How to Go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh

Hoi An to Ninh Binh
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After our glorious week in Hoi An, we headed further north.  In our previous trips to Vietnam, we hadn’t had time to visit the UNESCO World Heritage site of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex, also known as Ninh Binh.  And so this time we were determined to right that wrong.  This area, generally known amongst visitors as Ninh Binh is centered around the closest town of Tam Coc and is often called the “Halong Bay of the land”.  It’s a gorgeous landscape of limestone karst mountains, pagodas, temples, and stunning waterways.  There are acres of rice paddies and scenic views.  Here’s our guide on how to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh.

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The Best Way to Get to Ninh Binh

By far the best way to go to Ninh Binh from Hoi An is to take the overnight train from Danang to Ninh Binh. Book early for the best availability.

Book your train here

There are three main ways to get from Hoi An to Ninh Binh, but you should read this carefully, as there are also transfers involved if you take the train or the flight option.   It’s at least 700 kilometers (435 miles) from Hoi An to Ninh Binh, and this can be a long journey.  I’ll cover the most comfortable way to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh as well as the cheapest route to Ninh Binh from Hoi An and the recommended route for this journey.

Where is Ninh Binh?

To explain where Ninh Binh is, I need to explain a little about the various places referenced as Ninh Binh.  The province of Ninh Binh is in Northern Vietnam and comprises about 48 square kilometers (19 square miles).

There’s also a city called Ninh Binh, which is the capital of the province of Ninh Binh. However, if you’re traveling here to see the waterways, limestone mountains, and the Trang An Scenic Complex (and if you’re reading this then it is 99% likely that you are), then you need to head for the town of Tam Coc, which is the main place where people stay when they visit.

The city of Ninh Binh is where the closest train station is to the scenic area of Ninh Binh and it’s the train station that you’ll go to if you’re planning on making Vietnamese trains part of your transport here. 

The names Ninh Binh and Tam Coc are used interchangeably by foreign travelers to the area.  However, to repeat, Tam Coc is the name of the town where most people stay, it is part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex.  However, most people generally use the term Ninh Binh when they mean Tam Coc, including the bus companies that run this route.  This guide will take you all the way to Tam Coc.

Exactly How to Go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh

You can use four different modes of transport to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh and Tam Coc. I’ll cover each of them, how long it takes to use each type of transport, which is the most comfortable, which is the cheapest and then I’ll go through how we traveled this route (and why).

The Hoi An to Ninh Binh Train (via Danang)

I’ll start with the route that we took.  If you can book the best-timed train, then this is a great way to travel to Ninh Binh from Hoi An and also save a little money along the way too.  Trains in Vietnam are comfortable – so long as you book a decent sleeper.  But there are several steps that you need to take to go this route, so here they are.  First, go from Hoi An to Danang Railway Station.

Hoi An to Danang Railway Station

It’ll cost you about US$6 per person to take a transfer (and the cost is pretty similar if you take a shared shuttle or a private transfer, so I’d definitely book a private transfer that will take you from your accommodation in Hoi An directly to the Danang Railway Station.  It takes about an hour to do this journey.

Danang Railway Station
Danang Railway Station

Danang to Ninh Binh Train

This train sells out.  It’s because it’s on the route from North to South, so you NEED TO pre-book this train.  We had to book 2 weeks in advance to get a sleeper on the particular train that we chose.  So get your timetable sorted and book it now.

A train that leaves Danang in the afternoon and arrives in Ninh Binh in the morning is the best option.

Sleeper Train from Danang to Ninh Binh
Sleeper Train from Danang to Ninh Binh

Danang to Ninh Binh Train Times

There are usually 5 trains a day from Danang to Ninh Binh.  The first train leaves Danang at 00:56 and the last one leaves Danang at 18:05.  The trains to Ninh Binh from Danang take from about 14.5 hours to just over 17 hours.  And you’ll also want to check what time the trains arrive at Ninh Binh Train Station, which is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from Tam Coc.

Check the train times and book train tickets from Danang to Ninh Binh here.

Ninh Binh Train Station to Tam Coc

There are taxis that wait at the train station in Ninh Binh and these are the most popular way to Tam Coc.  However, there are rarely enough taxis for the number of people who get off the train, so you’ll want to be quick if you’re hoping to pick one up.  It will cost you about 100,000 VND for a taxi to Tam Coc from Ninh Binh, and you’ll be taken directly to your hotel.

Grab, the ride-hailing service does operate in Ninh Binh, and rates fluctuate depending on demand.  (Note that Grab in Vietnam is charges a 4% foreign card fee, so you might want to opt for paying cash)

You can also rent a motorbike from a small outfit just down from the train station if you’re planning on exploring the wider area of the Trang An Scenic Landscape.  We took a taxi, as our backpacks were a bit too big to easily manage on the bike.  We rented bikes from Ninh Binh to explore instead.

Taking the Hoi An to Ninh Binh Bus

The bus from Hoi An to Ninh Binh is what you’ll find the most of.  The bus is also the cheapest way to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh and most of the buses go from Hoi An all the way to Tam Coc, even though the route name they use is Hoi An to Ninh Binh.  Luckily 12goAsia has convenient maps on their site, so you can see the departure and arrival points in both locations. 

Powered by 12Go system

Hoi An to Ninh Binh Bus Journey Time

Buses from Hoi An to Ninh Binh (Tam Coc) take from 13 hours to 16 hours, and there are LOTS of them each day.  All the buses that go to Ninh Ninh from Hoi An are sleeper buses.  Some are more comfortable than others, but usually, they’re all pretty decent.

Hoi An to Ninh Binh Bus Journey Times

The first bus of the day from Hoi An to Ninh Binh leaves Hoi An at 12:10, and the last bus of the day leaves Hoi An at 17:00.  You’ll want to take a look at the arrival times (and locations) in Ninh Binh (Tam Coc), as some of these buses get in a 03:15, which obviously is NOT going to save you the cost of a nights accommodation.

IMHO the best-timed buses to take from Hoi An to Ninh Binh are the ones that leaves Hoi An close to 17:00 and arrives at Tam Coc at about 07:00.  For example, the Sapa Discovery Travel VIP Cabin 20 bus leaves at 17:00 and arrives at 07:00. You can check availability on these buses here.

Hoi An to Ninh Binh Bus Departure Locations

Buses in Vietnam often leave from their own offices rather than a centralized bus station.  If they do leave from a bus station, then you can 99% guarantee that the bus station is on the outskirts of the town or city and you’ll need to take a transfer or a Grab to get there.   If you’re going to take the bus from Hoi An to Ninh Binh, then it’s best to start looking at the departure times and arrival times and narrow it down that way.  Then look at where they leave and arrive. 

Hoi An to Ninh Binh Bus Arrival Locations

The city of Ninh Binh is about 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the Trang An Scenic Landscape and Tam Coc, so you’ll want to ensure that you get a bus that takes you right to Tam Coc (most do, but you’ll find the occasional one that goes to the city of Ninh Binh). Remember that 12goAsia has maps of departure and arrival points i

Hoi An to Ninh Binh Flights (via Danang and Hanoi)

Flying from Hoi An to Ninh Binh is the quickest way to get the 700 kilometers (435 miles) between these two locations. However, it’s not as simple as just booking a flight.  It involves going from Hoi An to Danang, which is the closest airport, then flying from there to Hanoi, and then you’ll need transport from Hanoi to Ninh Binh.   Here are the steps to take.

Hoi An to Danang Airport (DAD)

If you’re planning to fly from Danang to Hanoi, then you should get a transfer from Hoi An to Danang.  It’s the easiest way to get to the airport.  Prebook a transfer from Hoi An to Danang Airport here.  If you want to read about all the different ways to go between Hoi An and Danang, then my guide is here.  It takes about an hour to go from Hoi An to Danang Airport.

Danang Airport (DAD) to Hanoi Airport (HAN) aka Noi Bai Airport

There are up to 24 flights a day from Danang to Hanoi, with a flight time of about 80 minutes.  The first flight of the day leaves Danang at 07:35 and the last flight of the day leaves Danang at 22:30. Bear in mind that when you arrive in Hanoi if you’re taking this route, you will still need to get from here to Ninh Binh.

You can check the flight times and costs from Danang to Hanoi here.

Hanoi Airport to Ninh Binh (Tam Coc)

Now you can take the bus from Hanoi Airport (aka Noi Bai Airport) into Hanoi and take a bus from Hanoi to Tam Coc,  but that’s a huge amount of hassle and connections, so the easiest way to go from Hanoi Airport to Ninh Binh (and the town of Tam Coc) is to take either a direct bus from the airport, if you’re traveling solo.  Or a taxi if there are two or more of you.  Obviously, you can take a taxi if you’re traveling solo, but there is no one to split the cost with.

Check the times and prices of buses from Hanoi Airport to Ninh Binh here.

Book a taxi from Hanoi Airport to Ninh Binh here.

Map of Transport Stations for going to Ninh Binh from Hoi An

I haven’t included the different bus office options in here, because they are too numerous, but you can see where the train station is in Danang, as well as the train station in Ninh Binh and where you need to get to in Tam Coc too.  You can also see the full map here

Map of How to Go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh in Vietnam

Key Routes to Travel in Vietnam

Want to know more about different forms of transport in Vietnam? Our guide to Vietnam transport is here. And here’s how to travel some of the popular routes around Vietnam, your options, and how we did it.

The quickest way to get from Hoi An to Ninh Binh

The quickest way to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh is to fly, but you’ll also have to take a transfer from Hoi An to Danang, fly from Danang to Hanoi, and then take either a bus or a transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh (Tam Coc).  Check flight prices from Danang to Hanoi here.  And prebook transfers from Hoi An to Danang airport here and Hanoi to Ninh Binh here.

The easiest way to go to Ninh Binh from Hoi An

The easiest way to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh is to take the overnight sleeper bus and you can check the huge variety of options for that here.

The cheapest way to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh

The cheapest way to get to Hoi An from Ninh Binh is to take the overnight sleeper bus.  You can check the times and prices of Hoi An to Ninh Binh Buses here.  Be sure to check the departure and arrival times and locations.  If you still have to pay for a night’s accommodation when you arrive in Tam Coc you’re not going to save as much as you thought you were going to.

The best way to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh

Usually, you’ll get more sleep on an overnight train than an overnight bus, so we always tend to try and take overnight trains, even with the transfer from Hoi An to Danang and the taxi from Ninh Binh to Tam Coc, this is the best way to go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh. Trains regularly sell out in Vietnam, especially the most popular timed ones from Danang to Ninh Binh, so it’s best to book early.

Travel Tips for Exploring Vietnam

Final Words on How to Go from Hoi An to Ninh Binh

One of the reasons we didn’t visit the Ninh Binh area in earlier visits to Vietnam was it didn’t quite fit with our timetable and it was a long way out of our planned route.  We’re glad we made it work this time.  The journey from Hoi An to Ninh Binh is relatively easy and you have many options, which makes it affordable too.

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AUTHOR

Sarah Carter
Sarah Carter is an avid reader, writer and traveller. She loves hiking, sailing, skiing and exploring the world through food. She left a successful career in IT security and compliance in both the UK and US to travel the world with husband and partner in adventure, Nigel.

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