Ninh Binh & Tam Coc - 3 Days

Great for couplesGreat for familiesEasy fitness levelDaily departures

From

From $150 /person

Duration

3 days 2 nights

Departure

Daily

Pickup

Hanoi (any hotel) - 2h private van to Ninh Binh

Group size

2-16 guests

Hotels

Standard / Premium / Luxury package

Fitness

Easy

Type

Nature & scenery

A slow-paced 3-day escape from Hanoi into Ninh Binh's karst heartland: rowboat the UNESCO waterways of Tam Coc and Trang An, climb Mua Cave for a valley panorama, cycle village lanes, and visit the cliffside Bich Dong Pagoda and the imperial temples of Hoa Lu. Small group, private transport, your own pace.

Itinerary - 3 Days 2 Nights

Day 1 · L, D

Hanoi → Ninh Binh → Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

Morning ~2h drive south from Hanoi through the Red River Delta. Visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital - seat of the Dinh and Early Le dynasties in the 10th-11th centuries - and its two temple complexes (Dinh Temple, Le Temple). Optional afternoon cycling through lotus-pond villages. Dinner and overnight in Ninh Binh.

Day 2 · B, L

Tam Coc Boat Ride → Mua Cave → Trang An

Board a wooden rowboat at Tam Coc for a ~2h glide along the Ngo Dong River through three limestone cave tunnels (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, Hang Ba) between rice paddies. Climb ~500 steps to the Mua Cave summit for a panoramic valley view. Afternoon boat cruise through Trang An's UNESCO landscape of interconnected lakes and grotto channels.

Day 3 · B

Bich Dong Pagoda → Return to Hanoi

Visit the 15th-century Bich Dong Pagoda, built into three levels of a limestone cliff. Then the ~2h private drive back to Hanoi, arriving early afternoon.

Notes

Tier ($150 / $210 / $270) changes hotel class only; itinerary identical
Source slug "boat ride" is misleading - this is a full 3D2N Ninh Binh package, not a single boat trip

✓ Included

Accommodation 3 Days / 2 Nights (hotel class per tier)
Meals as listed (breakfast daily + lunches/dinner noted)
Private pick-up & drop-off
All entrance tickets & transportation on tour (boat rides, Mua Cave, Trang An)
English-speaking guide

✕ Not included

Early check-in & late check-out
Tips
Drinks
Personal expenses

🎒 What to bring

Comfortable shoes for the 500-step Mua Cave climb
Sun hat + sunscreen for the boats
Light rain layer

Travelling with children

Free for children under 3
Full price from age 12

Good questions about this tour

Tam Coc and Trang An look similar - is it repetitive to do both?

They're different moods, so doing both is worth it - Tam Coc is an intimate rowboat through three low cave tunnels between rice paddies, while Trang An is wider channels with deeper grottos and a more dramatic, prehistoric feel. This tour includes both on Day 2.

How hard is the 500-step climb at Mua Cave?

It's a steady climb of around 500 stone steps with rest points, and the valley panorama at the top is the reward. If anyone in your group would rather skip it, they can relax at the base while the others go up.