Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Hoa Lu Night Tour: the Ancient Capital at Sunset, the Old Town by Lantern Light
Begin at the temples of Vietnam’s first kings while the late sun is still on the stone, then reach Hoa Lu Old Town as its lanterns come on, with a boat on Ky Lan Lake and dinner before we drive you back. Every entry and boat fee is paid before you travel.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car for your group alone
Private, 1-4 guests, and nobody outside your party is added to it
Your own licensed local guide
Fluent in English and explains the story behind each temple and each lantern custom — to your group alone, not twenty strangers
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city. No meeting point to reach on your own after dark
Every entry and boat fee prepaid
The temple ticket and the lake boat are bought for you. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to a souvenir showroom that pays to have you delivered
Timed to the light, not to a coach
The temples in low afternoon sun, the lake just as the lanterns come on — the start moves with the season
Duration
About 5.5 hours
Departure
15:00 (Oct-Mar) or 15:30 (Apr-Sep)
Pickup
Any Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh hotel
from · $55 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$130 BOOK →2 guests$160 BOOK →3 guests$190 BOOK →4 guests$220 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The evening, hour by hour
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Times are for October to March; from April to September we start half an hour later so you still reach the old town at dusk.
Hotel pickup · 15:00 · anywhere in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city
Short drive · about 20 minutes · through the rice fields to Truong Yen
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
15:20 · about 90 minutes · on foot, mostly flat
Entry fee included — no ticket booth for you
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Hoa Lu was the capital of Dai Co Viet from 968, when King Dinh Tien Hoang unified the country, until 1010, when the court moved to Thang Long, today’s Hanoi. What stands now are two temples rebuilt in the 17th century on the old palace ground, one to King Dinh and one to King Le Dai Hanh, with the stone dragon bed still in front of King Dinh’s. Your guide explains why the kings put their capital in a basin walled by limestone hills, and what the carvings were meant to say.
Drive into Ninh Binh city · about 25 minutes
Ky Lan hill
17:15 · about 30 minutes · a short climb
No entry fee anywhere on this stop
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A path climbs the small hill beside the old town. From the top you look down on Ky Lan Lake and the tiled roofs as the first lanterns are switched on, the one moment of the evening that is better from above than from the street.
Hoa Lu Old Town and Ky Lan Lake
17:45 · about 75 minutes · on foot and by boat
Boat and floating lantern included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Opened in 2022 and free to walk, the old town recreates a 10th-century quarter in timber and grey tile around Ky Lan Lake, with craft and food stalls that open in the afternoon. Your guide walks you through the lanes as they fill up and says plainly what is old tradition and what is new, then puts you in a small boat on the lake to float a lantern. Folk games and music start around 19:00.
Dinner
19:00 · about an hour · seated
Dinner and a soft drink included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
Ninh Binh’s own dishes at a local restaurant near the lake: mountain goat, and com chay, the crackling rice cake the province is known for. Dinner is ordered ahead, so tell us about allergies or a vegetarian diet when you book.
Back at your hotel · around 20:30 · about About 5.5 hours after pickup
Two faces of Hoa Lu in one evening
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$130 BOOK →2 guests$160 BOOK →3 guests$190 BOOK →4 guests$220 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private car with driver, pickup and drop-off at your hotel in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city
- Licensed local guide who speaks fluent English
- Hoa Lu Ancient Capital entrance ticket
- Sampan ride on Ky Lan Lake and a floating lantern
- Dinner of Ninh Binh dishes with one soft drink
- Bottled water
Not included
− Drinks beyond the one included with dinner
− Anything you choose to buy at the old-town stalls
− A tip for your guide and driver — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You are staying in Tam Coc or Ninh Binh and want the evening organised, not just a taxi ride.
You want to understand the kings’ temples, not only photograph them.
You would like the lake and the lanterns without finding your own way around in the dark.
You want one number that covers the ticket, the boat and dinner.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget — the old town itself is free and a short ride from Tam Coc.
You are coming down from Hanoi for the day and want Trang An as well.
You are after bars and nightlife; the old town is a family evening that winds down by 23:00.
You need a guaranteed dry evening in the summer storm season.
Coming from Hanoi for the day? The full day adds Trang An by boat and Mua Cave, and still ends in the old town at dusk. See the Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave tour. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is it and when do you pick us up?
It runs About 5.5 hours door to door, departing 15:00 (Oct-Mar) or 15:30 (Apr-Sep). The start moves with the season so you always reach the old town as the lanterns come on.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel or homestay anywhere in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city, with no meeting point to reach on your own. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes.
Is Hoa Lu Old Town the real ancient capital?
No, and your guide will say so. The old town was built in 2022 as a recreation; the real capital is the temple site at Truong Yen, 12 km away, which is why this tour visits both.
How much walking is there?
Flat paths at the temples and in the old town, plus an optional short climb up Ky Lan hill. Comfortable shoes are enough.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample day and every part of it can be adjusted: add a stop, skip one, or spend longer at the temples. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the customs and the story behind each temple as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests: four people pay less each than two, and the car is the same car. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest; groups of five or more travel in a larger vehicle — message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes — free cancellation up to 3 days before departure for a full refund, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car and guide are already committed. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What about food allergies?
Tell us when you book. Dinner is ordered ahead, so vegetarian, no-pork or allergy-safe dishes can be arranged with the restaurant.
What happens if it rains?
Light rain does not stop the day: the temples have covered halls, the old town has covered walkways and we carry ponchos. In a storm the lake boat is the first thing we drop, and if the day cannot reasonably go ahead we tell you before pickup and you choose a new date or a full refund.
Book your evening in Hoa Lu
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$130 BOOK →2 guests$160 BOOK →3 guests$190 BOOK →4 guests$220 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›