The Best 2 Day Ninh Binh Itinerary

Ninh Binh is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam.  With stunning landscapes, beautiful pagodas, and scenic boat rides – It would be an absolute shame to miss out on Ninh Binh if you’re visiting Vietnam.  In fact, it’s also referred to as “Halong Bay on land” because of its winding waterways and rock formations jutting from the ground.  (In my opinion, Ninh Binh is much better than Halong Bay, so if you only have the time to do one – skip the overrated Halong Bay and head to Ninh Binh instead).

I’ve visited Ninh Binh twice now and have put together the perfect Ninh Binh itinerary for you.  This itinerary includes where to eat in Ninh Binh, the best things to see and do in Ninh Binh, where to stay in Ninh Binh, how to get to and around Ninh Binh, and more!  And at the end, I’m giving you a proposed 2-day itinerary for visiting Ninh Binh, because I would definitely recommend spending at least two days in this region.

 

IF YOU’RE PLANNING ON VISITING VIETNAM, DON’T MISS…

• Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Trip to Vietnam
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Where is Ninh Binh?

Ninh Binh is a province in Northern Vietnam just 2.5 hours south of Hanoi.  Ninh Binh is situated between two rivers – the Red and Ma – which is partially what gives the area a unique beauty.  Otherwise, Ninh Binh is most famous for its high density of natural and cultural attractions including caves, parks, pagodas, and more.

 

What is the Best Time to Visit Ninh Binh?

For the best temperatures, you should visit Ninh Binh from March-May or September-November; at these times, temperatures will be around 70-80 F.  Rainy season in Ninh Binh lasts from May-October and at this time there can be heavy rainfall.

Tourist season in Vietnam comes twice a year; once from December-March.  And the second time from July-September.  If you’re wanting to avoid the crowds, I’d recommend traveling during a different time.

I visited Ninh Binh both in February and September and experienced pleasant weather each time; but both times I was there, there were days of very heavy rainfall – so come prepared for anything!

 

How to Get to Ninh Binh

You can travel to Ninh Binh from all over Vietnam, but the easiest way to arrive is by bus from Hanoi.  (I took a night bus from Ha Giang and it was a longer journey, but very easy).  My favorite way to book bus travel in Vietnam is on Bookaway or 12Go, where you can choose from multiple different carries and compare prices from different companies.

There isn’t an airport in Ninh Binh so if you’re set on flying, you’ll need to fly to Noi Bai Airport in Hanoi, and take a bus from there.  If you’d rather rent a private driver from the airport in Hanoi, you can do that here.

 

BOOK A BUS TO NINH BINH HERE OR A PRIVATE DRIVER TO NINH BINH HERE!

 

IF YOU’RE TRAVELING TO NINH BINH FROM HANOI, DON’T MISS:

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How to Get Around Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is just spread out enough that you will need to either hire someone to get you around, or rent transportation and do it on your own.  (It won’t be possible to walk between sites).

In my experience, it’s easiest to get around Ninh Binh via motorbike.  Motorbikes can be rented from wherever it is you’re staying, and the fee should be around 150,000 VND/day (not including gas).  Vietnam does require an international drivers license to drive in the country, however, in my experience it was not required to show your international license in order to rent.  But if you get pulled over, you’ll either have to produce one or pay a fine.

Another way to get around is by bicycle.  I saw tons of locals and tourists on bikes in Ninh Binh and depending on where you’re staying, you should be able to get to the main sites by bike.  Remember, Vietnam is very hot and humid so if you decide to bike, make sure that you’re staying hydrated!  (I travel with this water bottle to ensure hydration and to keep my water cold).

 

Where to Stay in Ninh Binh

There are tons of great places to stay in and around Ninh Binh.  The first step in choosing a stay is to decide if you want to stay in a homestay, hotel, or a hostel.  Having visited twice, first I stayed in a homestay and the second time in a hotel.  I would recommend either depending on what you’re looking for.

 

THE VANCOUVER HOTEL NINH BINH

This family-run hotel is located in the city of Ninh Binh.  It’s near tons of great restaurants, but further away from nature and the main tourist sites.  The owner of the hotel was incredibly helpful during our stay, allowing us to check in at 4 am and even driving us to the bus stop when we couldn’t get a taxi.  He also made sure to set us up with motorbikes so that we could venture outside of the city.  I would highly recommend The Vancouver Hotel Ninh Binh if you’re looking for something with AC, a good shower, comfortable bed, and clean.  Oh, and the breakfast was really good as well!

 

NINH BINH GREENLAND HOMESTAY

This homestay is a great place to book if you’re looking for more of a nature stay (the view from the balcony is incredible!).  They serve food (although not the best), have motorbikes to rent, and even have a pool.  The downside is that there aren’t a ton of restaurants nearby but if you’re in Ninh Binh mostly to experience nature and see the sites – then the Ninh Binh Greenland Homestay is a great place to book!

 

Lastly, if you’re a solo traveler or looking for more of a party scene, then I would recommend choosing a place to stay near the village of Tam Cốc.  This seemed to be a pretty lively area with tons of bars and restaurants.  I recommend using Booking.com to search for properties in the area.

 

The Best Restaurants in Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is known for a variety of different dishes, but the most popular in town is goat.  (Not only will you see tons of live goats wandering around, but you’ll also see dead goats ready to sell).  Other popular dishes in Ninh Binh include crispy burned rice, eel vermicelli, mountain snail, yen mac fermented pork roll, kim son raw nhech fish salad, and kim son sticky wine.

While I didn’t get too adventurous eating in Ninh Binh (I could not get myself to try goat) – I did get adventurous enough!  Below you’ll find a list of my favorite restaurants – a mix of street food and international food.

 

BAHN MI GION

If you want a quick (and very cheap) Bánh mì, Bánh Mì Giòn is the place to go.  They also have other dishes aside from a Bánh Mì if a Bánh Mì isn’t quite what you’re looking for.

 

BEP NHA HUONG BEO

This outdoor street food restaurant, Bếp nhà Hương Béo, serves one dish – bun dao – and they do it well.  Bun dao is a traditional Vietnamese dish made of vermicelli noodles, tofu, and shrimp paste.  Ours also came with pork and instead of shrimp paste it was served with fish sauce.  (I read online that they usually give tourists fish sauce because the smell of shrimp paste can be too much).

 

CHOOKIE’S HIDAWAY/CHOOKIE’S BEER GARDEN

If you’re craving western food, I suggest heading to Chookie’s Hideaway or Chookie’s Beer Garden.  Of course, the food served here won’t be as good as true western food; but it was good enough to cure a burger and french fries craving.

 

XINGFU DIMSUM

We loved Xinfu Dimsum so much that we ate here twice.  This Chinese restaurant serves incredible bao, noodles, duck, and dumplings.  I highly recommend coming here for dinner at least once!

 

The Best Things to See and do in Ninh Binh

In my opinion, Ninh Binh is one of the most unique places I’ve ever been.  The landscape is truly indescribable (it reminds me of Jurassic Park) and there are so many great outdoor things to see and do in the region.  Below you’ll find my list of the best things to see and do when you visit Ninh Binh.

 

BAI DINH PAGODA COMPLEX

The Bái Đính Temple Spiritual and Cultural Complex is a vast site of Buddhist temples on Bái Đính mountain.  It took years to build the structure, with final construction being completed in 2010.  The complex is miles long (about six), making it nearly impossible to walk through in the heat of Vietnam.

With that being said, you can walk through the complex if you want – or you can pay to have a car take you around.  To enter the complex, you will pay 60,000 VND for an electric car to drop you off at the entrance (and take you back), and you’re free to walk around the complex.  Or you can pay 220,000 VND for an electric car to drive you around the complex and it pays the fee to enter the tall pagoda that the complex is well known for.  If you choose to take the electric car around, the trip lasts for 2.5 hours so plan accordingly.

Another thing to know about the complex is that it costs 1,500 VND to park a motorbike there.  And once you arrive you’ll notice a sign that says “parking” (with an arrow straight) or “pagoda” (with an arrow left).  You have to go to the parking lot because going left takes you to the employee entrance.

 

BICH DONG PAGODA

Another site to see in Ninh Bình is the Buddhist Bich Dong Pagoda.  You’ll walk through a beautiful archway before heading up the mountain to the Buddhist site.  You’ll also walk through a cave that can be slippery at times, so wear good shoes and move slowly.  The site is relatively small, so I would only plan to spend about 30-minutes here.

To park your motorbike here it costs 1,500 VND.  To my knowledge, entrance is free (but I’m unsure if we paid for a ticket that was included in our motorbike cost).

 

MUA CAVE

I’m not entirely sure why this attraction is called a “cave” because there is nothing cave-like about it.  Instead, the Mua Cave is a mountain that leads to incredible viewpoints over the valley.  Out of everything I’ve done in Ninh Bình, this was my favorite attraction and one that you should definitely prioritize seeing.

The Mua Cave is open from 7 am-7 pm and the best time to see it is at sunrise or sunset.  If you want to have the place (mostly) to yourself, I suggest arriving right at 7 am as generally there are far fewer people.  Sunset is also a beautiful time to visit, but will be much more crowded than if you go early in the morning.  Lastly, I wouldn’t suggest visiting during the middle of the day as you’re climbing around 500 steps up a mountain and it’s very hot.

As you start to hike up, you’ll notice that the path splits and you have the choice to go left or right.  Right will take you to a pagoda and left will take you to a dragon like structure (that is taller than the pagoda).  If you only have time (or energy) to go up one path, I suggest going left because the views are much, much better than the right.  However, if you have the time – do both because it’s truly a unique and beautiful experience.

The cost to visit Mua Cave is 100,000 VND.  To park, the cost is 1,500 VND.  You should also know, that because this is such a touristy area, there are also scams.  The last time I visited, there was a man dressed in an outfit that looked like the police (but wasn’t) and he was using a whistle to direct tourists to his parking lot and telling them it was illegal to go further on motorbike.  This is untrue and you’re allowed to park right outside of the entrance.  He might jump in front of you (like he did me), but if you notice him, you don’t legally have to stop.  Just tell him you’re turning around and keep going.

 

TRANG AN BOAT TOUR

Another great and relaxing thing to do in Ninh Binh is a boat tour.  There are two popular ones – one through Tam Cốc and one through Trang An.  The Tam Cốc boat tour takes around two hours and the Trang An boat tour takes around three hours.  We chose the Trang An tour so that’s the one I’ll be talking about here.

To get to the boat tour, put “Trang An departure boat ticket” in your Google Maps to get to the correct place.  You’ll then purchase a boat ticket for 250,000 VND and you’ll be able to choose from three different routes.  Each route takes the same amount of time and costs the same.  We chose route three and loved it!  We went through caves and visited temples and it was very beautiful and serene.  The boat fits four people so if you’re in a group of two, you’ll be paired with another two-some who chose the same route as you.

If you’re doing this boat tour, I suggest going pretty early in the morning (hours are 7 am-4 pm) so you’re not baking in the sun (and also to beat the tourists).  We arrived at 11 am and it was still pretty quiet, but incredibly hot out; if I were to do it again I’d try to arrive around 9 am.  You are given an umbrella to shade yourself but three hours in the heat was no joke.  By the time 1 pm rolled around, the waters started to get very crowded with boats of tourists and it was much less serene.

The cost to park your motorbike here is 1,500 VND.

 

The Best 2-Day Ninh Binh Itinerary

If you’re wondering how long you should visit Ninh Binh, I personally think two days is plenty of time to see all of the sites and get a good feel for the area.  Below you’ll find my proposed itinerary for spending 2-days in Ninh Binh.

 

Day 1 in Ninh Binh

• Morning – Boat tour through Trang An
• Afternoon – Lunch in Ninh Binh at Bếp nhà Hương Béo
• Evening – Hike up Mua Cave
• Night – Drinks at Chookie’s Beer Garden; dinner at Xingfu Dimsum

 

DON’T MISS THIS SUNSET ADVENTURE IN NINH BINH!

 

Day 2 in Ninh Binh

• Morning – Bai Dinh Pagoda Complex
• Afternoon – Bich Dong Pagoda
• Evening – Walk around Tam Cốc for dinner and drinks

 

FAQ

Here you’ll find some frequently asked questions about visiting Ninh Binh.  Of course, if I missed anything, please let me know in a comment below!

• Q:  “How long should I spend in Ninh Binh?”

  • A:  I would highly recommend spending at least 2-days exploring Ninh Binh.  It’s also a great place to slow down because it’s so peaceful and beautiful; so if you can slow down – this is where I’d do it.

• Q:  “Is Ninh Binh worth visiting?”

  • A:  Absolutely!  Ninh Binh is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam and it definitely deserves a visit.

• Q:  Is a day trip to Ninh Binh enough?

  • A:  Again, I’d recommend spending 2-days in Ninh Binh but if all you have time for is a day trip – then I would take it.  If you’re looking to day trip from Hanoi, make sure to check out this tour.

• Q:  “Can I explore Ninh Binh on my own?”

  • A:  Yes!  I explored Ninh Binh on my own twice and loved it!

 

DON’T FORGET, IF YOU’RE TRAVELING TO VIETNAM YOU NEED A VISA – WHICH YOU CAN GET HERE.  I ALSO RECOMMEND PURCHASING TRAVEL INSURANCE IN CASE ANYTHING WERE TO GO WRONG – YOU CAN GET THAT HERE.

 

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Visiting Ninh Binh was truly the highlight of my trip to Vietnam.  It’s a magical place that feels straight out of a movie.  I hope that this Ninh Binh itinerary not only help you plan your trip, but also convinced you to visit if you’re on the fence.

 

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