Passeio de um dia a Hoa Lu - Tam Coc

Due to the previous typhoon, floods, and seasonal changes, all the rice paddies at Tam Coc River were destroyed. The water level was too high, so only one cave was accessible for passage. Boating on the river would offer no scenic views. Therefore, the guide suggested a last-minute itinerary change for that day: Hoa Lu Ancient City (cycling there) > Boat trip (2 hours, but no disembarking to visit attractions/pass through caves) > Mua Cave (our booked tour required an additional 1,000,000 VND entrance fee; otherwise, it would only be a cycling tour nearby. Climbing Mua Cave requires considerable physical fitness but offers beautiful scenery, highly recommended). Please note, before starting the tour, there's a rest stop promoting bamboo products. After using the restroom, you'll be invited to a room for a product demonstration, followed by time to browse the store. The guide primarily introduced Hoa Lu Ancient City, with no detailed explanations for other attractions, and his English accent was quite strong, making it difficult to understand. Also, the guide might have been trying to be humorous, repeatedly saying he was single and handsome (which he wasn't), but overall, he was still a polite guide who tried his best to cater to the needs of the tourists.

A beautiful experience well worth the money. Your itinerary varies slightly depending on the weather (we went on the hottest day of the year). Our itinerary was 2.5 hr drive, 10 minute bike ride to ancient city, bike back to buffet lunch, 30 minute drive to boat ride, 1.5 hr boat ride, 1hr at another city with a pagoda, 2.5 hr drive back.

Un viaje emocionante lleno de experiencias divertidas. Lo más destacado fue el corto pero memorable paseo en bicicleta y, por supuesto, el increíble viaje por el río. La única pega que puedo encontrar es que el autobús paró en un lugar aleatorio a la ida y a la vuelta donde no había mucho para comprar comida y bebida, y no se mencionó ni se dio tiempo para preparar provisiones para los largos viajes en autobús y en barco. En general, un gran día y una experiencia agradable llena de emoción.

It took about 2 hours from Hanoi to Ninh Binh. First, we visited the bamboo shop for 30 minutes and I bought several things there. It seemed that we joined other tour groups with a hiking package, so I had to pay an extra fee of 100,000 VND if I chose hiking instead of cycling. Lunch was a buffet. We still rode bicycles after lunch. The 1.5-2 hour boat trip was amazing with breathtaking views, but the boatwoman tried to sell souvenirs and asked for tips after finishing the trip. I gave her 30,000 VND, but she was unhappy and said that she wanted 100,000 VND. This is bad because tipping should be optional.

The trip to the ancient capital was great. For the first stop, you can choose to hike or cycle around. The weather was very hot, but our guide Dylan did his best to ensure everyone stayed well hydrated. It was interesting to learn about the history. You can also meet locals working on the farm. The boat ride to the cave was the nicest and most special part.

Chuyến đi này rất đáng tiền. Nếu bạn đang tìm kiếm những hoạt động vui vẻ như đạp xe, chèo thuyền kayak và đi bộ đường dài, thì đây chính là điều bạn đang tìm kiếm. Bạn cần rất nhiều năng lượng cho chuyến đi này. Sẽ tốt hơn nếu thời tiết mát mẻ hơn một chút. Nhưng nhìn chung, đây là những hoạt động nhất định phải thử ở Việt Nam.

One of the bucket list! It was amazing, there are young and elders that row the boat using their feet. The Ancient Capital is also memorable, with so many stories.

Everything was great – the itinerary and activities were good, and the tour guide was very professional and attentive to everyone. However, we weren't aware that the boatman would be selling souvenirs on the boat. We didn't want to buy anything, but she seemed very unhappy and kept urging us to consider. In the end, she unhappily and directly asked the three of us for a tip. While we don't know what their salaries are like, buying and tipping should be voluntary and mutually agreeable to be pleasant. We suggest that this aspect of the cooperation could be discussed further, especially since it's a place with so many tourists.

Heavy rainy day. Not much enjoy the outing activities on a rainy day. Kinda boring to visit the Hao Lu Ancient Captial, but there is not much to sightseeing. Recommend joining the hiking tour instead of the cycle one. Nice landscape at Tom Cox, but it’s spending too much time (2 hrs) on the bamboo boat under the rain, ended up getting wet even though I wore a raincoat with an umbrella. Will join the same tour with hiking next time if the weather condition is good.

I experienced cycling, Hoa Lu, and a Tam Coc river cruise. I was deeply moved by the continuous stunning scenery! Although there were about 40 participants, which is a very large group, I felt it was a tour where everyone could enjoy themselves without any problems. Tú is an excellent guide. Highly recommended!