Ninh Binh is a famous destination in North Vietnam, best known for its breathtaking natural landscape with boat rides along the calm river surrounded by striking limestone mountains and rice fields. Additionally, it also has many historical and cultural attractions to explore.
Beside iconic sites such as Trang An, Tam Coc, and Hang Mua, many visitors to Tam Coc spend their time visiting the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital to learn the rich history of the area.
In this article, I will give you some interesting history of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, the location of the complex, how to get there, things to do, and how long to spend there. I hope you’ll decide if it’s worth visiting after reading my recommendation.
History of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Hoa Lu was chosen as the first capital of the centralized feudal state of Vietnam when Dinh Bo Linh ascended the throne in 968. After defeating the 12 war lords, united the country, the named the country “Đại Cồ Việt” and took the imperial title “Đinh Tiên Hoàng”.
King Dinh chose Hoa Lu as his capital because of its strategic location, with a system of towering, rugged mountains serving as ramparts and rivers as moats for military defense.
Although being the capital of Dai Co Viet for a short period (42 years) Hoa Lu was a strong military stronghold for three consecutive dynasties: the Dinh dynasty (968-980), the Early Le dynasty (968-980), and the initial period Of Ly Dynasty from 1009 to 1010 before the relocation of the capital.
King Ly Thai To moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Hanoi in 1010, but later King from Ly, Tran, Le, and Nguyen Dynasties still visited Hoa Lu and built many temples, pagodas, and places in the region.
Over more than ten centuries, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu was almost completely destroyed and ruined. Currently, the Hoa Lu complex comprises nearly 30 historical sites, with the two most prominent being the temples of King Dinh and King Le.
These two temples were built in the central space of this royal capital, on the old foundation of the 10th century royal palaces, during the Lê Trung Hung period (17th-18th century) to commemorate King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh.
Around this area, there are also several ancient communal houses and pagodas, some thousands of years old, which are part of the main palace complex and each possess their own unique charm.
See more:
Is it worth visiting Hoa Lu Ancient Capital in Ninh Binh?
I highly recommend Hoa Lu Ancient Capital while visiting Ninh Binh and Tam Coc. It is a great place to learn about the rich history of the city, in addition to other beautiful places such as Trang An, Tam Coc, and Hang Mua.
Another reason to visit is its convenient location. Hoa Lu Ancien Capital is located very close to major sites in the region such as Tam Coc, Trang An, and Hoa Lu Old Town, so you can easily combine the visit to these sites with The Ancient Capital in your itinerary.
The best way to explore the area is to do a bit of research about its history or take a guided tour to have deeper knowledge of the area. Otherwise, there is nothing much to see, just a couple of ancient temples, the tomb of the first king, and some good views from the mountaintop.
The tour guide will explain to you about the area’s history and the architecture of the temples, making it a more interesting place to visit. There isn’t much information on the info boards inside the complex.
While the two temples of the King Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh are the main attractions at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, I highly recommend hiking for around 10 minutes to visit the Tomb of the first King and enjoy some nice views from its top.
If you have a scooter or a bicycle, I also recommend taking a ride on the back of the Capital Complex, visiting the tombs of Le Dai Hanh and the Kim Ngan Temple. The surrounding areas also have beautiful views of the river, rice fields, and limestone karsts.
The final reason to visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is that the entrance ticket is very cheap, only 20k VND per person. It almost feels like it’s free, so you don’t have to worry about it being too expensive to visit.
If you want more exploration and dont mind paying 100k VND entrance fee, you can visit the nearby Tuyet Tinh Coc and Am Tien Cave, located 5 minutes drive away.
Location of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is located in Tay Hoa Lu Ward, Ninh Binh. It’s located on the left bank of Sao Khe River, next to the 491B highway. The exact location of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is at 20.284872696666522, 105.90823690854492.
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is 12.5km north of Tam Coc, which is the tourist heart of Ninh Binh. It’s 4.5km north of Trang An, 10km north west of Hoa Lu Old Town, and 12km east of Bai Dinh Pagoda.
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital on Map
How to get to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Since Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is located pretty near the main tourist areas of Ninh Binh like Tam Coc and Trang An, there are many ways to get to this attraction.
The popular way to get to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is by cycling, riding a scooter, taking ride share services such as Grab and GreenSM, as well as guided tours.
The drive from Tam Coc to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is around 30 minutes. There are several ways to travel between these two places.
The best route from Tam Coc to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is the direction from Tam Coc to Hang Mua Cave to Trang An Boat Pier then Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. You can avoid the traffic, the truck, and the dust by avoiding driving on the highway DT491 Road.
By Scooter
I rented a scooter from my hotel to explore Tam Coc and visit Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. I think this is the most convenient and budget-friendly way to get from Tam Coc to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
I paid 150k VND for a day. The petrol station is right on the main road of Tam Coc, only 5 minutes drive from my hotel. You can easily rent a scooter from your hotel or at many rental shops along the main road of Tam Coc for 150k-200k a day.
It’s a good idea to rent a scooter with the phone holder for easy navigation. I found it very useful when driving as a solo traveler.
The road around Tam Coc is relatively flat, so it’s easy to get around on a scooter. I recommend avoiding the small rural roads along the rice fields on rainy days to avoid getting stuck or having a difficult drive. If you can avoid the highway, I’d recommend doing so, as it’s usually busy with trucks and can be quite dusty.
By Bicycle
Cycling is a popular activity for tourists and locals in Tam Coc and its surrounding areas. If you’re an active traveler, you can choose to cycle to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
If you stay in Trang An area, you’ll only have to ride for 5km to the Ancient Capital, but if you are in Tam Coc, it’ll be around 15km cycling (45-60 minutes).
If you are cycling, try to follow the direction to the Hang Mua Road, then Trang An to avoid most parts of the highway. This road is very beautiful in the rice harvest season.
The price for renting a bicycle in Tam Coc is around 50k VND per day. You can rent it at your hotel or many rental shops on the main road in Tam Coc. Many mid-range hotels offer free use of bicycles for their guests.
By Grab and GreenSM taxi or motorbike
Ride Share services such as Grab and GreenSM are popular and easy to get within Tam Coc, Trang An, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, and Ninh Binh City.
These are safe and convenient ways to order a taxi or motorbike ride from your phone’s app without having to bargain the price with the drive. They are similar to Uber in the western countries and some Asian countries such as Japan.
Grab is widely operated in South East Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia… GreenSM is a Vietnamese-owned company that provides EV taxi and motorbike rides. I recommend installing both apps on your phone to get better price and availability when ordering a ride.
The Grab/ GreenSM taxi ride between Tam Coc and Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is around 200k VND while the Motobike ride is around 70k VND. If you’re solo, it’s a good idea to experience the motorbike ride. It’s also cheaper than the taxi option.
Here are the cost, duration, and distance from Tam Coc, Trang An, Hang Mua, and Hoa Lu Old Town to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital by Grab/GreenSM taxi and motorbike:
| Tam Coc to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital | Trang An to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital | Mua Cave to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital | Hoa Lu Old Town to Ancient Capital | |
| Distance | 15 km | 4.4 km | 9 km | 10 km |
| Duration | 25-30 minutes | 8-10 minutes | 20 minutes | 20-25 minutes |
| Taxi Price | 180k-200k VND | 60k-80k VND | 115k-130k VND | 130k-160kVND |
| Motobike Price | 70k-90k VND | 25k-40kVND | 40k-50k VND | 50k-60k VND |
Taking Guided tour
While you can easily get to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital by yourself, it’s a good idea to consider taking a guided tour. It’s perfect for those who don’t have vehicles, and want to have a deeper understanding of the history and culture.
As I mentioned above, the complex has several info boards but it gives very minimal information about the history of the area. It’s only an interesting place to visit if you know its history, culture, and architecture details.
Additionally, many guided tours combine a visit to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital with other sites such as Trang An Boat Ride, Tam Coc Boat Ride, or Bich Dong pagoda, or Bai Dinh Pagoda, making it a convenient way to explore the region.
You can easily book the tour with your hotel, local travel agencies, or online. If you want to plan everything in advance before your arrival, you can book it online. Otherwise, you can book it in person when you arrive at Tam Coc for better deals than booking online.
Parking at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
If you come with a car, a scooter, or a bicycle, you can find parking in the surrounding areas of the ticket office. I didn’t see the official parking spot, but locals nearby offer parking.
There are signs of Parking in many places along the main road near the ticket office. You can park at any of those places, but ask for the price first before you park. I paid 10k VND for my motorbike parking.
See more: How to get to & get around Tam Coc
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital Entrance ticket
The ticket to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is 20k for adults and 10k VND for children from 6 to 12 years old. It’s free for children under 6 years or under 1.2m tall.
You can easily buy the ticket at the ticket counter along the main road opposite to the entrance to the Ancient Capital. No need to book a ticket in advance online. There was no queue at the time of my visit during mid day on Friday.
They offer guided tours, so if you want to have a tour guide onsite, you can ask the staff at the ticket counter for more information.
The ticket checkpoint is located on the main gate near the concrete bridge. Your ticket will be checked when passing this gate. There are paths on sides of the complex without a ticket checkpoint, but it’s best to buy a ticket to go in, it’s just 20k VND, very cheap anyway.
Opening Time and Closing time
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is open everyday from 7am to 5pm. You can visit this complex anytime of the day, and I suggest allowing 1-2 hours exploring this area. If you want to avoid the heat in the summer months, you can visit early morning or late afternoon.
While the two ancient temples area and the exhibition house are on the flat and shaded area, it can be tiring climbing for 10-15 minutes on the steep stairs to the Tomb of the First Emperor during the middle of the day.
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is closed in the evening and at night. If you’re looking for things to do at night at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, you must check out the other location called Hoa Lu Old Town, located in the city center of Ninh Binh.
What to see at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital?
The main highlight within Hoa Lu Ancient Capital Complex is the temple of King Ding, Temple of King Le, the tomb of King Dinh. In the surrounding area, you can drive around, explore other smaller temples and tombs and admire the beautiful limestone karts and countryside vibe.
The site is easy to explore on foot within 1-2 hours depending on your interest in its history. The temples and the tomb are small, so if you are just sightseeing, it will probably take 30 minutes to see everything.
There are many shops for renting a bicycle for 40-50k per bike but it’s not necessary to rent it to explore the complex. You can rent it to see the surrounding areas outside of the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
A Note: this is the temple area, you should avoid wearing short or sleeveless clothing. There is a point in front of the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang where you can borrow saron/ monk clothes to cover your legs and shoulders for free.
Stop 1: Temple of Emperor Đinh Tiên Hoàng
The temple was built on the foot of Ma Yen Mountain. It’s a 5-10 minutes walk from the area’s main gate. It’s delicate to King Dinh Tien Hoang, the first King of the feudal Monarchy system in Vietnam. He suppressed the rebellion of the 12 warlords, unifying the country, and becoming the first emperor of Vietnam after the period of Chinese rule.
The temple was originally built from the reign of King Ly Thai To when he moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La in 1010 to honor the first King who made significant contributions to the nation. The temple was rebuilt in the 17th century under the Later Lê Dynasty.
It has been renovated many times, but still retains quite intact some sculptural and architectural elements from the Late Le Dynasty. These sculptures make the temple more beautiful and show the great skills of the local craftsmen in Hoa Lư over 3 centuries ago.
The temple complex was built symmetrically along a sacred axis, starting from the half moon lake and ending at the main hall. There are five courtyards in the complex, divided by wooden gates and walls.
You have to walk across three gates to enter the main hall. There is an outer gate (Ngọ Môn) and two inner gates (Nghi Môn Ngoại and Nghi Môn Nội). Following the main path, past two inner gates and two large pillars, you reach the dragon courtyard.
In the center of the dragon courtyard is a Stone Dragon Bed surrounded by intricately carved reliefs. The surface of the Dragon Bed is the sculpture of a dragon holding a woman’s hand. On either side of the dragon throne are two stone mythical creatures (Nghê), carved from two solid blocks of green stone.
This Dragon Bed, along with the Dragon Bed in front of the Ngo Mon Gate of the temple, has been recognized as a National Treasure.
From the outside to the inside, the Main Temple has three main sections. The outer area is the Bai Duong, or front worship hall, with five bays. Next is Thieu Huong, the worship place of 4 generals from the Dinh Dynasty: Nguyen Bac, Dinh Dien, Trinh Tu, and Luu Co. Finally, there is the main sanctuary, with five sections, where King Đinh and his sons (Dinh Lien, Dinh Toan, Hang Lang) are worshiped.
Stop 2: Tomb of the First Emperor (Dinh Tien Hoang)
The tomb of King Dinh Tien Hoang is located on the top of Ma Yen mountain, in front of the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang. Many people skipped this site cause they have to climb up the steep stairs, but I highly recommend visiting.
In my opinion, it’s the highlight of the complex where you can do some hiking, enjoy the views, and escape from the crowds.
There are 265 steep stairs to reach the tomb of the first King.It takes about 10–15 minutes, depending on how fit you are and how hot it is. From the viewpoint, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the ancient capital of Hoa Lư.
The mystery surrounding the tomb where King Dinh’s remains lie with many different theories to this day. One theory says that after the king was assassinated, the court made 99 coffins for King Dinh and buried them throughout the Hoa Lu mountain region. The tomb of Ma Yen Son is said to be the burial place of one of those 99 coffins.
The tomb of Dinh Tien Hoang was restored during the Nguyen Dynasty (the resignation of King Minh Mang 1841and Ham Nghi 1885) and recently in 2020 on the foundation of its original architecture.
Stop 3: Temple of Emperor Le Dai Hanh
The Temple of King Le Dai Hanh is located 5 minutes walk from the temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang. The temple is dedicated to King Le Dai Hanh and Queen Duong Van Nga (wife of both Kings Le Dai Hanh and Dinh Tien Hoang).
The King Le temple has similar architecture and structure with the Temple of King Dinh but is smaller and simpler. It has an ancient feel with old trees and the main temple with low roofs, red-painted wooden pillars.
Lê Đại Hành (also known as Lê Hoàn) was a skilled general under the Đinh Dynasty. He was appointed “Thập Đạo Tướng Quân” which was the highest military rank during the Đinh Dynasty by King Đinh.
Lê Hoàn was enthroned as king after King Đinh’s death. He is the first King of the Pre Le Dynasty. He made significant contributions to resisting the Song dynasty in the north, the Champa kingdom in the south, and maintaining national independence.
Similar to King Dinh Temple, this temple was originally built from the Ly Dynasty, rebuilt in the Later Le Dynasty, and it still preserves many exquisite architectural sculptures from the Late Le Dynasty.
Stop 4: The Dinh-Early Le Dynasty Cultural Heritage Exhibition House
Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam under the Dinh Dynasty from (968 – 980), the Pre Lê (980 – 1009) dynasty, and the initial period of the Ly Dynasty (1009-1010). When Ly Cong Uan moved the capital from Hoa Lu to Dai La (now Hanoi), Hoa Lu had completed its historical mission as the site of the origin of Vietnamese feudal dynasties.
Over time, the vestiges of palaces, pavilions, and temples of Hoa Lư ancient capital have long ceased to exist on the ground. King Đinh and King Lê temple were built during the Lê Trung hưng (17th-18th century), on the old base of the 10th century royal palaces.
The Exhibition House is located right next to the temple of Le Dai Hanh. It displays the remains of the foundations of a palace from the Dinh-Early Le dynasties. It also shows many artifacts of high historical and cultural value related to these two dynasties, such as bricks, tiles, animal masks, and canopies.
Stop 5: Tomb of Emperor Le Dai Hanh
The tomb of Emperor Le Dai Hanh is located just outside of the ticketed area of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. It’s at the foot of Yen Ma Mountain, on the south side (tomb of King Dinh Tien Hoang on the top of Ma Yen Mountain).
The exact address of the Tomb of Emperor Le Dai Hanh is 20.279219883862904, 105.90659996197336.
To get to this place from the main gate of Hoa Lu Ancien Capital, you drive along highway DT491, turn right to Trang An Road at the Sao Khe River, then turn right to a small dirt road running parallel with the river. The ride is around 5 minutes on a scooter.
The tomb was built during the Nguyen Dynasty under the resignation of King Minh Mang in 1840. It was renovated in 2020.
The tomb is nestled against a limestone mountain, with two parallel mountain ranges on either side resembling the arms of an emperor’s throne.
The tomb is small and simple, nothing special, but the bicycle/scooter ride is nice and the surrounding is nice with rivers and limestone mountains.
Stop 6: Having a nice drive around the surrounding areas of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
If you have a bicycle or scooter, I recommend driving around the complex to see the countryside and visit smaller temples and pagodas. The scenery on the small roads between the Temple of Dinh King, Kim Ngan Temple, and Tomb of King Le are beautiful to explore.
The northside of the complex is more populated with houses. On this side, you can see some old temples such as Nhat Tru Pagoda with Buddha pillars dating to the 10th century…
Stop 7: Tuyet Tinh Coc and Am Tien Cave
These attractions are located 3 minutes drive from Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, and are a good place to combine with a visit to the Ancient Capital. It has different entrance tickets, 100k entrance tickets for adult.
It is a nice place within a huge calm lake in the middle, surrounded by limestone mountains, and a cave overlooking the lake and the mountain ranges. It’s a good place for relaxing and unwind, cycling, and taking photos.
It’s a great place for cycling, but unfortunately, you can’t bring your own bicycle inside. You’ll need to park your bike outside and rent one from the ticket office instead.
This can be disappointing for people who come by bicycle. The bike rental here is 50k VND per bike. The place is totally easy to explore on foot.
Am Tien Cave was originally a place where tigers were kept to punish criminals during the Dinh Dynasty. This is where King Le Dai Hanh imprisoned prisoners of war from the invading Song dynasty.
Am Tien Cave is where Queen Duong Van Nga spent the last years of her life as a nun. During the Lý Dynasty, Zen Master Nguyễn Minh Không lived in the cave, where he mediated and built Buddhist altars inside the cave.
How long do you spend at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital?
The highlight of the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital is the two temples of King Dinh, Le, and the tomb of King Dinh. It takes around 30-60 minutes to explore if you are only doing sightseeing.
If you are interested in the history and detail of the architecture of the temples, it will take a couple of hours. I recommend adding extra 30 minutes to ride around the areas surrounding the complex, exploring lesser-known temples, and admiring the beautiful countryside scenery.
Dress code at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital?
It’s recommended to wear long pants, convening your knees and shoulders while visiting temples inside Hoa Lu Ancient Capital.
There are baskets of sarong and monk-style clothing near the entrance to King Dinh temple that you can borrow for free and return later when finished.
Facilities at Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Bicycle rental shops
There are bicycle shops outside the main entrance near the ticket booth on the main road. Some shop owners will try to tell you that you need a bicycle to explore because the place is huge, don’t trust them.
You can easily explore the complex on foot. Two main temples and the king’s tomb are located within 3-5 minutes walking distance from each other. A walk from the main gate to these temples is around 5-10 minutes.
A bicycle is useful if you want to explore the surrounding areas. The bike is around 30-50k VND per bike if you want to rent one.
Souvenir shops
There are souvenir shops near the ticket booths selling traditional Vietnamese crafts, T-shirts, hats… If it’s a hot day, you might want to consider buying a traditional Vietnamese hat to protect yourself from the sun. Make sure to bargain! There are also convenience stores selling snacks and rinks outside the complex.
Toilets
There are free toilets behind each main temple inside Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, so you don’t have to worry about finding a restroom.
See more:
So, you have it, my guide to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital. If you are in Tam Coc and Ninh Binh, I highly recommend spending some time exploring it to learn about the history of Vietnam and Hoa Lu. It’s the only interesting place to visit if you’re interested in the history and culture.