How Did You Get Around Ninh Binh?
 

I am trying to figure out what strategy to employ in visiting the area. December trip, so sunset is about 5:15 to 5:30pm.

Hire a guide and car for the duration (4 nights).
Will stop in at least one place listed below on our way back and forth from Hanoi)

Self Drive (I think this is possible).

one way 'taxi' trips (there's probably an app for that).

On my list to visit so far:
Hang Mua
Bich Dong
Thung Nam Gardens
Di San Trang An (Boats)
Dia Tang Phi Lai Pagoda
Bai Dinh
Thung Ui
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Chua Tam Chuc

Any other ideas?

Thanks!

My wife and I have been a couple of times. My first comment is that 4 days is too much. A couple of days would be plenty for most people. Secondly, avoid weekends when the area gets rammed with domestic tourists from Hanoi and parts can get very crowded an very noisy with party boats on the rivers etc. (avoid Tam Coc) A good guide with help you avoid the worst of this by taking you to the quieter areas at the right times.

Getting around; our first visit was by private car at the end of a week's trekking in the mountains, Pu Long NP etc. Our main guide arranged for a local guide to take us around the various places by car. Nowadays , the Grab APP operates in Vietnam (cars and bikes) and I think is available in Ninh Binh. We used car/motor bikes for longer trips and borrowed pushbikes to get around more locally. It was pretty straightforward. On that occasion we used Ethnic Travel who based in Hanoi's Old Quarter . They were very good and not expensive.

On another trip when we were heading south to Phong Nha Khe Be caves and Hue, we just jumped on the train from Hanoi and got off at Ningh Binh Station (everyone should try Vietnams trains once!). Guides/drivers are easily arranged via accomodation providers

It is now possible to drive in Vietnam as long as you have an IDP but I would advise against it. Driving standards are terrible, death and injury stats are very high. An English woman on a backpacking trip died as a result of riding pillion around the Ha Giang loop in the north. Over the years I have seen countless major RTA travelling around the country.

Other ideas? If you enjoy the countryside, consider what we did and look at exploring the areas around Pu Long NP and teh Balck River valley which will allow an insight into a much less toursist part of Vietnam. You could combine with the Mai Chau Valley which is stunning (but avoid teh main towns which are now very tourist and get out into the valley. Not my favourite palce but Ninh Binh also combines easily with Hal Long or Bai Tu Long bays.

You can also check out TripAdvisor for day tours in Ninh Binh to get more ideas. Booking a tour is a great choice since everything is handled from start to finish. Honestly, for your itinerary, I think only Hanoi and Ninh Binh really benefit from having a guide to dive deep into the culture.

A few tips from my experience: 4 days might be a bit long for some, so 2 or 3 days could be the sweet spot. Try to avoid weekends if you can, as it gets very crowded with domestic tourists and noisy party boats. Also, while Grab is available in Ninh Binh for easy trips, I would advise against self-driving. Traffic here can be quite intense and unpredictable, so hiring a driver is much safer.

For a unique experience, maybe try the train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh once. It is a classic Vietnamese experience! Since you have Trang An and Thung Nam on your list, you should also check out Tuyet Tinh Coc, Thung Ui, or Phat Diem Cathedral. They are very atmospheric in December. If you want to escape the crowds, exploring Pu Luong or the Black River valley nearby is also a fantastic idea.

Thank you, catch23 and teamkampa2122 so much for your responses.

I fully realize that 'most people' don't spend so much time down there, but my list is already long and I have no problem adding to it.

I will be going Monday thru Thursday, so thanks for reinforcing that idea.

I will jettison the idea of self-driving.

Thanks for the rec of Ethnic Travel in Hanoi.

Also thanks for the recs of Phat Diem Cathedral and Tuyet Tinh Coc.

I'd love to take the train, but my problem is that I am probably looking to make stops along the way. For example, by car I would stop at Chua Tam Chuc.

Have either of you been to the Perfume Pagoda?

We have visited both Tam Chuc and the Perfume Pagoda when spending some extended time in Hanoi. Both are worth visiting as they are a little different though they both get very busy Perfume Pagoda especially.

When we used Ethnic Travel, when asked, they were very good at adapting our trip to our specific needs. When we asked to get off the usual tourist paths they really delivered. We stayed in homestays in some really out of the way villages , some we needed to hike to , some were accessible by car. Not for everyone as the facilities were limited , but the hospitality was amazing and the home cooked food, eaten with the families was amongst the best we have had in the country. That week was a highlight of many trips to Vietnam over many years.

I can help you plan this a bit.
Honestly, you only really need about 2 days in Ninh Binh, maybe 3 at most if you want to go slower. After that it can feel a bit repetitive since the main spots are quite close together.
If you have extra time, I’d actually combine it with Pu Luong or Mai Chau instead, since the scenery is totally different and much quieter.
Also, try to avoid weekends if you can. It gets really crowded with both locals and tourists, especially around Trang An and Tam Coc.
Getting around is pretty easy because everything is close. You can hire a local driver or guide, which is the most convenient option.
If you want to ride yourself, just make sure you have an IDP (International Driving Permit) to avoid any issues.
Hope this helps!

If I stay 4 nights, that is 3 days, and yes I do want to go slower.. For some places, I'd like to spend longer. For example, there is a hill overlooking Bai Dinh with trails and some obscure sites I'd like to investigate. And if the area is beautiful, then I don't mind taking extra time to soak it all in.

I am adding Hoa Lu Old Town / Ninh Binh Walking Street to to my list of places.

All of the accommodations I used in Vietnam either had drivers or worked with a travel agency that is able to arrange transport, even long distances. For example, our accommodations in Phong Nha arranged our transport to Ninh Binh and our accommodations in Ninh Binh arranged our transport to Hanoi. Same with day trips.

We had 3 nights in Ninh Binh and would not have run out of things to do with a 4th night, so I think the amount of time you're allocating is fine.

Among your list, Hang Mua was the most memorable along with a boat trip on the waterways.

tripplanner001 Thanks for your input. That makes me fool good about the options I'll have.

I was in Ninh Binh exactly a year ago, and you can use ridehailing apps like Grab to get you around most of the scenic spots in the region. It's also possible to organise intercity transport through your accommodation, pretty much all of them will assist with this. And I'd second the recommendations of virtually everyone else that you shouldn't drive in Vietnam, by the way. Crossing the road is panic-inducing enough, I cannot imagine self-driving there unless you want to die in fiery wreckage. Vietnam has possibly the most anarchic roads I've seen anywhere when travelling.

Your itinerary looks okay and you have more than enough time to see all the things you want. My favourite activities when I was there was Hang Mua and the boat ride around Trang An (which are both spectacular). There are three different boat routes you can take in Trang An, I picked route 2 and did not regret that, it's well worth doing. Do however keep in mind that you're on a time limit whenever you get off the boat to sightsee, our riverboat guide got frustrated if we spent over 10 minutes exploring each temple. It might be dependent on the specific guide you get, but in my experience leisurely exploration was not a thing on the Ninh Binh boat tour, which was a bit of a shame because some of the boat-accessible temples warranted more than 10 minutes.

On the way to Bich Dong you might as well check out Thai Vi Temple, it's approximately halfway between Hang Mua and Bich Dong Pagoda and is quite atmospheric, it's nestled in the pretty karst hills and rice fields and walking around the area is pleasant. I wouldn't say it's a must see, but given that you have four days in the region it's a worthwhile addition. Beware of the women trying to sell you hand fans around there and Hoa Lu, though (Hopefully they'll be less common for you in December, given the colder temps). Touts are everywhere in Vietnam and you should be prepared for that.

On the flip side, I would deprioritise Bai Dinh. It is mostly a modern temple and although it's huge it feels super glossy, inauthentic and very tourist trappy. There's shuttle buses which take you around the whole complex, there's hotels on the grounds, and rooms where they'll even give you a herbal foot bath. My favourite bit of the temple was the old cave shrines at the back of the complex, which was the OG grounds before the large modern temple got built around it and features many statues tucked in between limestone formations and underground pools. If you visit Bai Dinh I recommend that you make it a point to see that part.

Thanks travelling_flaneur for your insights.

I am very much interested in some of the sites in the hill overlooking bai dinh, so this is great to know. I am very curious when you write of "many statues tucked in between limestone formations and underground pools." That is right up my alley. Do you have any specific info?

And I will steel myself for the touts. I know it can be a rude awakening, which I experienced in Beijing.

I am almost positive we will do a 2 hour boat trip and not the 3 hour one. Though I am unclear about the difference between Tours #1 and 2. I will be happy to choose #2 based on your rec.