Ninh Binh Highlights: Full-Day Tour from Hanoi with Majestic Caves and Ancient Pagoda Visit

Experience the highlights of Ninh Binh on a full-day tour from Hanoi. Explore ancient pagodas, climb Lying Dragon mountain, and cruise through majestic caves. Small group tour with professional guide.

Duration: 11 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Mua Caves - Hike 500 steps to the mountain’s summit for stunning views of the river, mountains, and Ninh Binh City.

  • Explore the dry cave.

  • Visit a lotus farm adorned with colorful flowers, perfect for amazing photos.

  • Tam Coc - Take a sampan boat trip on the Ngo Dong River, passing through three water caves among limestone mountains, rowed by locals.

  • Hoa Lu District - Explore Vietnam’s first ancient capital from the 10th and 11th centuries. Spend about 50 minutes walking to see the King temples.

  • Bich Dong Pagoda - Visit an ancient pagoda built in 1428 in the village. Climb 200 steps to see the three sections of the pagoda: the lower pagoda at the mountain’s base, the middle pagoda halfway up, and the top pagoda at the summit.

  • Hoa Lu temples of the Dinh & Le Dynasties - 7:15 – 07:30: Pick up guests from hotels in Hanoi Old Quarter.
    09:20: Arrive at Hoa Lu ancient capital and visit the Dinh King temple.
    11:00: Visit Mua Cave and enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the river and mountains by climbing 500 steps up to Lying Dragon Mountain.
    12:30: Savor a traditional Vietnamese set menu lunch at a local bungalow.
    13:30: Enjoy a sampan boat trip in Tam Coc, passing through three caves: Hang Ca (First Cave), Hang Hai (Second Cave), and Hang Ba (Third Cave).
    15:30: Cycle through rice fields and villages to visit Bich Dong Pagoda.
    16:00: Visit the ancient Bich Dong Pagoda, built in 1428.
    16:45: Depart from Tam Coc for Hanoi after a farewell drink.
    19:00: The tour concludes in Hanoi.

What's Included
  • Conical hat, cold water bottles, and wet towel in hot weather
  • All entrance sightseeing fees and tickets
  • Free raincoat if it rains
  • Authentic set menu lunch at the Bungalow next to the Tam Coc river
  • Knowledgeable and professional English-speaking tour guide
  • Good air-conditioned limousine van, pick-up and drop-off from Hanoi Old Quarter
  • Use of bike (option to use van or pay extra for motorbike and driver)
What's Not Included
  • Alcohol drink, tips & personal expenses
  • Pick-up and drop off outside of Hanoi old quarter
  • Travel insurrance
  • Tip to the boat rower
Additional Information

Embark on a full-day journey from Hanoi to popular sites in Ninh Binh. Explore Vietnam’s ancient capital from the 10th and 11th centuries and ascend 500 steps to the Lying Dragon mountain to soak in the stunning vista of the mountainscape. Indulge in a serene boat ride on the Ngo Dong river in Tam Coc, passing through magnificent caves. Subsequently, embark on a cycling trip to Bich Dong Pagoda and invest 20 minutes uncovering the ancient Pagoda, established in 1428. Enhance your experience with our proficient English-speaking tour guide. Savor a sumptuous lunch in an exclusive group of no more than eight individuals in a limousine. Conclude the journey in Tam Coc or Hanoi with a refreshing farewell drink.

Location
Mua Caves
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
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(4192 Ratings)
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651llu_sg
Aug 30, 2024
Trip to Ninh bin - Our trip to Ninh Bình was a wonderful experience filled with history, nature, and adventure. The day started with a visit to the Imperial City, where we were immersed in the rich cultural heritage of the region. The architecture and stories were fascinating, making it a great way to begin our journey. We then climbed up to the Mua Cave, where the views from the top were absolutely breathtaking. The effort to reach the summit was well worth it for the panoramic views alone. Afterward, we enjoyed a peaceful bike ride through the countryside, which gave us a chance to see the rural side of Vietnam up close, surrounded by lush green landscapes. The highlight of the day was the canoe ride through the serene waterways, all while our guide, Tam, provided insightful commentary and shared his deep knowledge of the area. Tam was fantastic—friendly, knowledgeable, and really added a lot to our experience. The tour was well organized, with comfortable transportation in a small bus, and thoughtful touches like providing raincoats, umbrellas, and headcaps for sun protection. However, it’s worth noting that while food was included, drinks were not, which we had to purchase separately. One downside was the cost. Initially, we were quoted around €150for the couple (€75 per person), but after rescheduling due to missing our original time, we ended up paying €190. While the day was undoubtedly enjoyable, considering the general cost of things in Vietnam, the final price felt a bit high. Overall, it was a day well spent, but the cost might be something to keep in mind for future travelers.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Thorstenn615
Aug 30, 2024
Fantastic experience. 10/10 😍 - 10/10 would recommend! Tam was awesome, and made our experience even more enjoyable sharing so much knowledge. Food was delicious and the bike ride was so much fun too!
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Venture63165937410
Aug 30, 2024
Day outing to Tam Coc - TAM was our tour guide, he explained history, lifestyle, culture very well. The tour was awesome with good scenic views to end at Tam coc. I would come back with my family and opt Aloha.
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Adventure825278
Aug 29, 2024
Luxurious and Memorable experience with Mr. Vu - Excellent day trip. Thank you Mr. Vu for making this trip a memorable one. I recommend the tourists to choose Aloha Vietnam Travel for trip planning I find them as one of the best tour operators.
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Michel
Aug 29, 2024
Ninh Binh private style - Great one day “private” tour with business class style van. After some time in Vietnam i would say Ninh Binh is the best tour to do ( if you have to pick one ). Beautifull surroundings and hike were greatly mannaged by our guide Thang. Thang has very good english speach and told us a lot on the history while bringing jou by his enthousiastic and happy behaviour. We really enjoyed the day
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Samr2865
Aug 29, 2024
Flexible tour guide and superb experience - Our tourguide was Thang. Due to unexpected circumstances, we only could join the tour as of lunch. Thang was the perfect guide and arranged everything so we could join the tour s smooth as possible. He knew a lot of details about the local people and the spots we visited.
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96sujayj
Aug 29, 2024
Ninh Binh tour Hanoi with Aloha travel!! - Excellent one day tour organised by aloha Vietnam travel and guide. The way Mr. VU explained everything about each place, the culture, Vietnamese history with so much of passion always kept us high throughout the trip. Food which was served during the lunch had so much variety in it and each dish was explained to us by Mr. Vu. We covered Ninh Binh one full day and had loads fun trekking, boating, cycling across country side. Last but not least the coach and the driver was so clean, luxurious and safe to travel. Thanks to Aloha team.
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Mpk031089
Aug 29, 2024
Fantastic experience with Minh Vu - Extremely efficient planning and kudos to Minh Vu for being an amazing guide. Definitely recommend all to try this one day adventure
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Steview184
Aug 28, 2024
Day tour from Hanoi - Great tour would recommend! Got to see beautiful views from atop the dragon mountain at Mua caves. Visited a local family to see what life consist of for a farming family. Had a variety of foods for lunch which were delicious. Then paddled through some long caves with some amazing views. I do feel like one day would be enough to experience everything. Tour guide was Nam and he was amazing 🙌🏻
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724ant_niom
Aug 30, 2024
Ninh Bihn: essential visit - Nice tour. Content and guide (Tam) were very good. Unfortunately we caught rain in part of the tour. Lunch could be improved. Thanks.
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up to 15 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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