Ninh Binh, Vietnam is known for its stunning river boat tours and often referred to as the Ha Long Bay on Land. The waterways in the area take you along limestone cliffs, colorful rice paddies, and through narrow caves. There are two different boat tours, Trang An and Tam Coc, each offering a similar yet unique passage through the river.
In this guide, we will dive into the similarities and differences between the Trang An and Tam Coc Boat Tours.
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Difference Between The Trang An & Tom Coc River Boat Tours
Trang An Boat Tour
- Boats must have 3-4 passengers
- Guide rows with his/her hands
- Travel under up to 9 caves & 3 ancient temples
- Paddle past the famous scene from Kong Skull Island
- 3 different routes to choose from
- Tours are a loop rather than out & back (always new scenery)
- Can get off and walk in/around ancient pagodas
- Smaller & longer caves
- Cleaner water
- Snacks for purchase at some of the temples
- No “professional” photographer
- UNESCO World Heritage Site
Tam Coc Boat Tour
- Boat can go with just a group of 2 (but can also hold 4 passengers)
- Guide rows with his/her feet
- Travel under 3 caves
- Paddle below the famous Mua Cave Viewpoint
- Tour goes through beautiful rice fields
- The boat tours offer only 1 route (out & back)
- Larger but shorter caves
- Dirtier water
- Snacks are sold after the last cave via local people on boats
- “Professional” photographers on the water (can purchase your photo at the end of the tour)
Trang An Boat Tour
Overall, we liked the Trang An boat tour best. But it was our first boat tour, so this might have a little something to do with why we enjoyed it better.
How To Get To The Trang An Boat Tour
There are a few different options for getting to the Trang An Boat Tour, such as car, taxi, pedal bike, or motorbike.
There is a parking lot across the street from the Trang An Boat Tours. Cost for parking is 15k ($0.63 USD) for a scooter (motorbike) and 10k ($0.42 USD) per bicycle. Make sure you take your ticket and keep it with you, because you will need to show it again when you leave the parking area with your scooter or bike.
If you are traveling from Hanoi or nearby city, use the website 12goasia to find a bus, train, or taxi ride into Ninh Binh.
Different Routes For The Trang An Boat Tour
There are three different routes to choose from when taking the Trang An Boat Tour. Each offers a loop route so you are always experiencing new scenery and only going through each cave once.
Here are the details for the 3 different Trang An Boat Tour routes:
- Route 1: 9 caves and 3 temples (around 3 hours)
- Highlights:
- Trinh Temple
- Toi Cave
- Sang Cave
- Nau Ruou Cave
- Tran Temple
- Ba Giot Cave
- Seo Cave
- Son Duong Cave
- Khong Cave
- Khong Palace (aka: Bao Hieu Temple)
- Tran Cave
- Quy Hau Cave
- Summary: Tour with the most caves, not for claustrophobic tourists
- Highlights:
- Route 2: 4 caves and 3 temples (around 2 ½ hours)
- Highlights:
- Lam Cave
- Thanh Cao Son Temple
- Vang Cave
- Thanh Truot Cave
- Suoi Tien Temple
- Dia Linh Mountain
- Kim Quy Mountain
- Dai Cave
- Vu Lam Royal Steps Temple
- Kong Skull Island Movie Set
- Summary: Good happy medium of everything: scenic, caves, temples. Most popular route.
- Highlights:
- Route 3: 3 caves and 3 temples (around 2 hrs)
- Highlights:
- Trinh Temple
- Dot Cave
- Van Cave
- Suoi Tien Temple
- Dia Linh Mountain
- Kim Quy Mountain
- Dai Cave
- Vu Lam Royal Steps Temple
- Kong Skull Island Movie Set
- Summary: Goes through the longest cave (Dot Cave) with an amazing stalactite system, technically the shortest but most scenic route.
- Highlights:
Route 1 is technically the longest route and will take the longest amount of time. Route 2 is slightly shorter, and Route 3 is technically the shortest route. All claim to be 3 hrs long, but it all depends on how much time you spend off the boat at each pagoda.
Jake and I typically just got off to check out each spiritual place, took some photos, walked around, then got back on the boat. Ultimately making the tour shorter and only taking about 2 hours rather than the suggested 3 hours.
Price For The Trang An Boat Tour:
The ticket price is the same no matter which Trang An route you choose. The cost is 250k VND ($10.50 USD) for adults, and 120k VND ($5 USD) for children. But any children under 1 m (3’ 3”) ride free.
Before heading to the boat launching area, you must first purchase your ticket from the ticket booth across the street first. Once you purchase your ticket, you can head to the underground tunnel toward the boat wharf. Here there will be a ticket checkpoint.
Once your ticket is scanned, head toward the river to find a tour guide (aka boat rower). There will be someone directing you to the right boat depending on the route you choose. You might have to wait for other passengers if you are traveling in a group of fewer than 4.
What To Expect On The Trang An Boat Tour
The boat fits up to 4 passengers, therefore, you are likely to be sharing the boat with strangers. Each boat won’t leave with just one or two passengers, so you might have to wait for another traveler or two before the boat takes off. Or you can purchase four tickets (1m VND ($42 USD)) to have a private boat tour.
We found the tour guides to not speak much English, so we didn’t really learn much along our tour.
At each temple you will be dropped off to explore the area. It is important to remember your boat number, because you won’t be getting back on the boat in the same place. Once you are finished exploring the temple, you will walk to the pick up location and find your boat # with the same boat rower.
When going through the caves, there are lights in place so it won’t be completely dark. You will likely need to duck in certain areas so you won’t hit your head. So people with mobility issues may have trouble.
There are additional paddles in the small boats. You don’t need to row, but it can be helpful and take some of the workload off the boat rower.
At the end of the tour, you can choose to tip your boat rower or not. It is not customary in Vietnam, but it can be a nice gesture.
Tam Coc Boat Tour
How To Get To The Tam Coc Boat Tour
The Tam Coc boat tour is situated right in the city center. Therefore, if you are staying in Tam Coc, you can likely walk to the boat tour. But if you are staying in Trang An or a nearby city, you can get here via car, taxi, or motorbike.
There are a handful of places you can park your bike or scooter in the city. We parked our scooter here, right next to this public restroom and near the Tam Coc Boat Tours. We paid 10k VND ($.42 USD).
It was covered parking and there was an attendant standing right outside the area. It didn’t seem super official, but it was cheap and we just took the gamble. Everything ended up being fine and our bike was there when we got back! (Refer to the map above for direct links to parking, ticket booth, and boat launch point).
If you are traveling from Hanoi or other nearby city, use the site 12goasia to find direct routes via bus, taxi, or train.
Route For The Tam Coc Boat Tour
There is only one route for the Tam Coc Boat Tours, which is out and back. The tour starts from the city, down the Ngo Dong River. It passes through 3 caves, which you will pass through again on your way back.
Price For The Tam Coc Boat Tour
There is an extra cost of 120k VND ($5 USD) per person for sightseeing tickets in the Tam Coc area. Children under 1.4m (4’6″) are 60k VND ($2.5 USD), children under 3 are free.
There is an additional cost if you want to go on the Tam Coc boat trip. It’s an additional 150k VND ($6.30 USD) per boat. So for a couple, the total cost would be 120k VND x 2 (sightseeing entrance fee) + 150k VND (for the boat) = 390k VND ($16.50 USD).
We are not really clear on why there is a separate sightseeing fee, but you need to pay both to go on the boat tour.
Tickets can be bought at the ticket booth right in front of the Ngo Dong River (you will see TONS of boats lined up ready to take tourists). Do note, they only take cash, but there are many ATMs within walking distance from the ticket booth.
What To Expect On The Tam Coc Boat Tour
Foreign tourists can have their own private tour with just 2 passengers. Vietnamese People will need 3-4 passengers for each boat.
The Tam Coc boat ride is out and back and travels through 3 caves. There is only one route to choose.
There are lights in the cave, but you might need to duck in certain areas so you won’t hit your head.
At the last cave, there will likely be local people offering snacks for purchase. After passing under the last cave, you will turn around and head back.
Again, our tour guide did not speak fluent English, so it was hard to communicate, and we didn’t learn much along the tour.
The Tam Coc Boat Tour is more about the scenery and rowing through the stunning rice fields. So you won’t experience the same spiritual places like you do on the Trang An Boat Tour.
When Is The Best Season For Ninh Binh Boat Tours: Trang An or Tam Coc
Photo by Ferdinand Stöhr on Unsplash
The best time to visit Ninh Binh for the Trang An or Tam Coc boat tour is from late May to early July to experience the colorful rice paddies. This is considered harvest season, so you can witness the yellow fields. You can also witness the colorful rice fields in October as well (but will likely be a beautiful green).
Winter (November-May) is Ninh Binh’s dry season. So this can also be a good time to visit Ninh Binh. But the rice fields won’t be in full swing, and you will often see the farmers out there replanting in the paddy fields.
We visited mid-January and the temperatures were in the 40’s-50’s which we found pretty chilly out on the water. The rice fields were also pretty brown and not vibrant yellow or green.
The months of August and September should be avoided because of heavy rainfall and storm season.
Best Time Of Day To Do Ninh Binh Boat Tours
Photo by Hoang Vu Tuyen on Unsplash
Also, if you want to avoid the crowds, you should do the boat tour in the early morning. This avoids many of the large tours leaving from Hanoi and you will likely have more of the river/temples to yourself.
We did our Trang An boat tour in the afternoon and poorly timed our tour with a large group who were very loud and took away from the serene nature you are surrounded by. So ideally, we would have done the tour in the morning if we were to do it again.
What To Bring On The Trang An or Tam Coc Boat Tours:
- Water
- Snacks (boat tours are 2-3 hrs/ snacks are available for purchase near the last cave on the Tam Coc tour or at the temples for the Trang An Tours)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Hat
- Camera
- Rain Coat
- Layers (we visited in January and it was cold!)
- Good Shoes (you climb in and out of the boat, so I’d suggest tennis shoes/no flip flops)
- Binoculars (optional)
- Umbrella (can be both good for rain or shade from the sun)
Ninh Binh Boat Tours From Hanoi (Epic Day Trips & Multi-Day Tours)
If you want to take the hard part out of coordinating your own trip to Ninh Binh, then consider going with a tour operator instead.
Day Trip to Ninh Binh from Hanoi: (Best Value)
This tour leaves from Hanoi and provides a full day of adventures in Ninh Binh. There are 6 different attractions you can choose from: Hoa Lu ancient capital, Mua Cave, Tam Coc, Bich Dong Pagoda, Bai Dinh Pagoda, and Trang An. There are different itineraries to choose from, so prices may fluctuate. The tour returns back to Hanoi at the end of the day. (Transportation, lunch, & entrance fees included).
Luxury Ninh Binh Day Trip from Hanoi: (Best Day Trip Option)
This tour starts from Hanoi, and brings you to Ninh Binh. Groups are no larger than 9 people maximum. First, you meet with a local family to explore Vietnamese culture. Then, head to the ancient Bich Dong Pagoda where you will learn about the history of Buddhism. Then you head out on the Tam Coc River Tour, followed by a bike ride through the rice paddies and villages. Followed by a hike up to Mua Cave. The trip returns back to Hanoi at the end of the day. (Transportation, entrance fees & lunch included)
Unique Multi-Day Trip Including Hanoi, Ninh Binh & Ha Long Bay:
If you are short on time and want to see the best sights in Northern Vietnam, these multi-day tours could be a great option.
Hanoi: 3-Day Luxury Ninh Binh & HaLong Bay 5-Star Cruise:
This cruise picks guests up in Hanoi and heads to Ninh Binh to visit the ancient city of Hoa Lu (aka Ninh Binh), climb to the Hang Mua viewpoint, and take the scenic Trang An Boat Tour. Then the next day you head to Ha Long Bay for an overnight cruise. Finally, head back to Hanoi. (Transportation, accommodation, entrance fees, & all meals (except dinner in Ninh Binh) included)
5-Day Hanoi – Lan Ha Bay 5 Star Cruise – Ninh Binh Tour:
This unique 5-day tour starts off with a pick-up from the Hanoi airport and provides transportation to the city center. Day 2 is a Hanoi City Tour exploring the unique attractions in the city. Day 3 you head to Ninh Binh where you explore Bai Dinh Temple Complex, a ride on the Trang An boat tour, followed by a hike up the Mua Caves Lookout. On Day 4, you head to Ha Long Bay for an overnight cruise. Then, the following day, head back to Hanoi. (Transportation, accommodation, entrance fees, & all meals included)
Check Out Our Video on Both Trang An & Tam Coc Boat Tours
Related Posts To Trang An or Tam Coc You Might Find Helpful
- 33 Things To Know Before Traveling To Vietnam
- Consider checking out the amazing mountain town of Sapa, Vietnam for more stunning scenery
Is Trang An or Tam Coc Boat Tour Better?
We were lucky enough to go on both the Trang An and Tam Coc boat tours to compare the two. Personally, we really enjoyed both tours with the stunning scenery, so you really can’t go wrong with either. But there are a few differences that make each tour stand out in different ways.
Both tours took around 2 hours, but they can be extended depending on the temples you explore. Or anywhere you stop to walk around. So some tourists can expect their tours to be anywhere from 2-3 hrs long.
Pros & Cons of the Trang An Boat Tour
The Trang An Boat Tour is technically more expensive by 110k VND ($5 USD). Which in USD is really not much of a game changer in price. But it can be a little harder to get to since there are no hotels or hostels located near the boat wharf. And you will likely be paying for a taxi or for bike/scooter parking, which can add to the overall price.
The Trang An Boat Tour is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Which means it is in a protected area and you are less exposed to scammers.
A bonus to the Trang An Boat Tour is the 3 different routes to choose from. If you love caves, then route 1 is best for you. If you want a happy medium between scenery, temples, and caves, then route 2 is perfect for you. And lastly, if you want to experience the longest cave in Trang An, then route 3 is a unique experience for you.
Don’t think too harshly about the route decision, as they are all a loop and meander along beautiful landscapes of limestone mountains, unique caves, and visit spiritual places.
One drawback is the boat having to be full with 3-4 passengers. While pairing with another couple wasn’t a huge deal, we always had to switch between front and middle seats. So if you are big into photography, having people sit in front of you could be annoying. And when you get off at the temples, you might be waiting for the other pair to get back to the boat or vice versa (which can be added stress).
Pros & Cons of the Tam Coc Boat Tour
The Tam Coc tour, like mentioned above, is cheaper by 110k VND ($5 USD). Another bonus is the location in the city. If you ride a train or bus into Ninh Binh, you are likely to be dropped off in the city here and won’t need to pay for parking.
The Tam Coc boat trip meanders through the rice paddies and offers beautiful natural landscapes. You can also see the Mua Caves Viewpoint along the ride, which is just a cool sight to see.
Another bonus for the Tam Coc boat ride is that foreign travelers can have their own private boat. So we were able to have the boat driver stop wherever we wanted for photos or for literally anything.
But the Tam Coc Boat Tours is not located in a World Heritage Site, so it does have more exposure to pushy vendors and scammers. There was an instance when the local people had us stop for snacks before the last cave.
We politely declined, but once we made it back through, we decided to just support the locals by getting a little snack of fresh pineapple. The ladies tried to get us to buy our boat rower a soda and chips, but we just asked if he would rather that or tip him cash at the end (he wanted the cash).
Coming from the United States, tipping doesn’t really make us feel uncomfortable. But if you are from a country that doesn’t tip, the Tam Coc tour definitely made us feel a little more pressured to tip our tour guide. (Some Google Reviews have stated some people felt very uncomfortable, and at times they were asked for more money halfway along the trip).
Overall, if I had to choose just one, I would choose the Trang An Boat Tour. I personally like loop adventures and enjoyed the scenery on this tour more. But if you are only in Ninh Binh for a short time and staying in the Tam Coc area, I’d probably just do the Tam Coc for convenience.
Save This ‘Trang An vs Tam Coc Boat Tour Comparison’ For Your Planning
