Visiting Ninh Binh – A Must See Destination In Vietnam
Last Updated: December 6 2020
Ninh Binh has been one of our favourite places in Vietnam, and for good reason! The scenery is absolutely stunning, and the views are a must see here. We only had time to spend two nights in Ninh Binh due to our visa running out. If we were to head back to Vietnam we would definitely be visiting Ninh Binh again! There is so much to see here but Mua Caves and Tam Coc are both places you especially need to go if you are visiting Ninh Binh! They are both famous for their limestone mountains, and insane views.
Tam Coc:
We feel like the best way to see Tam Coc is on one of the boats. Two or three people can fit in one boat, and you have somebody who will row you through Tam Coc. The boat journey lasts around an hour and a half, and the scenery is beautiful! To enter you have to pay a visitor permit of 120,000 VND each (about £4) and the boat hire for two people is 150,000 VND (about £5). The boat ride takes you through caves and the limestone mountains. Make sure to look out for the pigs and goats walking around on the side of the mountains!
We visited Tam Coc during the rainy season, and although we had a lovely time the area around the river was quite flooded. This meant we didn’t see the lush green fields that you see on all the photos. Although Peak season would be a lot busier, the colours would probably be a lot nicer so it is best to think about what time of year you want to go!
Mua Caves (Hang Mua):
Mua Caves will give you some of the best views that you have seen in Vietnam! To enter it costs 100,000 VND each (about £3.30). There are plenty of stairs to walk up to get to the top, but we found it only took around 20 minutes. During the walk up there are also plenty of viewpoints so you will definitely have time to rest.
There are two main viewpoints at Mua Caves! One is the Lying Dragon Mountain and the other is the Pagoda. There is a small drinks shop halfway up where the path splits into two pretty much. The path that goes up to the left is where the Lying Dragon Mountain can be found, and the path up to the right is the Pagoda Viewpoint.
We went around 4pm and there weren’t too many people walking up. However we went in the rainy season so we’re not sure how busy this area gets in peak tourist season. We’ve heard in peak season it is best to go as early as possible to avoid the crowds.
The town of Ninh Binh:
We didn’t stay in Ninh Binh’s town centre but got a taxi into town to book further transport, and to have an explore. There are a few places to eat, and a supermarket located in town. We didn’t spend too much time here, and we would advise to stay further out of town if you are here just to see the scenery. The views are beautiful in Ninh Binh, and it is definitely the place you want to stay more in the countryside.
How to get to Ninh Binh?
We travelled to Ninh Binh from Hue and took the 5am train which got us in to Ninh Binh at around 5pm. It was definitely a long journey but it meant we didn’t have to lose a day by travelling overnight, and the views were incredible. The journey cost us £5o between us and we booked the ticket online through Vietnam Railway. You can take an overnight train which tends to be more expensive. There are also overnight buses available which are a lot cheaper than the trains! They usually leave late afternoon.
If you are travelling from the other way, there are routes available from Hanoi.
Where to stay?
We stayed just out of Ninh Binh town, because we wanted to stay closer to the scenery. Our accomodation was only a 10 minute walk from Mua Caves, so the location was perfect for us! We stayed at Phuong Thao Homestay; which is a lovely little place and we got free breakfast which consisted of banana pancakes and fresh pineapple. They have a restaurant on site, and the food is really good! It is the perfect little place to stay if you are visiting Ninh Binh.
Phuong Thao Homestay:
https://www.booking.com/hotel/vn/trang-an-river-side-homestay-ninh-binh.en.html?aid=1683189&no_rooms=1&group_adults=2&room1=A%2CA
Thank you so much for reading this post! We hope this has encouraged you to visit Ninh Binh, you won’t regret it!
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Thanks Jack & Abbie.
I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
