Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave Private Tour from Hanoi, Staying for the Lanterns
Most day trips from Hanoi turn round in the afternoon. This one sees the kings’ temples, a rowing boat through the Trang An caves and the view from Mua Cave, then stays for Hoa Lu Old Town at dusk and dinner before the drive home. 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 cave — to your group alone, not twenty strangers
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in central Hanoi, and dropped back there, or at a Ninh Binh hotel if you are staying on. No meeting point to reach on your own
Every entry and boat fee prepaid
The temple, the Trang An boat, Mua Cave 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
The evening a day trip skips
You are still in Ninh Binh when the old town lights up, not already on the expressway
Duration
About 14 hours
Departure
07:45 from Hanoi
Pickup
Any central Hanoi hotel
from · $134 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$315 BOOK →2 guests$385 BOOK →3 guests$460 BOOK →4 guests$535 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The day, hour by hour
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. It is a long day, about fourteen hours door to door, and it can end at a Ninh Binh hotel instead of Hanoi.
Hotel pickup · 07:45 · anywhere in central Hanoi
Drive south · about two hours · on the expressway to Ninh Binh, with one short coffee stop
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
10:00 · about 75 minutes · on foot, mostly flat
Entry fee included — no ticket booth for you
1 photo · tap to enlarge
The seat of Vietnam’s first independent kings from 968 until the move to Thang Long in 1010. Two temples rebuilt in the 17th century stand on the palace ground, one to King Dinh Tien Hoang and one to King Le Dai Hanh. Your guide tells the story that the stones do not: how a buffalo boy from these fields became the king who united the country.
Lunch · 11:30 · about an hour · Ninh Binh dishes near the Trang An pier
Trang An by rowing boat
12:30 · about two and a half to three hours · by boat
Boat ticket and the rower’s tip included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Trang An is the UNESCO-listed landscape that surrounds Hoa Lu, and the reason the kings chose it: the same limestone hills that walled the capital. A local rower takes you along a set route through low caves and past small riverside temples where you step ashore. Boats seat four, so at busy times a couple or a solo traveller may be seated with other visitors.
Short drive · about 15 minutes
Mua Cave
15:45 · about 75 minutes · roughly 500 stone steps
Entry fee included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Roughly 500 stone steps lead up to the stone dragon on the ridge, and in the late afternoon the sun is behind you, lighting the river and the rice fields below; in winter you reach the top close to sunset. It is steep, and anyone who would rather not climb can wait in the café at the foot.
Drive to Ninh Binh city · about 20 minutes
Hoa Lu Old Town and dinner
17:30 · about two hours · on foot and by boat
Boat, lantern and dinner included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
The old town around Ky Lan Lake, opened in 2022, reached just as its lanterns come on: a walk through the lanes, a small boat on the lake to float a lantern, and dinner nearby before the drive back.
Back at your hotel · around 21:45 in Hanoi · about About 14 hours after pickup
A long day, and it ends under lanterns
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$315 BOOK →2 guests$385 BOOK →3 guests$460 BOOK →4 guests$535 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 from your hotel in central Hanoi and back, or on to a Ninh Binh hotel
- Licensed local guide who speaks fluent English
- Hoa Lu Ancient Capital entrance ticket
- Trang An rowing-boat ticket and the rower’s tip
- Mua Cave entrance ticket
- Sampan ride on Ky Lan Lake and a floating lantern
- Lunch and dinner, each with one soft drink
- Bottled water
Not included
− Drinks beyond water and one soft drink with each meal
− Anything you choose to buy in the old town
− 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 have one day for Ninh Binh and want the evening as well as the sights.
You want the kings’ story explained, not only the scenery.
You would rather sit in a private car than a coach for four hours of driving.
You want one number for the boats, the tickets and two meals.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget.
You would rather be back in Hanoi before dark.
You have a flight or an overnight train the same evening.
Nobody in the group can manage steep steps and the Mua Cave view is what you came for.
Already staying in Tam Coc or Ninh Binh? The evening tour covers the temples and the old town without the drive from Hanoi. See the Hoa Lu night 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 the day, and when do you pick us up?
About fourteen hours door to door: pickup 07:45 from Hanoi, back at your hotel around 21:45. If you are staying on in Ninh Binh we drop you there instead, at the same price.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel anywhere in central Hanoi, with no meeting point to reach on your own. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes.
How hard is the Mua Cave climb?
Roughly 500 uneven stone steps up a steep ridge, with places to rest. It can be skipped, and your guide will wait below with anyone who stays.
Is the Trang An boat just for us?
Boats seat four. Groups of three or four have a boat to themselves; at busy times a couple or a solo traveller may be seated with other visitors.
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 Trang An. 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 and cave 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. Lunch and dinner are ordered ahead, so vegetarian, no-pork or allergy-safe dishes can be arranged.
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 full day in Ninh Binh
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$315 BOOK →2 guests$385 BOOK →3 guests$460 BOOK →4 guests$535 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. ›