12-hour wondrous Ninh Binh adventure (Trang An – Bich Dong – Cycling – Local Family)

Highlight

Put this one of a kind Ninh Binh adventure to your checklist this holiday season. Famous for its beautiful landscapes and incredible scenery, Ninh Binh is one of the top destinations for you if you love getting out into nature. From ancient temples to hidden caves and endless rice paddies, this northern province has a bit of everything. During 12 hours, we will take you to some of the most mesmerizing places in Ninh Binh. Start with a visit to a local family making traditional embroidery, then we cycle to explore the peaceful rural area. In the afternoon, continue to experience the majestic nature of Tam Coc on a sampan, followed by a visit to Hoa Lu Ancient Citadel. All in all, it’s gonna be a journey you cannot forget!

Tour itinerary

07.15 – 07.45: To start the journey, we will pick you up from your hotel or private address and depart to Ninh Binh. We will provide you with a high-quality transfer service with great convenience, so you can be at your best to begin the adventure.

10.00: The first activity will be visiting a local family in the Tam Coc area. They are a traditional Vietnamese family with three generations living together. Their tradition handicraft job is making embroidery, which has been passed down from generation to generation. It is really amazing how they can create vibrant pieces of art with absolutely no waste of time and material. During the visit, you will get the chance to see the local house architecture as well as the locals’ daily life. Maybe, you can also ask them to teach you some basic knowledge of traditional embroidery.

10:30: Leaving the family, you will take a bike and start riding to explore the rice fields and limestone mountains with a unique route. Going around town on a bicycle is great fun and gives you the chance to get out into the countryside to explore the surrounding villages and temples. Wander through tiny paths of the rice fields and dirt roads to see where local communities live and work. More interesting, Ninh Binh is also one of those places where children wave and say “Hello” to you when you ride past their houses. As a bonus, enjoy the feeling of taking in the fresh air and ride away from your tiresome daily lives!

At noon

12:00: After the biking trip, come back to the local family and enjoy a special lunch. You will be able to taste delicious local cuisine featuring the yin-yang balance of the Asian culture. Enjoy the food as well as the peaceful atmosphere of the family garden. After lunch, a break with a cup of tea will be served before you continue the journey of discovery Ninh Binh. 

13.30: The next highlight of the trip will be a 1.5-hour boat trip around Tam Coc - “Halong Bay on land”. Set right on a small lake, Tam Coc is known for scenic boat tours which offer amazing views of the rice fields and nearby mountains as well as a tour of spectacular caves and grottoes. The boat trip is truly the best way to explore this place, giving you a nice journey along the river with majestic limestone mountains and peaceful rice paddy fields. You will feel like you’re in a movie scene cruising down a natural kingdom like this.

Afternoon

The single most fascinating thing about the boats in Tam Coc is the locals that row the wooden paddles. They use special techniques to maneuver the boat and make it look like a piece of cake. Tourists may feel free to ask the boat riders to let you support them with spare oars. This will be an invaluable experience!

15:30: Next, we arrive at Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the 11th century. Under the introduction of our local guide, you will get to know more about Vietnamese history.  Isn’t it amazing that you can combine traveling to picturesque scenes of mountains and rivers with some history lessons? That’s not all! You can also take tons of scenic photos because Hoa Lu town is surrounded by majestic mountains and rivers.

16.30: After an eventful day, it’s time to leave Ninh Binh and drive straight back to Hanoi.

18:30: Finally, we arrive in Hanoi. Our car will drop you at your hotel or private address in Hanoi. This is the end of our day tour and we hope to see you again real soon!

Number of hours

12 hours

Price/pax

Luxury tour (7 pax): 73 USD

Deluxe tour (9 pax): 63 USD

What to bring

• Sunglasses, Sun cream
• Hat
• Camera and film

Included

• English speaking guide
• Pick up & drop off in Hanoi Old Quarter area 
• Meal (Vietnamese lunch)
• All sightseeing and boat fees
• All air-conditioned transport as mentioned in tour
• 03 bottle of water per person (02 on the bus, 01 for cycling time)
• Cycling.

Excluded

• Pick up & drop off outside Hanoi Old Quarter (15 USD – 350.000 VND fees for a group)
• Motorbike option (7 USD – 150.000 VND/pax)
• Animal Cart option (7 USD – 150.000 VND/pax)
• Drinks
• Travel insurance
• Tipping for tour guide/driver
• Tax (10% charge)
• Personal expenses
• Other optional activities or tours