Vietnam has some phenomenal landscapes with colors and scenery that make you feel like you’re on a different planet. My favorite areas in northern Vietnam were Tam Coc, Ha Long Bay and Ba Be National Park.
Tam Coc
Tam Coc, which means 3 caves, is a must do in Vietnam. Take a boat ride down the Ngo Dong River, through a winding canal of bright yellow rice paddies, towering cliffs and caves. This journey is really an incredible experience and full of breathtaking landscape.
It’s a $5 USD entrance fee/person plus $6 USD for a boat that fits 2 people. Tickets are sold at the Tam Coc boat dock and includes a woman who rows the boat for you. To my surprise, she rowed with her feet for the 2 hour + trip!
Tour buses start arriving around 9:30-10am with hundreds of people, so get there early. We got there at 8am. There were only a few other people so we pretty much had the river to ourselves.
Scam- a boat came to us and asked if we wanted to buy our rower drinks and snacks. Fair enough, as our rower was working hard. We bought her food/drinks and noticed that she didn’t eat or drink them. When she thought we weren’t looking, she handed it back to the other boat and pocketed the money. We talked to other tourists and they said the same happened to them.
View Point at Hang Mua Caves
Another must do! We rented bicycles for $2 in Tam Coc and road through rice paddies to the base of the mountain. There are caves at the bottom, but the highlight is the viewpoint at the top.
We climbed over 500 stairs to the peak and the lookout point over the valley is incredible at sunset. You can see an aerial view of the winding river with the Tam Coc river boats. It costs $4 USD entry to walk up.
Trang An
We rented a scooter in Tam Coc for $4USD/day and drove 15 minutes to Trang An. It’s similar to Tam Coc in that it’s a boat ride where a woman rows, but completely different views and landscapes. This is also one of the film sites for the latest King Kong movie. Because of this, it has become an even more popular tourist destination. The boat tickets were $20/person and there’s 4 people per boat. If you’re only 2 people, they will wait for 2 more to fill the boats. Make sure to go early to beat the crowds (before 8am).
You can choose between 2 routes. We chose option 2 which was 3 caves, Kong island and a temple. Option 1 is 3 temples and 4 caves. The cliffs were picturesque but my favorite part were the caves. When we arrived at the base of a mountain, we saw a small opening to a cave. We paddled through through the entire mountain for about 20 minutes before we reached the other side.
Pagodas
Bai Dinh Pagoda- while you have a scooter, from Trang An continue on to Bai Dinh- the largest pagoda in Southeast Asia. It’s a 20 minute drive from Trang An or 35 minute drive from Tam Coc.
Bich Dong Pagoda- if you ride around the Tam Coc area (bicycle or scooter), continue down the road going toward Bich Dong Pagoda. There are really beautiful views and you can see workers harvesting rice in the yellow fields and laying it out to bake in the sun. This road will dead end at Bich Dong Pagoda. It consists of 3 temples enclosed in a mountain and is well marked so you can’t miss it.
How To Get Here
Hanoi airport to Hanoi city center- fly into Hanoi airport. You can get a taxi into the city, uber or bus. The airport is 45 minute-1 hour drive from the city and costs around $10 USD/uber or 30 cents by bus. There are buses every 20 minutes and they run from 5am-10pm (bus #7 and #17).
Hanoi city center to Tam Coc- at the Hanoi bus terminal, theres a 3 hour bus ($5 USD) that goes toward Nin Binh (pronounced neen bean). Ninh Binh is a 10 min drive from Tam Coc, but the bus should stop in both locations.
Ha Long Bay to Tam Coc- if you’re coming from Halong Bay or Cat Ba Island theres a shuttle van. It’s $20 USD for a boat transfer from Cat Ba island and the van ride. The van stops at both Ninh Bin and Tam Coc.
You can stay in either location. The difference is Ninh Binh is a bustling town whereas Tam Coc is a quiet country village feel and it’s across from boats.
The return bus to Hanoi, or anywhere else, can be arranged for you at your accommodation.
Accommodation
There were several options, walking distance to the boats in the Tam Coc area. We stayed at 2 different places.
Tam Coc Backpackers Hostel– $5 USD/night for a shared dorm.
Long Hotel– $5USD/night for a private room with AC and breakfast included.
When To Go
The best time to visit Tam Coc is rice harvest season, which is mid April to early June. In April, the fields will be green and just starting to turn yellow. In late May- early June is when the rice fields are yellow and most colorful. Avoid typhoon season in September.
You need to apply for a travel visa in advance. Some countries are eligible for an electronic visa (list of countries). I got my e-visa on here for $25 USD.
If you’re from a country that’s not eligible for an e-visa, you need to apply for an approval letter for $20 USD. Once you arrive at the airport, present your approval letter to receive a Visa On Arrival for an additional $25 USD. You can only get a Visa On Arrival if you’re arriving by plane at an International Airport.
Make sure you have either USD or Vietnamese currency on you. When I was there, they only accepted cash in these 2 currencies.
Whether you’re applying for an e-visa or approval letter, make sure to start this process in advance because it takes at least 3 days to process.
Expenses (in USD):
Flight from Bali to Hanoi- $200
Accommodation- $5/night
All Transport and bike rentals- $51
Travel Visa $35
Food- $10/day
Activities/entrance fees- $35
Of coarse the pictures from my iPhone do not do it justice, but this area of Vietnam is so picturesque. Everything looked like a postcard and it was really a special experience.
Thanks for reading. If you’re interested in other adventures in Vietnam or Southeast Asia , please check out my other blog posts. If you have any questions please email me. 🙂