Tam Coc Boat Ride is a small, independent private tour company based in Van Lam, the village at the Tam Coc boat pier in Ninh Binh. We plan private days on the Ngo Dong river for groups of one to four people: a half day from your hotel in Tam Coc or Ninh Binh, and a full day from Hanoi, each led by a licensed local guide who speaks fluent English.
We are not the management board of the Tam Coc – Bich Dong scenic area and not the boat co-operative. The rowers work under the pier’s own rules; our part is to put you on the river at a quiet hour, with the tickets and the tip already settled.
Two ways onto the river, both private
Start from a sample day and change it, or tell us what you want and we will plan around it.
★Private Tam Coc Boat Ride with Bich DongThe Ngo Dong river on the first boat or in the last light, with Bich Dong and Thai Vi · About 4 hoursSee the tour →Tam Coc Day Trip from Hanoi, PrivateHoa Lu, lunch at a family table, the rice lanes by bicycle and the late boat on the Ngo Dong · About 11.5 hoursSee the tour →What we actually do
Most people who come to Tam Coc take the boat in the middle of the day, when the coach tours from Hanoi arrive. The river is at its busiest then, there is no shade on the water, and the question of the rower’s tip tends to come up somewhere around the third cave. We plan the day the other way round: the first boats of the morning or the last light of the afternoon, a guide who explains what you are looking at, and nothing left to pay once you are in the boat.
| What we do | What we do not do |
|---|---|
| Collect you from your hotel in a private car | Meet you at a street corner or a hotel you are not staying in |
| Time the boat for the quiet end of the day | Put you on the river at the busiest hour |
| Pay the tickets and the rower’s tip before you board | Leave you to bargain in the middle of the river |
| Take you on to Bich Dong and Thai Vi, a few minutes from the pier | Stop at an embroidery or souvenir showroom |
| Change the day to suit your group, in writing | Add costs on the day that were not agreed |
Who guides you
Your guide is a local who holds a Vietnamese tour guide licence and speaks fluent English. They grew up with this river, and they explain what a visitor alone would miss: why the fields along the Ngo Dong carry only one rice crop a year, how the three caves were used, and who built the pagodas at Bich Dong and the temple at Thai Vi.
We design and sell the tours ourselves and run them together with a licensed Vietnamese tour operator. Your booking is with us, and we remain your single contact before, during and after the day.
How we price a day
Every tour is priced for the whole group, from one to four guests, and the price includes the car and driver, your guide, the boat and every entrance ticket, the rower’s tip and, on the Hanoi day, lunch. For two people the half day in Tam Coc is $130 in total, and the full day from Hanoi is $300 in total.
The two itineraries on this site are sample days. If you want a different start time, a longer stop or a stop we do not list, we send you an all-inclusive quote in writing before you book. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size.
Our terms, in plain words
Yes — free cancellation up to 3 days before departure for a full refund, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car and guide are already committed.
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
Light rain does not stop the boats: your guide brings rain ponchos, and the rowers work through drizzle. If the authorities halt the boats for high water or a storm, the half-day boat ride moves to another date free of charge, or is refunded in full if no date works; on the day trip from Hanoi the boat is replaced by the climb at Hang Mua, with no partial refund, or you move the date free. If the route is only shortened, you can keep your date or move it free. The full terms are in our Booking Terms.
See the two sample days
Each page shows the day stop by stop, what is included and who it suits.
Private Tam Coc Boat Ride with Bich DongAbout 4 hoursSee the tour →Tam Coc Day Trip from Hanoi, PrivateAbout 11.5 hoursSee the tour →Questions about us
Are you the official Tam Coc boat service?
No. We are an independent private tour company. The boats are rowed by local rowers under the rules of the scenic area; we book the tickets, time the trip and add the guide, the car and the other stops.
Where are you based?
In Van Lam, the village at the Tam Coc pier, in Nam Hoa Lu ward, Ninh Binh. Our guides live around the river.
Does the guide come in the boat?
Yes. Each boat takes two guests and a rower; your guide rides with you, and with three or four guests you take two boats side by side.
Can you plan something other than the two sample days?
Yes. Tell us who is travelling, how much time you have and what you want to see, and we send a written, all-inclusive quote before you book.
Choose your day on the Ngo Dong
One price for your group, every ticket and the tip inside it, free to cancel until 3 days before.
★Private Tam Coc Boat Ride with Bich DongThe Ngo Dong river on the first boat or in the last light, with Bich Dong and Thai Vi · About 4 hoursfrom$45/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$120BOOK →2 guests$130BOOK →3 guests$165BOOK →4 guests$180BOOK →See the full tour page →Tam Coc Day Trip from Hanoi, PrivateHoa Lu, lunch at a family table, the rice lanes by bicycle and the late boat on the Ngo Dong · About 11.5 hoursfrom$99/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$270BOOK →2 guests$300BOOK →3 guests$365BOOK →4 guests$395BOOK →See the full tour page →Company details, prices and policies checked on 30 September 2026. Ticket prices at the pier are set by the scenic area.