Ninh Binh is famous for its majestic and poetic beauty.
Why visit Ninh Binh? When traveling to Vietnam, Ninh Binh is not only an ideal destination for nature lovers but also a place that preserves precious cultural and historical values. From UNESCO World Heritage sites to ancient revered temples and mysterious caves, Ninh Binh offers visitors unique and unforgettable experiences.
Discover the reasons to visit this beautiful region and the must-see sites during your trip here.
Overview of Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is a province located in the Red River Delta region, about 100 km from the center of Hanoi. It is a relatively close distance for travel enthusiasts with limited time to venture far. When visiting Ninh Binh, you can admire breathtaking natural landscapes, many of which are recognized by UNESCO as World Cultural Heritage sites. From the picturesque beauty of Non Nuoc mountains to the unique architecture of Bai Dinh temple, Ninh Binh offers landscapes that captivate visitors, eliciting admiration and praise.
Why visit Ninh Binh?
Many preserved treasures
Ninh Binh is home to many natural treasures, deserving to be a true paradise for nature lovers. Nicknamed “the inland Halong Bay,” it stands out with its magnificent karst mountains and caves valleys.
Not only is Ninh Binh beautiful, but it is also proud to be a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with places like Trang An, Tam Coc – Bich Dong, and Hoa Lu. Each site offers visitors unique and unforgettable experiences, captivating people’s hearts with its wild and sublime natural beauty.
Exciting activities to experience
A boat trip to Mua Cave, Ninh Binh
In Ninh Binh, visitors can engage in many exciting activities. You can explore the majestic limestone mountains, take ascenic landscape boat ride, or climb the peaks to admire the spectacular natural panoramas. Visiting caves and historical sites, or cycling to discover picturesque villages are also interesting options.
Additionally, you can try bird watching, fishing on the river, or savor local cuisine in small roadside restaurants. With this diversity of activities, Ninh Binh promises a memorable and colorful travel experience.
Remarkable Cultural and Historical Heritage
With Hoa Lu – the ancient capital of Vietnam – and historical sites like Bai Dinh temple, Ninh Binh is the perfect place to discover the special cultural and historical values of the country with so many ancient temples and pagodas.
Varied Cuisine
Ninh Binh also enchants with its diverse and rich cuisine, from street food to traditional rural dishes. It is a unique opportunity to experience Vietnam’s unique culinary culture.
Tranquility and Calm
As a place of culture and nature, Ninh Binh also offers a refuge of peace and tranquility away from modern life, perfect for those seeking rest and relaxation.
Proximity to Local Life
Why visit Ninh Binh? Ninh Binh is a place where visitors can interact and experience the life of the local people. Peaceful villages, small streets, and interactions with the inhabitants offer a deep and fascinating cultural experience.
When is the best time to visit?
The lotus, one of Vietnam’s symbolic flowers, blooms in Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh is an ideal destination at various times of the year. However, the best times to visit are in the spring (January – March) when the weather is cool and there are many festivals, or in the summer (May – August) to admire the golden rice fields and fragrant lotuses.
Top 10 Must-Visit Places
Trang An
This place attracts visitors with its majestic landscapes of mountains, winding rivers, and wild valleys. In Trang An, visitors can choose from three boat tours to explore the caves.
The first tour goes through 9 caves, Trinh temple, Tran temple, and Khong palace. The second tour passes through 4 caves, the sacred Cao Son temple, Vu Lam arcade, Tran temple, and Fairy Stream (Suoi Tien in Vietnamese). The third tour includes 3 caves, Trinh temple, Tran temple, Fairy Stream, and Vu Lam arcade. Each tour lasts from 2 to 3 hours.
Read more: Trang An Landscape Complex: Unveiling outstanding values in Ninh Binh, Vietnam
Tam Coc – Bich Dong
During your visit, you typically start by exploring Bich Dong pagoda, nicknamed “the second heavenly cave in the South,” to admire the panoramic view from above. Then, you can take a boat ride on the Ngo Dong river to discover Tam Coc. Tam Coc, meaning “three caves,” includes Ca cave, Hai cave, and Ba cave.
Tam Coc impresses visitors with its towering limestone cliffs, fascinating rock formations inside the caves, and golden rice fields on either side of the rivers.
The poetic scene in Tam Coc – Bich Dong
Read more: Tam Coc – Bich Dong in Ninh Binh: A Must-See During a Trip to Northern Vietnam
Mua Cave
About a 15-minute drive from Trang An, the Mua Cave tourist area is located at the foot of the mountain. It is a very popular spot for tourists visiting Ninh Binh. To reach the top of Mua Cave, visitors must climb about 500 stone steps.
From the top of Mua Cave, visitors can enjoy a magnificent panorama of Ninh Binh with its winding rivers, rice fields, and majestic mountains. Visitors typically spend about 2 to 3 hours at the site to explore and take photos.
Ancient Capital Hoa Lu
Hoa Lu was the capital of Vietnam from 968 to 1010, under the Dinh, Early Le, and Early Ly dynasties. It is one of the four core areas of the Trang An World Heritage Complex recognized by UNESCO. Visitors can tour the temples of King Dinh (Dinh Tien Hoang), King Le (Le Dai Hanh), and a museum housing various artifacts. These temples were built around the 10th century.
Bai Dinh Temple
The Bai Dinh Temple complex, constructed starting in 2003, covers more than 500 hectares and is surrounded by magnificent arcs of limestone mountains. The temple is divided into two areas: the New Temple and the Ancient Temple. Visitors can explore on foot or travel by electric car.
Am Tien Cave
Located in the national heritage complex of the ancient capital Hoa Lu, Am Tien Cave, also known as Tuyet Tinh Gorge, is in Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district, more than 10 km from Ninh Binh city center. The area is surrounded by high limestone mountains like citadels, with a lake in the middle of cool blue-green water.
Am Tien Cave, also known as Tuyet Tinh Gorge
Visitors often describe this place as romantic with a touch of mystery. It was once accessible only by climbing. Today, visitors can pass through a tunnel through the mountain and then climb to visit the temple, make offerings, and admire the caves with their fantastic rock formations.
Van Long Bay
Nicknamed “the bay without waves,” this place impresses visitors with its perfectly calm water, without a ripple when boating on the lake. The water here is not blue like the sea but rather clear and transparent, allowing each layer of moss below to be clearly seen.
It is also a place that holds two records from the Vietnam Records Center in 2010: one for having the largest population of white-bellied doucs and the other for possessing the largest natural painting.
Thung Nham Bird Garden
The Thung Nham Bird Garden eco-park, located about 12 km from Ninh Binh city, is home to around 40 species of birds with more than 50,000 individuals. The best time to observe the birds is around 5 PM when they return from foraging.
Phat Diem Stone Church
Phat Diem Church, located 28 km from Ninh Binh city, stands out for its unique architecture that mimics the traditional features of Vietnamese pagodas, despite being a Catholic construction, with its roof shaped like a boat’s hull. The complex includes a large church, five smaller churches (one of which is entirely built of natural stone, called the stone church), a pavilion (bell tower), a pond, and three artificial stone caves.
Cuc Phuong National Park
Cuc Phuong National Park, located in Nho Quan district, Ninh Binh province, borders the provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh, and Thanh Hoa. It is Vietnam’s first national park, covering about 22,000 hectares, attracting many tourists for its various activities such as ecotourism, research, and adventure.
Visitors to Cuc Phuong have the opportunity to explore the primary forest, caves with fascinating rock formations, and cultural and historical relics such as Trang Khuyet Cave, Chua Cave, Thuy Tien Cave, and Cave of prehistoric man. Additionally, Cuc Phuong National Park features hot springs, a rich biodiversity of flora, thousand-year-old trees such as the cho tree (Ficus macrophylla), and a wildlife conservation area.
Why visit Ninh Binh?
Why visit Ninh Binh? Traveling to Ninh Binh is not just a travel to North Vietnam to discover the majestic beauty of nature, but also an opportunity to explore the unique history and culture of this ancient land. From UNESCO-recognized World Heritage sites to destinations steeped in spirituality and culture, Ninh Binh certainly leaves unforgettable memories in the hearts of every visitor.
Contact us to plan your exploration and experience of Ninh Binh, and discover how each step brings its own wonders and new inspiration.
