Tam Coc Vietnam – All travel tips and travel advices.

Tam Coc Vietnam – All travel tips and travel advices.

Tam Coc Vietnam Summary information

• WHERE IS TAM COC VIETNAM?
• WHAT DOES THE WORDS “TAM COC” MEAN?
• WHEN TO VISIT TAM COC VIETNAM?
• HOW TO VISIT TAM COC VIETNAM?
• TAM COC TRAVEL TRAVEL TIPS

WHERE IS TAM COC VIETNAM?

Tam Coc literally means three grottos located in Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh Province.

In the North of Vietnam, Tam Coc, a beautiful natural setting in Ninh Binh province known as the Halong Bay on land we have very near Hanoi. It is located about 90 kilometers south of Hanoi in Ninh Binh province (home of the Tran dynasty) and 7 kilometres to the West of the city of Ninh Binh.

Tam Coc Rice Field

WHAT DOES THE WORDS “TAM COC” MEAN?

Tam Coc which means 3 caves ( Cave in Vietnamese is “Hang”)  is a zone of Vietnam that elapses between rice paddies, bathed by the Ngo Dong River punctuated by karstic rock formations and limestone caves.

The rock formations, caves, water and landscape have made Tam Coc to know popularly as La Halong Bay on land or between rice paddies Halong Bay. More accessible than her older sister, Halong Bay, Tam Coc which squanders spectacular landscapes and exoticism, do not get to seize the throne of the major tourist attraction of Vietnam for travelers.

Hang Ca.

Hang Ca is the first cave and the largest of the 3, with 127 meters long and an entry of 20 meters wide, and a height of 2 meters. Their roofs reminiscent of a desert planet's surface.

Hang Giua

The second cave (also called Hang Hai), distant cave Hang Ca 1 kilometer. Hang Giua has a length of 70 meters and find multitude of estalagtitas on their roofs.

Hang Cuoi.

The third and final cave, the Hang Cuoi (Hang Ba), is the smallest of the 3 with 45 meters in length.

Tam Coc Panoramic View

WHEN TO VISIT TAM COC VIETNAM?

In all seasons in one year you totally can plan your time to explore Tam Coc cave and Tam Coc river. But the prettiest period of time is in the spring from January to April in Viet Nam, this time will be preferred because of the comfortable weather and fresh air.

Another Best Time to Visit Tam Coc is from May to July when all Tam Coc rice fields are in harvest season. The beauty of Tam Coc now looks like a young lady’s long, soft, bright and yellow hair. The other is the harvest time of wet rice ranging from September to October.

Besides enjoying the view full of the yellow color of ripe rice fields in Tam Coc Bich Dong Complex, tourists can also seek a chance to watch the fabulous forest of lotus in here.

It can be said that lotus and waterlily are omnipresent in every part of Ninh Binh, especially in Tam Coc Grotto. Floating along the stream to Tam Coc Grotto, tourists seem to turn back the significant history of Le Dynasty.

Best time to visit  Tam Coc – Bich Dong to watch lotus is June, in which the perfume of lotus flowers pervades the surrounding air. For lovers of flower, it’s the best time to enjoy the flavor of lotus and involve in the natural beauty of this mountainous regions.

Best Time To Visit Tam Coc

HOW TO VISIT TAM COC VIETNAM?

By Shuttle bus

It gets easier for you to buy a bus ticket from Travel Agency in Hanoi or get one from your hotel. If you just use the shuttle bus to transfer to Ninh Binh then spending 1 day or few days you can buy 1 way tick or 2 ways tickets. In case you book a day trip Hoa Lu Tam Coc Mua Cave Tour the price includes transportation

By local bus

Some visitors are interested in experiencing as a local to save their cost for transportation a bit. So it is possible for you to catch a bus from Ha Noi to Ninh Binh province. You can go to Giap Bat bus station and find many bus companies with route to Ninh Binh.

But, they will not drop you off in Tam Coc directly but stop at Ninh Binh bus station. From there you should take a cab to go to Tam Coc with the cost is not much expensive than motorbike. This way is not highly recommended for you because it’s complicated or you may receive poor service from public transportation.

You may read more this post to get more useful about Bus from Hanoi to Ninh Binh

By train

Everyday there are some train from Ha Noi  to Ninh Binh station. The earliest one usually starts at 6:00 am. One day in advance you should buy your train ticket at Ha Noi station

From Ha Long city – 5 Hours

If you are looking a answer for question : How to get from Halong Bay to Ninh Binh. It’s to easy. After finishing your trip in Ha Long bay or Bai Tu Long bay with cruises you want to go ahead to Ninh Binh. Hiring a private car from Halong to Ninh Binh if your group is big is a good choice with reasonable price. The cost roundly 120USD/Car/Way

Another way is sharing minivan with other people. You can buy your tickets or book your private car with some Travel Agency or hotels. Or you can book Shutle Bus from Halong to Ninh Binh. This is tourist bus, not local bus, so you no worry about quality of bus. It runs from Halong at 12.00am from Halong City and from Tuan Chau Harbor. The cost roundy from 12USD/Pax/Way. It’s reasonable price for traveler who travel alone or a coupble. If you don’t know how to contact to them, you can drop your comment or send us an email or what’s : +84945001987. We make sure will help you to get best deal for you.

Another way is Local bus From Halong City to Ninh Binh Province. You can by the ticket at Halong bus station. They have 2 times : 06.00am and 12.00am. The cost from 120.000VND. But this will take longer time than Toursit Bus, because they stop many times to get more customer. When you are in Ninh Binh, take a taxi to Tam Coc wharf directly. It takes about 20 minutes from center to Tam Coc.

Here is a list of Hanoi Travel Agency which you can come to check and get a bus ticket to Ninh Binh from Hanoi: http://authentichanoitravel.com/

Travel guidelines in Tam Coc Ninh Binh:

Tam Coc accommodation

Since the distance between Hanoi and Ninh Binh is quite short, it is easy to take Tam Coc day trip. However, if you want to stay overnight in Tam Coc there are also many hotels or homestays for you to choose.

Here are some clean and comfort hotels, homestays with many good reviews: Queen hotel, Chez Loan hotel, Ngoc Anh hotel, Tam Coc rice fields resort, Tam Coc garden homestay, the Reed hotel, the Vancouver hotel…

You can book it online on Agoda, Booking, Expedia.. It will help you get best accommodation in Tam Coc and it’s a easy way then you arrive Tam Coc and looking by yourself

Nearby attractions

Besides, when visiting Tam Coc, you can visit other nearby attractions such as:

Bich Dong Pagoda: Known as “ The second most beautiful cave”, Bich Dong Pagoda is the second beautiful cave of the Southern area after Huong Tich cave in Ha Tay.

Mua Cave: Far from Tam Coc about 3 kilometers, you only walk out 486 rocky steps to reach the top and enjoy the whole beauty of Tam Coc with rice paddy fields or Ninh Binh Province. The entrance ticket is 100.000 VND/person and the transfer time is at least 2 hours.

More information, you can take a look here: 

Thung Nam Bird Garden: is also a great attraction of Ninh Binh. Thung Nham has been extensively exploited for tourism purposes because of its diversified landscapes including accomodation , restaurants, recreation and teambuilding areas.

Viet Co Village: Also called Co Vien Lau, this place will bring tourists the tranquil and peaceful atmosphere of Vietnam in the 18th and 20th century.

What To Eat in Tam Coc

On the way to visit Tam Coc, you certainly don’t want to miss a chance for trying some specialties Ninh Binh. Here are two main products you should try:

Meat goat: This dish is extremely nutritious and delicious because the goats live on the mountainside. They usually eat the leaves growing on the mountain.

Crispy rice: Special flavor

Ninh Binh snails: Snails are in all regions of Ninh Binh but concentrate most in limestone areas like Tam Diep, Yen Mo and Nho Quan, Hoa Lu. The meat is tough, brittle and flavored. Snails can be made into various dishes, namely roasted snails, fried snails and boiled snails.

A tip for Tam Coc Tour Itinerary

Take a Boat Tour is the only way for you to explore Tam Coc. Whilst visiting Tam Coc, you should discuss with the local boatman, if you want to stop somewhere for taking photos, find out some panoramic views or climb Bich Dong pagoda…

With a lot of experiences boat riders know where to stop and find best places for you to climb the cliffs. Mostly local people know how to speak English otherwise you should company with a local guide.

In the summer, Tam Coc often suffers from heavy rain so start early when visiting Tam Coc. Therefore, when you come to Tam Coc, the weather is still sunny and cool and you can avoid heavy rain in the afternoon.

>>> Full Day Tour: Hoa – Tam Coc – Mua Cave is a tremendous chance to explore the ancient beauty of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital and stunning scenery in Tam Coc, Hiking to peak of Mua Cave

The provided information above is enough for you to prepare for a trip to Tam Coc Ninh Binh. If you need any further support, feel free to contact us. We are always be here to assist your special vacation in Viet Nam as well as in Tam Coc Ninh Binh!