Explore Ninh Binh's Best: Hoa Lu, Tam Coc, and Mua Cave

This activity is well worth exploring. It started promptly, and the drive was about two hours, with a stop halfway for restrooms and food. I recommend eating breakfast before departing. The first stop was Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, where we had about 50 minutes. Remember to bring a fan and an umbrella, as it can suddenly rain heavily in Vietnam! The second stop was for lunch, which was a buffet. The food was decent; don't expect too much, it's just a buffet to fill your stomach. After lunch, our guide took us cycling. If you prefer not to cycle, you can relax at the restaurant. After lunch, we went for a boat ride. There are two locations, Trang An and Tam Coc, and we were assigned to Tam Coc. The entire experience was enjoyable. Remember to bring an umbrella. During the ride, they will try to sell you handmade paintings, but we politely declined. After getting off the boat, the boatman will ask for a tip. The third stop was Mua Caves for hiking. Since the stairs were quite wet after the rain, and we were too tired, we decided not to climb for safety reasons. We sat at the restaurant below and took some photos. I must commend our guide, Ryan; his explanations were humorous, very clear (10/10), and helpful!

The tour guide arrived on time at the pick-up point. The itinerary included five activities: First, we visited a silk production facility where items are made from bamboo, but there was no pressure to buy anything. Second, we visited Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, which was a simple photo opportunity. Third, we went to a resort village for a buffet lunch. The food selection wasn't extensive, but the portions were sufficient. The only drawback was having to pay extra for drinks. At this point, there was also an option to rent bicycles and explore the area. Fourth, we experienced a thrilling antique boat ride on the river, which lasted about an hour. The scenery was incredibly beautiful, and we took many photos; this was the highlight of the entire trip. The boat operators actively solicited tips. Fifth, we hiked up a hill, which also took about an hour. The steps were quite steep, and most people found it challenging. The entire day's itinerary lasted approximately 12 hours. The tour guide was attentive throughout, providing information about each location, and safely returned all travelers to their hotel.

If you only have one day to get out of Hanoi, you have to do a day trip to Ninh Binh. It feels completely different from the city—massive limestone cliffs, temples tucked into the mountains, and rivers everywhere. Tips for the Tour: ​Bring a hat and sunscreen for the boat ride because there is zero shade on the water, and definitely save enough energy (and water!) for the Mua Cave climb at the end of the day. Your legs will hurt the next day, but the views are 100% worth it.

Wonderful trip. Tom a.k.a. Tom Cruise was very helpful with all information. He gave us a background about the place and was very clear with instructions on what to expect from locals, how to bargain, how much to pay / tip to avoid being ripped off. The limousine bus is very comfortable. The lunch includes a decent amount of vegetarian options. Overall, the trip is placed very well - starts with a visit to the temple, followed by lunch, then boating and finally a good hike.

I am very delighted to avail this tour and very pleased with our tour guide, Michael! i fell in love of the rich and unique history and culture of Viet Nam! the Food, absolutely delicious! will recommend this tour

The tour guide seemed too young and didn't really control the group well. Also, while they were called a tour guide, they didn't actually introduce the history of each location. This was a very different experience compared to other tours I've taken in Vietnam. The worst part was that after dropping everyone off at each location, they didn't mention a meeting time. When I asked the tour guide what time we'd meet, they just replied that they'd be waiting at that spot, and the voice was so quiet that not all the tour group members could hear. So, the entire day was spent waiting for other tour members to return to the group, plus it was a holiday, so there were tons of other tour groups at each location! Because our group arrived late to the restaurant for lunch, we only had half an hour for lunch, which felt very rushed and uncomfortable. The bike ride after lunch is really unnecessary. The bikes were super bad, and the roads were super bad too. It's skippable. The only complete experience during the whole trip was the boat ride. The Mua Cave at the end was just a big question mark. We paid money to enter, but we could only stay for 40 minutes. There was no time to climb up, even though the park was really beautiful. It was such a pity we couldn't go up because we'd be late. Again, regarding the final meeting time to return to Hanoi, we waited in the car for 40 minutes because other tour members were late. The whole experience really felt like we spent 2/3 of the time waiting for people! If you're going to spend a whole day on this, I recommend booking a small group or a private tour. You really get what you pay for!

Fantasic, the trip was well organized and Johnny was very informative and took time and gave us details about the places we were visiting. We highly recommend the trip to anyone planning visit to Ninh binh.

The guide (Duy) was amazing and also the drive was smooth (kudos to the driver). good vegetarian food availablility which was a blessing. loved all the activities, definitely recommend first time visitors to try

Well organised day trip at Ninh Binh, packed with fun activities. cycling and hiking was the highlight. Bus was comfy with adequate toilet break. Tour guide is caring and accommodative. lunch was good, drink not included though. it would be better if skip the bamboo factory outlet. At least they not forceful pushing sales. overall, great tour and good values.

Tour started on-time. It was raining so not ideal to spend the day tour but our tour guide Thiên was ready with raincoat so we still push through with the tour itineraries. Highly advised to avail the klook insurance 'satisfaction guarantee' as it will protect you from same circumstances.