ancient capital, Trang An - Tam Coc - Bich Dong scenic area and special primeval forest. used in Hoa Lu.

Trang An is likened to "Ha Long on land" with majestic and magnificent beauty created by 250 million-year-old limestone mountains reflecting into the clear river water. The harmony between the river and the rocky mountains brings a charming landscape full of charm. In addition, this is also a place to preserve the precious mangrove ecosystem.

In 2014, Trang An was honored by UNESCO as a World Heritage Complex with colorful and majestic natural beauty. Then Trang An Grottoes know as the best place for checkin in Vietnam.

(Trang An Overview - Source: Internet)

2. Best time to visit Trang An Grottoes.

From April to June is the time for those who love the quiet. During this time, the festivals have lessened and are no longer crowded like spring, so the atmosphere becomes more peaceful. However, this is the hottest time of the year, so you should fully equip yourself with sun protection measures before coming to Trang An.

If you are a flower lover, you should travel to Trang An Ninh Binh from July to September. This is the season when lotus flowers and water lilies begin to bloom, creating an irresistible beauty scene. However, the weather at this time will be a bit 'difficult' because of frequent rainstorms on a large scale. Therefore, you need to pay attention to follow the weather forecast information to have the best preparation.

From October to December is the time when many tourists choose to come to the ancient capital to live virtual. However, you also need to bring warm clothes because the weather in Ninh Binh this season is quite cold.

(Road map: Hanoi to Trang An - Source: Google map)

3. Getting there & Away.

The distance from Hanoi to Trang An is not too far, only about 90km. The way same as how to get to Tam Coc Ninh Binh. Therefore, you can travel to Trang An by bus, train or private vehicles such as cars and motorbikes. The average travel time is about 2-3 hours.

The distance from Ho Chi Minh City to Trang An is about more than 1,600 km by road. Therefore, the most suitable means of transportation is by plane. You have two good choices is to fly Ho Chi Minh City - Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City - Thanh Hoa. Then, catch a bus at the airport to move to Trang An Ninh Binh.

>>>Read more: Ninh Binh Transportation Services

4. Where can stay near Trang An Ninh Binh

There are many hotels and homestays with diverse prices for you to choose to stay near by. If you are coming to Ninh Binh for the first time, you should prioritize hotels or homestays close to Trang An for convenient transportation to places of interest. Here are a few places to stay for your choice:

(Trang An Boat Trip over caves: Source: Tourist Department)

4.1. Ninh Bình Bamboo Farmstay

• Address: Hamlet 8, Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien District, Ninh Binh
• Reference price: 350,000 VND/2 person/night
• Phone: 0359 674 921

4.2. Ninh Binh Green Farmstay

• Address: Ngo Thuong Village, Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
• Reference price: 675,000 VND/2 people/night
• Phone: 091 307 77 76

4.3. Trang An Farmstay

• Address: Trang An, Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
• Reference price: 600,000 VND/2 people/night
• Phone: 0123 775 8888

4.4. Hoalu Ecolodge Homestay

• Address: Trang An, Truong Yen, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
• Reference price: 370,000 - 400,000 VND/room
• Phone: 091 567 4679

4.5. Ninh Binh Palm Homestay

• Address: 5 Hamlet, Gia Sinh Commune, Gia Vien
• Reference price: 850,000 VND/2 person/room/night
• Phone: 0977670742

4.6. Looking for more accommodation in Ninh Binh, please contact us or check up on our website.

>>> Read more: Homestay in Ninh Binh

5. Which ways to enjoy best view of Trang An.

Trang An's terrain is mostly rivers, so the main means of transportation are boats. First, you have to buy tickets including tickets to visit Trang An and tickets to the boat. Fixed ticket price is 200,000 VND/adult, 100,000 VND/child under 1.4 m. Each boat will carry 4-5 people and when there are enough new people to depart. Therefore, if you go in a group of less than 4 people, it will take more time to wait for guests to join. Or you can include the boat for 800,000 VND with a journey of more than 3 hours to freely take amazing virtual photos.

Trang An boat tours offers 3 main boat trip routes, each of which will go to different attractions, so depending on your preferences, you should consider choosing the right ferry route. Besides, if you have ever been fascinated with the movie Kong Skull Island, you should take the ferry route 2 or 3 to have the opportunity to visit Kong Island.

(Trang An Boat Tours: Source: Tourist Department)

5.1. Boat route 1: Trinh Temple - Tran Temple - Phu Khong

Route 1 will focus on visiting caves, rocky mountains and learning about the history of the Dinh dynasty. Through the legends of Nau Ruou Cave, Trinh Temple, Phu Khong…, you can expand your historical knowledge. Especially admire Tran Temple - the temple is considered the heart of the cultural - natural heritage of the world.

5.2. Boat route 2: Cao Son Holy Temple - Vu Lam Hanh Cung

This is a route that is loved by many young people because this route has many beautiful and poetic landscapes, so it is very suitable for filming and taking photos. At the same time, this route rarely encounters entanglements like the other two routes.

5.3 Boat route 3: Dot Cave - Suoi Tien Temple.

With this route, you will pass through the longest stalactite cave in Trang An with a length of up to 1000m. In addition, the relic of Suoi Tien temple will bring you back to the origin of Trang An.

(Trang An Boat Routes - source: tourist department)

6. Related Tours Over Trang An Ninh Binh

Famous for the name 'Nam Thien De Nhi Dong', Tam Coc Bich Dong possesses a peaceful village scene and an impressive limestone cave system. As part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Tam Coc Bich Dong is the perfect destination for those who want to fully explore the beauty of the river.

1. Where is Tam Coc located in Ninh Binh?

As part of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, Tam Coc Bich Dong Ninh Binh is located in Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province, 100km south of Hanoi. Possessing a spacious area of ​​350.3 hectares, the scenic spot is a combination of limestone cave systems and peaceful village scenery. Besides, this tourist complex also owns a Bich Dong pagoda imbued with traditional architecture and historical relics related to Vu Lam palace of the Tran dynasty in the past.

(Road map Hanoi to Tam Coc Ninh Binh - source: google map)

2. When is best time to visit Tam Coc and Ninh Binh?

According to NinhBinhTours.com's self-sufficient travel experience to Ninh Binh, the best time to go to Tam Coc Bich Dong is from January to March of the lunar calendar. At this time, the climate in Ninh Binh is relatively pleasant, cool and less rainy, suitable for you to fully enjoy the journey to discover Tam Coc Bich Dong.

In addition, in the first days of the new year, Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in general and Tam Coc Bich Dong in particular also have extremely interesting spring festivals, such as the Bai Dinh pagoda festival. If you explore Ninh Binh during this time, you will be able to immerse yourself in the bustling festival atmosphere but still retain the inherent solemnity.

More specifically, if you have the opportunity to come to Tam Coc Bich Dong in the last days of May and early June, you will surely be overwhelmed by the brilliant scenery of the rice fields in full bloom throughout the journey. At this time, the rice fields on both sides of the river are a harmonious combination between the green of young seedling and the bright yellow of ripe rice. This is a perfect picture of a river scene that makes everyone nervous and excited.(Tam Coc rice paddy in may - Picture source: Internet collection)

(Tam Coc rice paddy in may - source: tourist department)

3. How to get to Tam Coc Ninh Binh form Hanoi?

3.1. By Driving: Only about 7km from Ninh Binh city center, so there are many ways for you to get to Tam Coc - Bich Dong. The most popular are motorbikes, passenger cars and trains. If traveling by motorbike, you can follow the route Hanoi - Old National Highway 1A - Ninh Binh. Note that you should go in the direction of Ninh Binh - Thanh Hoa, avoid going to the wrong direction going to Nam Dinh - Thai Binh.

>>> Read More: Ninh Binh Transport services

3.2. By Trains: you can also choose to go to Ninh Binh from Hanoi or Saigon by train if you have plenty of time. From Hanoi, you can take the SE1, SE3, SE5, SE7 or SE19 train lines. In Saigon, the SE8 train will bring you back to the ancient capital.

4. What things to do in Tam Coc - Ninh Binh?

4.1. Take the Sampan - boat tour to discover Tam Coc rice paddy & visit 3 caves: Tam Coc is a scenic complex with three natural caves, including Hang Ca cave, Hang Hai cave and Hang Ba cave (Hang means cave and Ca, Hai, Ba means 1,2,3). All three of these caves were built by the Ngo Dong stream and went straight through the mountain. If you visit Tam Coc, you will be able to go by boat down the Ngo Dong River, weaving through the cliffs, water caves and rice fields before stopping at the mouth of Tam Coc caves.

(Tam Coc boat ride - source: tourist department)

4.2. Walking or Cycling visit Thai Vi Temple, Thien Huong cave & Bich Dong Pagoda: Long time ago, the mountains of Tam Coc & Trang An was the place of the Tran Dynasty's Kings chose to build the Vu Lam Palace to strengthen the forces in the second resistance war against the Yuan - Mongols.

Nowadays, Thai Vi temple becomes a place to worship all the kings of Tran dynasty as the kings: Tran Thai Tong, Tran Thanh Tong, generals Tran Hung Dao, Tran Quang Khai and even queen Tran Thi Dung...

4.3. Thien Huong Grotto: Located peacefully in the middle of Dong Vo mountain, Thien Huong cave is one of the most popular attractions in Ninh Binh. With a height of nearly 60m, the cave is 40m long and 20m wide, with a large bell-like arch.

Thien Huong Cave has a wide top, so people often call it Heaven Cave. Today, if you have the opportunity to go to Thien Huong cave, you will see inside the cave is a shrine to Tran Thi Dung, the wife of King Ly Hue Tong in the past. She was the one who taught the people of Ninh Hai commune the craft of embroidery, so everyone built a shrine to worship her and smoke incense for her all year round to express their gratitude.

(Thai Vi temple on festival - source: tourist department)

4.4. Bich Dong Pagoda: Located about 2km from Tam Coc wharf, Bich Dong is a dry cave located halfway up the mountain, in front is Xuyen Thuy Dong - a water cave through the mountain bed. Bich Dong is the name given to the cave by Prime Minister Nguyen Khiem - the father of the great poet Nguyen Du in 1773. This place has been favorably named 'Nam Thien De Nhi Dong', the second most beautiful cave in the South, only ranked after Huong Tich cave in Huong Son area.

>>> Read more: Bich Dong Pagoda Ninh Binh

4.5. Visit Ninh Hai commune the craft of embroidery & Ninh Van Stone caving village.

5. Related Tour to Tam Coc

Operation : Daily departure
Duration : 1 day
Tour route : Hanoi – Mua Caves - Trang An Grottoes - Hanoi
Brief description : Private tour, hiking 466 steps to Dragon peak for taking panorama view, boarding sampan to get wonderful scenery of Trang An Nature Heritage..

When the discussing Ninh Van Commune of Hoa Lu District, people from all over the country know their traditional handicraft. That is stone carving. It is an aesthetic and technical profession, making perfect fine-art products from rough stones by skilful craftsmen.

Ninh Hai Commune in Hoa Lu District has been famous all over the country for its lace embroidery. It is said that this is the land of lace embroidery.

Legend has it that King Tran Thai Tong abdicated in favor of his son when he was 40 years old in 1258. He became the King's father and went to Vu Lan Mount area to live a religious life (in Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District).

Ninh Binh (pronounced Neeng Beeng) is the capital city of Ninh Binh Province in North Vietnam, famous for the nearby Karst scenery and the village of Tam Coc. There is nothing to do in Ninh Binh itself aside from drinking beer with the locals; the town is more useful as a base for the surrounding countryside.

Get in

By taxi
Taxis from Hanoi costs US$70 Taxis from Noi Bai international airport cost $85 usd , 2 hours journey
By bus
There are regular buses from Hanoi's southern bus terminal (Giap Bat) that leave every 15 min (or whenever full). Journey time for the 90km is 1.5-2.5 hr traffic depending. Buy a ticket in the ticket hall or you will likely have to pay more than 60,000 or be removed from the bus.the service is slow but relaxed and comfortable using one of the very common Hyundai 20-odd seat buses.
Open tour buses will drop passengers off upon request (Ninh Binh is not a regular stop). Most open tour buses from Hanoi will arrive at 9:30PM. Tour buses from Hue arrive at a rather early 4AM.
From Cat Ba island you can book a bus-boat-bus-bus ticket. Leaves at 9am and takes about 5h. Seems to be the easiest and cheapest way. The first bus takes you the harbour where you transfer onto a boat (and at times from that boat to another boat) to Haiphong's Ben Binh harbour. The second bus takes you to a bus station called Bến xe Niệm Nghĩa which is quite far from the harbour and turns out not that convenient on a DAY trip. From there, you wait for the bus to leave at 12pm. Seats are tiny even for small westerners. Drops you at Ninh Binh bus stations, walking distance from hotels and hostels. All the above uses local transports so expect locals boarding at various places.
Alternative busses including tourist ones leave from Haiphong a few times a day.
By train
Ninh Binh is a regular station for the Reunification Express, with trains coming from both North and South. It is usually a quick stop, with few people getting off, especially at night, so get off quick or miss the stop. Hard Seat 35-45,000 depending on train number 2-2.5 hours.

Get around

By motorbike
A motorbike is the best way to view Ninh Binh and the surrounding areas. Most hotels can arrange for a motorbike driver/guide. Hire a motorbike (commonly Honda 110cc). These take 3 litres of fuel costing 50,000 which will last a day of exploring.The local roads are bad, the local driving ranges from nuts to insane.
By bicycle
Cycling is a good option for visiting nearby sights. Finding a bicycle for rental is easy.
By foot
The actual town of Ninh Binh is quite small and walkable. Most of the interesting sights are located 10-20 km away.

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Phat Diem Cathedral is one of the oldest churches in Vietnam, with an age of more than 100 years. This work is considered by experts to be the most beautiful Catholic church complex in the country thanks to the unique combination of East-West architecture.

Duration: 2Days 1Night.

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Duration: 3Days 2Nights.

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