Trang An Complex — Ninh Binh [TRAVEL GUIDE] ☀️

Northern Vietnam

8 min readJun 2, 2020

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex — Ninh Binh — Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh.

Trang An Landscape Complex is an spectacular landscape of limestone karst peaks.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is an fascinating area of spectacular landscapes and limestone karst peaks, one of Ninh Binh’s most visited tourist sites, about 100 km south of Hanoi. Its main central area is located in the Trang An Ecotourism Complex, where you can enjoy some boat tours in the amazing karst sceneries and nature.
Trang An Scenic Complex has a total of 3 areas (Hoa Lu, Gia Vien and Nho Quan Districts), some of which are a few kilometers away - Trang An Landscape Complex, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and Tam Coc - Bich Dong scenic area. All three of these places offer several interesting historical monuments, pagodas, caves, temples and and archaeological treasures.

The boat wharf at Trang An Ecotourism Site in Ninh Binh.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is written in UNESCO’s World Heritage List.

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex covers an area of about 7,000 ha and Hoa Lu - the ancient capital of Vietnam, was strategically established right there in the 10th and 11th centuries AD. Hoa Lu Ancient City is about 4 km north of Trang An and Tam Coc is about 7 km south of Trang An Ecotourism Site (boat wharf). Easily accessible by bike.

Book your e-tickets / taxi from Hanoi to Ninh Binh on Baolau or 12go.asia

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh is the 8th UNESCO - recognized World Heritage Site in Vietnam, on June 23rd 2014 was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for its cultural, historical and geological heritage. At the boat wharf of Trang An Ecotourism Site, you can also see a number of preserved and discovered archaeological exhibits, hundreds and thousands of years old, you should definitely visit this exhibition of these monuments.

Exhibits at the in Trang An Ecotourism Site — boat wharf.

What you can see and dooin Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh?

At Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, you have a variety of options what you can doo and see. The entire area offers a number of historical monuments and beautiful nature sites and sceneries. One of the most popular tourist activities are boat tours in the scenic areas of Trang An Ecotourism Site or Tam Coc scenic area.
Boat trips at Trang An Ecotourism Site take about 2–2.5 hours, right there you can see the most beautiful sceneries, caves and small temples or pagodas. In Trang An you can choose from 3 boat routes in total (in the future it can change). Other popular activities in the area include cycling trips and explorations and trips to various historic sites nearby (Hoa Lu, Bai Dinh Temple…).

1. Boat tours — Trang An Ecotourism Site, Tam Coc scenic area (+Van Long)
2. Cycling — the whole area around Trang An Scenic Complex
3. Exploring + trips to the historic sites — (Hoa Lu, Bai Dinh Temple, Bich Dong Pagoda…)

You can choose from these boat routes in Trang An Landscape Complex - click on the picture for high resolution:

Map of boat routes in Trang An Ecotourism Site.

The best way how to travel to Trang An Complex is to travel by motorbike or bicycle.

How to travel to Trang An Scenic Complex? Trang An Complex is about 90-100 km from Hanoi and only about 10 km from the Ninh Binh Railway Station. Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh is very easy (by bus, train, minivan or taxi), you can book your bus or train tickets online.

Read this article: How to travel to Ninh Binh from Hanoi?

The entire neighborhood of Ninh Binh lies in the lowland so it is easy to move in this area. The best way is to rent a motorbike/scooter or bicycle (in Ninh Binh, Tam Coc), it is a cheap and fast way of transport. You can also take a private taxi or mototaxi (Xe Om) from Ninh Binh to Trang An Ecotourism Site.

1. Motorbike or bicycle in Ninh Binh (the best, cheap option)
2. Private tours to Ninh Binh - tourist agency from Hanoi
3. Taxi or mototaxi from Ninh Binh to Trang An

In Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex you will see various large and small caves.

What is the best time to visit Trang An Complex in Ninh Binh?

You can visit this complex in Trang An in Ninh Binh throughout the year. The most beautiful pictures/views are in the summer or in the period before rice harvesting in the area of Ninh Binh. Rice harvest season in this area is from September - October, these months are very good for visiting this area and area is colorful. Winter time can be cold and also rainy, so prepare some light warm clothes, it is better to skip the rainy season.

Opening time of Trang An Ecotourism Site (boat tours):

Monday - Sunday - 7 am - 16 pm.
Saturday + Sunday - the most visited days, lots of tourists.

1. Remember - Skip the misty, foggy or rainy weather
2. September to October - rice harvest season in this area, a good idea to visit Ninh Binh

Where to stay, in Ninh Binh or Trang An?

Ninh Binh and Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex or Tam Coc - Bich Dong offers many accommodation options for tourists. There are various hotels, resorts, guesthouses, hostels or bungalows. Some of the accommodation facilities you can also find near the Trang An Ecotourism Site, but also in Tam Coc.

Accommodation at the Trang An complex:

▶️ Trang An Farm Stay ★
▶️ Hoalu Eco Homestay ★★
▶️ Buffalo Eco Garden ★★★
▶️ Ham Rong Homestay ★★
▶️ Trang An River View Homestay ★★
▶️ Trang An Eco Homestay ★★★
▶️ Trang An Retreat
▶️ Green Mountain Homestay ★

Thanh Cao Son Temple - Trang An Scenic Complex in Ninh Binh.

Frequently asked questions + Tips - Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex:

How to get from Hanoi to Ninh Binh?

From Hanoi to Ninh Binh you can get by tourist bus or train. It takes about 2–3 hours by bus or train and tickets are cheap. You can book also private van from Hanoi to Trang An Wharf on Baolau.

Book your e-tickets / taxi from Hanoi to Ninh Binh on Baolau or 12go.asia

Where is the Trang An Scenic Complex?

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex is about 100 km south of Hanoi and about 10 km west of Ninh Binh Railway Station. Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex consists a total of 3 areas - Trang An Landscape Complex, Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and Tam Coc - Bich Dong scenic area.

Where is the Trang An Ecotourism Site (wharf+boat tours)?

Trang An Ecotourism Site (wharf+boat tours) is in the center of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, about 4 km south of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and about 7 km north of Tam Coc. Easily accessible by motorbike,bicycle or car.

Which boat tour/ride to choose, in Tam Coc or Trang An?

It can be said, these areas are quite similar, boat trips and karst sceneries. But in my opinion Trang An Ecotourism Site is better, it offers a little more and this place is better organized for travelers, unfortunetely there are some tourist scams in Tam Coc, so be careful. If you decide between these two sites - try to visit Trang An Ecotourism Site.

How to get from Ninh Binh town to Trang An Ecotourism Site?

The best way is to take a taxi or rent a motorbike in Ninh Binh or Tam Coc.

What to see in Trang An Ecotourism Site?

Trang An Ecotourism Site has lots of interesting places+monuments, eg.: Khong Temple, Thanh Cao Son Temple, Trinh Temple, Tan Temple, Suoi Tien Temple, Vu Lam Royal Step, Dia Linh Mountain and also plenty of caves.

When is the best time to visit Trang An?

You can visit the Trang An Scenic Complex throughout the year. The best time to visit Trang An Landscape Complex is in the summer - autumn months. In September to October there is a harvest rice season in Ninh Binh.

What is the opening time of the Trang An Ecotourism Site?

The opening time of the Trang An Ecotourism Site (boat tours) is Monday - Sunday - 7 am - 16 pm. The best time to visit is in the early morning.

What about accommodation in Trang An Complex?

Yes, you can accommodate near the Trang An Ecotourism Site or Tam Coc and also Mua Caves, there are some nice and good reviewed homestays, bungalows, resorts:
Trang An Farm Stay ▶️ Hoalu Eco Homestay ▶️ Buffalo Eco Garden ▶️ Ham Rong Homestay ▶️ Trang An River View Homestay ▶️ Trang An Eco Homestay ▶️ Trang An Retreat ▶️ Green Mountain Homestay.

Ham Rong Homestay in Ninh Binh, very nice homestays (photo: Agoda).

What is the price of ticket to Trang An Ecotourism Site?

Price of the ticket to Trang An Ecotourism Site (boat tours) is about 10–12 USD/pp (200 000–250 000 VND). In the future this price can change.

Is there a parking lot for motorbikes or bicycles at the Trang An Ecotourism Site?

Yes, there is a parking lot for motorbikes, buses and cars right at the entrance to the boat wharf of Trang An. Parking ticket in Trang An costs about 10 000 VND (about 0,5 Usd).