Ninh Binh is one of the most popular cities people visit when traveling Hanoi. Only 2.5 hours from Hanoi City Center, Ninh Binh boasts its natural beauty and UNESCO World Heritage sites. Ninh Binh can be reached via train, travel agency shuttle buses, or public buses (purchase tickets online through 12GOAsia or Bookaway) from Hanoi or 1-day tour from Hanoi. Here are some must-visit places when you are in Ninh Binh!
+ Also don't forget to rent a bike! Ninh Binh is very bike-friendly and extremely scenic :)
Hoa Lu Temple
Hoa Lu used to be the capital city and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ninh Binh. Make sure to check out King Le Temple, which is unique in architecture and has many historical values. If you pray for your wishes here, they will come true. There are other pagodas and temples in the area.
Address: Truong Yen Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh
Cost: 20k VND
Hours: 7am-5pm everyday
Exploring Hoa Lu Temple!
Trang An
Trang An was my favorite place in Ninh Binh. I got on a 4-person boat, where I got a panoramic view of the surrounding nature and explored some caves along the way. The view was simply breathtaking. I haven't been to Ha Long Bay, but the locals called Trang An, the Ninh Binh version of Ha Long Bay. I saw pagodas too, which made the entire boat trip enjoyable. I met a girl from Italy, called Marianna and it was so fun to chat with her while paddling the boat. (There is one local person on each boat who paddles, but I just decided to paddle with her because the boat ride was almost an hour long and it felt like one person paddling the boat for a whole hour is too much).
**Side note: If you book a full-day tour from Hanoi, you would need to choose to go to either Trang An or Tam Coc. Opt for Trang An since you can get a bird-eye view of Tam Coc if you climb up to the top of the Mua Cave. That way, you get to explore both places! By the way, you can enjoy boat rides in both places. If you are traveling on your own, explore Trang An first and visit Mua Cave to see if you would want to visit Tam Coc. I personally felt like it is good enough for me to catch the sunset at Mua Cave and enjoy Tam Coc view from the top.
Exploring Trang An by boat! :)
Mua Cave (Hang Mua) & Tam Coc
Climbing the top of the Mua Cave will give you the scenic Ngoa Long Mountain view! There are some stairs that you would need to walk up, but I will say, it is definitely worth it! You will also get an amazing view of Tam Coc, where you can catch the sunset (which I highly recommend) and rice paddies + lotus fields. Lotus flowers were not in season when I was traveling, but 360 view of the surroundings of Mua Cave was epic! While climbing up, you will notice that you will encounter two different paths: (1) climbing up to the top of the Ngoa Long Mountain to see the dragon on your left or (2) climbing up to the virtual tower on your right. I climbed to get to the top of the Ngoa Long Mountain and you should do too! Once you climb up, you will see the virtual tower too. The lines to get to the peak were pretty long and crowded, but it was worth the trip to the top!
Entrance fee: 100K Dong/ person
Hours: 6 am-7 pm
Catching sunset at Mua Cave
If you want to explore "real" Vietnam, I highly recommend exploring Ninh Binh! Unlike Hanoi, which is a bustling city, Ninh Binh is great for nature lovers and adventurers! If you are short on time, 1-day trip from Hanoi will be a great option, but if you have enough time to explore, go rent a bike to explore the city and check out all the cool places that Ninh Binh has to offer.
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