Bai Dinh Pagoda in Ninh Binh is two places on one mountain: a vast Buddhist complex begun in 2003, with a 500-statue arhat corridor, gilded Buddhas and a 13-storey tower, and a small old pagoda from the twelfth century, set in caves about 800 metres away. Entry to the grounds is free.
Most visitors see the new halls in about two hours and never reach the old pagoda. Seeing both takes about three hours, plus the electric car that covers the first 3.5 km from the car park. It is an active place of worship, so shoulders and knees need to be covered.
See both pagodas, with someone to explain them
Our private tours cover the electric car and the tower ticket, and leave time for the old caves most groups skip.
★Bai Dinh Pagoda Half-Day Private Tour with Hoa LuBoth Bai Dinh pagodas, the tower and the old capital at Hoa Lu, with your own guide. · about 5 hoursSee the tour →Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An Private Day Tour from HanoiBai Dinh in depth, lunch of Ninh Binh dishes, then the Trang An boat, door to door from Hanoi. · about 11 hoursSee the tour →Two pagodas on one mountain
The name causes confusion, because it refers to two sites that have almost nothing in common. Knowing which is which is the most useful thing you can learn before you go.
| Old pagoda | New complex | |
|---|---|---|
| Age | Twelfth century | Begun in 2003, main work finished around 2010 |
| Scale | About 27 ha, mostly forest and caves | About 80 ha of halls, corridors and terraces |
| Main sights | Two cave shrines, Ngoc Well, small temples | Arhat corridor, bell tower, great halls, tower |
| Getting up | More than 300 stone steps | Electric car, then long stairs and corridors |
| Mood | Quiet, damp, old | Huge, busy, full of pilgrims |
Sources disagree on the year the old pagoda was founded, giving both 1121 and 1136, but they agree on the founder: the Ly dynasty monk Nguyen Minh Khong.
What you see, in the order you see it
From the car park, the electric car runs about 3.5 km to the Tam Quan gate, a three-tiered brick building with a large round window. From there the route climbs the hillside, and each stage sits above the last.
| Stage | What is there |
|---|---|
| Tam Quan gate | Two bronze guardian statues about 5.5 m tall |
| Arhat corridor | Two covered walkways with 500 stone arhats, each about 2.5 m tall |
| Bell tower | Three tiers of roof around a bronze bell of 36 tonnes, cast in 2007 |
| The great halls | Gilded bronze Buddhas about 10 m tall in halls of dark timber and red brick |
| Tam The hall | The largest hall, about 35 m to the roof, with three Buddhas side by side |
| The tower | Thirteen storeys and about 100 m of brick, with a lift inside |
The arhats are the part people remember. Look at the knees and hands: they have been rubbed black by visitors. Your eye tends to slide over the statues in the niches behind them, which are worth a second look.
The old pagoda most people miss
About 800 metres south of the Tam The hall, a weathered stone gate stands among the trees. Beyond it, more than 300 stone steps lead up to a cave entrance. Turn right for the Light Cave, with shrines to the Buddha and to mountain spirits, and left for the Dark Cave, with shrines to the Mother Goddess. Ngoc Well, a wide round pond of still water, lies in the open at the foot of the hill.
It is small and takes less than an hour, and for many visitors it is the part that feels most like an old Vietnamese pagoda. If you have only one hour, though, the new complex is the reason most people come, and you should not feel you have failed by leaving the steps out.
What a guide adds at Bai Dinh
Most of what you are looking at only makes sense once someone explains who it is for, and what the people around you have come to ask.
Bai Dinh Pagoda Half-Day Private Tour with Hoa Luabout 5 hoursSee the tour →Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An Private Day Tour from Hanoiabout 11 hoursSee the tour →Practical basics
| Where | About 20 km from Ninh Binh city and about 100 km from Hanoi |
| Entry | Free. The electric car and the tower are charged separately |
| Electric car | Sources give 60,000 to 150,000 VND round trip in 2026; check the board at the ticket desk |
| Tower ticket | 50,000 VND (~$2), including the lift |
| Hours | About 6:00 to 18:00 for visiting, with last entry around 17:00 |
| Dress | Shoulders and knees covered. Shoes come off in the main halls |
| Busiest | From the sixth day of Lunar New Year to the end of the third lunar month |
Go early if you can. The stone holds the heat, shade is limited on the terraces, and day tours from Hanoi cannot reach it much before mid-morning.
Questions people ask
Is Bai Dinh Pagoda free to enter?
Yes, entry to the grounds is free. Most visitors pay for the electric car, and the tower has its own ticket.
How old is Bai Dinh Pagoda?
The old cave pagoda dates from the twelfth century. The large complex that most photographs show was begun in 2003.
How long do I need at Bai Dinh Pagoda?
About two hours for the new halls and corridor, and about three and a half with the tower, the old pagoda and the electric car both ways.
Can I combine Bai Dinh Pagoda with other places in Ninh Binh?
Yes. Hoa Lu is a few kilometres away and Trang An is close by, so either pairs naturally with it in a day.
Spend your morning at Bai Dinh with your own guide
One price for your group, with the car, the guide and every ticket covered.
★Bai Dinh Pagoda Half-Day Private Tour with Hoa LuBoth Bai Dinh pagodas, the tower and the old capital at Hoa Lu, with your own guide. · about 5 hoursfrom$41/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$120BOOK →2 guests$135BOOK →3 guests$150BOOK →4 guests$165BOOK →See the full tour page →Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An Private Day Tour from HanoiBai Dinh in depth, lunch of Ninh Binh dishes, then the Trang An boat, door to door from Hanoi. · about 11 hoursfrom$108/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$285BOOK →2 guests$335BOOK →3 guests$385BOOK →4 guests$430BOOK →See the full tour page →Fees and hours checked November 2026. Sources differ on some figures, so check at the ticket desk.