There’re many famous attractions and things to see & do in Ninh Binh, so it takes about 3 - 4 days to travel. However, not many tourists can go to all spots in a short time. If you’ll have one day in Ninh Binh, which places do you want to go to first? This article will recommend some one-day itineraries in Ninh Binh that you’d know. Note that the time in the itinerary may be flexible depending on the time of visit to each spot. 

Tour 1: Temple of Dinh King & Le King - Thung Nham Bird Garden - Thien Ha Cave - Dong Chuong Lake 

6:00 Departure to Ninh Binh. Have breakfast and start your one day in Ninh Binh by visiting Hoa Lu ancient capital. You will come here to visit and make offerings at the Temple of Dinh King & Le King located in Truong Yen ward. 

8:30 - 9:00 Continue your trip to Thung Nham Bird Garden at Ninh Hai ward, a 10-kilometer drive from Dinh King & Le King temple. As usual, to reach Thung Nham Garden, you will have to go along Tam Coc - Bich Dong road within a 4-kilometer trip on the river. Then you’ll go through Thung Nang and keep going through the Tam Coc complex. With a short time of one day in Ninh Binh, you should travel by boat. If doing so, you can save time and contemplate numerous incredible grottoes in Tam Coc - Bich Dong complex. 

Thung Nham Bird Garden

9:00 When reaching Thung Nham Garden, visitors can freely watch many species of birds such as storks, bittern, starling, etc. After watching interesting species of birds here, you can disembark for walking and relaxing. Then travelers can spend time discovering a peaceful space of gardens, primitive forests, a hundred-year-old banyan, etc. Or explore lots of caves and grottoes in this Thung Nham ecological complex to continue your tour of one day in Ninh Binh. 

12:00 You will move to Nham Hill for relaxing and having lunch. Tourists can have a chance to enjoy many Ninh Binh specialties such as chicken on the hills, porks, fish, etc. 

13:00 After enjoying a delicious dish at noon and relaxing, you continue your one-day tour in Ninh Binh. Visiting Thien Ha Cave which is the solid city wall protecting Hoa Lu ancient capital is your next destination. 

Thien Ha Cave

Thien Ha Cave lies in Tho Ha village, Son Ha ward, Nho Quan. To discover this beautiful cave, you’ll have to go on a bamboo boat. Traveling by boat makes your one day in Ninh Binh sound interesting of magnificent landscapes along both riversides. Going amongst vast paddy fields and pristine waters, you can enjoy the fresh air and the flavor of nature. 

15:30 After leaving Thien Ha Cave, you have to move to Dong Chuong Lake. It’s a tourist attraction that still keeps its pristine and untouched natural beauty. Therefore, the landscape here is extremely peaceful and beautiful. It’s suitable for those who want to escape from hustle and bustle places and have a tranquil day. 

There are many exciting activities for you to participate in here. Before coming back to Hanoi, you can choose amongst activities such as walking, fishing, and relaxing in the stilt houses. 

16: 30 - 17:00 Your journey of one day in Ninh Binh is over and returns to Hanoi city. 

Tour 2: Bai Dinh Pagoda - Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex - Mua Cave

Visiting Trang An Ecological complex, tourists seem to be lost in natural masterpieces with forests, karst mountains, and gentle rivers. All surrounding areas have created magnificent pictures in Northern Vietnam. Besides, travelers will be impressed by many incredible and unique architectural designs of historical and spiritual buildings. Here is the one day in Ninh Binh tour that is highly recommended by most tourists. 

7:30 You’ll be picked up at the hotel and depart to Ninh Binh - one of the most famous attractions in the Mekong Delta. It’s about 110 kilometers far from Hanoi in the south. 

9:30 Start your one-day tour in Ninh Binh journey by visiting Bai Dinh pagoda. You’ll get on an electric car to stroll around this spiritual landmark. You make offerings or worship the Buddha at Bai Dinh - one of the most well-known pagodas with many records. 

Bai Dinh Pagoda

With a total area of 107 hectares, Bai Dinh features the shrine of Three Worlds referring to the Buddha in 3 worlds including the past, present, and future, and Triple Gems including Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. Each statue of the Buddha in three worlds weighs 50 tons. Moreover, the impressive bronze statue of Lord Buddha, the largest statue in Southeast Asia weighs nearly 100 tons. 

There are also many magnificent stalactites inside the grottoes, which is no less than that of Halong Bay. Bai Dinh pagoda has become a crowded place of pilgrimage attracting numerous tourists from different places both in and out of the country. The statue of Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara is put on the top of the mountain looking into the ancient land. That creates a tranquil space for most visitors while traveling to Bai Dinh during their one day in Ninh Binh.

Ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda

Sang - Toi Cave inside the ancient Bai Dinh Pagoda

11:00 You will continue your journey of one day in Ninh Binh by visiting Mua Cave. This cave is considered “The Great Wall of Vietnam” with a length of about 500 steps. Climbing on the mountain top, you’ll have a chance to contemplate the whole landscape of Hoa Lu, Tam Coc in your eyes. 

Mua Cave

12:30 You can relax and enjoy Ninh Binh specialties at some local restaurants. 

13:30 Keep moving to visit Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex. This complex carries an impressive natural beauty with pristine water flowing slowly on the river,  verdant forest, and vast fields. With 31 lakes and 48 magnificent grottoes, Trang An Complex creates a poetic and stunning picture. Amongst them, there are some caves with a length of about 2 kilometers such as Dia Linh, Sinh Duoc, and May grottoes.  

Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex

16:00 After exploring this place, you’ll come back to the port in the bamboo boat. You can also ride a bicycle to discover the natural landscape and local life here. 

17:10 Your one day in Ninh Binh is over and you’ll get in the car to come back to Hanoi. 

We’ve just suggested two one-day Ninh Binh tours for you to see. Which tours would you like to choose from? Just one day in Ninh Binh, you’ll have a chance to see everything and enjoy delicious dishes here. With about more than 20 years of development, Handspan Travel Indochina always ensures the best experiences for you while traveling with us. Especially, we make great efforts to satisfy most travelers with a series of tailor-made tours and ensure sustainable development.