Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Bai Dinh Pagoda Tour from Ninh Binh, Private and Guided
The arhat corridor, the great halls and the tower in the morning, the old cave pagoda most visitors miss, then the temples of Vietnam’s thousand-year-old capital at Hoa Lu. Every entry fee is paid before you travel.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car for your group alone
Private, 1-4 guests, and nobody outside your party is added to it
Your own licensed local guide
Fluent in English and explains who each statue is and why the halls climb in this order — to your group alone, not twenty strangers
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city. No meeting point to reach on your own
Every entry fee prepaid
The electric car, the tower lift and the Hoa Lu tickets are bought for you. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to a souvenir showroom that pays to have you delivered
Time for the old pagoda
Most group tours stop at the new halls. We leave a full hour for the caves up the mountain, or none if the steps are not for you
Duration
about 5 hours
Departure
07:30 or 13:15
Pickup
Any Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh hotel
from · $41 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$120 BOOK →2 guests$135 BOOK →3 guests$150 BOOK →4 guests$165 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The day, hour by hour
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Morning departure shown; the 13:15 start visits Hoa Lu first and finishes at Bai Dinh before the gates close. From November to January dusk comes early, so choose the morning if the old pagoda matters to you.
Hotel pickup · 07:30 or 13:15 · anywhere in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city
Drive to Bai Dinh · about 30 minutes, then the electric car for the last 3.5 km
The arhat corridor and the great halls
08:00 · about 90 minutes · on foot, long stairs
Electric car included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
The electric car drops you at the Tam Quan gate, and from there two covered corridors climb the hill past 500 stone arhats. Your guide takes you through the bell tower with its 36-tonne bronze bell, then the halls one above another, each holding gilded Buddhas ten metres tall. Ask who the arhats are, why people rub their knees, and what the worshippers are asking for.
The tower
09:30 · about 30 minutes · lift inside
Tower ticket included
Thirteen storeys of brick on a hexagonal base, about 100 metres high. A lift runs inside, and from the upper floors the whole complex, the lake and the limestone hills lie below you. On a hazy day the view shortens, and we would still go for the relics and the gilded Buddha at its foot.
The old cave pagoda
10:00 · about 60 minutes · more than 300 stone steps
Free to enter, and much quieter
4 photos · tap to enlarge
About 800 metres from the new halls, and a different world. The monk Nguyen Minh Khong founded this pagoda in the twelfth century. Past a weathered stone gate, steps climb through forest to two caves, one with shrines to the Buddha and one to the Mother Goddess, with the round Ngoc Well below at the foot of the hill. If the steps are not for you, your guide will spend the time in the new halls instead.
Short drive · about 15 minutes · a few kilometres along the foot of the hills
Hoa Lu temples
11:15 · about 40 minutes · on foot, flat
Tickets included
Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam in the late tenth century. Two temples honour its first emperors, Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh, and after the scale of Bai Dinh their carved timber and stone feel old and small. Your guide will connect the two: the monk who founded the old pagoda served the Ly dynasty, the house that moved the capital away from Hoa Lu in 1010.
Back at your hotel · around 12:30 · or 18:15 on the afternoon departure
Two pagodas, one old capital, about five hours
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$120 BOOK →2 guests$135 BOOK →3 guests$150 BOOK →4 guests$165 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private car and driver from and to your hotel
- Licensed local guide who speaks fluent English
- Bai Dinh electric car, both ways
- Tower ticket with the lift
- Hoa Lu temple tickets
- Bottled water all day
Not included
− Lunch and drinks beyond the water we provide
− Temple donations and anything you choose to buy
− A tip for your guide and driver — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You want to understand what you are looking at, not only photograph it.
You are staying in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city and have half a day free.
You want the old cave pagoda as well as the famous new halls.
You want one number that covers everything, with nothing to settle at any gate.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget.
Long stairs are a problem for everyone in your group. The new halls alone mean long stairs, and the electric car does not reach them.
You came to Ninh Binh for boats and limestone only. A half day on the water would suit you better.
You are based in Hanoi. This tour starts from Ninh Binh hotels.
If you are based in Hanoi and want the Trang An boat as well, the full day from Hanoi covers Bai Dinh, lunch and the river caves. See the day tour from Hanoi. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is the tour and when does it start?
It runs about 5 hours door to door, departing 07:30 or 13:15 from your hotel. The 13:15 departure visits Hoa Lu first and works well in summer, when some guests prefer a slower morning.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel, anywhere in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city, with no meeting point to reach on your own. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes.
How much walking is there?
A lot of slow walking on stone, more than most people expect. The electric car covers the first 3.5 km, but the corridors and halls climb by stairs, and the old pagoda is more than 300 stone steps up. Your guide can leave the old pagoda out, and Hoa Lu is flat.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample day and every part of it can be adjusted: add a stop, skip one, or spend longer in the halls. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the customs and the story behind each hall and statue as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests: four people pay less each than two, and the car is the same car. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest; groups of five or more travel in a larger vehicle — message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide details follow by WhatsApp.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes — free cancellation up to 3 days before departure for a full refund, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car and guide are already committed. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What should I bring, and do I need cash?
Shoes you can climb stone steps in, a hat, and something that covers shoulders and knees, because this is an active place of worship. You do not need cash at any gate, since every ticket is bought for you; small notes are useful if you want to leave a donation, and if you chose to pay the balance in cash, bring it for your guide.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain does not stop the day: the halls and corridors at Bai Dinh are covered, and the Trang An boats run in light rain. In a storm the half day moves to another date free of charge. On the Hanoi day, if the Trang An boats are stopped, we go to the Hoa Lu temples and Mua Cave instead, with no partial refund, or you can move the whole day to another date free of charge.
Book the half day
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$120 BOOK →2 guests$135 BOOK →3 guests$150 BOOK →4 guests$165 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›