How to get Ninh Binh

How to get Ninh Binh

Depending on where you’re coming from, there are different ways to travel to Ninh Binh.

From Hanoi:

You have several options to travel to Ninh Binh from Hanoi. The most popular are train, limousine bus and private car transfer. Train is cheap, frequent and only takes about 2 hours, but we still recommend going by bus or car instead.

Why? Because you can get door-to-door service, picking you up at your hotel in the Old Quarter in Hanoi and drop you off at your accommodation in the Ninh Binh region, instead of spending time getting to and from the railway stations. The drive from Hanoi to Tam Coc is just around 2 – 2.5hours, a bit more if you make stops along the way.

Limousine buses are minibuses with comfortable seats to very reasonable prices. However, if you are 3 or more people travelling together, it can be wise to check prices for a private car service. This may not cost more than going by bus and you save time on picking up and dropping off other passengers.

There are also guided day-tours to Ninh Binh from Hanoi that you can join. You find them on booking platforms such as Get Your Guide, Booking.com, Tripadvisor, Agoda, Expedia… or just ask your accommodation to book for you.

From Halong Bay:

Even though most 2- or 3-day cruises in Halong Bay include transfer back to Hanoi, you don’t need to back-track if that’s not where you’re going. When booking your cruise, simply ask them to help to book your transfer to Ninh Binh instead, it’s very easy.

The drive from Ha Long to Ninh Binh is approximately 4-4.5 hours.

From the south:

Are you travelling north from Da Nang/Hoi An, Hue, or Phong Nha, you also have several options. From Da Nang and Hue, you can opt to fly to Hanoi and travel by one of the alternatives above.

Sleeper buses are popular throughout Vietnam, especially amongst backpackers, as they are relatively comfortable and cheap. This can be a good option from Phong Nha, but it’s a very long drive from Da Nang. Although they are called sleeper buses, you can also travel by day – which is recommended due to safety reasons.

The last alternative is train. If you want to save on a night’s accommodation, booking a night train is safer than bus. I did this in the opposite direction, going from Ninh Binh to Phong Nha, and slept surprisingly well.  You can board the train in Da Nang and Hue. If you’re coming from Phong Nha, you must organise a transfer to the station in Dong Hoi.