Ninh Binh Province is a relatively easy 2.5 hour drive south of Hanoi, the expressway making it a comfortable trip. There are probably a few days’ worth of things to see, but on a single day trip you will likely take in Mua Caves, Tam Coc (or Trang An) and the old capital at Hoa Lu. Mua Caves seems something of a misnomer as the 500 steps to the peak view don’t seem to pass anything too cave-like. Once at the top you are looking down at a dramatic vista containing dotted boats on the river at Tam Coc. The aforementioned boats are taken by leg-rowers at a leisurely pace through three sets of caves. The temple marking the old capital Hoa Lu is immaculately kept and may well be on the bicycle-trip part of your itinerary. With these key features, Ninh Binh is wall-to-wall with tourists as you’d expect, but it still retains enough of its charms. 

Above and Below: the climb to Mua Caves.

The temple at Hoa Lu, the first captial of Vietnam.

Above and Below: the leg-rowers at Tam Coc.

Above: one of the three caves to be navigated.