Best Private Day Trip Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Multiple Options

Infinite traffic jams, crazy crowd, money mooching and terrible food

The reason why 2 stars instead of 1 are the tour team: driver Quan (written aurally, sorry if it's wrong) and guide Double. They were really friendly, helpful, and nice, except one thing in the end, which completely ruined our impression about the tour. But first things first - we ended up to be very unlucky to book this tour on one of Lunar New Year holidays. Both of us are foreign tourists and on the moment of booking we weren't aware of how long these holidays are. Here's what we've got. 1. Nearly 8 (yes, eight) hours spent just sitting in the car in traffic jams: 3 hours on the way there, 3 hours on the way back, and 2 hours on the ways between the sights. JFYI: we've departed on 7:30 am from the hotel. 2. Speaking of sights - filled with crowd: long queues and people were almost knocking us out from the upper viewpoints. Mua Cave, for example. We've visited only the Peak on the right from the point where the stairs divide and decided not to climb up to the Dragon. A crazy and chaotic mess - is a very complimentary description of what were happening there. 3. Due to Trang An was already extremely busy they have closed this area before we even reached Ninh Binh. Our guide recommended us to change the boat cruise location from Trang An to Tam Coc. He told us Tam Coc is no big difference to Trang An except the duration: 1.5 hours in comparison to 3-4 hours. And we were very disappointed because it was not nearly the same as what we were hoping to see in this tour. Tam Coc is located in a small city, so we ended up riding a boat in a narrow and sometimes dirty area (the nature is not so untouched there). Most of the boat drivers are crazy old ladies ramming each other's boats and mooching money from tourists as tips during the entire way back. Of course, the tour operator is not responsible for a crowd or busy days. However, for customers to have the better experience they could have recommended us at least to move the booking to another date and avoid accepting any booking on the holidays. Taking people there during this period is a completely wrong idea leading to the only possible impression: the tour was a complete waste of time and money. And there is absolutely no desire for returning to Ninh Binh to re-do the sightseeing properly. 4. After "the boat cruise" with mad old ladies we've got "the delicious set menu lunch" in a local restaurant with a terrible food. It was an awful choice made solely by the tour operator. Gladly before that we had a bite and coffee in some other place (we chose solely) while our driver was moving in a traffic jam. Finally, after we returned to the hotel our tour guide asked us to fill the paper feedback form with "a happy review" and we agreed. Tired and exhausted, we spent a few more time waiting for him to have the feedback form printed (because he forgot it in some other place). And in the end, he began mooching money as tips too =.

via Viator

Highly recommend

An excellent day from start to finish. Phil our guide was amazing and explained everything we asked. He was very patient when we went up the 500 steps at Mua Caves. The food at lunch time was perfect. An amazing day. Thank you

via Tripadvisor

Amazing Trip to Ninh Binh with Son

Had an amazing trip with Son. The guide was great and the activities were insightful and fun to do. The driver was professional and the car in pristine condition, brand new basically. At midday we were served lunch in and amazing hotel and all food and entries were paid for. 10/10 would recommend!!!! Try to get it with Son, he’s a fun dude:)

Response from the operator: Dear 530noahc, Thank you so much for your fantastic review and for sharing your experience with us on Tripadvisor. We’re thrilled to hear that you had such an amazing trip to Ninh Binh with Son. It’s great to know that you enjoyed the insightful and fun activities, the professional driver, and the comfort of our vehicle. We’re also happy to hear that lunch and included services met your expectations and added to the overall experience. Son will be especially delighted to hear your kind words—he truly is a fun and dedicated guide! Thank you for your 10/10 recommendation. We hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable adventure in Vietnam. Warm regards, Amazing Ninh Bình

via Tripadvisor

Perfect Day trip from Hanoi- See the "real" Vietnam

An experience of a lifetime! The day was planned to see the real culture of the area.Our guide was very knowledgeable, respectful and understanding of our personal needs and wishes.

Response from the operator: Dear Michelle H, Thank you very much for sharing your wonderful review with us on Tripadvisor. We are truly honored to hear that your day trip to Ninh Binh was an experience of a lifetime and gave you a genuine insight into the local culture. It’s especially rewarding to know that the itinerary met your expectations and that our guide was able to support your personal needs and wishes with knowledge, respect, and care. Creating authentic and meaningful experiences is always our top priority. Thank you again for choosing Amazing Ninh Bình. We sincerely hope to welcome you back for another unforgettable journey in Vietnam. Warm regards, Amazing Ninh Bình

via Tripadvisor

Great experience!

Great daytrip with different activities and sights, including beautiful nature. Comfortable car and nice guide with small group

Response from the operator: Dear CatharineMitlid, Thank you very much for sharing your great experience with us on Tripadvisor. We’re delighted to hear that you enjoyed the variety of activities and sights during your day trip to Ninh Binh, especially the beautiful natural scenery. It’s also wonderful to know that you found the car comfortable and appreciated our friendly guide and small group setting. Your feedback truly means a lot to our team. We hope to welcome you again for another memorable journey in Vietnam. Warm regards, Amazing Ninh Bình

via Tripadvisor