Ninh Bình Province

Hiking

You will be picked up from your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter then drive to the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. Discover the former capital of Dai Co Viet in the 10th and 11th Centuries. Next, visit Mua Cave and enjoy breathtaking panoramic views. Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese set menu lunch at a local bungalow. After lunch, you will go on a sampan boat trip in Tam Coc, passing through three caves: Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. Then, cycle through the rice fields and villages to visit Thai Vi Temple. Enjoy a sunset party with tea and fruit at a swimming pool; relax and swim before you return to Hanoi.

Get back to nature and explore the ancient cultures of Vietnam on a 2-day tour of Tam Coc and Hoa Lu. Spend the night at a luxury homestay and learn about the everyday life of the locals. Day 1: Hanoi – Tam Coc Depart Hanoi and travel to Ninh Binh in the Red River Delta. Visit the limestone cave of Tam Coc on a boat trip down the Ngo Dong River. Enjoy the peaceful scenery of limestone mountains, rice paddies, and local temples. Check-in to your luxury bungalow accommodation and chat with the locals. Savor the local cuisine, including a refreshing green tea or coffee. Then, explore Ninh Binh by bike and cycle past rice fields and mountains. See the Bich Dong Pagoda, and learn about the Buddhist culture of Vietnam. Return to the bungalow and enjoy some free time before dinner served by the local host family. Day 2: Mua Cave – Hoa Lu – Hanoi Enjoy breakfast at the bungalow before cycling to Mua Cave. Hike to the peak of Ngoa Long Mountain and get amazing views of Tam Coc and the Ninh Binh area. Check out before lunch, and then visit the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. Admire the temple of King Dinh before the drive back to Hanoi.

Take a guided tour of the Mua Caves, the ancient capital of Hoa Lu, and Trang An. Feel the spirit of many shrines and temples like King Dinh Temple, trek up to the summit of Ngoa Long mountain, and take a peaceful boat ride along the Ngo Dong river. Start with pickup at your accommodation in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Travel by shuttle bus ad journey through the beautiful countryside until you reach Ninh Binh province. Arrive at the ancient citadel of Hoa Lu. The site was once the capital of the region. See the various shrines and temples such as King Dinh Temple. After Hoa Lu, travel to Mua Cave and start a trek up to the summit of Ngoa Long mountain. Once you reach the summit enjoy a beautiful view of the valley below. After working up your appetite on the trek, enjoy a delicious lunch at a traditional restaurant. Next, take a 2.5-hour sampan boat trip operated by a local rower. Sail gently along the Ngo Dong river, capturing the wonderful scenery of the Karst hills, rice fields, and peaceful villages. See the Trang An caves of Vang cave, Lam Cave, Dai Cave and historic sites. Returned to your hotel in Hanoi at approximately 7:30 PM.

Embark on a full-day tour of the Ninh Bình province. Explore the Vietnamese ancient capital of Hoa Lu to understand the history of the country. Marvel at the scenic landscape of Trang An. Hike to the top of the Mua Cave for incredible views from the top. Start your day at 7:45 AM with a hotel pickup. Meet your guide and leave for Hoa Lu. Pass by green fields and villages. Have a 20-minute break to stretch your legs. At 9.30 AM, arrive in Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam in the 11th century. Visit the Dinh Tien Hoang and Le Dai Hanh Temple. Appreciate the unique architecture. Delve deep into history and learn about the first Vietnamese government. Explore the excavation area. Experience the vestiges of Royal Palace ground dated back to the 10th century. Then, hop back on the bus at 10 AM for a drive to Trang An. Artfully crafted by nature, Trang An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Get on a bamboo boat for a 2.5-hour tour rowing through the majestic cave complex of Bright Cave, Dark Cave, Ba Giot Cave. Glide along the river, crossing villages, mountains, and lush rice fields. At 12:45 PM, stop at a restaurant to feast on local food. Get back to the bus and leave for Mua Cave. Hike up the mountain and see the Ngo Dong River. Climb 486 steps to reach the top of Lying Dragon Mountain. Enjoy a panoramic of Tam Coc. At 3:30 PM, say goodbye to the countryside and get on a 2-hour bus ride back to Hanoi. Get dropped off at your hotel.

Venture into the heart of the jungle on this full-day tour of Cuc Phuong National Park. Explore the park while on a hike, observing the way the jungle comes alive. Visit the langurs and Endangered Primate Rescue Center as well, witnessing them in their natural environment. In the morning, your private guide will meet you in the lobby of your Hanoi hotel. From there, begin your two-hour ride to the Cuc Phuong National Park in Ninh Binh. Upon your arrival, visit the langurs and Endangered Primate Rescue Center. Here, professional staff protect monkeys and langurs from becoming extinct. The environment is kept as close to their natural habitat as possible. Afterwards, enjoy a typical lunch at a local restaurant, recommended by your guide. Take a trekking trip into the heart of the jungle come the afternoon. As you hike, observe the rare flora and fauna that surrounds you. Listen to the exotic birds as they sing and stand in the middle of the jungle to take in nature in its truest form. From there, continue to walk the trail, taking photos along the way. Late into the day, you will return to the car and transfer back to your Hanoi accommodation.

On day one you will be picked up from your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter between 7:30 AM and 8:00 AM and head to Hoa Lu arriving shortly after 10:00 AM. You will explore Hoa Lu the ancient capital of Dai Co Viet before heading off to see Mua Cave where you will enjoy breathtaking panoramic mountain views. You will then visit a local bungalow to enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch. After lunch you will go on a sampan boat ride in Tam Coc, passing through three caves: Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. In the mid-afternoon, you will go on a bike ride through the rice fields and villages. Then enjoy a swim and sunset party with tea and fruits before checking into your homestay. Once you have checked in you will have dinner and then have free time in the evening. On day two you will start your day at 7:30 with breakfast and depart for the Bich Dong Pagoda at 9:00 AM. Once you arrive at the Pagoda you will climb up the 200 steps to explore it. After you visit the pagoda you will head to Thung Nham National Park where you will have lunch before exploring the magnificent caves found in the park. Later enjoy a sampan boat ride to see the bird park. At 4:30 PM you will leave Ninh Binh for Hanoi arriving back in Hanoi at 6:30 PM.

Day 1: Hanoi, Hoa Lu, Mua Cave, Tam Coc  Your first day will begin as you are picked up from your hotel in Hanoi's Old Quarter. From here you will travel to Hoa Lu, the country's ancient capital. You will then visit Mua Cave, from where you can also enjoy breathtaking panoramic mountainous views. Following this, you will enjoy a traditional Vietnamese set-menu lunch at a local bungalow. You will later enjoy a sampan boat ride in Tam Coc, passing through the three caves of Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. Following this cave exploration, you will cycle through the neighboring rice fields and villages. Later in the day you will swim and enjoy a sunset party, complete with tea and fruits. You will then check into your bungalow for the evening, before sitting down to a set-menu dinner and having free time for the evening. Day 2: Cuc Phuong National Park, Hanoi Your morning will begin relatively early with breakfast served at 7:30AM. Following breakfast, you will depart for the Cuc Phuong National Park, which was Vietnam's first national park and is the country's largest nature reserve. Your visit will begin at the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, one of the highlights of a visit to Cuc Phuong where you can observe some of the rarest primate species in the world. You will later enjoy lunch at the national park, before visiting the Cave of Prehistoric Man, which is the site of one of the earliest discoveries of human habitation in Vietnam. Later that afternoon you will leave Cuc Phuong for Hanoi, where your tour will eventually end at 6:30PM.

Start with pickup at your accommodation in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Travel by shuttle bus journey through the beautiful countryside until you reach Ninh Binh province. Arrive at the ancient citadel of Hoa Lu. The site was once the capital of the region. See the various shrines and temples such as King Dinh Temple. After Hoa Lu, travel to Mua Cave and start a trek up to the summit of Ngoa Long mountain. Once you reach the summit enjoy a beautiful view of the valley below. After working up your appetite on the trek, enjoy a delicious lunch at a traditional restaurant. Next, take a 1.5-hour sampan boat trip operated by a local rower. Sail gently along the Ngo Dong river, capturing the wonderful scenery of the Karst hills, rice fields, and peaceful villages. See the Tam Coc Caves of "Ca", "Hai" and "Ba." After your boat trip, enjoy a cycle around the surrounding countryside and get a glimpse into the daily life of the locals. Be returned to your hotel in Hanoi at approximately 7:00 PM.

Cuc Phuong National Park is the first, and best protected, nature reserve in Vietnam. The Park’s primary tropical rainforest is home to an amazing variety of wildlife, and in recent years several new species have been discovered. There are almost 2,000 species of trees, providing home to some amazing and rare animals, including the clouded leopard, Delacour’s langur, Owston’s civet, otters, and Asian black bears. Among the highlights of this 2-day vacation is a boat trip in Van Long. You will also go on a night safari, and see trees that are a million years old! Day 1: Hanoi - Cuc Phuong Depart Hanoi for Van Long Nature Reserve. Here you will take a sampan boat trip to admire the area’s spectacular natural beauty. It covers an area of 2,643 hectares, and is the largest submerged natural protected site in North Vietnam. During a serene rowing boat trip in the swampy waters, soak up the superb environment, and take in all the sights, sounds, and scents of the surroundings. Continue to Cuc Phuong National Park. Once you have settled into your room, visit the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, and the Turtle Conservation Center to learn about the conservation work at the National Park. You will also have the option to take a stroll in the lovely botanical gardens. Enjoy a dinner at Cuc Phuong National Park Headquarters. Afterwards, you will be taken into the pitch dark forest by a National Park Guide. Using a spot lamp, search for the forest’s numerous nocturnal creatures, such as civets, owls, flying squirrels, lorises, bats, and cats. Spend the night at the National Park Guest House. Day 2: Cuc Phuong - Hanoi Awake to the sounds of the jungle. After breakfast, leave the National Park Headquarters for a trek in the primary forest. Hike for 2.5-3.5 hours, passing limestone slopes and trees that are over a million years old. Your ultimate destination is an ancient tree, in the hope of seeing Cuc Phuong’s mascot - and one of the rarest primates on the planet - the Delacour langur. Transfer back to Hanoi, arriving at around 18:00, where your tour ends.

Explore Hoa Lu, former capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries, and Tam Coc. Following a hotel pick-up from the Old Quarter of Hanoi, relax in air-conditioned comfort on the 2.5-hour journey southeast, approximately 70 miles (120 kilometers) from Hanoi. Upon arrival, see the 2 main temples of the former royal city, including the main temple to Emperor Dinh and the temple to Emperor Le in the foothills of the Den Mountain. Explore the historic sites of the Outer Citadel, separated from the Inner Citadel by the limestone mountains. Continue to Tam Coc for lunch before cruising the Hoang Long River by traditional sampan. Pass the curious karst mountains carpeted in lush vegetation, and paddle into hidden caves to see geological formations. Next, cycle along quiet roads through small villages and rice fields to see the rocky outcrops of Tam Cốc-Bích Động. The gentle bike ride lasts for about 1 hour, covering a distance of approximately 3 miles (5 kilometers). Round off your day with an air-conditioned transfer back to Hanoi.