Guide to Other Places to Visit in Ninh Binh
Visit the Temples at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Only a 10-minute drive from Trang An is Dinh Tien Hoang Temple and Le Hoan Temple. Both of these temples are a part of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and this is the first known capital of Vietnam, dating back to the 10th century.
Hoa Lu is a massive area and these two temples are a great addition to your Ninh Binh itinerary if time permits. The beautiful area is surrounded by the Trang An limestone mountains.
Entry to these temples starts from 20,000 VND per person.
Bai Dinh Pagoda
Bai Dinh Pagoda is a 13-story Pagoda and is a part of a complex of Buddhist temples and monuments.
From the top of the pagoda, you’d get incredible views of the Ninh Binh Province. It’s located 20km from Ninh Binh city and well before you arrive you’ll be able to see the tall pagoda in front of the road.
Entrance to Bai Dinh Pagoda is free, however free doesn’t always mean free. Parking will cost 15,000 VND, if you want to avoid the long walk from the car park to the entrance gate, there are buggies available for 30,000 VND each way. And, if you wanted to visit the top of the Pagoda (and why wouldn’t you), you’ll have to pay 50,000 VND and then take the elevator to the top.
Tam Coc Bamboo Boat Ride
This particular boat ride is one of the most people in Ninh Binh and where many day trip groups will visit. With this popularity comes a much busier river (compared with Van Long Nature Reserve) and I had read many articles about locals trying to sell food, drinks & souvenirs to you during your time on the river.
The price for this trip (for foreigners) starts from 200,000 VND, a maximum of 2 people per boat and most tours go for 2 hours and visit up to 3 caves.
Trang An Bamboo Boat Ride
With the Trang An boat tours, there are three route options, I’m sure all three routes would have amazing scenery. At the ticket counter, there’s a map showing each route and pointing out notable sites along each one, such as caves and temples.
The cost for a Trang An boat ride is 250,000 VND per person. These boats seat 4 so if you were travelling as a couple and wanted the boat to yourselves, you’d need to purchase 4 tickets in total.
Out of the three bamboo boat rides I have mentioned in this Ninh Binh guide, I would definitely recommend Van Long Nature Reserve. I loved this experience, the scenery was stunning, it’s not at all touristy and it’s the cheapest out of the three. But either way, make sure you join at least one of these tours because it’s a must-do while visiting Ninh Binh. And, always take a bit of extra cash to tip these hard-working rowers.
Guide to Transport in Ninh Binh
The Ninh Binh Provence is a large area and all of the attractions mentioned in this Ninh Binh guide are well spread out. There are 3 good transport options for getting around Ninh Binh.
Hiring a Scooter;
For the best flexibility and price, hiring a scooter is your best option. 1-day scooter hire cost us 110,000 VND and this was easily done through our hotel. And, after two days and lots of riding all over Ninh Binh, we spent 220,000 VND on gas.
Grab;
Grab is an easy & safe transport option in Ninh Binh. Download the app before you arrive and it’s much easier than hailing a regular taxi.
We only booked a Grab once and this was from the train station to our hotel in Trang An. Grab taxis aren’t allowed to pick up from within the train station car park so we needed to walk out onto the street. And, this trip ended up costing 150,000 VND.
Although this certainly wouldn’t be a cheap option, I’m sure the fares would add up over a couple of days. The estimated fare in the grab app isn’t very accurate because drivers in the Ninh Binh Provence still use the meter so if the fare is different once you arrive they’ll adjust the price in the app.
Hire a Private driver;
If you have the budget and aren’t comfortable hiring a scooter, this is another convenient transport option in Ninh Binh.
1 day hire for a private driver to take you site seeing in Ninh Binh would start from 50USD. I would suggest talking to your hotel to begin with to see if they recommend anyone. Also, being their guest, may get you a better rate.
Hanoi to Ninh Binh by Train
The train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh was very comfortable and clean. The train left on time and took exactly 2.5 hours.
In June 2022 I pre-booked the train tickets on 12Go & paid 127,000 VND per person. The train seats were very comfortable, plus each seat had charging ports and tray tables.
There’s also the option to get a bus from Hanoi to Ninh Binh and this journey will take approximately 2 hours but of course, that will depend on traffic. Check out the 12Go website for scheduling and prices for a bus or minivan transfer.
Ninh Binh to Hue
Following a stay in Ninh Binh, Hue is most often the next stop on the tourist trail, and for good reason – it’s awesome.
And the cheapest way to get between the two places is, unfortunately, a sleeper bus. I say unfortunately because this wasn’t an enjoyable journey, it took 11.5 hours and the bus we got was horrible. It was old, dirty and the open bunks (with no curtains) made it very hard to get any sleep.
But getting a sleeper bus in Vietnam is a right of passage for any backpacker or budget traveller. Also, not every sleeper bus in Vietnam is the same, some are actually really nice.
This trip only cost 480,000 VND per person and at the time this was half the price of the train. The ticket also included pick up from our hotel to the bus station.