Ninh Binh: what to see, where to stay and how to get around
For forty-two years, from 968 to 1010, Hoa Lư was the capital of an independent Vietnam, chosen because the limestone towers made a natural fortress around it. Three dynasties ruled from here before the court moved north to what is now Hanoi. Little of the palace survives, but the temples to its kings stand on the old site. Half a day by car with short walks; temples ask for covered shoulders and knees.
A short history of Ninh Binh
Among the limestone cliffs of Ninh Bình lies Hoa Lư, the first capital of independent Vietnam. In 968 the warlord Đinh Bộ Lĩnh united the kingdom after a period of wars, declared himself emperor and set his capital here, in a valley whose surrounding mountains served as a natural wall. In 1010 Emperor Lý Thái Tổ moved the capital to Thăng Long, today's Hanoi, and Hoa Lư was left with only its temples. The city of Ninh Bình itself grew up as a provincial centre on the river and on the north–south railway. In 2014 the Tràng An landscape, with its rivers running through caves beneath the mountains, was listed as a mixed natural and cultural World Heritage Site.
The ten best sights in Ninh Binh
1Temple of King Đinh Tiên HoàngThe heart of the old capital Hoa Lư; the ticket also covers the Lê temple next door
2Temple of King Lê Đại HànhA five-minute walk from the Đinh temple; quieter, with darker, older wood carving
3Nhất Trụ PagodaA small village pagoda beside the Hoa Lư temples; look for the stone pillar in the yard
4Bái Đính PagodaHuge — take the electric cart from the gate, or the walk eats the whole morning
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5Bích Động Pagoda
Three small temples stacked up a cliff, 2 km past the Tam Cốc wharf; most boaters skip it
6Phát Diệm CathedralA Catholic cathedral built like a Vietnamese temple, 30 km south; Sunday Mass is crowded
7Am Tiên CaveA hidden valley with a temple and a pond, reached through a short climb near Hoa Lư
8Tràng AnThe UNESCO boat route; pick a loop by number at the wharf, each takes 2-3 hours
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9Tam Cốc
Go late May or early June, when the rice along the river is gold and ready to cut
10Hang MúaAbout 500 steep stone steps; climb at 6 am, before the heat and the crowds
Scan with your phone camera to open the map there
What is an audio walk?
Tours in Ninh Binh →A guide in your headphones: open the walk on our site, walk from stop to stop, and at each one your phone tells its story. No guide, no group, and free. This is the first walk in Ninh Binh:
Free walking tours in Ninh Binh
The first capital
For forty-two years, from 968 to 1010, Hoa Lư was the capital of an independent Vietnam, chosen because the limestone towers made a natural fortress around it. Three dynasties ruled from here before the court moved north to what is now Hanoi. Little of the palace survives, but the temples to its kings stand on the old site. Half a day by car with short walks; temples ask for covered shoulders and knees.
- Hoa Lư Ancient Capital · In 1010 King Lý Thái Tổ issued the Edict on the Transfer of the Capital and moved the court from here to Thăng Long, today's Hanoi, because the narrow valley left no room to grow. Excavations have found palace foundations and bricks stamped with the name of the state, Đại Việt.
- Temple of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng · Đinh Bộ Lĩnh ended the war of the Twelve Warlords and in 968 declared himself emperor of Đại Cồ Việt, with Hoa Lư as his capital. The temple stands on the site of his palace and was rebuilt in the 17th century.
- Temple of King Lê Đại Hành · Lê Hoàn took the throne after Đinh was murdered in 979 and, two years later, beat back an invasion from Song China. He is honoured here beside the queen Dương Vân Nga, who had been the wife of both kings.
- Nhất Trụ Pagoda · In the yard stands a stone sutra pillar raised in 995 under Lê Đại Hành, carved with a Buddhist text. It is one of the oldest dated inscriptions in Vietnam, and the pagoda takes its name, One Pillar, from it.
- Am Tiên Cave · Local tradition holds that the Đinh court threw criminals to tigers in this enclosed valley; later it became a place of retreat for Buddhist monks. Today a small temple stands beside the pond.
- Hang Múa · The name means Dance Cave: the story is that a Trần king watched his court dancers here. Climb to the stone dragon on the ridge for the view down on the Tam Cốc river.
Rivers through the rock
The Red River delta here is flat, and out of it rise thousands of limestone towers, cut through by rivers that run straight into caves. The only way to see them is from a small boat, rowed by a local woman, sometimes with her feet. Pick one long boat trip and one quiet one, and end with the birds at dusk. Bring a hat and sunscreen: the boats have no shade, and some caves are low enough to duck.
- Tràng An · In 2014 UNESCO listed the Tràng An landscape for both its nature and its culture, the first such mixed site in South-East Asia. Archaeologists have found traces of people living in its caves for some 30,000 years.
- Kong: Skull Island set · Kong: Skull Island (2017) filmed its native-village scenes around Ninh Bình, and the set was rebuilt as a stop on the boat route. Since then the area has been sold to visitors as Kong country.
- Tam Cốc · Tam Cốc means three caves, and the boat passes through all three on the Ngô Đồng river. Many rowers push the oars with their feet, which leaves their hands free and their arms rested on the long trip.
- Bích Động Pagoda · The name means Jade Grotto, and the pagoda climbs a cliff in three levels, with the middle temple set in a cave. Its oldest parts date from the 15th century, and it was given the title Nam thiên đệ nhị động, the second most beautiful cave under the southern sky.
- Vân Long Nature Reserve · It shelters the largest remaining wild group of the Delacour's langur, a black-and-white monkey found only in northern Vietnam and listed as critically endangered. The rowers know where the troops sit on the cliffs.
- Thung Nham Bird Park · Thousands of egrets and herons nest in the trees around the lake and come back together each evening. Their arrival at dusk is the main show; at noon the park is quiet.
Stone and faith
Ninh Bình holds both the biggest new Buddhist temple in Vietnam and one of its strangest old churches, a Catholic cathedral dressed as a pagoda. Between them lie a forest that was the country's first national park and the city's own market. This is a long day by car going south and west, so leave early. Dress for temples, and carry cash: entry and carts are paid in dong.
- Bái Đính Pagoda · Opened in 2010, the complex holds a bronze Buddha of about 100 tonnes and a corridor lined with 500 stone arhats. The old Bái Đính, a cave temple on the hill behind, is centuries older.
- Non Nước Mountain · This small hill by the Đáy river is covered in poems and inscriptions carved by scholars and kings over the centuries. It was once the landmark that told boats on the river they had reached Ninh Bình.
- Rồng Market · Ninh Bình's two famous foods are mountain goat and cơm cháy, the crust of rice scraped from the pot, dried and fried. Both are sold here, the rice crust in sealed bags that keep for days.
- Phát Diệm Cathedral · Father Trần Lục built the complex between 1875 and 1899 from stone and ironwood, with curved roofs like a temple.
- Cúc Phương National Park · Founded in 1962, it was Vietnam's first national park. Inside is the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, which breeds langurs and gibbons that are close to vanishing in the wild.
- Endangered Primate Rescue Center · The centre was set up in 1993 by the Frankfurt Zoological Society to take in langurs, gibbons and lorises rescued from the wildlife trade. Visits are by guided tour only.
Getting to Ninh Binh and getting around
- Ninh Bình Station · The north-south line stops here; about two hours from Hanoi if someone joins by train
- Đồng Gừng Bus Station, Tam Cốc · Tam Cốc's own small bus station; sleeper-bus pick-ups vary, so confirm the spot with the hotel
Cheap eats in Ninh Binh
Ninh Bình eats goat: the animals graze on the limestone hills, and the meat comes rare with lime and herbs, grilled, or in a hot pot. The other local dish is cơm cháy, the crisp crust of rice from the bottom of the pot, fried and topped with a meaty sauce. Around Tam Cốc the small family places serve both, plus phở and bánh mì for travellers. Most meals cost a few dollars.
- Chookie's Beer Garden · Burgers, Vietnamese plates and cold beer in a garden in Tam Cốc, about 80,000-150,000 dong
- Trung Tuyết · Family kitchen in the city near the station; rice plates and noodles about 50,000-100,000 dong
- Phở Kitchen Tam Cốc · A bowl of phở before the boat, about 40,000-70,000 dong
- Banh Mi Tam Coc · A filled baguette for the road, about 25,000-40,000 dong
- Tam Coc Restaurant Vegan · Vegan Vietnamese plates in the village, about 50,000-100,000 dong
- Cơm Niêu Tam Cốc · Clay-pot rice with a few dishes for two, about 150,000-250,000 dong
- Thăng Long goat restaurant · Near Hoa Lư; a goat set for two about 250,000-400,000 dong
Holy places in Ninh Binh
- Bái Đính Pagoda · Electric carts from the gate; covered shoulders and knees
- Phát Diệm Cathedral · 30 km south; free, but closed at midday
- Bích Động Pagoda · Three levels up a cliff; a short walk from the end of the Tam Cốc road
- Temple of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng · The founding king of the Đinh dynasty, honoured on his palace site
- Nhất Trụ Pagoda · A 10th-century stone sutra pillar in a village yard
Nature and day trips near Ninh Binh
- Tràng An · Two to three hours by rowing boat through caves and temples
- Vân Long Nature Reserve · Quiet bamboo boats, 30 minutes north of the city
- Cúc Phương National Park · An hour west; give it most of a day
- Hang Múa · The postcard view over Tam Cốc, after a steep climb
- Thung Nham Bird Park · Egrets at dusk; a short boat on the lake
Things to do in Ninh Binh with kids
- Kong: Skull Island set · On one of the Tràng An boat loops; ask at the wharf which
- Thung Nham Bird Park · Birds, caves and boats in one place
- Endangered Primate Rescue Center · Langurs and gibbons up close, with a guide
- Tam Cốc · Kids watch the rowers steer with their feet
- Hang Múa · The climb is fine for school-age kids; hold hands at the top
Museums in Ninh Binh
- Hoa Lư Ancient Capital · Temples and excavated palace foundations; an hour
- Nhất Trụ Pagoda · A stone pillar from the year 995; five minutes from the temples
- Phát Diệm Cathedral · An open-air museum of 19th-century stone carving
- Văn Lâm Embroidery Village · Watch the embroiderers work; a living craft rather than a museum
- Kong: Skull Island set · Huts and props from the 2017 film, reached by boat
Frequently asked questions about Ninh Binh
What is there to see in Ninh Binh?
The top sights in Ninh Binh are Temple of King Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Temple of King Lê Đại Hành and Nhất Trụ Pagoda. The full list on this page has 10 sights, each with a photo and a short note.
How many days do you need in Ninh Binh?
Three to four days are enough to see the best of Ninh Binh without rushing, including at least one walking tour.
Is there a free walking tour in Ninh Binh?
Yes. sleepntrip has 3 free audio walks in Ninh Binh, with no guide and no group: your phone tells the story at every stop. The first one: The first capital.
How do you get to Ninh Binh and get around?
The main ways are Ninh Bình Station and Đồng Gừng Bus Station, Tam Cốc. Full details are in the transport section on this page.
Where to stay in Ninh Binh, and for how much?
sleepntrip shows only rooms in Ninh Binh that meet nine conditions: a good location, high guest scores, cleanliness, and a price of up to $80 a night for two. Pick your dates and see what is free.
Looking for a hotel in Ninh Binh for your dates?
Only rooms that meet nine conditions, up to $80 a night.