Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Bai Dinh and Trang An Tour from Hanoi, Private and Guided
Bai Dinh Pagoda in the morning with time for the halls and the tower, a lunch of Ninh Binh dishes, then two and a half hours by rowing boat through the river caves of Trang An. 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 central Hanoi. No meeting point to reach on your own
Every entry fee prepaid
The electric car, the tower lift and the Trang An boat are paid for you, and so is the rower’s tip. 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
Lunch when you are hungry
A table of Ninh Binh dishes for your group, not a buffet hall on a coach timetable. Tell us what you do not eat and we will order around it
Duration
about 11 hours
Departure
07:30
Pickup
Any central Hanoi hotel
from · $108 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$285 BOOK →2 guests$335 BOOK →3 guests$385 BOOK →4 guests$430 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. If you are sleeping in Ninh Binh that night, we drop you there for the same price.
Hotel pickup · 07:30 · anywhere in central Hanoi
Drive south · about 2 hours 15 minutes · about 100 km, mostly expressway
Bai Dinh Pagoda
09:45 · about 2 hours 45 minutes · on foot, long stairs
Electric car and tower included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
The electric car takes you the first 3.5 km to the Tam Quan gate. From there your guide walks you up the corridor of 500 stone arhats, past the 36-tonne bell, and through the halls where gilded Buddhas sit ten metres tall. The lift in the 13-storey tower gives the view over the whole mountain. If your group is quick and keen, the old cave pagoda fits too; tell your guide on the day.
Lunch of Ninh Binh dishes
12:30 · about 1 hour · seated
Lunch and one soft drink included
Goat and crispy rice are the dishes people come to Ninh Binh for, served with greens and soup at a local restaurant. Vegetarian on request. Tell us what your group does not eat.
The Trang An boat
13:45 · about 2 hours 30 minutes · rowing boat
Ticket and rower tip included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
A local rower takes you along the river between steep limestone hills and through low caves where everyone ducks, with stops at riverside temples. A boat seats four, so groups of three or four have their own. One or two guests may share at busy times; tell us if you want the boat to yourselves and we will quote it. Your guide walks you to the pier and meets you at the landing. The boats stop when the water is high, and we confirm them before your day.
Drive back to Hanoi · from about 16:15 · about 2 hours 15 minutes
Back at your hotel · around 18:45 · or your Ninh Binh hotel for the same price
A mountain of pagodas and a river of caves, in one day
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$285 BOOK →2 guests$335 BOOK →3 guests$385 BOOK →4 guests$430 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 Hanoi hotel
- Licensed local guide who speaks fluent English
- Bai Dinh electric car, both ways
- Tower ticket with the lift
- Trang An rowing-boat ticket and rower tip
- Lunch of Ninh Binh dishes with one soft drink
- Bottled water all day
Not included
− Drinks beyond the water and the soft drink at lunch
− 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 are based in Hanoi and have one day for Ninh Binh.
You want Bai Dinh and the Trang An boat without joining a coach.
You want a guide who explains the pagoda to your group alone.
You want one number for the whole day, lunch and the tip included.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget. Group day tours from Hanoi cover the same two sights for much less.
Long days are hard for someone in your group: about four and a half hours are on the road, and the halls mean long stairs.
You have a flight or an overnight train that evening.
You must have the Trang An boat to yourselves as a couple. Tell us first, because it costs more.
If you are already staying in Ninh Binh, the half day covers both pagodas and the Hoa Lu temples without the drive. See the half-day tour from Ninh Binh. 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 11 hours door to door, departing 07:30 from your hotel, and you are back around 18:45.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel, anywhere in central Hanoi, 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 at Bai Dinh. The electric car covers the first 3.5 km, but the corridors and halls climb by stairs, and your guide can shorten the route. The boat at Trang An is seated, with some ducking in low caves.
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 at Bai Dinh. 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, sunscreen for the open boat, and something that covers shoulders and knees for the pagoda. You do not need cash at any gate, since every ticket is bought for you; 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 day from Hanoi
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, lunch and every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$285 BOOK →2 guests$335 BOOK →3 guests$385 BOOK →4 guests$430 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. ›