Ninh Binh, as a city, may not turn heads like Hoi An or Hue, but the nature surrounding the city and the fact that it is only an hour's drive away from Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam, make it a great place for travelers who are looking to escape the bustling Hanoi and be among nature.
Within this guide, you will find all the information you need to visit Ninh Binh and a complete list of the best things to do in and around the city. Without further ado, here are the top 8 things to do in Ninh Binh for solo travelers.
Ninh Binh Things To Do Itinerary Map
8 Best Things to Do in Ninh Binh
1. Climb Up the Mua Cave Viewpoint
Mua Cave Viewpoint is, hands down, my favorite tourist attraction in Ninh Binh. Although the temple and the cave themselves are pretty average, the stairway with elaborately sculpted dragons straddling both sides, leading up the limestone mountain to a viewpoint, is a different story.
The Mua Cave Viewpoint will require you to hike up the 486 steps along a stone stairway that zig-zags its way up to the top of a limestone mountain, giving you an incredible vantage point and a sweeping view of Tam Coc. Here, you will see why they called it the "on-land Halong Bay."
At the top, you will also find all kinds of concrete sculptures adorning the limestone peaks, from a dragon sculpture to a tiered pagoda. It is one of the most popular places to take photos and definitely offers an incredible vantage point during sunset.
- Ninh Binh Central Backpackers Hostel (Budget)
- Tam Coc Holiday Hotel & Villa (Mid-Range) ๐ Top Pick
- Le Clos Du Fil (High-End)
- Full-Day Ninh Binh Highlights Tour from Hanoi (11 hours)
- Ninh Binh Full-Day Tour from Hanoi to Hoa Lu, Tam Coc & Mua Cave Via Boat & Bike (11 - 12 hours)
- Ninh Binh Tour From Hanoi : Small-group JEEP/VESPA + BOAT + LIFE (11 - 12 hours)
Just be careful when scrambling around the jagged peaks at the top, especially during the rainy season, as it can get extremely slippery. Many organized tours include a visit to Mua Cave, and if you are short on time, I highly recommend you join one for the trip.
Where to Stay in Ninh Binh?
2. Go On a Trang An Boat Ride
One of the most famous things to do in Ninh Binh is to go on a boat ride along the beautiful river nestled between the stunning limestone mountains, and there is no better place to do it than in Trang An.
In Trang An, you will find many limestone mountains perching up from green rice paddies, and you can go on a boat ride along the river that zig-zags its way around these limestone mountains and into a 1 km long cave, the longest cave out of the many cave networks in the area.
You can take several routes, but only the third route will take you through a cave. Before you book anything, make sure with the boat operator that the way you are taking goes through Dot Cave.
You can visit Trang An independently and get a ticket right at the pier, or you can go as part of an organized tour which should handle all the logistics as well as take you to other beautiful places in Ninh Binh.
3. Visit Bich Dong Pagoda
Bich Dong Pagoda is an ancient tiered pagoda nestled between the limestone mountains in Ninh Binh, and it is one of the most scenic places in the area.
Bich Dong Pagoda's ornate gate, with a stone bridge spanning across a beautiful lotus pond, is probably one of the most iconic sights in Ninh Binh.
You can hike to several levels once you are at the temple. A stairway going up the mountain will take you to the middle-tiered pagoda and another to the top-tiered pagoda, although the last part was more of a scramble than a hike.
These pagodas and temples are dated all the way back to the 18th Century. Like most Buddhist sites in Vietnam, make sure that your dress code is correct. Ensure that your shoulders and knees are well-covered before visiting.
Many cycling tours also include a visit to Bich Dong Pagoda, so if you are looking to learn a little bit more about the history of Bich Dong Pagoda, I highly recommend that you go on an organized tour instead of doing it independently.
Tours & Tickets You Might Like
If you are looking for more activities to do here, be sure to check out some of the available tours and day trips:
4. Stroll Around Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Hoa Lu is an ancient capital city of the Dinh and Le dynasties that reigned over this area for many centuries. It is considered to be the first capital city of Vietnam, being established in the 10th Century.
Hoa Lu is home to many old temples and antique structures that will give you a glimpse of what it must have been like in the first capital city of Vietnam during its peak.
Walking through Hoa Lu is as close to a time machine as it gets. The surrounding nature, layered banyan trees, and the idyllic atmosphere make the temple a great place to stroll around in the morning.
You can visit Hoa Lu independently, or you can go on a full-day cycling tour, which will often include a visit to other parts of Ninh Binh as well, making it much more convenient to see all the tourist attractions in a short period.
5. Be blown away by the scale of Bai Dinh Pagoda
Bai Dinh Pagoda is a massive temple complex in Ninh Binh that spans over 700 hectares, making it the largest temple complex in Vietnam and one of the largest in Southeast Asia.
The temple complex consists of several old and new temples, all adorned with complex Vietnamese-Chinese-style designs and intricate details that will remind you of the Forbidden City in Beijing.
Since the temple complex is spread out over a large area, you can either walk or pay a bit more to get on one of those buggy cars and zoom around the temple complex.
There is also a nice viewpoint at the top of a 13-story watchtower that offers a sweeping panoramic view of the temple complex and all its surroundings, but you will have to pay a little extra to access the elevator that takes you up to the top.
6. Go On a Bike Tour Around the Countryside of Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh's beauty lies not in its bustling city but in the surrounding nature in the countryside, and there is no better way to explore all the green rice paddies, limestone mountains, and temples in Ninh Binh than to go on a cycling tour.
Most cycling tours in Ninh Binh often include visits to other tourist attractions such as Hoa Lu and Tam Coc. If you are already planning to visit these places but are unsure how to get there, a cycling tour is a great option for you.
You can also enjoy the scenery of Ninh Binh's countryside at your own leisure if you explore the area with a bike. Trust me, there are many amazing sights and photo spots along the way.
7. Explore Cuc Phuong National Park
Photos By pululante
Cuc Phuong National Park is considered to be the first established national park in the country and the largest nature reserve spanning more than 200 km.
The national park is also home to many rare flora and fauna and critically endangered species like Delacour's langur, golden-headed langur, and black-crested gibbon.
Although you can explore parts of Cuc Phuong National Park on a bike, the national park is best done on foot, and to truly do justice to the place, I highly recommend going on an organized tour that will help guide you through these lush valleys and charming forests.
You can probably find a local tour in Ninh Binh when you are there, but most Cuc Phuong National Park tours that you can reserve online are often part of a larger tour, and they leave from Hanoi. So, if you are looking to visit Ninh Binh and Cuc Phuong National Park as a day trip from Hanoi, you can book the tour here.
8. Visit Van Long Nature Reserve
Standing amid the stunning limestone mountains in Ninh Binh, Van Long Nature Reserve is one of the few wetlands in the area that are known for their abundance of bird species and other rare animals like the endangered Delacour's langurs.
The nature reserve is another prime place to go on a boat ride, but this time, with fewer people than the Trang An boat ride, you will experience the wetlands' nature in all its glory.
The boat ride should cost around 3 - 5 USD, which takes about 1.5 hours to complete. You can also ride through a cave, but only when the water level is high enough. So, if you want to visit the cave, be sure to visit during the rainy season.
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to start planning your trip! Here are some resources to help you get going:
Are you planning to travel independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Backpacking in Vietnam
Are you looking for more information about traveling in Vietnam? Here are a few more articles that can help you with your trip to Vietnam:
- Looking for a complete travel guide and itinerary for Vietnam? 2 Weeks Itinerary for Vietnam.
- Are you planning to travel to Vietnam as part of a big Southeast Asia trip? Check out our 3-month backpacking itinerary for Southeast Asia.
- Planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City and not sure where to begin? Here are the Explore Ho Chi Minh City: 13 Best Things to Do and Places to Visit.
- For a complete itinerary for Ho Chi Minh City, check out: 3 Days in Ho Chi Minh City: A Backpacking Itinerary.
- Looking for the best street food to try in Ho Chi Minh City? Check Out Saigon Street Food: 11 Incredible Places to Eat & Drink.
- Looking for things to do in the ancient port city of Hoi An? Here are the 10 Best Things to do in Hoi An.
- Hoi An is known for its beautiful lanterns that illuminate the entire town at night. If you want to see what it is like in Hoi An at night, check out: The Colorful Lanterns Of Hoi An's Ancient City
- If you love mountains, cool breeze, and rice terraces, you are going to love Sapa. Here is the 9 Best Things to Do in Sapa.
- Not convinced by my words about Vietnam? Here are 33 photos that will inspire you to visit Vietnam now.
- You can see all my Vietnam-related articles on my Vietnam Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.
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6 Comments
hey! Your pictures look great. I love the foggy vibe of them. I'm right now in Hanoi deciding how am I gonna spend my next 4 days in between Phong Nha which is my next destination. Ninh Binh area or Sapa. I'm super unsure about it. Everywhere is couldy and wet, even in Hanoi.
I would go with Sapa and rent a motorcycle. :) Rewarding sceneries all around.
Pete, your reports on your travels through Vietnam never cease to amaze me, I look forward to each and every one of this series and I'm making sure to share them with as many people as I possibly can. I know I've said this before, but more than "just inspiring", your series is making me re-consider my life priorities and try to find a way to make a trip, or an experience on its own, work in Vietnam.
I keep complaining that it can't happen, because "work comes first", but... honestly, your pictures are coming to me in my sleep, that certainly means something :)
Thank you. And by all means, please keep sharing.
Thank you Ricardo. I'm glad I could inspire you. That's the best thing a traveler could do. :)
I, too, find much inspiration from Pete's reports. I even bought the camera he is using, and installed Lightroom, but couldn't yet find the time to "study" them. Pete, you're great!
Thank you so much. This is province of Viet Nam. It's so beautyful because that's my country