How Long to Stay in Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam and has become increasingly popular with travelers. After traveling through Vietnam for one and a half months, Ninh Binh was one of my favorite places because of its stunning scenery, laidback vibes, delicious food, and number of attractions. With so much to see and do there, how many days should you spend in Ninh Binh?
The ideal amount of time is three days, but you only need two days to see most of the attractions. I’ve laid out what you can expect to see based on the number of days that you spend in Ninh Binh below, which will help you decide how long to stay depending on how little or how much you want to experience.
❕ Note About Ninh Binh
It’s important to know that there’s Ninh Binh province and Ninh Binh city. When I refer to Ninh Binh, I’m talking about the province. Tourist attractions are located throughout the province, with most of them being in the towns of Tam Coc and Trang An. When booking your transportation or accommodation in Ninh Binh, select Tam Coc as your destination. Otherwise, if you set your destination as Ninh Binh, you may find yourself in Ninh Binh city.
One day
Ninh Binh can be done as a day trip from Hanoi or as a one-night stop. From Hanoi, you can get to Ninh Binh in two to three hours by bus or train, or you can get a private driver to reduce the travel time to 1.5 hours.
Many of Ninh Binh’s attractions are located close to each other, so you’ll be able to do a lot in 24 hours or less. But first, you’ll need to either rent a motorbike or bicycle to get around once you arrive.
I recommend starting your sightseeing with either Bich Dong Pagoda or the Trang An boat ride. Bich Dong Pagoda is the closest attraction to Tam Coc (2.9 km), while the Trang An boat ride is a must-do. The boat ride is extremely popular, so I suggest going as early as possible to avoid having to wait and crowds. After that, you’ll probably only have time for one more activity, so hike up to the Hang Mua viewpoint to get a bird’s eye view of Tam Coc.
If you’re only spending a day or less in Ninh Binh, get my one-day Ninh Binh itinerary for more details on these attractions and where to eat.
Two days
With two days, you can do everything mentioned in the one-day plan above at a much more relaxed pace. Plus, you’ll also be able to explore the huge complex of Bai Dinh Pagoda. Although Bai Dinh Pagoda is a bit far from Tam Coc (12.8 km), it’s an impressive, sprawling cultural attraction that contains Buddhist statues and multiple temples and pagodas.
You can also bird watch at Thung Nham Bird Park, which is much closer to Tam Coc. In addition to walking around and keeping your eyes open for birds, there are also several caves that you can visit.
Three days
Three days is the perfect amount of time to stay in Ninh Binh, since it’ll allow you to see nearly everything that the region has to offer. Aside from everything listed above, you’ll have time to take in the beauty of Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve through a boat ride. Van Long is much less touristy than the other sites mentioned above, so it’s extremely peaceful and one of the best places to enjoy Ninh Binh’s nature and wildlife without other people around. If you’re lucky, you might see Delacour’s langur, an endangered monkey that’s native to northern Vietnam.
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital was once the capital of Vietnam. Now, you can visit what remains of the capital to see several temples dedicated to Vietnam’s past emperors. Although Hoa Lu is nice to walk around, I found it to be the least interesting of all of Ninh Binh’s cultural attractions, which is why I suggest making it one of the last things you do.
Four days
There isn’t much more to do in Ninh Binh after three days. But if you decide to stay for four days, you won’t be bored. Take a day trip to Cuc Phuong National Park, which is about a 1.5-hour drive from Tam Coc. Cuc Phuong is the oldest national park in Vietnam, and it’s home to hundreds of types of plants and species of reptiles, amphibians, and mammals. While you can explore the national park on your own, you might want to go with a tour guide who can share more information about the plants and animals in the park.
Depending on how much you like hiking, Cuc Phuong can either be a half-day or full-day trip. If you decide to only spend half a day there, you can spend the rest of your time in Ninh Binh biking through the rice fields. You can also go on the Tam Coc boat tour, which is similar to the Trang An boat tour but shorter. If you really enjoyed the Trang An boat tour, you can even go back and choose a different route.
Five or more days
I only recommend staying in Ninh Binh for five or more days if you’re on a long, multi-month trip or a digital nomad. You’ll be in less of a rush to simply sightsee and move on to the next location.
In my opinion, Ninh Binh (more specifically, Tam Coc and Trang An) is a good place to hang out for a while. I really enjoyed the slower pace of life there and the quieter roads. There’s also lots of good food and it’s easy to get around by either bike or motorbike.
More resources for traveling Vietnam
- 13 Best Restaurants in Tam Coc and Ninh Binh: Where to Eat
- How to Get to Ninh Binh From Hanoi, Sapa, Hue, and More
- The Best Time to Visit Ninh Binh and Tam Coc
- Ninh Binh 1 Day Itinerary: Top Sights and Activities
- 5 Best Hostels and Homestays I Stayed at in Vietnam
- 5 Complete Itineraries to See North Vietnam in 7 Days
