Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Tam Coc Day Trip from Hanoi, Private, with the Late Boat
A full day south of Hanoi built around the Tam Coc boat: the temples of the first Dai Viet capital at Hoa Lu, lunch at a family table in Van Lam, the rice lanes by bicycle to Thai Vi and Bich Dong, and the Ngo Dong in the late afternoon, after the day-trip coaches have moved on. Every entry fee, lunch and the rower’s tip are paid before you travel.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car for your group alone
Private, 1-4 guests, and nobody outside your party is added to it
Your own licensed local guide
Fluent in English and explains two dynasties, the rice year and the caves — to your group alone, not twenty strangers
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in central Hanoi. No meeting point to reach on your own
Every entry fee, lunch and the tip prepaid
Hoa Lu, the boat, the bicycles, lunch and the rower’s tip are settled for you. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to an embroidery showroom that pays to have you delivered
The boat when the river empties
Coach tours board around half past one; you are on the water after three, in lower, softer light
Duration
About 11.5 hours
Departure
07:30
Pickup
Any central Hanoi hotel
from · $99 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$270 BOOK →2 guests$300 BOOK →3 guests$365 BOOK →4 guests$395 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The day, stop by stop
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Times are approximate and move with the traffic out of Hanoi.
Hotel pickup · 07:30 · anywhere in central Hanoi
Drive south · about 2 hours · roughly 100 km on the expressway, one short stop
Hoa Lu ancient capital
09:45 · about 75 minutes · on foot, flat
Entry fee included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
The capital of the first independent Dai Viet state, from 968 to 1010. Two temples stand on the old ground, to King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh, rebuilt in the seventeenth century. Your guide explains the stone dragon bed in the courtyard and why a king chose a valley walled by limestone.
Short drive · about 20 minutes · to Van Lam village
Lunch at a family table
11:30 · about an hour · seated
Lunch and drinks included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
Lunch in a family house near the Van Lam pier. The table usually carries the dishes Ninh Binh is known for: goat, crispy rice with a dipping sauce, a soup and greens from the garden, with soft drinks or a local beer. Tell us about allergies or a vegetarian diet when you book and the family cooks for it.
Bicycles to Thai Vi and Bich Dong
12:45 · about 100 minutes · by bicycle, flat lanes
Bicycles and entry included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
Flat village lanes through the fields to Thai Vi temple, where the Tran kings kept a palace, and on to the three pagodas of Bich Dong. The ride is about 6 km in all, at your pace, and the car follows for anyone who would rather sit this part out.
The Ngo Dong by sampan
15:15 · about 2 hours · by rowing boat
Boat, entry and the rower’s tip included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
The reason for the day. By a quarter past three the coach groups have been and gone, the river is quieter and the light is lower. Two guests to a boat, through Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba and back the same way, with the tip already settled.
Back at your hotel · around 19:15 · or stay on in Tam Coc and we drop you there
A whole day, with the boat kept for the best hour
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$270 BOOK →2 guests$300 BOOK →3 guests$365 BOOK →4 guests$395 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private car and driver from your Hanoi hotel
- Local guide who speaks fluent English
- Hoa Lu, Tam Coc boat and every entrance ticket
- The rower’s tip, settled at the pier
- Lunch with drinks at a family table in Van Lam
- Bicycles for the rice lanes
- Bottled water all day
Not included
− Drinks beyond lunch and the water we provide
− Anything you buy at the pier or from the vendor boats
− A tip for your guide and driver — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You are based in Hanoi and have one day for Ninh Binh.
You want the boat without the midday crowd, and some history with it.
You like a mix in one day: a temple, a family lunch, a bicycle and a boat.
You want one number for the whole day, lunch and the tip included.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget; group day tours from Hanoi ride the same river for much less.
Long days are hard for someone in your group: about four hours of this one are on the road.
You are staying in Tam Coc already: the half day starts from your hotel and skips the drive.
You want Trang An and Hang Mua in the same day. That is a different day, and we can plan it for you.
If you are staying in Tam Coc or Ninh Binh, the half day puts you on the first or the last boat straight from your hotel. See the private Tam Coc boat ride. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is the tour and when does it start?
It runs About 11.5 hours door to door, departing 07:30 from your hotel in central Hanoi. About four hours of it is the drive there and back, with a short stop each way.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel anywhere in central Hanoi, including the Old Quarter, Hoan Kiem, Ba Dinh and Tay Ho. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes. If you are moving on to Tam Coc, we can drop you and your bags there instead.
How hard is the cycling?
About 6 km on flat village lanes at an easy pace, with stops at Thai Vi and Bich Dong. The car stays close, so anyone who would rather not ride travels in it and meets the group at each stop.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample day and every part of it can be adjusted: add a stop, skip one, or spend longer at Hoa Lu or on the river. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the customs, the two dynasties at Hoa Lu and the rice year as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests: four people pay less each than two, and the car is the same car. Two guests share each boat, so three or four of you take two boats side by side. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest; for five or more, message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
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.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
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. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What about food allergies?
Tell us when you book. Lunch is cooked by the family for your group, so vegetarian meals and most allergies can be handled if we know in advance; we cannot promise a kitchen free of peanuts or shellfish.
What happens if it rains?
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.
Book the day trip from Hanoi
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$270 BOOK →2 guests$300 BOOK →3 guests$365 BOOK →4 guests$395 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›