Ninh Binh

About 100km from Hanoi, Ninh Binh is an increasingly popular destination in the North of Vietnam. Ninh Binh’s appeal is a blend of endearing history and fairy-tale nature. It is blissfully created with spectacular mountains, rivers, grottos and primitive forests. Ninh Binh is also proudly to be the first imperial capital of Vietnam. This is where you can totally relax and enjoying the fresh and stunning beauty of Vietnam’s nature with majestic limestone formations and meandering rivers on the rustic rowing boats in Trang An or Tam Coc. Often called “Halong Bay on the land”, Ninh Binh offers a new sense of serenity, tranquility, and simplicity to those who are looking for peace in their mind. Home to some incredible sights such as Phat Diem Cathedral, Bai Dinh Temple and also Cuc Phuong National Park, Ninh Binh is a place with much to discover.

• Hoa Lu: The first place you should visit in Ninh Binh is Hoa Lu ancient capital, 14km northwest of the city. It had been the capital of the Dinh, Pre-Le and Ly dynasties until King Ly Thai To moved the capital to Thang Long (Hanoi) in 1010.
• Tam Coc: The impressive complex of Tam Coc - Bich Dong is superbly created by nature with numerous limestone outcrops on land, rendering it nickname “a terrestrial Ha Long Bay”. You will definitelly enjoy a rowing boat trip to savor its splendor, especially the cruise through its green rice paddies.
• Van Long Natural Reserve comprises numerous canals, lakes, streams and limestone mountains set in an island-like landscape. Van Long literally means "Dragons flying in clouds", which perfectly depicts its awe-inspiring beauty.
• Cuc Phuong National Park: Located on two limestone mountains, Cuc Phuong National Park offers breathtaking sceneries and wealthy ecosystems. It boasts several thousands-years old trees as well as valuable archeological vestiges dated back to 200 - 230 million years ago.
• Trang An is an ecotourism site located in the World Heritage Complex of Trang An in the province of Ninh Binh. It has been classified by the Government of Vietnam as a national monument of special importance and is recognized as a World Heritage Site since 2014 by UNESCO. Trang An with its limestone karst system has a geological age of around 250 million years. Through a long time degraded by the change of the land, the climate, the sea, the degradation of the sea, the place now has hundreds of valleys, caves, and lagoons. This lighthouse is home to many wetland ecosystems, limestone forests, archaeological sites, and cultural and historical monuments.
• Mua cave: When visiting the Cave, you will have the opportunity to check its flexibility by climbing the mountain peaks through 486 stone steps. From the top of the mountain, you can admire all the beauty of the Tam Coc area with the vast green rice fields.