Hanoi to Ninh Binh: Best Ways to Travel

How many kilometers from Hanoi to Ninh Binh is a question many people are interested in for their trip to know how to choose means of transportation? According to the geographical map, the distance from Hanoi to Ninh Binh is about 95 km by road and it will take about 1.5 hours by car, let's go further 20 km to reach Tam Coc - one of the most famous tourist point in Ninh Binh.

Because it is not so far, you can definitely go to Ninh Binh from Hanoi by motorbike, bus or private car. It is going to take you around 1.5 - 2 hours transfer depend on transfer type and traffic.  

Hanoi to Ninh Binh Route Maps

There are several ways to transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, but most travelers will choose to travel by car or motorbike. We will learn the detail of each travel types below:

1. Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by private car

Traveling in small groups and having a high demand for privacy, a private car is really good transportation to consider to travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh. With the price ranges from 70 USD for a 4 seat car with a driver, you can choose to be picked up anywhere you want in Hanoi city center (for further pickup location surrounding Hanoi, they will charge you a little extra fee) and then take you directly to the address you want in Ninh Binh.

The private car services also allow you to book a round trip at an affordable price only from 100 USD, this price will range depending on the trip duration and extra services as your requirements. With this means of transportation, you will never have to worry about missing the bus, or transport in bad weather, and your huge luggage doesn’t matter at all. 

Private car Hanoi to Ninh Binh

2. Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by bus

It is a very easy, comfortable, and affordable way to get from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by bus. The journey takes around 2 - 2.5 hours and offers AC. There are 2 options for the bus to travel this route: regular bus and limousine bus. 

The regular bus costs you around 4 - 5 USD for one-way travel. The advantages of this sort of bus are low price, and high frequency so you can travel any time in the day, from 5 am to 10 pm. However, you will have to come to the bus stations to get these buses. There are no extra pick-up and drop-off services and you have to find the way yourself. We would not recommend this bus if you come to Vietnam for the first time, but when you’re already stayed for a few years and can speak some Vietnamese language, this is a really good choice to save money.

Limousine bus is a little more expensive, a one-way ticket costs around 7 - 9 USD including pick up and drop off services in Hanoi Old Quarter and the popular tourist attractions in Ninh Binh. The limousine buses offer you more comfortable chairs, free water, and normally English-speaking drivers (at a very basic level). All you need to do is to find a trusted travel agent, or just the hotel receptionist, and ask them to book the ticket for you. They will make sure that the bus will wait for you at the hotel, and take you to the exact address you want.

Bus transfer from Hanoi to Ninh Binh

3. Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by train

The train is another option for a trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh, especially for those who experience motion sickness. Hanoi and Ninh Binh are both locations in the North-South railway line, so it is very easy to travel between these two locations by train. Every day, there are many North-South unification trains running through Ninh Binh. You buy a ticket from Hang Co (Ga Hanoi) station to Ninh Binh station. It is safe and cheap to take the train, but it is inconvenient in terms of time while going there you still have to find other means to go to tourist destinations. Each train ticket costs about 4.5 USD so you can travel one way.

All journeys take 2.15 hours to get from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by train. There are sleeper berths, soft chairs, and hard chair options to consider. With only over 2 hours of traveling, you can choose either soft chairs or hard chairs. The sleeper berth will cost more money but if you travel in the early morning, and need to take a nap, it’s wise to choose the sleeper berth while traveling by train. Since Ninh Binh train station is very close to the Trang An complex, you can consider visiting Trang An first before moving to other attractions.

Train from Hanoi to Ninh Binh

4. Hanoi to Ninh Binh by motorbike

People always say that the best way to explore Vietnam is to travel by motorbike. Hire a motorbike and ride to every corner of the country, from urban to rural, from the sea up to the mountains, eat delicious cuisines and meet local people are everything for a dream journey. Taking a motorbike ride from Hanoi to Ninh Binh is absolutely the most common road trip in Northern Vietnam. The main road that heads south out of Hanoi is to go down Giai Phong street as you’re leaving the city center and this will join up with QL1A which is the main highway that allows bikes. Once you’re on the QL1A just follow it all the way to Ninh Binh!

The road system quality in Vietnam is still not really synchronized all over the country, there are some areas where the roads are quite bad. So traveling by motorbike, familiarise yourself with the local road rules first, wear an international standard motorbike helmet, and check that your travel insurance will cover you in case of an accident.

Hanoi to Ninh Binh by private car

Depending on your traveling plan, and the attractions you desire, there are some tour itineraries that BestPrice Travel would recommend you to discover Ninh Binh in one day. Most of the Ninh Binh day trips from Hanoi take you to 2 of the most attractive places such as Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, Trang An, Van Long Nature Reserve, Tam Coc, Mua Cave or Cuc Phuong National Park… With the 1 day trip, the best transportation we use is car thanks to its flexibility and convenience. We commit to give you the best Ninh Binh experience with professional services, and a knowledgeable tour guide providing you with interesting and reliable information about the attractions. 

- If you travel to Ninh Binh or anywhere else in Vietnam by taxi, remember to write the exact address on a piece of paper, or on your phone and give it to the driver. They don’t speak English so this is the best way to avoid misunderstandings.

- A lot of taxi drivers have some tricks to overcharge you like traveling by a longer road, do be aware of it, and check the google map if you can to measure the distance and the price as well. You better let the driver know that you know the distance and the price range so they will not cheat you.

- Most of the hotels in Hanoi have a motorbike rental service, so just ask them if you want to rent one, so you don’t need to pay the deposit for it, and that’s easier than when you rent it outside also. 

- If you are considering renting a private car, we recommend you buy the tour package instead. It sounds a little bit more expensive, but making a calculation of transportations, accommodations, tour guide, entrance tickets, and meals, there’s no difference. Also, going by yourself, if you are lucky, you can find good restaurants to eat at. But if you are not, it will ruin your trip. BestPrice Travel will surely give you the best options for everything.

From Hanoi to Ninh Binh is also not too far that you can choose a trip comfortably. If you feel that the vehicle is right for you, you can choose it. The information that has been shared above will hopefully help you in planning your trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh. Hopefully, through that, you will have a perfect holiday.

Hue Pham

Image source: Internet