Tam Coc
First-timersHomestays, cafés and bike rental among the paddies.
Ninh Binh city guide
Things To Do In Ninh Binh
Limestone karsts rising from rice paddies and rivers, boat rides through caves, a mountaintop dragon viewpoint and an ancient capital, two hours from Hanoi. Ha Long Bay on land.
93
Hostels in the city
8.9
Average, from 13,154 reviews
2014
Trang An joins UNESCO
500
Steps up Hang Mua
2 h
From Hanoi
Ha Long Bay on land
Ninh Binh province is a landscape of limestone karsts rising from flat rice paddies and winding rivers, often called Ha Long Bay on land. The Trang An landscape, with its caves and waterways, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
It was also the site of Hoa Lu, Vietnam's capital in the tenth century.
Most travellers stay around Tam Coc, among the paddies. Two or three days is right.
Where to stay
Tam Coc, a village among the paddies and karsts, is where most travellers stay, with homestays, cafés and bike rental. Trang An, to the north, is quieter and closer to the big boat trip. Ninh Binh city itself is a transport hub with little to keep you.
Trang An
QuietCloser to the big boat trip, with fewer travellers.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh's landscape of limestone karsts rising from rice paddies and rivers is often called Ha Long Bay on land. The best way to see it is by rowing boat. Trang An, part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2014, is the longer and more impressive trip: around two to three hours through caves and past temples, rowed by local women and men. Tam Coc's boat trip is shorter, through three caves, and best in late May and early June, when the paddies along the river turn gold.
Climb the 500 steps of Hang Mua for the view over Tam Coc and the river, with a stone dragon along the ridge; go at sunrise or late afternoon.
Bai Dinh is one of the largest Buddhist temple complexes in Vietnam, with huge bronze Buddhas and long corridors of arhat statues. Hoa Lu, the capital of Vietnam in the tenth century, has temples to its first kings.
Cycling is the best way between the sights; quiet lanes lead through the paddies. Van Long Nature Reserve, a wetland with rare Delacour's langurs, is a peaceful boat trip with far fewer visitors.
Free things
Free things to do in Ninh Binh
Cycling the lanes through the paddies between Tam Coc and Trang An is free, and many homestays lend bicycles.
Tam Coc village and the riverside are free to wander, and Hoa Lu's temples charge little. The countryside itself, with its karsts and water buffalo, is the free attraction.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh's specialities are mountain goat, de nui, served grilled, steamed or in a hot pot, and com chay, crispy fried rice crackers, often with a sauce or goat stew poured over them.
Tam Coc has cafés and restaurants for travellers, and homestays cook family dinners.
A meal is €2 to €6.
Nightlife
Going out in Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is quiet at night. Tam Coc has a few bars and cafés along the main street where travellers gather after the day's cycling.
A beer is €1 to €2.50.
Getting around
Getting around Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is about two hours from Hanoi by bus, limousine van or train. Trains stop at Ninh Binh station, a short Grab or taxi ride from Tam Coc. Sleeper buses continue south to Phong Nha and Hue.
Rent a bicycle or scooter to get between Tam Coc, Trang An, Hang Mua and Bai Dinh; Grab works for longer hops.
Costs
What Ninh Binh costs
Ninh Binh is cheap. Dorms start around €5 and a careful day is €18 to €28.
The Trang An and Tam Coc boat trips are the main costs, a few euros to about €10 each including the rower. Hang Mua and Bai Dinh's electric carts charge a little. Bicycle hire is €1 to €2 a day.
The currency is the Vietnamese dong (VND); prices here are euro equivalents, at roughly 30,000 VND to the euro. There are ATMs in Ninh Binh city and Tam Coc; carry cash for boats and food.
Safety
Staying safe in Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is safe. Hang Mua's steps are steep and uneven; wear proper shoes and avoid the midday heat.
On the boat trips, rowers may stop at floating stalls and encourage you to buy drinks for them, or ask for a tip at the end; a small tip is customary, but there is no obligation to buy.
Emergency: 113 police, 115 ambulance, 114 fire.
Day trips from Ninh Binh
The UNESCO boat trip, a vast pagoda and a national park.
Trang An
The UNESCO boat trip through caves and past temples.
Bai Dinh
One of the largest Buddhist complexes in Vietnam.
Cuc Phuong
Vietnam's oldest national park, with a primate rescue centre.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The rice harvest in early summer turns the paddies gold.
Late May to early June
Golden rice
Tam Coc
The harvest.
January or February
Tet
Ninh Binh
The lunar new year.
Hostels
Where to stay in Ninh Binh
The top-rated places to stay in Ninh Binh right now, live from Hostelworld.
Tam Coc Golden Sky Homestay
Dorms from €9 a night
See dates and book
Tam Coc Mountain Bungalow
Dorms from €5 a night
See dates and book
Amy House
Dorms from €4 a night
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Trang An Freedom Hood
See dates and book
Sustainable
Forest Sunset Hostel
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Ninh Binh Buffalo Hostel
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Tam Coc Central Bungalow
Dorms from €4 a night
See dates and book
The Banana Tree Hostel
Dorms from €4 a night
See dates and book
Sustainable
Tamcoc Backpack Chill Hostel
Dorms from €3 a night
See dates and book
Tam Coc Serene Bungalow
See dates and book
The Pineapple House
Dorms from €6 a night
See dates and book
Green Mountain Homestay
See dates and bookWhen to go
Late May to early June, when the rice turns golden, and September to November.
Jan
Cool, drizzle
Feb
Tet
Mar
Spring
Apr
Excellent
May
Hot
Jun
Hot, wet
Jul
Wet
Aug
Wet
Sep
Clearing
Oct
Excellent
Nov
Excellent
Dec
Cool
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in dong locally; these are euro equivalents.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Ninh Binh travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
Trang An or Tam Coc?
Trang An if you can do only one: it is longer, through more caves and past temples. Tam Coc is shorter and best in late May and early June, when the paddies turn gold.
How do I get there?
By bus, limousine van or train from Hanoi, about two hours. From Ninh Binh station, Tam Coc is a short Grab or taxi ride.
How many days do you need?
Two: one for a boat trip and Hang Mua, one for cycling to Bai Dinh or Hoa Lu.
When is the best time to visit?
Late May to early June for golden rice, or September and October for green paddies and milder heat.
Is Hang Mua hard?
It is 500 uneven steps, steep in places, about twenty to thirty minutes up. Go at sunrise or late afternoon.
Should I tip the rowers?
A small tip at the end is customary. You do not have to buy drinks from the floating stalls.
Can I cycle everywhere?
Between Tam Coc, Trang An and Hang Mua, yes, on quiet lanes. Bai Dinh is further and better by scooter.
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