Northern Vietnam · Day tour
Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave
The old capital, two hours on a sampan through the limestone caves at Trang An, and five hundred steps up Mua Cave for the view.
- Length
- Full day
- Approx. 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM
- Pick-up
- Hanoi
- From your hotel
- Guide
- English-speaking
- Group or private
What you see
The day in short
Everything below is covered by the programme. The order can move with the traffic and the weather; the list does not.
Highlights
- Hoa Lu, the capital of Vietnam under the Dinh and Le dynasties in the tenth and eleventh centuries
- Trang An, a UNESCO landscape of karst towers standing in still water
- Two hours on a sampan through Sang, Toi and Nau Ruou caves
- Five hundred stone steps up Mua Cave to the view over the Tam Coc valley
- A bicycle ride through lotus ponds and village lanes
- Ninh Binh mountain goat and crisped rice, the local pair
Hour by hour
The running order
Approx. 7:30 AM – 7:30 PM. These are the timings operations work to; your guide confirms the pick-up the evening before.
Want it privately?07:30 AM
Hotel pick-up in the Hanoi Old Quarter and south to Ninh Binh.
10:30 AM
Hoa Lu ancient capital: the temples of King Dinh and King Le.
11:30 AM
A cycle through the villages and rice fields.
12:15 PM
Buffet lunch with Ninh Binh goat.
01:30 PM
Sampans from Trang An wharf, two hours through the caves and temples.
04:00 PM
On to Mua Cave and the climb to Dragon Peak.
05:30 PM
Back on the coach for Hanoi.
07:30 PM
Drop-off at your hotel in the Old Quarter.
What's included
- Return transfers by modern air-conditioned limousine bus
- English-speaking tour guide
- Trang An sampan ride and all entrance tickets
- Buffet lunch with Ninh Binh specialities
- Bicycle hire for the countryside ride
- Mineral water
What's not
- Personal drinks and souvenirs
- Tips for the boat rower and guide
- VAT
Before you book
- Wear trainers or hiking shoes for the Mua Cave steps — they are steep, uneven and unshaded.
- Bring a hat, an umbrella and sunscreen.
The route
- 1Hanoi
- 2Hoa Lu
- 3Trang An
- 4Mua Cave
Map is schematic and not to scale for travel times.
Good to know
Questions
Do I have to climb Mua Cave?
No. It is five hundred steps in the open and plenty of guests sit it out at the bottom with a drink. The sampan ride is the heart of the day and that involves no climbing at all.
Who rows the sampan?
A local rower, often with their feet, for two hours. Tips are not included and are genuinely appreciated.
Can this run as a private tour?
Yes. Every excursion here can run privately with your own guide and vehicle instead of joining a group. Tell us how many of you there are and we will quote it.
Can we combine this with other days?
Yes — most guests string two or three of these together, or add them either side of a multi-day journey. Send us your dates and we will lay them out in a sensible order.
Book the Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave
Give us your dates, your hotel and how many of you there are. We confirm availability the same day and pick you up from the door.