Ninh Binh has the typical flair of a vietnamese city. In the city itself is basically nothing really special to see but the surrounding has much to offer.

Trang An Grottoes

6 km from the Center of Ninh Binh there are the Trang An Grottoes.  You will sit in a boat with four to six persons. A boats person is paddling in the backside and lead the boat through the area of mountains, grottoes, temples. In the boat there are additional paddles. If you feel like doing it, you can support him/her. When you stop at a temple. You get out off the boat walked around and get picked up at the other side of the temple. Most of the boat persons don’t speak English. Don’t panic, the amount of ways you could take is limited ;)

There are 2 Routes for the same price. Route 1 last 3,5 hours with focus on the landscape and temples. Route 2 last 2,5 hours and is more focused on grottoes.

How I got there:
Motorbike

Parking fee:
15ooo Dong

Entrance fee:
200000 Dong

Time I spent there:
2,5 hours

Location:
Link to Google Maps

Hang Mua and Nui Ngoa Long

If you search on google for the Mua Cave, you will get a lot of pictures of a Mountain with stairs. Actually it is a combination of mountain and cave at the same location. Round about 9km from the Center of Ninh Binh is the Hang Mua (Dancing Cave) and Nui Ngoa Long (Lying Dragon Mountain).

Mua Cave

In Winter time the Cave is quite small. You will reach a grotto after a few steps. But if you take of your shoes off and grab your flashlight, you can go over a little path deeper into the cave. I bet you can go further than I did at other times of the year – the path went deeper but the water level was too high there.

How I got there:
Motorbike

Parking fee:
15oooDong

Entrance fee:
150 000 Dong

Time I spent there:
2 hours

Location:
Link to Google Maps

Lying Dragon Mountain

More interesting than the cave is the 450 stairs long way up the Mountain to have a great view over the mountains, rice fields, the lake and little monuments

Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

How I got there:
Motorbike

Parking fee:
15oooDong

Entrance fee:
20000 Dong

Time I spent there:
0,30 hours

Location:
Link to Google Maps

Tuyệt Tình Coc

Next to Hoa Lu there is Dong An Tien. You can walk there and leave your motorbike at the parking lot of Hoa Lu. The cave of this area is promoted. Yes there is a cave but actually it is ridiculous small. It is more like a nice walk around a lake. There is also a small temple and a kind of gate. It is not special but nice for a walk.

How I got there:
Motorbike

Parking fee:
15oooDong

Entrance fee:
20000 Dong

Time I spent there:
0,25 hours

Location:
Link to Google Maps

Bai Dinh Temple

The highest pagoda of Vietnam is part of the Bai Dinh Temple. I went there by night to take some night view pictures. Because I didn’t enter the temple complex I actually don’t know what is to see there but it is highly recommended on other travel blocks.

How I got there:
Motorbike

Parking fee:
?

Entrance fee:
free

Time I spent there:
0,30 hours

Location:
Link to Google Maps

Famouse things I missed to do:

• National Park Cúc Phương with monkey salvation center