A Budget Guide to Ninh Binh: Bicycle Map + Itinerary - Intentional Travelers (2024)

Ninh Binh is a beautiful UNESCO World Heritage destination just south of Hanoi, Vietnam. Ninh Binh is often referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land” because they both have impressive karsts and caves with boat rides for tourists.

In our opinion, Ninh Binh makes a great less-crowded alternative to Ha Long Bay, whether you’re just doing a day trip from Hanoi or staying a couple nights.

Although Ninh Binh is not completely off the beaten path – there are frequent tour buses bringing in Vietnamese and foreign tourists – it is still less crowded and more affordable than a visit to Ha Long Bay. And beautifully captivating in its own right!

In this post, we’ll share:
– Tips for traveling to Ninh Binh, Vietnam on a budget
– Our 3 day Ninh Binh itinerary and bike route map
– Where to eat and where to stay in Ninh Binh

Free Ninh Binh Map

How long to stay in Ninh Binh and best time to visit

We had the opportunity to stay in Ninh Binh for a full week at the end of March. This was mostly because we needed to continue our digital nomad work between excursions. Most people stay 2 or 3 days in Ninh Binh, and that’s an ideal amount of time to see the highlights. With three full days, you could literally see every main attraction in the area.

Ninh Binh can also be done as a day trip from Hanoi. If this is the case, make sure you prioritize doing the boat tour at Trang An (more on that soon).

The temperature was perfect in March and there was almost no rain. Of course, if you’ve seen photos of Ninh Binh, you’ll know that it’s almost always overcast. It’s very rare to escape the grey skies! Our homestay host said tourists rarely come in May because it’s way too hot (they also burn the rice fields at that time) and in September because of heavy rains. Early Spring is pretty ideal.

In terms of costs from high season to low season, we haven’t seen too much fluctuation in homestay prices or train tickets. Since this is a popular destination for Vietnamese tourists, you may notice that crowds increase a bit on the weekends.

How to get to Ninh Binh

You can get to Ninh Binh by train or by bus. Hanoi to Ninh Binh is about 2.5 hours either way. The Hanoi Ninh Binh price is pretty similar by train or bus as well.

Ninh Binh train station is also on the north-south Vietnam train route, so you can stop off if you’re traveling from Central or South Vietnam on your way up to Hanoi.

We also heard there was a bus from Ninh Binh to Sapa, which is more convenient than going through Hanoi if that’s also on your itinerary. However, Sapa to Ninh Binh is still a full day’s journey by train or bus!

Our train tickets from Ga Hanoi to Ninh Binh cost about $7 each way (2018), and we booked train tickets online a few weeks in advance.

More expensive options for getting to Ninh Binh would be hiring a private car or taxi.

Compare and book Vietnam transit tickets on BookAway here >

The town of Ninh Binh is not very interesting and it’s a few miles from the main sights, so you’ll probably want to stay elsewhere. You’ll find taxis waiting just outside the train station.

Use “Malinh” taxis – they are green with the name on the car, and you can confirm before getting in that the driver will use the meter. Our taxi ride to the village ofXuân Áng Ngoại, about 20 minutes, was less than $5.

Where to Stay in Ninh Binh

Staying in the town of Ninh Binh itself is really not ideal, so we recommend booking a place in one of the villages around Tam Coc or Trang An.

From there, you can get around by bicycle (often included with accommodations) or a motorbike rental.

Our homestay was nice, however, there was a big construction project next door and quite a bit more smoking in common areas than we’d prefer.

Our friends stayed at Tom Coc Scenery Homestay in Ninh Binh in 2023. They said: “The family was really nice and welcoming; they’d sit us down for tea and enjoy spending time with their guests. The rooms were clean, the bed comfortable, and the location was convenient with a motorbike or bicycle.”

– $/$$ Check out photos, prices, and availability for Tom Coc Scenery Homestay >>

We scoped out some other great accommodation options in Ninh Binh that are highly rated:

Getting around Ninh Binh by Bicycle

A number of locals told us that the best way to get around Ninh Binh is by motorbike. And it’s true. The main attractions are fairly spread out and the small roads aren’t always paved.

However, it is definitely manageable by bicycle – even the one-speed cruisers that most homestays provide for free.

You might choose to travel by bicycle for a couple reasons:

– It’s cheaper than renting a motorbike or car
– You get more exercise
– You can enjoy the landscape as you travel a bit more slowly

At our homestay, bicycles were provided for free and motorbike rentals were 150,000d (about $6.60) per day. For the reasons listed above, we used bicycles to get to attractions and restaurants most of the time.

We rented an automatic motorbike for 1 of the 7 days when we wanted to get out to Bai Dinh (a 14km drive) and we knew we’d get plenty of exercise walking around the temple complex.

Even if your accommodations don’t provide bicycles, it shouldn’t be too hard to find a bike rental for a couple dollars per day in Ninh Binh or Tam Coc.

Of course, motorbike rentals are still a relatively good deal, too. The choice is yours!

Ninh Binh Bike Map

The bike routes on our map are accessible to both motorbikes and bicycles.

Note that Google Maps is not completely updated for this area and several roads are missing. It’s also not easy to tell by Google Maps whether a road is paved or not, nor how big of a road it actually is. Some paved roads become gravel or dirt paths very suddenly. However, it’s usually easy to walk your bike for a short portion and continue on.

The interactive bike map includes:

– Bike parking locations and costs for the main Ninh Binh attractions
– Photos, descriptions, and tips for most sights
– A few restaurant recommendations around Ninh Binh
– Bike routes for Tam Coc, Bich Dong, Trang An, Bai Dinh, and Hoa Lu

To access our complete, interactive Google MyMaps of Ninh Binh for free, sign up below:

Top Things to Do: Ninh Binh Itinerary Ideas

Here, we prioritize the top things to do in Ninh Binh to help you plan your itinerary on a budget.

We recommend the Trang An boat tour as the first “must do” – and then adding to your itinerary from the top of this list, depending on how much time you have.

1. Trang An Boat Tour

Tam Coc vs. Trang An boat tours: The reviews are pretty much unanimous: the Trang An boat tour is more pleasant and a better value than the one in Tam Coc.

Of course, both are beautiful, and if for some reason you can’t get out to Trang An, then by all means do the boat tour in Tam Coc. Just know that there will be several points where you’ll be pushed to shop or give a tip.

The busy starting and ending point for boat tours in Tam Coc

Tam Coc charges an entry fee as well as a boat ride fee, 150k per person + 120k per boat, so the total cost is 210,000d per person if going in a pair (plus the tip you’ll be asked for at the end).

The route takes you through three caves. They will take groups of 2 or more, and the rowers often use their feet to row – which is unique!

Trang An, on the other hand, charges a flat 200,000d per person and there are three different routes to choose from. We did Option 1 which includes nine caves and three stops at hidden temples. It took about 3 hours.

Boats have a minimum of 4 passengers, so if you’re a solo or a couple, they will match you with other guests. It’s an organized system and no one will push you to shop or to tip.

About to enter our first cave – we couldn’t believe we’d actually be goingunder the mountain!

We started around 8:30am and though there were a number of boats in the water at the start and at a couple of the temple stops, our boat was mostly alone the farther out we got.

If it’s possible for you to visit on a weekday, it will be less crowded than a weekend. (Also, make sure you’re not going on a Vietnamese or Buddhist holiday – we saw thousands of people there at 8am one Sunday because of a festival.)

We were happy with our choice to do the Trang An boat tour. Although we had time to do both boat tours, we opted instead to bike around different parts of the river where the boats go in Tam Coc (these are on our map).

2. Biking around Tam Coc and visiting the Bich Dong Pagoda

These two sights are nearby so it’s ideal to do them back to back.

As mentioned before, there are a few points around Tam Coc where you can see the row boats on tour. There’s a path that encircles the lake in Tam Coc where the boat rides start.

From there, wander past the Tam Coc Nature Lodge to find a riverside cemetery as well as theĐền Thái Vi temple amidst rice fields and karsts.

To reach Bich Dong Pagoda, you’ll need to get back to the main road. Paid bicycle and motorbike parking is available where the road ends, though you can probably find a place to park for free down the road.

They don’t have official parking tickets like other places, so they may “adjust” the price on you. We paid 10k per bicycle (less than 50 cents US).

Entry to the temple is free and the main entrance is across a little bridge and through the gate. There are a few small temples and hidden worship areas in the caves to explore. Be ready to climb some stairs!

To get to the valley behind the temple, you would continue straight through the bike parking area, walk around the square pond and follow the stone steps up and over. (Both walking routes are included on our interactive Ninh Binh map – sign up for free below.)

3. Mua Cave Climb

Mua Cave Ecolodge is not far from Tam Coc, across the rice fields. Entrance costs 100,000d (around $4) and despite the name, it’s not really about the caves. The real draw here is the 500-step journey to a couple panoramic viewpoints.

By Vietnam standards, the price is a bit steep. If you enjoy a good panoramic view, the weather is good, and you don’t mind stair stepping, then this may be worth it for you.

We enjoyed the work out, and were very impressed by the views. You can’t really get a vantage point like this anywhere else.

Be aware that parking attendants (with whistles and official looking hats) will try to stop you and get you to pay for parking on the road to Hang Mua. But parking is included with your entrance fee, so just continue on through the gate and park next to the ticket booth.

To get to the caves and the hike, walk through the nicely landscaped ecolodge grounds. There is a restaurant on site as well as a few open air cafes (mostly serving bottled drinks).

About half way up the stone steps, you can choose to go up the left or the right tower. We recommend doing both if you have the energy.

There’s also a short valley path that starts near this point, next to the little cafe/shop.

Back on the ground, tiger cave is immediately next to the stairs. Mua Cave is further down a path along the karst. The cave leads you out to the other side of the karst in no time. The cave also has a side tunnel going to a spring.

We were told that you could walk through the pool another 50 meters pretty easily if you took off your shoes, but there aren’t any lights back there.

4. Bai Dinh Temple

Bái Đính Temple Spiritual and Cultural Complex is the largest Buddhist temple complex in Vietnam. The grounds cover 27 hectares (about 67 acres), so it takes a minimum of 2 or 3 hours to explore by foot.

There is no charge to enter, but a ride via electric shuttle to or from the complex is 30,000d each way. Motorbike parking is 15,000d and you get an official ticket.

With the amount of walking and stair climbing required to see this place, we recommend taking the shuttle one way to the far end of the complex. That way, you can walk through the entire thing and end up close to the parking.

Directions for walking into the temple complex independently are unclear (probably deliberately), so we’ve included waypoints and walking instructions on our interactive map.

The original, ancient temple of Bai Dinh is located in a series of small caves in the mountainside. Now, there are many other structures and the complex continues to be developed.

You’ll see impressive Buddhist temples with Vietnamese architecture, a new 12-story pagoda, beautiful pools and gardens, long corridors with stone statues of Buddhist deities, and views over the lakes and karsts below.

Guides are available for hire here. Also, certain areas have a number of photographers selling print-on-demand portraits who may compete for your business.

The signs posted to “keep silent” and prevent picture taking in the temples are not often heeded. Still, we recommend following the guidelines to respect the space and especially to wear appropriate clothing (no short shorts/skirts and cover shoulders).

Since Bai Dinh is a bit far from the other sights in Ninh Binh and it takes a while to walk around, make sure to budget enough time for the visit.

If temples are not of interest to you, it would be understandable to prioritize other sights over this one.

5. Hoa Lu or Bird Valley

If you have extra time in Ninh Binh after visiting the four sights we’ve already recommended, you may wish to visit one or both of these places.

Hoa Lư was the first capitol in Vietnam, way back in the 10th and 11th centuries. It’s a short detour off the road between Trang An and Bai Dinh.

We don’t rank Hoa Lu very high on this list because there isn’t much remaining of the ancient capitol. And the few attractions are not well signed for English speakers.

While it’s historically significant, it’s hard to get much out of the experience without a guided tour – something you’d need to pre-book as part of a package.

If you do choose to stop by for a quick look, beware that a parking attendant near the entrance will tell you that bicycles and motorbikes are not allowed inside. This is either not true or not enforced. Either way, you should be able to park along the road for free rather than the paid parking (10k).

Bird Valleyis typically visited by local tourists more than foreigners. Reviews of this ecopark are mixed and it’s a ways beyond Bich Dong, so we chose not to go.

There are some 40 species of birds in the park, but we gather you have to pay for a boat tour on top of the entrance fee to get anywhere near them.

Suggested 3 Day Ninh Binh Itinerary by Bike

The following itinerary is for travelers who like to be active. It should be a piece of cake for pro cyclists, but the average fit adult will be moderately challenged and tired by the end of each day.

Day One:
Tam Coc Bike Route
Lunch in Tam Coc (Orchid Restaurant or one of its neighbors)
Bich Dong Pagoda Bike Route
Explore Bich Dong Pagoda on foot

Day Two:
Trang An Bike Route
Morning boat tour at Trang An
Lunch at Trang An complex or Mua Caves area
Mua Cave Hike

Day Three:
Bai Dinh Cycling Route
Lunch at Linh Trang Cafe, Bai Dinh
Explore Bai Dinh Temple complex (e-shuttle to far end and walk back)

Where to Eat in Ninh Binh

We are a bit biased about the great food in Hoi An, and we found that the restaurants in Ninh Binh didn’t have the same quality or value. It doesn’t help that restaurant reviews on TripAdvisor and Google Maps are spotty in this area.

The good news is, there are plenty of eateries around pretty much every attraction. Often, there’s not much to distinguish one from the other.

The restaurants with English menus are geared toward tourists – individual dishes range from $2 and up (a bit more than you’ll find in other parts of Vietnam) but serving sizes tend to be pretty substantial.

None really stand out in terms of taste, but some family-run places are very friendly and will even give free treats to their patrons. (P.S. If you’re used to ordering phở, it may not have that tasty broth you’re expecting – in the Ninh Binh region it’s prepared quite bland.)

You’ll see other big restaurants that seem to be empty most of the time, until a bit tour group or local party comes in. These tend to serve family-style meals, which get pricy if you don’t eat with a group.

Dishes featuring goat meat are the local specialty. These restaurants may not have English menus.

We have a couple restaurant recommendations near Bai Dinh and Tam Coc on our map.

The one restaurant that really stands out, though, is in the town of Ninh Binh itself: Trung Tuyết.

We made the trek by bicycle and motorbike several times because it was the only place we found with outstanding food and customer service. These folks know how to make happy customers.

Try their com chay – it’s a local specialty and no one else does the sauce like them. It comes with rice that’s fried into a sheet, which you break up into pieces and drench with the soup. The soup can be made with beef, chicken, or just vegetable but it tastes a lot like the gravy in chicken pot pie.

Portions at this place are huge, so even the “small” orders can be shared by two people. Their fresh spring rolls are also some of the best we’ve ever had.

Our Top Tips for Intentional Travel in Ninh Binh

• • Try to make a local connection, whether it’s meeting a friend-of-a-friend you find through social media, staying with locals, or hiring a local guide
  • For more guidance, see:how to have authentic, meaningful travel experiences in touristy areasand our simple rules for intentional travel series.
  • Protect your Ninh Binh trip with insurance– We’ve started using Nomad Insurance by Safety Wing for affordable evacuation, international medical, and trip coverage.
    

You might also like these Vietnam posts:

– Things to Do in Hanoi Vietnam on a Budget
– What to do in Hoi An on a Budget (plus map of favorite restaurants)
– What to Do in Hue Vietnam on a Budget
– Motorbike Tour from Hue to Hoi An, Central Vietnam

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