Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Open Bus & Hoa Lu Temple Stop

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Free cancellation

1/7

Duration

GroupUp to 22

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

The Hanoi–Ninh Binh Bus That Stops at Ancient Temples

You board at your hotel or at Hanoi Opera House, ride south through countryside for two hours, stop at Hoa Lu's ancient temples for an hour, then arrive in Tam Coc by midday. The bus is shared but not crowded, includes an English-speaking guide and pickup, and the fixed schedule means you don't have to negotiate transport or timing yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Bus trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh

Pick up at Hanoi Old Quarter hotels
Or meet at Hanoi Opera House 8:20am
Bus departs Hanoi at 8:30am
Enjoy countryside views during 2-2.5 hour drive
Stop at Hoa Lu for temple visit
Visit King Dinh and King Le Temples
Continue to Tam Coc
Arrive at Tam Coc Wharf around 12:30pm
Service ends at Tam Coc Wharf

The Experience

Yeah, so the bus picks you up at your hotel in the Old Quarter at 8:20am, or you can meet everyone at Hanoi Opera House if that's easier. Either way, you're on the road by 8:30am heading south through the countryside — and that's when you actually see what's outside the city. Rice fields, water buffalo, villages that don't look like they've changed much. The drive to Ninh Binh takes about two to two and a half hours, and the bus is air-conditioned, which matters when it's hot.

Around 11am you stop at Hoa Lu, where the old royal temples are. This is the part most people don't expect — you get 45 to 60 minutes to walk around the King Dinh and King Le temples, which sit in this narrow valley with limestone cliffs on both sides. The entrance fee is 20,000 VND per person (you pay that yourself at the gate), and your English-speaking guide is there to explain what you're looking at. It's not a long stop, but it's the actual reason to take this route instead of just driving straight through.

After that, the bus continues to Tam Coc, arriving around 12:30pm. That's where the service ends — you're at Tam Coc Wharf, ready to do whatever you've booked next (boat tours, hiking, lunch). If you're doing the return trip, the afternoon bus leaves from Tam Coc Family Restaurant at 3:15pm or 3:30pm and gets you back to Hanoi's Old Quarter by 6pm or 6:30pm, depending on traffic. You get a half-liter of water on the bus, and the whole thing runs with small groups, not a packed coach.

What’s included

Your journey includes hotel pickup from selected Old Quarter hotels (or meeting point at Hanoi Opera House), an English-speaking guide, an air-conditioned vehicle, a 45–60 minute stop at Hoa Lu's King Dinh and King Le temples, and a half-liter bottle of water per person.
The return trip includes pickup from Tam Coc and drop-off in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Temple entrance fees are paid separately at the gate.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Vietnam Open Tour Limited Company

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to reach Ninh Binh without renting a motorbike or hiring a private driver, and you're happy to see Hoa Lu's temples on the way — the shared bus keeps the cost low, and the fixed schedule means the temples are already built into your day instead of being an extra stop you have to arrange.