Just two hours from Hanoi is the Ninh Binh region of Vietnam that is home to stunning landscapes, historical monuments and is deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also home to Tam Coc which is known as the Ha Long Bay on Land. Tam Coc is a must-see while visiting Hanoi and can easily be done in a day trip. You can find tours for under $35 USD which includes transportation to and from Hanoi, a full day tour, lunch, and all entrance fees, it’s too easy and cheap to skip!

The Hao Lu & Tam Coc Day Tour:

I booked this trip at the tourist office right next to the Hanoi Youth Hostel on Luong Ngoc Quyen, as it was one of the cheaper offers for a day trip to Ninh Binh that I had seen around town (there are tourist offices everywhere offering some version of this same trip). I wasn’t looking for anything fancy and it wasn’t, but this budget tour followed the itinerary as promised, and gave me a chance to see something outside of Hanoi for an affordable price. We were picked up from our hostel around 9 am and were in Ninh Binh around 11 am. (If you are looking to book ahead of time online, I found this tour for $32 that does just about the same activities that I mention below!)

Visiting Hoa Lu:

The tour started at Hoa Lu, which is what used to be the capital of Vietnam in the 10^th and 11^th century. Our guide explained that it was the perfect place to build a capital, as it is surrounded by enormous limestone mountains that create an impenetrable barrier to enemies.

Inside of this ancient citadel is the refurbished remains of two ornate temples, tombs of past emperors, as well as a pagoda. We only had time to see both of the temples, but they were both very interesting and the grounds themselves were beautiful.

Our guide tried to convey as much information as he could with the little English he spoke, but luckily I had befriended Hong, a Vietnamese-American girl who I had shared a hostel room with. She was able to translate everything for me and a few others on our trip!

After touring the ancient citadel, we stopped for lunch at a local restaurant, which served simple but excellent Vietnamese food. It was some of the best tofu I’ve ever had, actually. There was an option to pay more for a buffet, but I wouldn’t recommend it, as the lunch they provided with the tour was really nice and plentiful.

Biking Through Rice Fields:

Upon finishing lunch, we went for a 40-minute bicycle ride through the nearby rice fields, which were as lush and green as could be. Our guide said that we were lucky to see the fields like this, as the rice farmers were going to harvest their crop within a day or two, leaving the fields brown and not so aesthetically pleasing.

We passed some farmers laying out their rice to dry in the sun right on the main road. I found this funny, as it was the main road where many cars, motor bikes, and cyclists frequented.

The rice fields were absolutely stunning, and this was an added bonus to the trip, as I just expected to take a boat ride through Tam Coc.

Taking a Boat Ride Through Tam Coc:

Our next and final stop was the main event of the tour: a 1-hour boat ride through the incredible Tam Coc. As mentioned previously, this is known as the Ha Long Bay on land.

Hong and I climbed into a long wooden boat, and a local guide started paddling us down the river…using his feet! He took us through multiple caves, we saw water buffalo cooling down in the river, and just took in the stunning scenery of giant limestone mountains all around us.

I was so impressed with our guide, as he didn’t use his hands one time during the whole hour to row the boat!

I also loved watching the water buffalo floating along the river with us. I’m not sure if they were going anywhere in particular or just cooling off, but it was my first time seeing water buffalo so close and they are so cute!

After tipping our local boat guide for a wonderful ride, we made our way back to the van, and were back in Hanoi by early evening.

Looking for your next adventure in Vietnam? Check out more posts here!