Ninh Binh is one of the most beautiful areas near Hanoi that you cannot miss. And I recommend you visit the area for a few days. Although there are some excursions from Hanoi available to visit the area, it is best to spend at least 2 nights to get to know all the incredible places to see in Ninh Binh.
To get to know all of Ninh Binh you would need a lot of time! We have traveled twice, adding a total of 9 days, and giving us a lot of cane to discover its secret corners.
Ninh Binh is a fairly large region (province) and long distances between each place of interest. It is advisable to have your own vehicle (either motorcycle or car) because taxis are scarce and not very cheap. Therefore, if we find a good area to stay, it is possible that you save some money on journeys, being able to use bicycles or walk.
Many accommodations have free bicycles available to the client. That was great for us, to spend the afternoons pedaling. Thus, we got to know some secret corners, paths between rice fields and little-known temples of Ninh Binh.
In this article I tell you about where to stay in Ninh Binh. Some of the most recommended areas and some great hotels.
WHERE TO STAY IN NINH BINH: BEST AREAS AND HOTELS
The capital of the Province is also Ninh Binh, so if you add Ninh Binh to any hotel search engine, it is most likely that all the hotels in the province will appear and not in the specific city.
The city of Ninh Binh has no places of interest to visit. The vast majority of the most beautiful and interesting places are found in the middle of rice fields. Therefore, I advise you to stay in some of the following places and not in the capital.
1. Close to Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of the most essential places to see in Ninh Binh
Bai Dinh Pagoda is a huge complex where you will find temples, gardens and pagodas. It is the largest temple complex in Vietnam. To visit it in its entirety, I recommend that you plan the day to spend 2 or 3 hours here.
It is one of the most essential places to see in Ninh Binh and oddly enough, it is one of the places least visited by Europeans. DO NOT MISS IT! You will not regret.
We stayed the first time near the Bai Dinh Pagoda compound. By bike we were literally 3 minutes away. In addition, it is a very flat area (very similar to the entire region) with many nearby areas of rice fields, fields, small temples...
Nearby is also Chùa Bái Đính C, one of the places that you cannot miss in Ninh Binh.
Some options where to stay near Bai Dinh Pagoda:
2. Tam Coc, a great option to stay in Ninh Binh
Tam Coc is one of the most popular areas to see in Ninh Binh. Tam Coc is a huge area full of rice fields, crossed by the Ngo Dong River and surrounded by karst mountains. To be able to enjoy this wonder, one of the best ways is to take a ride in some small boats.
On the tourist maps provided by the hotel, the pier appears as Tam Coc Boat Ride. The ticket price is 120,000 dong and the boat price is 150,000 dong. Throughout the journey you have a guide who will navigate the boat throughout the journey and will make some stops. Generally, they are women who only speak Vietnamese, so you can only enjoy the place, but they will not explain anything to you.
During the tour you will cross three caves that give the name to this region: Hang Ca, Hang Giua and Hang Cui. In some the ceiling is so low that you have to bend down to avoid colliding with them. The walk is well worth it.
It is a good accommodation option because in addition to visiting Tam Coc, the surrounding landscapes are beautiful. You can go through the rice fields, visit some of the nearby temples and above all do not miss Hang Mua.
In this area there are many more accommodations than in the previous one. You have hostels, home stays, hotels of different categories...
Some great accommodation options in Tam Coc:
3. Trang An, another great option to stay in Ninh Binh
Trang An is one of the most beautiful areas to see in Ninh Binh. Its caves, the temples hidden between mountains and the riverbed are one of the most important tourist attractions in Vietnam.
Here you can book the boat trip and enjoy this natural wonder that will remind you so much of Ha Long Bay, in its land version.
Some great options where to stay in Trang An:
This area is much more rural and practically all its accommodations are homestays. Small accommodations run by families. Many on the banks of the river.
NINH BINH ITEMS THAT MAY INTEREST YOU
PLAN YOUR TRIP STEP BY STEP
I hope you enjoy your trip to Vietnam very much and that this article has been useful to you. You can continue reading many more related articles on the blog.
If you liked this article, subscribe to the blog so you don't miss the next destinations, curiosities, travel tips and inspiration for your trips.
A hug and see you soon!