Trang An Boat Tour: What You Need to Know about Ninh Binh’s Best Tour

Located in Northern Vietnam is a province called Ninh Binh. Ninh Binh is known for its stunning natural landscapes and historical sites as well as many cultural attractions. The area is often referred to as the “Ha Long Bay on Land” due to it’s limestone karsts that are very similar to the ones in Ha Long Bay Vietnam.

To get a close up view of the spectacular scenery in the area, the Trang An Boat Tour is one of the best ways to do just that. You’ll board a row boat and be taken on a 2-3 hour ride through caves and stop at several temples along the way.

I’ll tell you what to expect on the Trang An Boat Tour including the cost and break down the different Trang An boat tour routes to choose from.

What is the Trang An Boat Tour

The Trang An Boat Tour is part of the Trang An Landscape Complex which became a UNESCO World Heritage site in 2014. Archaeologists have found human activity in the area that goes back more than 30,000 years.

Trang An Ninh Binh has numerous cultural and historical sites, including the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, but it is the natural landscape of the area that’s the main attraction. The Trang An Boat Tour takes you on a traditional sampan boat along the Ngo Dong River through caves and stops at several temples along the way.

Where is Trang An?

Trang An is located in the Ninh Binh Province, just a few miles outside of the city of Ninh Binh. It’s a 9 minute drive from Tam Coc and a 13 minute drive from the center of Ninh Binh. The boat tour area is circled in red on the map below.

How to get to Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is located just 90km south of the Vietnam capital of Hanoi. There aren’t any airports in Ninh Binh so you have to travel by either bus, train, private car, or motorbike.

• Train: if you’re coming from Hanoi, you can easilty catch the train. A train ticket from Hanoi to Ninh Binh will cost about $15 (one way) and will take around 2 hours to reach Ninh Binh.
  
  From there you catch a taxi or ust the Grab app (Southeast Asia’s version of Uber) to get a ride to your hotel. You can search for and buy train tickets in Vietnam at Vietnam Train Tickets.
  
• Bus: Vietnam has inexpensive bus transportation that is operated by various bus companies throughout Vietnam. I’ve used 12go.asia to book reservations on buses throughout Vietnam. Just pick your starting location and then your final destination.
  
  There are large buses and smaller passenger vans to choose from, as well as taxis. All of them very inexpensive. Depending on where you’re staying you’ll choose either Ninh Binh, Tam Coc, or Trang An.
  
  Make sure you check the reviews when your booking your bus. It’s hit or miss with the bus companies. Bus service is so inexpensive, starting around $5, and the ride from Hanoi is short, at just a few hours.
  
• Private Car: You can rent a car however, with gas and insurance the cost and hassle might not be worth it. I think the other options are much more affordable and so easy to use.
  
• Tours: If you only have one day to visit Ninh Binh, you might want to consider booking through a tour company. There are a lot of companies in Hanoi that you can book in person or you can go online and find a tour.
  
  Just make sure you have an International Drivers License. ONLY the person with the IDL should drive the vehicle.
  
  This Hanoi to Ninh Binh day trip takes you not only to the Trang An boat tour, but you’ll also visit the Bai Dinh Temple Complex OR the Hoa Lu Ancient Capital AND the Hang Mua Caves.
  
  There are three options on the tour so be sure to read through it and pick the one you want.

Getting Around Ninh Binh

Once you arrive in Ninh Binh, you can either take a taxi or Grab, rent a motorcycle or a bicycle.

• Taxi or Grab: A taxi or Grab will be the easiest option but will end up costing more if you plan to get multiple rides over several days. It’s still affordable and shouldn’t cost more than $5 but if you have to take several cabs a day then it will add up. But if you have others with you then it might be a good option.

*Grab is the equivilent to Uber. Just download the app and look for a ride. You do not need to enter any credit card info but you can if that’s easier for you. Most of the Grab drivers take cash. Just decide on a price for any taxi or Grab before you get in the car.

• Motorbike: Renting a motorcycle or scooter is always our favorite option of transportation when we travel. It’s so easy to rent one and it shouldn’t cost more than $4-8 a day. You do not need to know how to shift gears on one. You’ll just turn the key and go.
  
• Bicycle: You can rent a bike for a few dollars and some hotels or hostels have them for free if you’re staying with them. This will be the most affordable way to get around but you’ll spend a lot of time riding from place to place. If you only have 1-2 days in the area then you might not want to ride a bicycle to places that are further away.

How to get to the Trang An Boat Tour

Once you’ve figured out how you’re getting around you can make your way to Trang An, Vietnam. A taxi will know exactly how to get there. If you’re driving yourself then you’ll want to enter the address below into Google Maps.

Trang An Boat Tour Address: 7W39+7G5, Ninh Xuân, Hoa Lư, Ninh Bình, Vietnam

Trang An Boat Tour tickets, hours, and parking

Once you arrive at the Trang An complex, you’ll park if you’ve driven yourself and then head to the main ticket office. You’ll see signs for everything so don’t worry about getting lost.

• Trang An Hours of Operation: The Trang An Boat Tour is open 7 days a week, including holidays but the hours vary depending on the time of year.
  Summer hours: 6am to 4:45pm
  Winter hours: 7am to 4:30pm
  Holidays: 6am to 4:45pm
  
• Parking: When you arrive at the complex you’ll need to pay for parking if you’ve driven yourself. There’s a huge parking lot and a ticket booth. Parking will cost 15,000 VND for motorcycles and 10,000 VND for bicycles. That’s around .40 – .60 cents.
  
  If you’ve taken a taxi then you don’t have to pay any parking fee.
  
• Trang An Boat Tour Tickets: Tickets for the boat tour costs 250,000 VND per person, that’s about $11 per person. There has to be 4 people (plus the rower) on the boat so you might have to share a ride with others. Another option is to buy more tickets so that you have the boat to yourself.
  
  Although there are three different boat routes the price is the same no matter which one you choose to do.
  
  The ticket office is open 7 days a week from 6:30am to 5:00pm Monday through Friday and from 6:00am to 5:00pm Saturday and Sunday.

Trang An Boat Tour routes

The Trang An Complex has three four different boat tour routes to choose from. They just added a new route in July 2024 so now you have 4 options to choose from instead of three.

Each one goes a different way than the others so if you choose to do multiple boat tours you’ll see a few different things each time.

Once you purchase your tickets you’ll walk through the ticket office building (it’s huge) and through an underground tunnel that goes under the road to the other side of street and to the boat dock. You’ll come to the boat rowers and get on the next available boat.

• Route 1: The Trang An Boat Tour Route #1 will go through 9 different caves and stop at 3 different temples. The Tran Temple, is the “heart of Trang An World Cultural and Natural Heritage” and where you can learn about the Dinh Dynasty.
  
  This is also the longest of all the boat tours lasting around 3 hours.

Trinh Temple > Toi Cave > Sang Cave > Nau Ruou Cave > Tran Temple > Ba Giot Cave > Seo Cave > Son Duong Cave > Khong Cave > Khong Temple – Bao Hieu Pagoda > Tran Cave > Quy Hau Cave

• Route 2: On the Trang An Boat Tour Route #2 you’ll travel through 4 different caves and 3 temples. On this route you can learn more about the Tran Dynasty.

Lam Cave > Thanh Cao Son Temple > Vang Cave > Thanh Truot Cave > Suoi Tien Temple > Dai Cave > Vu Lam Royal Steps

You won’t get out at the last temple, the Vu Lam Royal Steps, but will only pass close by it.

• Route 3: The Trang An Boat Tour Route #3 takes you through three caves and three temples. On this route is the Dot cave which is the longest cave at Trang An at 1km in length. This tour route also takes you to where the Kong Skull Island movie was filmed.

Trinh Temple > Dot Cave > Van Cave > Suoi Tien Temple > Dai Cave > Vu Lam Royal Steps

• Route 4: The newest addition to the Trang An Boat Tours is the Phoenix Route. This Route is slightly shorter than the others lasting just 1.5 hours. You’ll go through 4 caves and stop at 2 temples.

Lam Cave > Thanh Cao Son Temple > Vang Cave > Thanh Truot Cave > Dai Cave > Vu Lam Royal Steps

Which Trang An Boat Tour is best?

Route #1 will take you through the most caves and is the longest route. Route #2 has a good mix of 4 caves and 3 temples. And Route #3 has an even split of 3 temples and 3 caves with one of the caves being the longest at Trang An. Route #4, the newest route is the shortest tour for those with limited time.

Route #1 is the most popular since it is the longest and has more caves that you pass through. They all have different temples and stunning landscapes so you really can’t go wrong with any of them.

Best time to visit Trang An

The Trang An Complex is open year round. The best weather is during the drier months between November and April although December and January will be colder.

It starts to warm up in March and there isn’t a lot of rain. By May and June it will be really warm and much more crowded but everything will be really green and blooming.

As far as the best time of day to take the Trang An Boat Tour, first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon are best. The morning will be more peaceful and less crowded, at least until the tour buses show up.

The middle of the day will be the most crowded and if you’re visiting during the hotter months, it will be very hot. The afternoon will also be hot (in late spring through early fall) but the crowds will have mostly left by then.

Is the Trang An Boat Tour worth it?

Yes, the Trang An Boat Tour is definitely worth visiting! It’s so peaceful, serene, and beautiful and should not be missed. It’s one of the best things to do in the area.

Other Boat Tours in Ninh Binh

Yes, there are other boat tours in the area that you might want to take in addition to the Trang An Boat Tour. Both of these also take you on a scenic tour of the area.

• Tam Coc Boat Tour: Tam Coc is just a 9 minute drive from Trang An where you can take a 2 hour boat tour down the Ngo River through rice paddy fields and mountains. The landscape is just as stunning as Trang An, however the Tam Coc Boat Tour is not an UNESCO site and so it’s not as professionally run as Trang An.

There is a set price to ride but there have been reports of boat rowers demanding tips and even refusing to continue on until you’ve paid them money.

• Van Long Nature Reserve Boat Tour: The Van Long Boat Tour is a 1.5 hour boat ride through a wetland area with caves and limestone mountains. It’s very popular with bird watchers as there’s a large variety of different birds that call the area home.

Essential Tips for the Trang An Boat Tour

• Clothing: You’ll be getting in and out of the boat when you stop at the temples so you’ll want to dress comfortably. You won’t be getting wet, unless it’s raining, so you don’t have to worry about that.
  
  Wear comfortable shoes because there are some stops where you can climb up some of the mountains (super easy) to get some good views.
  
• What to bring: things to consider bringing, depending on the weather, are sunscreen, a hat, umbrella, and raincoat. You might want to consider bringing water and snacks since each route is 2-3 hours long.
  
  When you stop at the different temples there will be a place to purchase a drink and snacks.
  
• Toilets: There are toilets near the ticket booth and there are toilets at the different stops for the temples. Just make sure you bring toilet paper with you. 🙂
• Cash: Always carry some cash for tipping and other things you might need.

Where to stay in Ninh Binh

Although the largest town in the area is the city of Ninh Binh, it’s not the best area to stay. You’ll want to be either in Tam Coc or Trang An which is close to all the main sights.

Frequently Asked Questions