I have visited Ninh Binh several times, and in this post, I will share with you my experiences about How many days in Ninh Binh is enough and an itinerary for 2 to 3 days in Ninh Binh.
Ninh Binh is located only 2 hours drive from Hanoi and is known for its breathtaking natural landscape and many historical/cultural attractions. It is called Ha Long Bay on land due to its spectacular karst landscapes with towering limestone cliffs quite similar to Ha Long Bay.
From Hanoi, you can easily get to Ninh Binh. You can use a limousine, private car, or train. Limousines and private cars usually pick you up in Hanoi and drop you off at your hotel in Ninh Binh.
There are trains between Hanoi and Ninh Binh, but at the train station in central Ninh Binh, you’ll need to use a taxi if you stay in Tam Coc, which is the most popular place to stay in Ninh Binh for tourists.
Limousine and private cars are more convenient options and also reasonably-priced. We used a private car and it only cost us around 1 million VND. You can save more if you travel in a group or with family.
You can easily get around Ninh Binh by renting a motorbike, using a guided tour, jeep tour, or having a private driver. You can consider easy ride services if you don’t drive. In this case, an experienced motorbike driver wil drive you to major tourist attractions in Ninh Binh. We used Grab Taxi to get to most places and explored at our own pace.
How many days in Ninh Binh is enough?
In my experience, 2 full days and 1 night is generally enough to see most major sights of Ninh Binh, try local food, and enjoy the laid back nightlife. Basically, within 2 full days, you can leisurely take a boat tour on Trang An, climb up to Mua Cave viewpoint, explore Tam Coc, visit Bai Dinh pagoda, and explore the Hoa Lu ancient capital.
With an extra day, you can just relax at your homestays. Or you can visit more attractions such as Thung Nham Bird Garden, Cuc Phuong National Park, or Van Long Nature Reserve.
The best area to book your accommodation to make the most of your 2 to 3 days in Ninh Binh is around Tam Coc. It is the main tourist area of Ninh Binh that has many choices of accommodations and tourist facilities such as restaurants, cafes, and bars.
I had a good experience staying at the Tam Coc Catalina Hotel. This small family-run hotel is located on a small road, within easy walking distance from the main tourist strip where many restaurants and bars are located. My room is quite clean and spacious. The owner helped organize a private car to Hanoi.
As a countryside area of Vietnam, you can get bitten by mosquitoes, so I recommend always bringing mosquito repellent with you. I had been bitten a lot.
How to Spend 2 to 3 Days in Ninh Binh Itinerary
Day 1: Boat ride Trang An, climb up Mua Caves, visit Bich Dong pagoda, explore Tam Coc area
You can spend your first day taking a boat tour on either Trang An or Tam Coc. I personally think Trang An is the one to go if you have to choose between Trang An and Tam Coc. You will sit on the boat on the river, admiring thousands of karst mountains, and see different caves.
In Trang An, you will have more temples to see, Tam Coc is more beautiful during the yellow rice season. We chose Trang An for the boat tour and took route 3, which takes us to the longest caves in this complex. We booked a Grab taxi from our hotel in Tam Coc to Trang An wharf and bought a ticket at the entrance.
From Trang An, you can use Grab taxi to get to Hang Mua, an approximately 10 minutes ride away. It’ll take around 30 minutes to climb up to the top of this dragon mountain and have stunning views of limestone karsts, rice fields, and Ngo Dong River. It can be hard to climb up especially if you visit during hot and humid times. You can spend a couple of hours in this area.
If you still have time during the day, you can check out Bich Dong pagoda, which is located around 15 minutes away from Hang Mua. It is a Buddist temple located on Trang An-Tam Coc complex. It was built in the 15th century under the reign of King Le Thai To. The temple is free to enter.
In the evening, you can go back to Tam Coc area, wandering around its pier, and the main street. You can enjoy local food at one of the many restaurants and bars along the tourist strips. We liked to dine and drink at the Rustic Garden Tam Coc Bar & Restaurant. I also recommend the Xanh Coffee for drink and meal; they have a very nice garden with a small pond with lots of colorful fish to watch.
If you are tired or getting back pain from the boat trip, you can have a foot/body massage at one of the many massage shops along the road. Most of them are quite good and reasonably priced. You can just walk around and choose the shop that appeals most to you.
Day 2: Visit Bai Dinh pagoda, explore Hoa Lu ancient Capital
Bai Dinh is a very large complex of buddhist pagodas, and you can spend half a day here. From your hotel in Tam Coc, it’ll take approximately 40 minutes to drive to Bai Dinh.
Bai Dinh complex consists of an ancient pagoda originally built in the 12th century and a new pagoda complex built between 2003 and 2010. It is located right on the western gateway to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu.
There are many temples and more than 500 Buddha statues in this complex. Popular spots to see include Tam Quan Gate, Bao Thap Tower (The Stupa), The ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda, Light Cave, Dark Cave, and Ngoc Well.
When visiting the temple, you should avoid wearing short skirts and cover your shoulders. I also recommend wearing a good pair of shoes as you will walk a lot. The complex is huge, you can walk for free, but you can also consider taking an electric car which is cheap, saving you energy and time.
In the afternoon, you can visit Hoa Lu ancient capital, which is located 10 minutes away from Bai Dinh pagoda. It was the capital of Vietnam during the 10th and 11th centuries before King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long (now Hanoi) in 1010.
You can wander around, exploring different temples, tombs, and pagodas. You can check out Temple of King Le Dai Hanh, Temple of King Dinh Tien Hoang, and Am Tien Cave-Tuyet Tinh Coc.
In the evening, head back to your hotel in Tam Coc and enjoy the nightlife here.
Day 3: Cuc Phuong National Park/ Thung Nham Bird Garden/ Van Long Nature Reserve
If you have extra days in Tam Coc and Ninh Binh, you can just relax at your homestays or resorts. You can wander around your neighborhoods or rent a bicycle to explore.
Some other places to consider to visit include Cuc Phuong National Park, Thung Nham Bird Garden, or Van Long Nature Reserve. Cuc Phuong National Park is located one hour drive from Tam Coc, maybe you can consider taking a guided tour?
- Best areas to stay in Ninh Binh for tourists
- 10 Best Things to Do & See in Ninh Binh
- Best Time to Visit Ninh Binh
- One Day in Ninh Binh Itinerary
You can watch my video explaining how long in Ninh Binh here:
Overall, I believe that 2 full days is a good amount of time to spend in Ninh Binh. This allows you to see the most popular sights such as Trang An, Mua Cave, Tam Coc, Bai Dinh temple, Bich Dong pagoda, and Ha Lu ancient capital. You can try many local dishes, have massages, and enjoy its laid back nightlife.
If you have extra days in Ninh Binh, you can just relax, or explore many more natural attractions such as Cuc Phuong National Park,Thung Nham Bird Garden, or Van Long Nature Reserve. The best way to explore Ninh Binh is perhaps renting a motorbike, but you can also easily explore by guided tour or Taxi if you don’t drive.