Trang An Ninh Binh, a precious gem of Vietnam tourism, is not only famous for its magnificent natural beauty but also a place where profound cultural and historical values converge. Located not far from Hanoi, Trang An becomes an ideal destination for those seeking peace, exploring unspoiled beauty, and experiencing traditional cultural values. This article from Discovery Around The World will be a detailed guide, instructing you to explore Trang An tourist area in the most complete and memorable way.
Overview of Trang An Tourist Area
Trang An tourist area, recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site in 2014, is a unique scenic complex with a system of limestone mountains, natural caves, and poetic streams. This place was formed over millions of years of geological formation, carrying within it a pristine, mysterious, and deeply lyrical beauty. Trang An is not only an attractive tourist destination but also an important part of the nation’s history, once the ancient capital of Hoa Lu and a solid base in resistance wars.
With a vast area, Trang An tourist area includes many famous attractions such as Trang An scenic spot, Trang An ancient eco-tourism area, Hoa Lu ancient capital, Bai Dinh Pagoda, and many other attractive destinations. Coming to Trang An, visitors will immerse themselves in beautiful nature, explore magnificent caves, learn about local history and culture, as well as enjoy unique and memorable travel experiences.
Trang An Ninh Binh, a place of scenic beauty like a fairyland
Getting to Trang An
Traveling to Trang An Ninh Binh is quite convenient and easy, you can choose many different means of transport depending on your preferences and personal conditions:
Traveling by private vehicle (car, motorbike)
For tourists who want to be proactive about time and schedule, traveling by private vehicle is a great option. From Hanoi, you can follow National Highway 1A or Pháp Vân – Cầu Giẽ expressway to get to Ninh Binh. Travel time by car or motorbike from Hanoi to Trang An is about 1.5 – 2 hours.
Suggested routes:
- By car: Hanoi – Pháp Vân – Cầu Giẽ Expressway – National Highway 1A – Ninh Binh – Trang An.
- By motorbike: Hanoi – National Highway 1A – Ha Nam – Ninh Binh – Trang An.
When traveling by private vehicle, you can freely stop to admire the scenery, take photos along the way, and explore more attractive destinations in Ninh Binh. However, please pay attention to traffic laws and ensure safety for yourself and your companions.
Ninh Binh is not too far from Hanoi, making it easy to travel by motorbike
Traveling by bus
Bus is a popular and cost-effective means of transportation to get to Trang An Ninh Binh. In Hanoi, you can easily catch a bus to Ninh Binh at major bus stations such as My Dinh bus station, Giap Bat bus station. There are many reputable bus operators khai thác the Hanoi – Ninh Binh route with many different time slots, making it easy for you to choose a suitable trip.
Some reputable bus operators:
- Hoang Long Bus: High-class sleeper bus, good service quality.
- Hung Thanh Bus: Seating and sleeper buses, affordable prices.
- Kumho Viet Thanh Bus: Luxurious and comfortable limousine bus.
Bus ticket prices range from 80,000 – 150,000 VND/person depending on the type of bus and bus operator. Travel time by bus is about 2 – 2.5 hours.
Limousine bus services are booming in Ninh Binh nowadays
Traveling by train
Train is an interesting and unique option to get to Trang An Ninh Binh. You can experience the journey on North – South trains and stop at Ninh Binh station. Trains offer comfortable, spacious, and safe space, helping you relax and enjoy the scenery along the way.
Trains SE3, SE5, SE7, SE9 or SE19 depart from Hanoi station and stop at Ninh Binh station. Travel time by train is about 2 hours 15 minutes. From Ninh Binh station, you can easily get to Trang An by taxi or motorbike taxi with a distance of about 7km.
Traveling to Trang An Ninh Binh by train is an interesting experience worth trying
Ideal time to explore Trang An
Trang An Ninh Binh has its own unique beauty in each season of the year, you can choose the time to travel that suits your preferences and desired experiences:
Spring (January – March of the lunar calendar)
Spring is the best time to visit Trang An. The weather is warm and pleasant, trees sprout buds, and flowers bloom, creating a fresh and vibrant scene. In spring, Trang An also hosts many unique traditional festivals such as Trang An festival, Bai Dinh festival, bringing a joyful, bustling atmosphere and rich in national cultural identity.
Spring and Ninh Binh put on the colors of freshness
Summer (April – June of the lunar calendar)
Summer in Trang An puts on the bright yellow color of ripe rice fields. The peaceful, poetic countryside scenery along with the fragrant scent of lotus from the blooming lotus ponds will captivate you and make you forget the summer heat. However, the summer weather in Ninh Binh is quite hot, you should prepare enough sunscreen, hats, and drinking water when visiting.
Trang An Ninh Binh in summer with golden sunshine
Autumn (July – September of the lunar calendar)
Autumn in Trang An brings cool, pleasant air and romantic, lyrical scenery. Green trees turn yellow and red, creating a beautiful natural painting. Autumn is also a suitable time for you to participate in outdoor activities such as boating, mountain climbing, and cave exploring.
Meanwhile, autumn is contemplative in Trang An
Winter (October – December of the lunar calendar)
Winter in Trang An brings a quiet, mysterious beauty in the misty mist. The scenery of mountains and rivers becomes more poetic and romantic than ever. Winter is also an ideal time for you to enjoy the peaceful, quiet space and seek peace of mind. However, the winter weather in Ninh Binh is quite cold, you should prepare warm clothes and scarves when visiting.
Strike a pose for photos in the winter weather at Trang An – Ninh Binh
Ticket prices and Trang An tour routes
The current entrance ticket price to Trang An tourist area is 250,000 VND/adult and 120,000 VND/child (from 1m – 1.3m). The ticket price includes boat fees and entrance fees to tourist attractions on the route. Children under 1m are free of charge.
When you come to Trang An, you can choose one of three different boat tour routes, each route will take you to explore unique and attractive destinations:
- Route 1: Trinh Temple – Dark Cave – Bright Cave – Wine Brewing Cave – Tran Temple – Ba Giot Cave – Seo Cave – Son Duong Cave – Phu Khong – Bao Hieu Pagoda.
- Route 2: Trinh Temple – Lam Cave – Vang Cave – Thanh Truot Cave – Dai Cave – Vu Lam Palace – Co Vien Lau.
- Route 3: Trinh Temple – May Cave – Dia Linh Cave – Palace Cave – Thuy Cung Cave – Tran Cave – Quy Khach Lau.
Depending on your preferences and time, you can choose a suitable tour route to explore the beauty of Trang An in the most complete way. Each tour route lasts about 3 – 4 hours.
For only 250,000 VND, you will visit the caves in Trang An
Must-try experiences in Trang An
Coming to Trang An Ninh Binh, you will have the opportunity to experience countless interesting and memorable tourist activities:
Explore the magnificent caves
Trang An is famous for its rich and diverse system of natural caves. Each cave has its own unique beauty, created by magical stalactites, stalagmites, and clear blue streams flowing gently. Some of the most famous and beautiful caves in Trang An that you should not miss:
- Dark Cave (Hang Toi): As the name suggests, Dark Cave offers an adventurous and mysterious exploration experience in the dark. You will be equipped with flashlights to explore the pristine beauty of the cave with unique stalactites.
- Bright Cave (Hang Sang): In contrast to Dark Cave, Bright Cave is filled with natural light shining through the cave dome, creating a shimmering and magical space.
- Wine Brewing Cave (Hang Nau Ruou): Wine Brewing Cave is famous for its clear underground water source, which is said to be the water source used to brew wine for the king in ancient times.
- Dia Linh Cave: Dia Linh Cave impresses with a length of nearly 1500m and a unique fossilized stalactite system, bringing a magical underground world exploration experience.
- Luon Cave: Luon Cave is a water cave, you will take a boat through the cave to explore the beauty inside.
Wine Brewing Cave
Visit spiritual architectural works
Besides natural beauty, Trang An is also home to many ancient spiritual architectural works, bearing profound cultural and historical values:
- Trinh Temple (Den Trinh): Trinh Temple is the first stop on the journey to explore Trang An. The temple worships four mandarins of the Dinh Dynasty, who made great contributions to building and protecting the country.
- Tran Temple Ninh Binh (Den Tran Ninh Binh): Tran Temple Ninh Binh worships Quy Minh God, the god who guarded the southern gate of the ancient Hoa Lu capital. The temple has ancient and majestic architecture and is the venue for many traditional festivals.
- Tu Tru Temple (Den Tu Tru): Tu Tru Temple worships four great mandarins of the Dinh Dynasty, who helped King Dinh Tien Hoang quell the 12 warlords and unify the country.
- Phu Khong: Phu Khong worships 7 loyal mandarins of the Dinh Dynasty, who sacrificed themselves to protect the king and the country. Phu Khong leans against the mountain, bringing a peaceful and sacred space.
- Vu Lam Palace (Hanh Cung Vu Lam): Vu Lam Palace is an ancient architectural work, once the place of practice of King Tran Nhan Tong. This place has ancient, contemplative beauty and is an ideal check-in point for tourists.
Trinh Temple preserves many cultural and historical values
Enjoy unique cuisine
Traveling to Trang An Ninh Binh is incomplete without experiencing local cuisine. Ninh Binh is famous for many attractive specialties, bearing the unique flavor of the ancient capital land:
- Ninh Binh burnt rice (Com chay Ninh Binh): Burnt rice is the most famous specialty of Ninh Binh. Rice is cooked from delicious rice, roasted crispy and served with rich sauce or pork floss.
- Ninh Binh mountain goat meat (Thit de nui Ninh Binh): Ninh Binh mountain goat meat is famous for its firmness, deliciousness, and low fat content. Goat is processed into many attractive dishes such as goat meat with lemon, grilled goat, stir-fried goat, goat hotpot.
- Grilled goby fish (Ca chuoi nuong): Goby fish is a special fish living in caves in Ninh Binh. Grilled goby fish has sweet, fragrant meat and is served with a special dipping sauce.
- Yen Mac fermented pork roll (Nem chua Yen Mac): Yen Mac fermented pork roll is a famous fermented pork roll of Ninh Binh, with a mild sour, light sweet, and characteristic delicious taste.
- Glass noodles with eel (Mien luon): Ninh Binh glass noodles with eel has a rich, delicious flavor of field eel and broth simmered from eel bones.
Ninh Binh burnt rice
Suggested itinerary for exploring Trang An
To have a complete and meaningful Trang An Ninh Binh exploration trip, you can refer to the following suggested itinerary:
1-day itinerary:
- Morning:
- Travel from Hanoi to Trang An (about 1.5 – 2 hours).
- Visit Trang An tourist area by boat (route 1, 2 or 3).
- Have lunch at a local restaurant with Ninh Binh specialties.
- Afternoon:
- Visit Bai Dinh Pagoda (if time permits).
- Shop for souvenirs at the local market.
- Travel back to Hanoi.
2 days 1 night itinerary:
- Day 1:
- Morning: Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, check in to the hotel.
- Afternoon: Visit Trang An tourist area by boat, explore caves and temples.
- Evening: Enjoy Ninh Binh specialty cuisine and stay overnight at the hotel.
- Day 2:
- Morning: Visit Bai Dinh Pagoda, Hoa Lu ancient capital or Tam Coc – Bich Dong.
- Afternoon: Shop for souvenirs and travel back to Hanoi.
Accommodation when traveling to Trang An
In Trang An and the surrounding area, there are many diverse accommodation options, from luxury hotels to budget-friendly homestays, suitable for all needs and budgets of tourists. Some suggestions for quality accommodation in Trang An:
- Trang An Retreat: High-class resort with ancient architecture, quiet space and close to nature.
- Trang An Ecolodge: Beautiful, romantic resort with many virtual living corners and modern amenities.
- Trang An Valley Bungalow: Rustic, simple bungalow with green space and affordable prices.
- Tam Coc Garden Resort: Luxurious resort with green, peaceful space and professional service.
- Ninh Binh Hidden Charm Hotel & Resort: High-class hotel and resort with unique architecture, modern amenities and beautiful views.
Trang An Retreat
Experiences and notes when going to Trang An
To make your Trang An Ninh Binh trip more complete and smooth, you should note some of the following experiences:
- Choose appropriate clothing: You should choose comfortable, cool, and sweat-absorbent clothes when visiting Trang An, especially in summer. If you go in winter, you should bring warm clothes and scarves.
- Prepare comfortable shoes: You will have to walk quite a lot when visiting Trang An, so choose comfortable, easy-to-walk shoes to avoid foot pain.
- Bring sunscreen and hats: The weather in Ninh Binh is quite sunny, especially in summer, you should bring sunscreen and hats to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun.
- Drink enough water: When visiting Trang An, you should drink enough water to avoid dehydration and fatigue.
- Prepare cash: Although many places in Trang An accept card payments, you should still prepare some cash to spend on small activities and buy souvenirs.
- Book a tour: If you want to have a convenient Trang An trip and be guided in detail, you can book a package tour from reputable travel companies.
Traveling to Trang An Ninh Binh is a journey to discover magnificent natural beauty, profound historical cultural values, and experience unique cuisine. Hopefully, with the detailed instructions above from Discovery Around The World, you will have a truly memorable and meaningful Trang An trip.