Trang An, Ninh Binh travel experience is full of fun and savings

Trang An-Ninh Binh stands out with its famous landscapes and long-standing historical relics. Coming here, you will immerse yourself in the beautiful nature and majestic mountains and rivers. And now, let's join HoaBinh Tourist to pocket the super interesting and also very cost-effective Trang An travel experience right away.

Overview of Trang An eco-tourism area, Ninh Binh

Trang An is an eco-tourism area located in the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh province. This place has been ranked a particularly important national monument by the Vietnamese government and recognized by UNESCO as a dual world heritage site since 2014.

If you are a person who loves taking photos, selfies, and virtual living, you should not miss this place. Coming to Trang An, you will admire the majestic beauty of nature, with a system of limestone mountains with a geological age of about 250 million years. Besides, you will also learn more about the once illustrious history of Trang An.

The time to travel to Trang An

The suitable time to travel in Trang An is from January to March of the lunar calendar. At this time, the weather is warm and mild, and flowers and leaves are budding. You can take advantage of this time to enjoy spring travel.

• If you want to participate in traditional festivals in Trang An, such as the Co Lau Festival, you should come here on the days from the 8th to the 10th of the third lunar month.
• If you want to experience the feeling of sitting on a boat, floating on the river, and watching romantic golden rice fields or lotus ponds with a sweet scent, you can go to Trang An between June and August. 

How do I move to Trang An?

1. Means of transportation to Trang An

If you depart from Hanoi and the northern provinces, you can go to Trang An by bus, train or personal vehicle because Trang An is only about 90km from Hanoi.

• Coach: You can catch buses from My Dinh bus station or Giap Bat bus station to go to Thanh Hoa, Nghe An, and Ha Tinh, and from here, you can catch a bus to Ninh Binh.
• Bus ticket prices can range from 50,000 VND - 100,000 VND/person. From Ninh Binh city, you can continue to rent a motorbike taxi or taxi to travel to the Trang An tourist area.
• Train: You can also travel from Hanoi directly to Ninh Binh City by train. Train ticket prices range from 80,000 VND - 150,000 VND/person.

2. Private vehicles

Car

If you travel by car to Trang An, you can move towards Phap Van - Cau Gie Highway, then go to National Highway 1A and move to Ninh Binh City. Because the distance between Hanoi and Ninh Binh is only 90km, it only takes about 1 hour to get to Ninh Binh City Center. After arriving in Ninh Binh City, remember to pay attention to the road, and you will see the turn to Trang An on the right. After turning onto this road, keep going another 6-7km to reach here.

Motorbike

From Hanoi, go in the direction of Van Dien-Thuong Tin, then go straight along National Highway 1A to reach Ninh Binh City. From there, you will notice the turn to Trang An. Travel time is about 2.5 - 3 hours. If you depart from Ho Chi Minh City, you can go to Trang An by train and plane.

Train

To travel by train from Ho Chi Minh City to Ninh Binh City, it takes about 2 days. Instead, you will admire the beautiful scenery along the way. However, you must prepare personal items carefully and have good health. Ticket prices from Ho Chi Minh City to Ninh Binh range from 900,000 VND - 1,500,000 VND/ticket.

Plane

If you want to save travel time, you can choose a plane. Because Ninh Binh does not have an airport, you need to book a plane ticket to Hanoi and travel by other means to get to Trang An. Airfare from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi ranges from 800,000 VND - 1,500,000 VND/ticket.

3. Vehicles used in Trang An

Trang An is mainly river terrain, so your main means of transportation is a boat.

There are 3 routes to travel by boat in Trang An:

Route 1: Visiting Route 1 will have 3 spiritual points and 9 caves in a closed circle.

Boat station – Trinh Temple – Dark Cave – Bright Cave – Wine Cooking Cave – Tran Temple – Ba Giot Cave – Seo Cave – Son Duong Cave – Khong Palace – Bao Hieu Pagoda – Khong Cave – Tran Cave – Quy Hau Cave – return to the wharf boat (time: 3.5 hours)

Route 2: Visit Route 2 with 4 caves: Hang Lam, Vang Cave, Thanh Truot Cave, Dai cave and 3 spiritual spots: Trinh Temple, Suoi Tien Temple and the special spiritual cluster Vu Lam Palace.

Boat wharf – Lam Cave – Vang Cave – Thanh Truot Cave – Suoi Tien Temple – Dai Cave – Hanh Cung Vu Lam – return to the wharf (time: 2.5 hours)

Route 3: Visiting Route 3, you will admire the longest cave and other similar ecological areas in Ninh Binh.

Marina - Trinh Temple - Cloud Cave - Suoi Tien - Dia Linh Cave - Dai Cave - Hanh Cung Vu Lam - return to the marina (time: 3 hours)

Ticket price to visit the Trang An tourist area (boat ticket included):

• Adults: about 250,000 VND/person
• Children: about 120,000 VND/person
• Hire a tour guide: about 300,000 VND/tour

Kayaking to visit Trang An:

• A single 2-hour kayak ticket costs about 250,000 VND/boat
• A single 3-hour kayak ticket costs about 300,000 VND/boat
• 2-hour double kayak ticket is about 350,000 VND/boat
• 3-hour double kayak ticket is about 400,000 VND/boat

Where is the best place to go to Trang An?

Because Trang An tourism is increasingly developing, finding and renting a hotel is very easy. However, you should choose homestays and hotels near the center of Ninh Binh City for convenience in moving and participating in other fun and entertainment activities. Below are some suggestions for hotels and homestays with stable quality and prices

Ngoc Anh Hotel

• Address: No. 26 Luong Van Tuy Street, Tan Thanh, Ninh Binh.
• Phone number: 02293883768.
• Reference price: Ranges from 600,000 VND - 1,000,000 VND/night

Emaralda Resort Ninh Binh

• Address: Van Long Conservation Area, Gia Van Commune, Gia Vien District, Ninh Binh
• Phone number: 02293658333
• Reference price: Ranges from 1,500,000 VND - 3,000,000 VND/night/2 people

Hoalu Ecolodge Homestay

• Address: Trang An, Truong Yen, Hoa Lu, Ninh Binh
• Phone: 0964301177
• Reference price: about 370,000 VND - 400,000 VND / person

Interesting destinations and games in Trang An

When coming to Trang An, you cannot miss some of the following entertainment and sightseeing spots:

1. Hoa Lu ancient capital

Hoa Lu ancient capital, is a famous and especially important national monument complex in Vietnam. The relic area includes the temples of King Le and King Dinh from the time when the country was just built, before moving the capital to Hanoi, and many other construction items.

2. Tam Coc - Bich Dong

Tam Coc is a beautiful tourist destination you cannot miss when traveling to Trang An. Like going to Trang An, you will have to take a boat to see the golden rice fields and wonderful caves.

Bich Dong is located right next to Tam Coc. This is an ancient temple built a long time ago in an Asian style. Surrounded by majestic mountains and hills.

3. Am Tien Cave

Am Tien Cave is also known by young people by the familiar name Tuyet Tinh Coc. This is a very large lake, surrounded by mountains, and it looks very poetic. Tourists come here to admire and enjoy the natural scenery and suddenly feel at peace, leaving behind all their worries.

Places to eat in Trang An

1. Mountain goat dishes - Vu Bao Restaurant

This place is famous for mountain goat hot pot. The goats are released naturally, so the meat is chewy and delicious, and the flavor is seasoned with special sticky rice, making it unforgettable for eaters. The restaurant's space is designed to be luxurious and warm

• Address: No. 37 Nguyen Hue Street, Nam Binh Ward, Ninh Binh City

2. Goat meat scorched rice - Quoc Quan Restaurant

This restaurant is famous for its scorched rice dish, served with goat meat. When you have the opportunity to travel here, you cannot miss this delicious specialty. A golden, crispy burnt rice dish is served with goat meat and fatty, delicious goat meat sauce, creating a strange and unique feeling.

• Reference address: Trang An, Truong Yen commune, Hoa Lu district, Ninh Binh province

3. Mrs. Phan's eel vermicelli

Mrs. Phan's Eel Vermicelli is a famous restaurant here. The soup of the dish is sweet and seasoned to taste, and the eel is lightly fried, chewy and crispy. You must definitely try this dish when you come here

• Reference address: No. 995 Tran Hung Dao Street, Thanh Binh District, Ninh Binh Province

What should I buy in Trang An as a gift?

1. Nem chua Yen Mac

Nem Chua Yen Mac has a special flavor, unlike other types of spring rolls. Ingredients must use lean pork butt meat to make the spring rolls chewy and firm. The taste of spring rolls is rich and slightly astringent, thanks to the guava leaves wrapped with spring rolls to help balance the flavor.

You can buy Nem Chua Yen Mac at famous markets in Ninh Binh, such as:

• Ninh Binh Bop Market: Truong Han Sieu Street, Phu Thanh Commune, Ninh Binh.
• Ninh Binh Rong Market: Van Giang Street, Thanh Binh Commune, Ninh Binh

2. Ninh Binh scorched rice

Ninh Binh scorched rice is golden and delicious. You can buy this item as a gift for your friends and relatives after your trip to Trang An.

• Khai Hoa scorched rice: No. 465 Tran Hung Dao street, Ninh Khanh, Ninh Binh

3. Gia Vien shrimp paste

Gia Vien shrimp sauce is made from carefully selected shrimp. Old shrimp with small, round bodies will make the sauce better. Shrimp sauce is carefully seasoned and has moderate saltiness. This is a great gift to give to relatives and friends

With shrimp paste, you can buy it at famous markets in Ninh Binh, such as Bop Market Ninh Binh and Rong Market Ninh Binh.

Things to note when traveling to Trang An

• Because Trang An's terrain has many rivers and mountains, you need to prepare comfortable, lightweight clothes and a pair of sports shoes in case you participate in activities that require climbing.
• It is necessary to carefully prepare medical and personal items to avoid unforeseen circumstances.
• Personal belongings and identification documents should be kept carefully in zipped bags.
• If you come to Trang An in the spring, remember to bring an umbrella to prevent drizzle.
• If you want to buy souvenirs at tourist attractions, you should ask the price carefully to avoid buying items with extremely high prices whose quality is not as expected.

Above are HoaBinh Tourist's shares about the exciting and super cost-effective experience of traveling to Trang An. We hope that, through this article, you will have a perfect travel plan for the Trang An scenic complex while still being super economical. If you have any questions, please contact our hotline at 0939.311.911 - 0913.311.911 for 24/7 advice and support.