By car - Best of Ninh Binh, Cuc Phuong, 3 days -1203

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

From

Per Person, Twin share

Previous slide

Next slide

Best of Ninh Binh

& Cuc Phuong by car

Best of Ninh Binh

& Cuc Phuong
by car

3 Days | Car & driver | 420+km | Easy / moderate

Guaranteed departure on scheduled dates for 2 people or more and at least 4 weeks’ notice – see the Information tab. Traveling solo or want different dates? Contact us!

+84 9 1464 9182 [email protected]

At a glance

Discover the best of Ninh Binh and Cuc Phuong in a fully guided tour by private car & driver.

This is a fantastic short tour — with easy access from Hanoi — offering diversity, beauty and spectacular scenery.

Along the way, visit some of the less traveled parts of Hanoi and drive the backroads through countryside on the edge of greater Hanoi and see the daily rhythms of semi-rural Vietnam.

The hidden waterways and steep limestone cliffs of Ninh Binh are UN World Heritage, and one of the most spectacular and extraordinary places you will visit in Vietnam. There are good resorts to relax in here too. With a little knowledge you can mostly escape the crowds and explore great small roads amid stunning landscapes.

Discover the wilderness rain forest and wonderful wildlife of Cuc Phuong, Vietnam’s oldest National Park.

See the itinerary below for more details.

There is travel that fits within the expected and then there are journeys that go beyond. At Other Path Travel, we specialize in small group tours that will take you to a Vietnam that most travelers never see, extraordinarily beautiful, amazingly diverse, off the beaten path.

From astounding natural beauty to scooter-packed streets in vibrant cities, we offer a range of experiences to suit your interests and travel style whether that’s exploring extraordinary scenery by private car or motorbike; cruising spectacular islands by boat From astounding natural beauty to scooter-packed streets in vibrant cities, we offer a range of experiences to suit your interests and travel style whether that’s exploring extraordinary scenery by private car or motorbike; cruising spectacular islands by boat From astounding natural beauty to scooter-packed streets in vibrant cities, we offer a range of experiences to suit your interests and travel style whether that’s exploring extraordinary scenery by private car or motorbike;

cruising spectacular islands by boat From astounding natural beauty to scooter-packed streets in vibrant cities, we offer a range of experiences to suit your interests and travel style whether that’s exploring extraordinary scenery by private car or motorbike; cruising spectacular islands by boat

Highlights

Visit a 1000-year-old temple, key in the development of Buddhism in Vietnam

Climb 500’ish steps to reach a lookout with iconic views of the snaking Ngo Dong River and the layers of the various shades of green and blue of the Ngu Nhac Son Mountains

Glide on small sampans along hidden waterways, twisting through the spectacular karst mountains and caves of Tam Coc and Trang An. Take time to walk along beautiful roads threading through idyllic rice fields and lakes.

Explore Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, surrounded by the Trang An limestone mountains, and bordered by the Hoang Long river.

Take a deep breath of nature in Cuc Phuong, Vietnam’s oldest national park and largest nature reserve.

What our travelers say

“Hoa Lu was a fantastic insight into the history of Vietnam.”

“The waterways of Tam Coc and Trang An, hidden between incredible limestone mountains, were breathtaking, astonishing and a highlight of the trip. “

Remote Cuc Phuong was the peaceful nature break everyone needed, and a true lesson in flora and fauna”

Tour Itinerary

Information

Tour Itinerary

Information

Collapse All Expand All

On the road to Tam Coc

We leave the bustle of early morning Old Quarter traffic, heading south towards Tam Coc, in the province of Ninh Binh. Its proximity to Hanoi makes it an ideal short getaway, and its variety of temples, pagodas, waterways and outstanding landscapes makes it an excellent destination choice.

The old and the new

Our first stop is to visit the impressive Bai Dinh pagoda, considered to be the largest complex of Buddhist temples in Vietnam. The old Bai Dinh Pagoda, located on the western slope of Dinh mountain, is comprised of

towards the calmer streets of Tay Ho, bordering West Lake, Hanoi’s largest and arguably most beautiful lake. Tay Ho – where many Westerners live -- is a fascinating neighborhood, mixing old Vietnam and western cultures in a unique blend.

Leaving Tay Ho, we continue north along the banks of the mighty Red River, the ancient birthplace of the Vietnamese people and still a major working river. Heading west on small roads we reach a beautiful group of pagodas and temples that are among the oldest Buddhist shrines in Vietnam, dating back a thousand years. We stop to explore and take a coffee break.

South – fields, forested hills, Hoa Binh lake to Mai Chau

Turning south we ride through open countryside, following mostly less-travelled roads that twist through fields and forested hills. Away from the occasional section of major road, the traffic is mostly light and the riding great.

We stop for lunch at a pleasant café, and then follow smaller roads again to the shores of the vast and spectacular Hoa Binh Lake.

We stop for some photos and then traverse the slopes above the lake, passing through some beautiful bamboo forest. Finally, after diverting slightly to visit a lookout with fantastic views, we reach Mai Chau and our friendly resort.

Optional activities

If there is time and energy, there are a number of optional activities. A relaxed motorbike or bicycle ride or trek through the rice fields, beautiful in afternoon light. A visit to a nearby textile & crafts village. A ride on a more challenging dirt road up into the surrounding mountains; or an easier ride along a scenic valley up to a pretty mountain village.

And of course some cool drinks at a sunset bar with splendid views over the rice fields before a delicious dinner at a local restaurant.

Option to start the riding day in the Hanoi countryside, avoiding city traffic

For riders who want to avoid the morning Hanoi peak-hour traffic, there is an option (selectable as part of the booking process) to start the morning ride in the countryside – we take you and your luggage in a private car or minibus to a rendezvous point where the bikes are waiting. This saves about 40km of riding and makes for an easier first day.

Accommodation: Resort, Mai Chau
Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Sunday ethnic market option

If it is a Sunday there is an option for experienced riders to make an early morning excursion, on the road before 8am, to an interesting weekly ethnic market in a small village about 30km from Mai Chau.

Hmong and Thai ethnic minorities from surrounding villages gather to buy and sell everything from animals to textiles, and to socialize with people they may not otherwise see.

Many dress in their traditional costumes and the market is a busy, interesting colorful mix of different hill tribes, a slice of old Vietnam.

The road to Pu Luong

Alternatively, after a relaxed breakfast, we ride down the Mai Chau valley surrounded by steep karst limestone mountains and then turn onto the road leading to Pu Luong.

The scenery is stunning. We climb gradually along a wonderful twisting valley road, each kilometer taking us further off the beaten path. Mountains rise up on either side – steep slopes carpeted in dense tropical forest. As we crest a pass, amazing views of the Pu Luong ranges, deeply clad in green, open up. Below stretches the main Pu Luong valley with its scattered hamlets.

It feels a long way from anywhere – the contrast with much busier Mai Chau is incredible. We stop to enjoy the view and take some photos.

Discovering Pu Luong

From the pass we drop down more twists before making an excursion along a dirt side road to a pretty hidden valley and hamlet surrounded by mountains, where daily life still follows the seasons and harvests. We admire the view and have lunch in one of the local ethnic village houses.

Retracing our steps, we rejoin the main road as it sidles along the valley slopes, with rice terraces falling down the hills. This is beautiful, remote Vietnam, a place to ride slowly and enjoy.

Further down the valley, we take another narrow side road and soon reach our lodgings for the night, set among the rice fields and terraces. Our default is a very comfortable homestay, but you may choose an upgrade to a good ecolodge with a pool and outstanding views -- contact us.

Now there are several options. We can ride further into the Pu Luong ranges and explore valleys and villages – on easy roads or more challenging ones.

Or we can take an easy trek among the beautiful rice fields and villages. Another option is a ride down to the lower valley and enjoy some gentle riding or kayaking along the river.

Or we can simply spend time over some cool drinks, sitting on a terrace with stunning, sweeping views over the rice fields and valleys below. We end the day with a delicious Vietnamese dinner.

Accommodation: Resort / homestay, Pu Luong
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Water wheels and winding roads

This is our longest day.

After an early breakfast we ride further down the valley. Time permitting, we might ride out along a less developed road and visit the waterfalls at Ban Hieu, a great thing to do on a hot day. Or we might go explore some of the other Pu Luong valleys.

Or ride to see the giant irrigation water wheels made out of bamboo that are found along some of the rivers and are a signature of Pu Luong.

Leaving Pu Luong, we climb an almost ridiculously steep pass cut into the sheer mountain side with a spectacular view over the whole Pu Luong region from the top – it’s a must stop for photos.

Riding on, we follow a wonderful little-visited road winding across a karst-dotted plateau with small villages every now and then. It feels remote and a long way from Hanoi

Cuc Phuong National Park

We drop down from the plateau via some hairpin turns with great views before eventually cutting south via the Ho Chi Minh trail through the karst ranges that form the top end of Cuc Phuong National Park.

This is nice riding on good road through lush green mountains.

We then follow smaller roads through more open countryside until we turn north east and wind through karst hills, eventually reaching the entrance to Cu Phuong Park.

Cuc Phuong was the first National Park in Vietnam and is still the largest, with some of the best rainforest wilderness in North Vietnam.

Time permitting, we briefly visit the Park. We ride and might take a short trek though the deep green, quite and ancient rainforest. We might also visit the Endangered Wildlife Rescue Center, and, if we are lucky, see some of the rare langurs and other animals cared for at the Center -- a real treat.

The road to Ninh Binh

We then head south east through beautiful scattered karst pinnacle countryside towards Ninh Binh. We ride some fantastic roads threading through flooded valleys ringed by cliffs before arriving at our resort, where we relax and admire the view before a well-earned Vietnamese dinner.

Accommodation: Bungalows, Ninh Binh
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Tam Coc & Trang An waterways

After breakfast, we explore more of the back roads, half-flooded landscapes and temples near our resort. Optionally, we can climb a stairway to a small temple on the top of one of the limestone pinnacles to get one of the best views over the rivers, fields and mountains of Ninh Binh.

We ride on to Tam Coc where we take small sampan boats to explore the hidden waterways that wind between the limestone cliffs and mountains -- local women use their feet to row the oars of our boat.

The rivers twist their way through beautiful rice fields and occasionally disappear completely into amazing caves – bring your camera but watch your head! Old temples, some reachable only by water, are dotted among the waterways and mountains.

It’s a wonderful, surreal experience in one of the most beautiful landscapes in Vietnam and a highlight of the trip.

Depending on time and group preferences, we might also visit the waterways of Trang An, less busy than Tam Coc and just as beautiful.

Scenic route back to Hanoi

After some lunch, we continue north along scenic roads surrounded by amazing karst pinnacles. We make a short visit to the picturesque and evocative remains of the ancient city of Hao Lu, the capital of Vietnam in the 10th and 11th centuries.

Time permitting, a little further on we make a detour to visit one of the largest and most important Buddhist temples in Vietnam, an awesome sight, then follow lovely rural roads past the waterways of Van Long northwards through more karst mountains. This is fabulous motorcycle touring.

Option to finish the riding day in the Hanoi countryside, avoiding city traffic

Eventually we turn east and join the major roads leading north to Hanoi; from here, it’s a straightforward ride back into the city and to your hotel.

For riders who wish to avoid Hanoi & highway traffic, there is an option to end the ride in the countryside about 40-50km from the city center. We rendezvous with a private car or minibus, drop the motorbikes and ride in air-conditioned comfort for the last part of the tour.

This makes for an easier last day and given Hanoi & highway traffic we recommend it. You can select this option as part of the booking process.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

A great way to go

There is no better way to travel through Vietnam than by motorbike -- the feeling of connection to the landscapes and people is exhilarating. It's how we like to travel ourselves.

Vietnam is a motorbike rider’s paradise. The country has not yet developed to the point where cars and trucks are crowding bikes on rural and back roads: there are cars and trucks of course, but motorbikes are still dominant. On the other hand, the country has developed enough to have (mostly) reasonable sealed roads. In addition, the landscapes and people are fabulous. This all adds up to fantastic back roads riding.

This tour is aimed at people with moderate motorbike riding experience as well as more experienced riders. We modify the daily riding distances and choose roads and side excursions to suit the experience and desires of the group -- from relaxed to demanding.

There is also the possibility of riding pillion behind one of our experienced local riders -- you can select this as part of the booking process.

If you would like to discuss your riding experience and options, please contact us -- we are always keen to help!

'Slow travel' and types of motorbike

In general, we have a ‘slow travel’ philosophy and try and ensure that daily distances are not too large – we take time to enjoy what we are passing through.

Not going too fast is the secret to riding in Vietnam: there are so many fantastic side excursions and so much to experience. In any case, winding back roads make fast riding impractical a lot of the time -- in the mountains, speeds of 30 - 60 kmh are common. Of course if you want to ride harder and cover more distance, we can do that too.

We generally ride modest sized semi-automatic bikes of around 110cc-125cc, or slightly larger manual bikes of 150cc. Both are well suited to the winding roads of Vietnam.

The 110cc - 1225cc bikes are less expensive, are light and easy to manage, and handle dirt roads well. These are what the locals ride everywhere. You'll find them more approachable if you're riding what they're riding. These are the default, included in the price of the tour.

The 150cc bikes are heavier, a bit more expensive and can of course cover long distances more quickly. You can select 150cc bikes for your group as part of the booking process.

Western riders used to larger bikes often want something bigger -- and if you want to ride Vietnam's crowded highways, then a larger bike makes sense (although bikes of more than 175cc involve more stringent driving license requirements) -- but we do not recommend them for our tours.

Off road bikes are also available for those who wish to add some more challenging dirt roads to the mix – we can provide as much challenge as you can handle. However, it's not our key focus and if you want a pure off-roading experience, then you should look elsewhere. Contact us if you are interested in a larger motorbike or mixing in a bit of more serious off-road.

See here for more information on riding a motorbike in Vietnam.

Motorbike licenses

Ideally, you will have a motorbike license in your own country that you can use as the basis to get an International Driving Permit (IDP) before you leave.

Vietnam does not recognize domestic motorcycle licenses by themselves as being a valid license to ride a motorbike in Vietnam, but it does recognize the combination of a domestic license and an IDP from a number of countries: see here for more important information and a link to a list of countries.

If you are from one of the countries where an IDP is not recognized (including USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Ireland, Spain), then please contact us to discuss options.

Note that the rules for what is required to ride validly in Vietnam are always changing -- we try and keep up to date, but it's always best to contact the Vietnamese embassy in your country to confirm.

Choose Your Style

This tour is aimed at both people who are interested in being active as well as those who want a more relaxing trip instead. We have designed the route and itinerary to accommodate both preferences.

For those who want to be active, we are happy to provide as much additional riding and / or trekking as you desire – and it’s great stuff: fabulous back roads and trails, amazing mountains and gorges, wonderful treks to remote ethnic minority villages, stunning rice terraces and beautiful forests.

For those more interested in a less-active trip, the core riding itinerary provides great, relaxing touring through spectacular and incredibly diverse landscapes and villages. We can adjust the itinerary for each day in accord with the interests of the group.

Tour Options – Add Something Special to Your Tour

Customise Your Tour with Our Optional Activities

Take your tour further and add some extra experiences we think are not to be missed. From landscapes to people watching, trekking to markets, simply choose the option(s) that’s right for you and click ‘Reload your revised tour’ to open a new tab with an amended itinerary.

At this time we don’t have pre-prepared itineraries for every combination, so please contact us if your combination doesn’t load a new itinerary and we will work with you directly.

Best of Ninh Binh

& Cuc Phuong by car

Best of Ninh Binh