Discover Ninh Binh – Trang An – Hoa Lu – Thai Vi Temple – The Heart Of Vietnam

Overview

This tour explores some of the most unique landscapes and architecture in Ninh Binh, Vietnam. From cycling through local villages, sampling local food and drinks as you meander through country roads, to rowing a traditional sampan boat in vast cave networks, this tour delivers experiences of epic proportions. 

Highlights

• Travel by luxury limousine bus with free Wifi
• Limited number of people in one group (maximum 7 people).
• Explore natural and unique rural villages and countryside and get off the beaten track in Tam Coc Valley
• Travel by motorbike, bicycle, and bamboo boat in the heart of Vietnam
• Meet local people, See the culture and experience the Vietnamese lifestyle.
• Enrich your knowledge about Vietnamese history that you never heard before in the ancient Hoa Lu

Itinerary

In the morning, we will pick you up from your hotel in Hanoi. Please note that we only pick up guests staying at Old Quarter and around. We also have a short break half way for you to use the restroom or enjoy some tea or coffee.

After a 3-hour bus journey, you will arrive at Ninh Hai village located near Tam Coc. This is where you start your journey and discover the beauty of the area. When we arrive, we will get mountain bikes and start cycling through rural villages to see how the local people live and take part in their culture. 

Along the way, we could stop to enjoy some tea, cake, and candy. Our tour guide will lead you cycling through the narrow and unique country roads largely undiscovered by tourism. 

Do you want to explore and have a deep understanding of the local life? Our tour guide will take you to visit a local family and you will have a chance to see their daily life and learn about their culture. 

After visiting a local family, you will cycle through Tam Coc Valley where you see AMAZING landscapes with beautiful nature and limestone mountains – also known as Halong Bay on land. 

Around noon, we are going to visit the Thai Vi temple dedicated to the Tran dynasty. The amazing temple complex was built by King Tran Thai Tong in 1258 and showcases ancient Vietnamese architecture. You will probably be overwhelmed by the nostalgic atmosphere there!

Then, we may all be hungry after an energetic morning! So we are heading to the restaurant for lunch and taking a short break!

About an hour later, we shall board the bus to Trang An harbor for a bamboo boat trip. You could take a sampan boat (2 to 4 people share a boat) and be gently rowed down the river through numerous caves, such as:

• Hang Nau Ruou (Cooking wine) cave, 250 meter long
• Every passage brings a new sense of mystery from another world and time. The fauna and flora is rich and the sight of a goat jumping from one cliff to the other is a common sight.

Then we would arrive at Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam. This complex was built in the 10th century! Also, the temple of King Dinh includes defensive earthen walls, palaces, temples and shrines, and is surrounded and protected by mountains of limestone. 

Visitors can see temples built in honor of the emperors Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh, and amazing views of the Hoang Long (“Golden Dragon”) River that runs just north-west of the capital. Under the introduction of our local guide, you will get to know more about Vietnamese history.

It’s really lots of things to do for a whole day, right? We now leave Ninh Binh and drive straight back to Hanoi. Trip ends.

Visited Attractions

Inclusions

• Luxury limousine van.
• Lunch at a local restaurant with authentic Vietnamese food.
• English speaking tour guides.
• All entrance fees.
• Trang An Bamboo boat trip for 1.5 – 2.00 hours 
• Free water during the tour.
• Mountain Bicycle. 
• Pick up and drop off at your Hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter

Exclusions

• Travel insurance and tax
• Tips for tour guide and personal expenses

Additional Information

1. The rice harvest season in Ninh Binh is around in June & July and offers travellers picture-perfect views with incredible colors and vistas. 

2. If you don’t want to take a bicycle, we have the option to take a motorbike (with driver) – extra cost is 5 USD per person.

3. What you should bring to this trip:

• Sunglasses
• Suncream
• Hat
• Camera 
• Some cash for personal expenses

Child policy:

• Children from 5 to 10 years old are charged 75%.
• From 11 years old and above, the charge is 100%.
• Children under 4 years old go free (exclusive of entrance tickets, meals and transport)

Cancellation Policy

• The reservation can be modified up to 8 days before your travel dates.
• Free cancellation up to 7 days before travel dates.
• Full payment is due at the time of booking and can be settled by credit card. If canceled according to the cancellation policy, refunds will be made to your bank account. It may take 5-10 business days for the refund to appear in your account.
• A credit card processing fee of 3.5% will not be refunded.
• The cancellation fee will be applied under the following conditions:

– More than 7 days before departure: 0 % charge 

– From 2 to 6 days before departure: 50% of the payment is charged

– From 48 hours before the tour starts: 100% of the payment is charged

– Turning up late to the starting point of the tour for whatever reason is considered a late cancellation and will result in 100% of the payment charged.