Natural beauty and human history find the perfect marriage in Tam Coc and Hoa Lu, two small regions of Ninh Binh province in the north of Vietnam. Limestone mountains stretch high above this region blanketed with idyllic Vietnamese scenery, where farmers work in the rolling fields of golden rice flanked by wild, evergreen vegetation. For its beauty and strategic advantages, King Dinh founded Hoa Lu here in 968 AD, declaring it the capital of a freshly independent Vietnam. Nearby, Tam Coc stands as the perfect testament to Vietnamese nature, with an ancient river and outstanding splendour at every turn.
Hanoi – Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Hanoi (L)
Meals:
Lunch
08:00 – 08:30: Our guide and driver will meet you outside your hotel in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Board the modern bus and take the drive directly southwards to Ninh Binh, following the daily routines of farmers across their acres of rice paddies.
10:00 – 10:30 We arrive in the ancient capital of Vietnam, Hoa Lu, finding wonderful examples of ancient architecture dating from the 10th century. Two of its finest examples are to be found at the temples of King Dinh and King Le, which honour the two separate rulers of Vietnam during Hoa Lu’s 43-year period as the capital.
12:00: Boarding the bus again, we take the short drive southwards to Tam Coc for a delicious local buffet lunch.
12:30: At the Ngo Dong River in central Tam Coc, we board a local sampan boat and take a serene cruise along the soft-flowing water. For 90 minutes, we watch the astounding scenery glide past us, noting the perfect limestone mountains dotted with goats, shallow paddies of golden rice and the low-slung caves that pass beneath karst rocks.
14:00: We take a relaxed cycling tour along the quiet village roads of Tam Coc, looking out on both sides as the perfect panorama of northern Vietnam stands painted around us.
15:00: Returning to the Ngo Dong River, we finish the Hoa Lu Tam Coc day tour by boarding the bus and heading back to Hanoi, where we should arrive at around 17:00.
It was our pleasure to take you on this full-day tour to Hoa Lu Tam Coc. We hope that you enjoyed your time and have left with a stronger appreciation of our beautiful country!
Jeffrey
A great day trip to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc
I went on the 1 day tour of Hoa Lu and Tam Coc from Hanoi, which was a very special and the most amazing one. Mr. Tien is the tour guide for our trip and he was so kind to all of the guests who all have different needs. Tien’s English was very good and he explained simply and clearly about the history of Vietnam in their ancient capital of Hoa Lu. He give us so much information about the Vietnam history and about how to deal with the locals who sell stuff to tourists. The food we had for lunch afterwards was some of the best I’ve had in the country. The best part of this trip was the boat tide in Tam Coc. I heard that they call Ninh Binh is Halong Bay on land because it has mountains around and river which you can row through peacefully. Then we had a cycle tour to see other attractions, rice paddy fields, mountains and couples of pagodas. The day was perfect thanks to Tien and Mr. Driver.
Paige
Beautiful full day to Hoa Lu Tam Coc
Me and my mom booked through this company to go to Ninh Binh for the day and we can’t fault the tour or the company in the slightest! Our day trip was absolutely incredible and we have to send a big thank to Tien for making our day. He was such a lovely guide, always so helpful and he had a great sense of humor. He knows so much about Vietnamese history and he really brought it to life for us as we visited Hoa Lu village. We saw the old capital of Vietnam and we went on the boat ride at Tam Coc. The river tour was unbelievable, definitely one of my favorite activities that I have done in the country and I am itching to go back and do it again. After that, we had lunch which was great with a wide selection of dishes. And cycling through the paddle fields is another highlight of the trip and I loved it very much. I feel like I saw and learned about so much on this day trip from Hanoi, and considering the price for the whole day, I will definitely be using this tour company for my future travels in Vietnam!
Yoon
Great Hoa Lu one day trip
This is a really nice day trip beginning in Hanoi. We departed in the early morning in a nice shuttle bus, very comfortable with of course air con. We leave on time and get a nice tour guide who name is Jimmy. He is so friendly tour guide who explained everything very well and we really enjoy to be around him. The first stop was the old citadel which was amazing and we learnt a lot about the ancient history of the Vietnamese royal family. Then we took a bamboo boat ride rowed by a local (with her feet!) before the cycle trip in the village. The boat trip took 1 and 1 half hour, the weather was quite hot and we should take an umbrella. I loved the cycling on the bike even though it was hot and a little bit hard work sometimes! I hope to be back and if I do make it, I will ask for Jimmy to be my guide again as he is absolutely the best. I’m surely recommend this tour for everyone.
Alvin
Excellent day tour from Hanoi
While we are searching for a day tour on the internet, we ran into this tour company. After this trip, I would like to confirm that everything they say on their website is correct. Great service and great trip organized. There were no unpleasant surprises or extra costs for thing and the process of booking from emailing the agents was very simple. We were picked up on time by a comfy bus and the ride to Ninh Binh was 2 hour long. It was a great day hanging out with Victor our tour guide who took us to visit two temples of the kings and told us many things about Hoa Lu and the kings and queens. Victor is a fantastic tour guide and really pleasant to be with. He is so funny and organized, but very relaxed at the same time. The local paddle us on the river, which was very relaxing, and we spoke to her about her life. The boat trip was a bit long, but it’s good to see all of the caves and the mountains. My favorite part was cycling next to rice paddies with Victor and he pointed out lots of things for us to see. This brought back lots of memories for me as a child, so it was very comfortable. I would highly recommend this tour company to anyone who asks about going to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc on a day trip from Hanoi.
Hiroshi
Tam Coc Hoa Lu full day tour
We had a wonderful Ninh Binh day trip from Hanoi. Tam Coc was a beautiful place to visit and it will be a good option for your day trips in from Hanoi. The lunch was very good in a buffet restaurant and the bicycle around this area was amazing with beautiful scenery. The boat tour was in perfect weather and showed us the amazing landscape of Vietnam from the water. We had a very comfortable bus to take us from Hanoi to Tam Coc, and also the same on the way back. We had Peter as our tour guide and he was exceptional. He speaks English really good and his knowledge about the destinations, Vietnamese culture and people taught us many things about this beautiful country. His input really topped off a memorable experience of Ninh Binh. My friends and I were so happy that we took this day trip and we hope to visit Ninh Binh again in the future. We highly recommend this day tour.
Katherine
Nice Hoa Lu Tam Coc day trip
My sister and I decided to spend one day to Hoa Lu Tam Coc (in Ninh Binh province) and the tour really lived up to its name. It was a wonderful experience to see the Halong Bay on Land, made more wonderful by our lovely and very happy tour guide. He has so much knowledge about Vietnamese culture and is always pleased to answer any questions that people have with a big smile on his face! He made us feel very comfortable and welcomed on the bus and while we were walking around Hoa Lu. The Tam Coc boat trip and cycling through rice fields an excellent experience for us and the scenery was amazing. The buffet lunch was with a lot of options to choose. I had an incredible experience seeing the Halong Bay on Land with the help of our very accommodating and friendly tour guide. I’m sure to rebook with his company when I visit Hanoi again. I really recommend this Ninh Binh day tour for anyone who wants to visit Hanoi.
Mun
Tam Coc day tour in Ninh Binh
My girlfriend and I had a great day to Hoa Lu Tam Coc leaving the busy Hanoi City behind. The day trip from Hanoi was great with a very comfortable bus ride through the countryside of North Vietnam. There was much breathtaking scenery and the place felt very relaxing. We took this trip with another group but it was very good and I made new friends there. It was even more enjoyable compared to a private tour which only guide and driver I have done before. We had a delicious buffet lunch in a local restaurant near Hoa Lu. We enjoyed the biking in Tam Coc so much, it was so nice to cycle around Ninh Binh village with the mountains in the back. The boat trip in Tam Coc was amazing with our local sampan boat rower and beautiful scenery. We want to say thanks to Ducky for being a great guide on the history of Tam Coc and the things to see there. He told us about two temples history and the first and second kings in Vietnam. He always wanted to help us with photos all the time and warned us about the scams. This Hoa Lu Tam Coc one day trip was wonderful and joyful, I fully recommend for anyone who wants a nice day out of the busy city.
Elle
Fantastic Tam Coc one day tour
It was a short day tour beginning from Hanoi but we had so much fun. This tour was not originally in my plan because Tam Coc is quite a hidden place but I enjoyed it a lot. We had a really good guide called Tien, who was fun, informative and very helpful with anything we needed. I loved the historic tour to the old temples of the king where we learned about Vietnamese history. The views that we saw on the boat and by bike were stunning and it was overall a very relaxing time in Ninh Binh. Thank you Tien and I recommend this tour to anyone who is considering to take the Tam Coc day trip from Hanoi.
Jack
Group tour to Ninh Binh from Hanoi
We joined a group of 10 people to Tam Coc for a day trip. Tour is really good for the timing, itinerary and arranging the tour guide for us. She was fantastic! She had so much information about the places we were going and she answered all the questions we asked her. We had a great time learning about the temples with her. We had a great lunch and a really cool boat ride down the river. Afterward was a cycling trip around the village which was really cool and enjoyable. We saw some paddy rice fields and small houses. We really enjoyed ourselves. I loved this tour and would surely recommend this company!
Pucky
Package tour from Hanoi to Ninh Binh
My parents and I did the Hoa Lu Tam Coc day tour from Hanoi and it was so nice. Peter was our tour guide and he was so helpful, he answered our questions very patiently. He explained so much about Vietnam heritage at Hoa Lu old capital and showed us the temples there. I liked the boat trip and going on the river with the local women who can row with their feet! In my opinion, the cycle program and the boat riding were very impressive and best part of Hoa Lu Tam Coc tour. We cycle by the rice fields in Tam Coc and saw lots of interesting things. To be on the river was so nice and a wonderful experience. I liked the buffet food but the restaurant was quite touristy with long tables and lots of people. In general, this Hoa Lu Tam Coc day tour is great for everyone. Would recommend to my friends.
Retriever
Tam Coc – Hoa Lu for one day
The day trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh really blown my mind away. I’ve just arrived back my hotel but I decided to write a review about this trip. It took about 2 hours to reach the ancient capital. We walked around for about 45 minutes to see the old capital and two temples of the king inside. Then we went to Tam Coc with lovely countryside and a river that goes through the middle. We jumped into a boat which was rowed by a local by his foot to admire the fantastic landscape in Ninh Binh. Lunch with big portion and was delicious. Very historic and very scenic place. Just want to say a big thank to Man, our wonderful tour guide who was very entertaining and friendly throughout. Thank you for a wonderful trip!
Andrew
Great Hanoi to Ninh Binh day trip
Through many researches on the internet, I found that Hoa Lu Tam Coc are the best place nearby Hanoi to go. My trip was amazing thanks to our guide Jimmy. He was so helpful and always appears with a big smile. I really enjoyed the temples around both areas and the ride in a local boat on the Tam Coc river was such a good experience. It is perfect backdrop of paddy fields and mountains with some rivers by the side. Our favorite part was to cycle on the road between all the rice fields, I really enjoyed the scenery from the road. Thank you team for a great day trip to Ninh Binh!
Melanie
One day tour in Ninh Binh
I had a lovely trip today in Ninh Binh visiting Hoa Lu Tam Coc place. This trip is only in one day but I think this is enough to see the beauty of countryside of Vietnam. I took the group tour with other people from different countries. We shared the bus to Ninh Binh and got along real quick. The landscape in Ninh Binh was awesome, weather was nice and our guide Sugar was very friendly and informative. He gave us very detailed knowledge about the Dinh, Le Temples and Vietnam history. We were served a buffet lunch so I could choose what I want and all other people are very happy with the food. We continued the tour with the boat ride by local man in Tam Coc and we had about 1 hour cycling around that area. We came to a local village and saw their daily life and of course the stunning landscape there. I would highly recommend that you take this trip if you want a day out of Hanoi.
Jin
Hoa Lu and Tam Coc day tour
My wife and I had a great Ninh Binh day trip visiting Ancient temples in Hoa Lu and Tam Coc boat ride to admire the landscape in this province. Our great tour guide made our trip become perfect. He was a friendly guy, attentive and helpful all the time. Ninh Binh is a peaceful place with mountains surround and tranquil river. The visit to King’s old palace which showed us a part of Vietnamese history was great. We did a boat ride in Tam Coc through 3 caves and it was amazing. Lunch buffet was also good with local dishes. A huge thumbs up for this company and Man our tour guide for a great day trip from Hanoi. I will definitely tell my friends about this tour.
Choong J.
Amazing Hoa Lu Tam Coc day trip
If you are looking for a good short journey from Hanoi, this is the one for you. The day trip to Hoa Lu Tam Coc is very reasonable and you will go with 2 or 3 small groups. This is a perfect option if you want to see the life of Vietnamese countryside. The trip was amazing with our cheerful and helpful guide man. He was knowledgeable about Vietnam history and culture. He played a big part in making this trip more enjoyable. The lunch buffet was great with many choices. We enjoyed the boat ride in the peaceful river surrounded by the paddy fields. The local people was very nice and friendly including our boatman. We also joined a bicycle ride to the village, it was interesting to talk to the locals. Highly recommend this company and Jimmy our tour guide for this day trip and we promise we will come back again.
Timothy
What not to be missed in Vietnam
My wife and I booked this tour with our hostel and it was amazing. Our guide Sugar took really good care of us and he was knowledgeable about history, architecture, culture and people. We started with a 2 hour ride from the center of Hanoi and it wasn’t long at all because we had so much fun on the bus. Our first stop was 2 old temples that used to belong to the Kings. We learned more about the historic period of Vietnam and how the royal family used to live here. Then we had a lunch buffet which was huge with many dishes, even for vegetarians. After that we headed for the boat ride in Tam Coc. It took about 1 hour, we visited 3 underwater caves and they were outstanding. We were amazed of the formation of these caves. That was very nice area with river and limestone mountain. We had very good time with the local rowing boat, she showed us a lot of nice places and we saw some goats climbing the mountain. My wife really enjoyed the bicycle time, we went around the village before getting the bus to Hanoi. This Ninh Binh day trip from Hanoi was very organized and Sugar was definitely a great tour guide. I really recommend this company and Sugar for anyone visiting Hanoi, Vietnam.
Hong
Day trip in Ninh Binh
The day trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh was really great. Very adventurous trip with a boat tour through Tam Coc and bike ride through rice fields. They served really good buffet lunch with a variety of choices for everybody. Our tour guide was Manh, he speaks English very well and he is humorous. We had a fun trip with him and his stories about Ninh Binh and Hoa Lu the ancient capital. He is so friendly and will ask any questions you have during the trip. The tour was professionally organized and was so fun. We were in a group of 10 adults and I met some new friends here. Thanks for an enjoyable trip and wish you guys all the best!
Mason
Perfect Hoa Lu Tam Coc one day
Booked this tour as the recommendation of our receptionist and it was a good choice. We only had 2 more days in Hanoi and didn’t know where to go, Ninh Binh day trip was a perfect destination for us. Our guide was Mr. Minh, excellent and exceptional tour guide. He answered all of our questions and provided lots of information about the Ancient capital of Vietnam. He told us about the first King there and story or legend about the King. It was very interesting information for us. He also has a great sense of humor and his passion for Vietnam country and its culture. This day tour provided a good balance of information, activitiy and scenery with a boat ride on the river for visiting caves, a visit to temple and a bicycle ride through a village and rice fields. Everything was great and enough for 1 day trip out of Hanoi. This tour is one of the best day trips we’ve taken. Highly recommended.
Bill
One day trip in Tam Coc Hoa Lu
We took the one day trip to Tam Coc Hoa Lu in Ninh Binh today with our guide Rose. The itinerary was well organized, we visited Hoa Lu the ancient capital of Vietnam and Dinh and Le temples. Had a wonderful buffet lunch in a local restaurant near Hoa Lu. Rose was very helpful and knowledgeable, she explained a lot information about Vietnam and this 1000 years old capital. Also told us many stories about the history of Vietnam and the war between kings which I found really interesting. Then, we had a boat ride in Tam Coc with very nice scenery river and caves. Our trip ended with a cycle trip around Tam Coc rice fields. The weather was good and not too sunny. You should go in the early June to see the yellow paddy fields – really amazing. We took hundreds of photos. Overall, it was a great trip within 1 day only. If we return to Vietnam again, we definitely will choose this tour again. Thank you to all the staffs for making a great trip.
Oscar
Hoa Lu Tam Coc one day tour – great option!
My friend and I did this trip last month and it was a great day out. We had Rose as our tour guide and she was awesome. A very informative girl all along way and in all destinations, always so cheerful with big sense of humor. First we visited Hoa Lu ancient capital with old kings’ temples then a boat trip in Tam Coc to see the caves. The lunch was marvelous with some local dishes. The highlight of this trip was the cycling part around the countryside and beautiful paddy fields. I definitely advise you to take this trip if you are in Hanoi. If you go with Escape Sails you might be lucky to get Rose on your day tour. Thanks to Rose and the driver our holiday in Vietnam became unforgettable.
Valeria
Excellent Ninh Binh day trip
The Hoa Lu Tam Coc day trip we took was great. We had a beautiful day to Ninh Binh for one day. It was so special thanks to our tour guide Peter and our driver Minh. The drive to Ninh Binh was comfortable with a luxury car transfer. On the drive, Peter told us some necessary information about Ninh Binh, Hanoi and Vietnam. On arriving, we took a boat ride in Tam Coc which was awesome with beautiful limestone mountains, river and caves. After lunch, we took a cycle trip around Tam Coc harbor and a rural village. I would like to send a big thank to Peter for one short but amazing day. And also Minh the driver for a safe drive in this crazy traffic of Vitetnam. I would recommend this Ninh Binh day trip to anyone who visits Vietnam and wants a day trip from Hanoi and this company is a great option.
cw530404
One day trip to Tam Coc
It was a beautiful day out to Ninh Binh with our lovely tour guide. We had all day with fun and our guide gave us very clear details about Ninh Binh, Tam Coc Hoa Lu and Vietnam. The boat trip was nice, we entered three amazing caves. My girlfriend liked the cycling trip very much, we passed by the green rice paddy fields and saw the peaceful local life here. If we comeback next time, we would choose a longer trip to enjoy in Ninh Binh. I highly recommend this Tam Coc day trip for anyone who doesn’t have much time. Thank you guys for your great services!
Kala
Great full day trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh
Ninh Binh has the most beautiful landscape I’ve ever seen. My wife and I had a great trip to Hoa Lu Tam Coc thanks to this tour company and our tour guide Ducky. Ducky was our great tour guide for the day while visiting Dinh, Le Temples and Tam Coc boat tour and bike ride through rice fields. Our guide gave us a lot of information and he was very good at English so it was easy to understand. The lunch was buffet lunch which i did not like so much because i expect special local food for this tour but the riding was great for me. The bike ride was a favorite for us however, i wish it could have been longer as I like biking. This Hoa Lu Tam Coc 1 day tour is one of the best tours you should do among many day trips from Hanoi.
Joel
Tam Coc Trip Ninh Binh Province
We had a great day trip to Ninh Binh to see Hoa Lu – the ancient capital of Vietnam. The temple was interesting which showed us the long history of this country. The lunch in both quantity and quality was perfect. Then we went to Tam Coc for the boat trip on river to see three water caves among beautiful and natural mountains. It was truly the highlight of our trip – a long row and we were amazed at the strength and dexterity of the locals who rowed the boat (they rowed it with their leg – OMG!). Our guide took really good care of us and gave lots of information about Vietnam. Thank you guys for everything. Highly recommended this tour.
Deepak G.
Hoa Lu Tam Coc day trip from Hanoi
We really enjoyed this day trip to Hoalu and Tam Coc. Our tour guide made it even better. We started with King’s Old palace then had lunch at a local restaurant. Then we took a cycle tour for about an hour and the tour ended with 1.5 hours on boat to visit Tam Coc which was amazing. We passed 3 beautiful caves. The tour is really worthwhile and we will visit again if we return to Hanoi. Highly recommended for 1 day trip and especially Peter the tour guide was really helpful.