Three Days in Ninh Binh & Tam Coc: Exploring Vietnam’s Halong Bay on Land

Getting to Ninh Binh is really straightforward! It’s just a two to three-hour drive from Hanoi, and your hotel can help arrange transportation in a luxury van.

Check into Tam Coc Garden Resort

There’s a reason this property made its way onto Conde Nast’s list of the top 16 places to stay in Vietnam in 2025! It’s perhaps the most charming and atmospheric place I’ve stayed in Vietnam. With 16 rooms, designed in a traditional Vietnamese village style with stone walls, wooden furniture and private terraces overlooking the gardens or rice fields. This place is the perfect home base for exploring the surrounding area. Nestled in the countryside with panoramic views of rice fields and towering karsts. It’s 5km from Tam Coc — you won’t mind the distance. Instead, you’ll appreciate coming back to such a peaceful base.

Hike to Mua Cave Viewpoint

This short but steep hike takes you up 500 stone steps to one of the most breathtaking panoramic views in Vietnam. At the top, you'll find a dragon statue perched on the ridge and sweeping views of the Tam Coc valley, with the Ngo Dong River winding through rice fields and limestone karsts.

Enjoy cocktails around the pool and dinner at the hotel

Take it easy tonight. You’ll be up early tomorrow! Tam Coc Garden Resort has a killer cocktail menu (I’m partial to the spicy margarita) and a menu full of both Vietnamese classics and French-inspired entrees.

Ease into the hustle and bustle of Tam Coc/Ninh Binh and enjoy Linh Coc this morning instead. Linh Coc Valley is a hidden gem in Ninh Binh, offering stunning natural landscapes with fewer tourists than Tam Coc or Trang An. And the best part? It’s a short three-minute walk from Tam Coc Garden Resort. Enjoy a serene boat ride where locals row with their feet, allowing you to relax and take in the stunning scenery. For the best experience, aim to arrive before 8 am — this way, you can catch the water lilies in full bloom and enjoy the peaceful surroundings almost to yourself.

Cycle to central Tam Coc

Grab a bicycle (complimentary for guests of Tam Coc Garden Resort) and cycle towards the main town. Take the long way there, making a left at Bich Dong Pagoda to put you on the Water Loop. This is a pedestrian/cycle only path that winds you through dirt roads and alongside stunning limestone cliffs.

Lunch at Soul Garden Tam Coc

Soul Garden Tam Coc is tucked away on the backstreets of Tam Coc and is the perfect spot to have a bit to eat. The bun cha is particularly good here, but they offer bahn mi and other Vietnamese favorites as well.

Stop for a foot massage

After grabbing a delicious Vietnamese coffee in town, why not find a spot for a foot massage? You deserve it!

Savor Indian food for dinner

Honestly, Tam Coc doesn’t particularly excel in memorable meals, so why not use this opportunity to take a break from Vietnamese food and stop by Aroma India Restaurant on the main drag for dinner. They’ve got all the classics, plus beer, wine and cocktails to wash it all down.

If yesterday’s boat ride was about finding the hidden gems, today is about understanding what made this place popular. A stop at Tam Coc/Ninh Binh isn’t complete without hitting one of the major boat areas, and my pick is Trang An.

A UNESCO-listed scenic area, Trang An offers the most dramatic landscape with towering limestone karsts, lush greenery and multiple caves. This boat ride includes stops at temples and pagodas along the way, making it a more cultural and immersive experience than Tam Coc. There are three different routes/lengths to choose from, each offering a slightly different experience, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. So don the bright orange life-jacket, join the crowds, and marvel at this truly unique part of the world.

Back to Hanoi!

Grab your belongings, bid farewell to paradise and make your way back to Hanoi for the next part of your Vietnam adventure.