There are many ways to explore Tam Coc (Ninh Binh) and its surrounding attractions. I’ve used multiple modes of transport to explore this beautiful palace, including renting a scooter, walking, and riding share services such as Grab and GreenSM.
In this article, I will also show you the main ways to get to Tam Coc (Ninh Binh) from Hanoi. I’ve been using a private traditional taxi, Grab taxi, and train to travel between two places. I booked the limousine, but the limousine broke down on the way to pick us up so I haven’t got the chance to use this service.
See more:
- Where to Stay in Ninh Binh: Best areas & Hotels
- How many days in Ninh Binh is enough?
- 10 Best Things to Do in Ninh Binh
How to get to Tam Coc (Ninh Binh) from Hanoi
By private transfer (traditional taxi or Grab taxi)
If you are with a group of friends or with a family, it’s best to book a private taxi for privacy and better price. If you carry a large suitcase, it’s also a wiser choice to choose private transfer.
We once booked a Grab taxi from Hanoi to Tam Coc, several drivers accepted the ride but then canceled it. We kept trying then there was one driver finally accepted it. Grab taxis are usually for short distances, not like 2 hours driving from Hanoi to Tam Coc.
You can ask the hotel and travel agent to arrange the private transfer for you. I paid Grab 1.2 mil VND from Hanoi Old Quarter to Tam Coc, and on the way back, the hotel arranged for me a taxi that cost 1mil VND.
By shared limousine or big bus
The shared limousine can carry up to 9 passengers and is budget-friendly options to travel between Hanoi and Tam Coc.
It often includes pick up and drop off right at your hotel in each city, so you don’t have to pay extra for transferring between the train station and your hotel if you take the train.
The cons of taking the limousine is that if you have a heavy suitcase, you need to confirm with the driver if they accept it because their space for storing luggage is very limited.
Most limousine businesses allow you to carry a free suitcase that is up to 20kg, you might need to pay extra if you have more than that.
You can easily book a limousine by asking your hotel or travel agent in both Hanoi Old Quarter and Tam Coc. The price is usually 300k VND upward depending on how many seats in the car and if it includes pick up and drop off at the hotel or just at their stations in each city.
By Train
The private taxi from Hanoi and Ninh Binh is around 2 hours while the train is slower. It’s around a 3 hour train ride, plus a 15 minutes taxi ride from Tam Coc to Ninh Binh train station, and a 10 minutes ride to Hanoi train station to your hotel in the old quarter.
The train is a good option for those who want to experience the train ride or you stay next to the train station. If you’re curious how the train ride between Hanoi and Ninh Binh looks like, it’s also a good idea to try the train. It’s not really cheaper than the shared limousine option.
I paid 90k VND for a taxi ride from Tam Coc to Ninh Binh station, 240k VND train ticket for the lower bed in the 4 bed-room section (discounted ticket – half normal price), and 50k for get from Hanoi train station to my hotel in the old quarter.
There are lots of train rides between Ninh Binh and Hanoi from morning to night. You can easily book the train ticket at the train station or online at the official website dsvn.vn. It’s easy to pay using card and online methods such as Apply Pay.
I used to book online in advance 1 day before the departure time. Booking online allows me to see the best seats at the time of booking.
How to get around Tam Coc (Ninh Binh)
Renting a Bicycle
Renting a bicycle is one of the most popular ways to explore Tam Coc and Ninh Binh. Everyone can ride a bicycle and the bicycle shops are everywhere in the main street of Tam Coc. Most hotels and homestays offer free bicycles for their guests and offer it for a smaller fee.
Most major attractions are located within a short ride from each other so it’s easy to explore on a bicycle. The road in Ninh Binh is mostly flat, so you don’t need a lot of energy to cycle.
You can rent a scooter at many shops in Tam Coc’s main tourist shops as well at your homestays and guest houses. The price is around 50k VND per day.
My hotel offers a bicycle with a phone holder on it, which I found very convenient to navigate the way without stopping many times along the road.
With a bicycle, you can go to many small dirt roads that if you drive a scooter you need skill to do it. When I drove my scooter though the dirt trail on the Water Loop area on a rainy day, It was very muddy, and I couldn’t continue my riding. While with a bicycle you can easily lift it up over the muddy spots and continue your journey.
There are many attractions that are within easy cycling distance from Tam Coc, which is the main tourist area of Ninh Binh, where most tourists stay.
I recommend cycling to Bich Dong pagoda (2km away), Hang Mua Cave (4km away), Trang An and Hoa Lu ancient Town (around 8km away). The way to Thung Nham Bird Park and Đền Vối (Voi temple) is also lovely to explore on a bicycle.
With further attractions such as Bai Dinh or Cuc Phuong Nation Park, it’s best to take guided tours or use private transport such as traditional taxis or motorbike taxis.
If you visit some places such as Tuyet Tinh Coc and Am Tiem Cave, you will need to park your bicycle in the parking area and rent a bicycle from them.
At most popular attractions, they will charge 5k-10k VND for parking for a bicycle. Locals who live around the attractions often put the sign “parking here” at their front shops, but make sure to ask for the price first. You can negotiate with them for 5-10k VND.
Renting a scooter
Renting a scooter will give more freedom to get to further places such as Cuc Phuong National park, Bai Dinh pagoda, or Van Long wetlands easily and more flexible. The road in Ninh Binh is relatively flat, so it’s easy to drive on a scooter.
When driving on a scooter and using google maps, I recommend avoiding the highways as there are lots of trucks and dirt on the road. There is a nice road connecting Tam Coc, Trang An, Hang Mua, and Hoa Lu ancient road called Trang An di Hang Mua road, so you can use this road instead of the highway DT491.
I rented a scooter at my hotel for 120k VND for a day. The owner put around 1 litre of petrol into the motorbike then I went to the petrol station to fill more. The petrol station is located on the main road of Tam Coc near the intersection with the 491 highway.
If you want to find a petrol station on Google, you can type “ Cay Xang” in Vietnamese or “petro station” in English, but in most cities, I found it easier to find with “ Cay Xang”. There are many smaller shops selling petrol on the small petrol pump (I guess they’ll charge more compared to the official petrol station).
The parking for motorbikes at each spot is 10-20k VND. I found 20k VND for a motorbike parking is relatively expensive compared to other parts of Vietnam.
Beware of that there are many parking scams around major tourist attractions. People who live near these places often put the parking sign out in front of their property and then charge high fees. You always need to ask how much for the parking first, then negotiate down or find other places to park.
Some shops have “free parking” but expect to buy a bottle of water, soft drinks, souvenirs, or snacks from them. And they often charge you a high price. Maybe 20k VND for a bottle. There is no such thing called free.
When I drive around Ninh Binh, there are only a few places that offer free parking, which include Bai Dinh temple, Cuc Phuong national park, Trang An, Tam Coc, and Thai Vi temple. I guess the parking ticket was already included in their entrance ticket.
I had to pay 20k VND for parking at Bich Dong pagoda, but when I read some reviews they charge more if you’re a foreigner.
At Tuyet Tinh Coc, I paid an entrance ticket and an additional 10k VND for parking a scooter. Similarly in Hoa Lu ancient town 20k for entrance ticket and 10k for parking.
Walking & Hiking
If you stay in popular areas such as Tam Coc, Hang Mua-Trang An, you can easily walk to restaurants and shops from the hotels. There are many trendy cafes, restaurants, and bars located within a 1km long main road in Tam Coc, so you’re within easy walking distance from everything.
Walking and Hiking is also a popular way to explore each attraction even if you take boat tours at Trang An and Tam Coc. Along the boat ride, the boat driver will stop you at each attraction along the lake’s shore, so you can walk around or hike up to the top for the views.
A good place for hiking in Ninh Binh are Hang Mua Cave, Bai Dinh temple, and Cuc Phuong national park. Other places such as Bich Dong temple, Linh Coc temple, and Tuyet Tinh Coc require a short walk to the destination.
Taking a guided tour or hire a private driver
There are dozens of tours including group tours and private tours around Ninh Binh. If you take these tours, the tour operator will pick you up and drop you off from your hotel , so you won’t have to worry about how to get to each place.
You can book a tour online through an online travel platform or direct at your hotel. I believe it’s often cheaper booking direct at the hotel or local tour agencies because they don’t have to pay commission for the third party platform.
Using riding share services such Grab and GreenSM taxi and motorbike
These riding services are widely available in Tam Coc and Ninh. I’ve used them when traveling between the hotel in Tam Coc and the Ninh Binh train station. Grab is more popular but they often charge more than GreenSM during peak hour.
I often used both apps to check the price and compare them. Sometimes they have big differences in price and sometimes not much. You can use either of them. Both companies are safe to use.
The ride between Ninh Binh train station and my hotel in Tam Coc Center is 80k VND. Using these apps are great for traveling not only in Ninh Binh and Tam Coc, but also all over Vietnam.
You will get the right price and don’t have to bargain with the driver.
If you’re adventurous, you can consider using Grab or Xanh SM motorbike. It’s usually cheaper than using the taxi and you’ll have fun riding on the road.
Parking problems in Ninh Binh
During my last trip around Vietnam, before reaching Ninh Binh, I was in HCMC, Mui Ne, Da Lat, Nha Trang, Quy Nhon, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Hue, I’ve never seen any places that overcharging the parking like in Ninh Binh. The highest cost for parking anywhere else was 10k VND.
I was a bit shocked when someone asked me for 20k VND for a motorbike parking at Bich Dong pagoda. I am happy to do that if you public the parking price but they only gave me the ticket. When I read the reviews on Google, some foreigners were being charged more than that.
In many places, you will see many shops that lead to the attraction offering the sign “parking here”. It’s no problem parking at any of the shops, just make sure to ask the price first, or bargain the price down, or find somewhere to park, there are also options around.
In some places, you need to pay entrance and parking tickets separately. In Hang Mua, it was 150k for the entrance ticket, 10k for motorbike parking, and 5k for bicycle parking.
In Tuyet Tinh Coc, I paid 100k for an entrance ticket and 10k for a motorbike. In Hoa Lu ancient town, it was 20k for entrance tickets and 10k for motorbike parking.
In major sights such as Trang An boat ride, Tam Coc Boat ride, Bai Dinh, and Cuc Phuong national park, the parking fee is already included in the entrance ticket.
One thing to note is that at some attractions, you can see free parking in front of some shops. Don’t trap for these free things, as the person taking care of your bike will expect you to buy something from them and the price is relatively expensive.
See more:
Don’t worry too much about how to get around Ninh Binh. As a popular tourist destination, the city has plenty of options for you to choose from. Whether you rent a scooter, walk, cycle, or use riding share services, you’ll have a wonderful time in Ninh Binh and Tam Coc.