Things To Do In Ninh Binh – Budget Travel In Vietnam

Visit Ninh Binh for a taste of the real Vietnam that is unspoilt by overtourism. The surrounding areas are amongst the most beautiful in Vietnam.

Ninh Binh, located just 90 km south of Hanoi, is known as the ‘Ha Long Bay of the land. This is due to the limestone karsts that emerge from the rice fields that surround the city. Ninh Bonh offers travellers an insight into the everyday life of rural Vietnam. With such impressive landscapes, it is a surprise that it Ninh Binh is often overlooked by many travellers.

Add Ninh Binh To Your Vietnam Itinerary

We got off to a great start in Vietnam; with visits to Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Cat Ba Island all being wonderful experiences.

Ninh Binh had not been on our itinerary when we first started looking at places to visit in Vietnam. But it was a long way from Ha Long Bay to Hue and this looked a decent place to spend a few days and break up the journey. A fellow traveller in Hanoi told us he loved Ninh Binh and that it was very beautiful so we took his word for it and booked a three night stay.

How To Get To Ninh Binh from Cat Ba Island

As usual, we looked into arranging our own transport but we found that getting a bus-ferry-coach from the island to Ninh Binh actually worked out more expensive than paying a tour operator. We found a tour operator at Catba Rainbow Hotel (map) that offered a minibus service from our hotel right to the heart of Ninh Binh (or Tam Coc).

The bus arrived a little late at our hotel but we were impressed at how comfortable it was; comfy, soft seats and plenty of leg room made for a pleasant journey. The bus having free WiFi made the 4 hours fly by (I got a chance to blog on the go!) Tickets for the 4 hour journey cost 30,000 vnd each.

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Things To Do In Ninh Binh

There isn’t a great deal to do in the centre of Ninh Binh. However, tourists come here for what is on the edge of the city. Here is what we got up to during our visit:

Cycling In Ninh Binh

We hired a bike from Thu Guesthouse (map) for 50,000 vnd each. The bikes were old and battered but in working condition. You do not need mountain bikes as Ninh Binh and its surrounding areas are completely flat. We used the bikes to take us to ‘Ecotourist Trang An’, ‘Hang Mua’ and ‘Tam Coc’ all in the same day: 17 miles of cycling! It was a fantastic experience cycling through the rice paddies and local communities. We saw some great sights!

Ecotourism Trang An Boat Tour

This is the main reason why people visit Ninh Binh. You can take a boat ride here or at Tam Coc. Research showed that you are more likely to be hassled for tips and buying goods at Tam Coc, so we chose Trang An instead. It turned out to be a good decision as we were not once asked for more money.

The boat cost 200,000 vnd each and lasted nearly 3 hours. We rode across the most serene waters, surrounded by imposing mountains and into the tightest water caves. We also visited temples on the water. It was a wonderfully relaxing experience. Our guide rowed the whole way. She must have some serious arm muscles! We generally do not tip but we both regretted not making an exception in this case.

I highly recommend Ecotourist Trang An boat rides. It is a fantastic way to spend a half day. (Map).

Ecotourist Trang An Opening Times: 7 am – 4 pm, every day.
Ecotourist Trang An Entrance Fee: 200,000 Dong.

Hang Mua (Ninh Binh Viewpoint)

Yes, there’s a cave, but it’s rubbish. Much more impressive is the viewpoint from which you will see amazing views over the area. It’s not an easy climb and the stairs (500 of them) are uneven and steep, but the reward makes it all worthwhile. The area is well maintained and has a number of cafes. It costs 100,000 Dong to get into the area, which is a little steep for Vietnam. There is free parking available so ignore the shouts and screams before you reach the ticket office that you need to pay to park in their private parking (they can be quite adamant).

Hang Mua (Ninh Binh Viewpoint) Opening Times: 6 am – 7 pm
Hang Mua (Ninh Binh Viewpoint) Entrance Fee: 100,000 Dong.

Ninh Binh Night Market

I found this completely by accident. There is no mention of it on Google Maps. I visited on Saturday night which may be the only time it is open. It is small and there is nothing here you won’t have seen in many other South East Asian towns, but it was nice sitting with the locals and enjoying a beer. (Map).

Ninh Binh Stadium

We were staying near the stadium so we decided to have a look. There’s no real reason to travel to see it. We were lucky as it was open for a children’s event so we managed to get inside. It is a very run down stadium; I’m not sure how much goes on there these days. (Map).

Park Thuy Son

A small park next to the Song Day river. It has a couple of lakes, a public swimming pool, two temples and a small fairground. What excited us the most though was the small abandoned fairground in the middle of the park and the viewpoint at the north end. (Map).

Tam Coc Or Ninh Binh?

Travellers, like us, often struggle to decide whether to stay in Ninh Binh or in Tam Coc. We opted for Ninh Binh, which is the main city, whereas Tam Coc does seem more touristy as it has much more restaurants and bars aimed at tourists. We cycled into Tam Coc for lunch and a brief look around. It seemed a nice place. I think I’m glad we chose the city though as it had a bit more of a ‘real Vietnam’ feel to it.

Where To Eat In Ninh Binh

There are plenty of food options in Ninh Binh and it is even cheaper than Hanoi. There is not much of a street food scene, though there is a weekend market where you can enjoy local delicacies (and popcorn).

Brick Coffee Shop

We visited here whilst cycling into Ninh Binh. It’s a nice coffee shop that promises ‘WiFi, gardens and jazz’ from the outside. The coffee was good and much-needed. (Map).

Cafe Be

A lovely, modern cafe with an upstairs garden. Strong coffee and a breakfast menu. I had the Vietnamese sausage which was very tasty. (Map).

Ca Phe Tu Tu

A small cafe frequented by locals. It’s a nice place that sells strong coffee and has a small breakfast menu. The cafe is situated away from the central area so has a more local feel (Map).

Chookie’s

If you want vegan food in Ninh Binh, Chookie’s is a vegan-friendly, casual restaurant serving western food. At the time of our visit, they had recently made a brave decision to move from their location just off the busy Tran Hung Dao street and move into, presumably, bigger premises on the much quieter Nguyen Hue.

The new premises are impressive. There are chill out areas, a children’s play area, a big bar and pizza ovens. This is a good place to come if you want western food. The staff were extremely friendly (Map).

Coffee Phong

Despite the name, this restaurant is not just a coffee shop. In fact, it does delicious food, both Asian and western. The pizza here is delicious and more than satisfied a craving of ours for some western food. (Map).

Khoa Dung Restaurant

Situated in the Tam Coc area of Ninh Binh which has many restaurants. I had a goat noodle soup which was nothing special, but washed down with a delicious passion fruit juice. (Map).

Quan Com Son Luyen (maybe)

This may not actually be the place we visited on the first night but is on the same street and looks similar. It was typical Vietnamese food. I asked for mixed rice which I was told came with, “a bit of everything.” He wasn’t kidding.

I had never eaten grubs or insects and had no intention of doing so. However, it was just one tiny grub. How bad could it be? I placed it in the middle of a spoonful of rice and ate it. It wasn’t gross, but it wasn’t very nice either. I won’t be rushing to buy any as snacks. I’ll stick to crisps! (Map).

So Yummy

According to Google Maps, this place is open 24 hours! It looks like a nursery when you enter. I must admit I wasn’t expecting the food to be good from here but I was proved wrong. It was delicious food and well presented.

EDIT: So Yummy is now permanently closed.

Trung Nguyen Coffee & Restaurant

Trung Nguyen serve decent Vietnamese that is popular with locals. Whilst in there, I made a new friend: a five year old boy who took an instant liking to me. His mum asked me to teach him some English words and before I knew it, my meal had turned into an English lesson! It was nice mixing with the locals who were all super friendly. (Map).

Dog Meat

Though we didn’t come across any, apparently there are restaurants in Ninh Binh that openly serve dog meat. I did see dog being sold in the open market (on one stall, there was just a pile of dog heads). Remember, this is not your culture. It might seem terrible to you but not to others. If it offends you, go somewhere else.

Is Ninh Binh Worth Visiting?

I have to admit, I was underwhelmed by Ninh Binh when we first arrived. There didn’t appear to be a centre to the city and it appeared to have very little to offer the average tourist. We knew the real highlights would be found on the edge of the city but I was expecting more of Ninh Binh and immediately started thinking maybe Tam Coc would have been a better base.

However, over the next 2 days, I warmed to Ninh Binh. The people were so friendly and welcoming and the city, not spoiled by overtourism, had an honesty about it that was endearing. It is simply an unremarkable city centre that just happens to be surrounded by areas of incredible beauty.

On our final day, Vietnam beat Jordan on penalties in the quarter-final of the Asia Cup. The town went crazy! The streets and roads were filled with people waving flags, blowing horns and just generally having the time of their lives. It was a touching ending to our time here. And then it was time for the sleeper train…

Ninh Binh doesn’t get the number of travellers that it perhaps deserves. It is certainly worth including on your Vietnam itinerary.