Tam Coc-Bich Dong, Ninh Binh

Tam Coc (“three caves”) is a two-hour rowing-boat trip on the Ngo Dong River in Ninh Binh, through three caves and past rice fields. Bich Dong Pagoda is 2–3 km from the wharf. Shorter and cheaper than the Trang An boat trip, it is at its best when the rice ripens in late May and June.

Located in the Ngu Nhac Son Mountains, Nam Hoa Lu Ward (formerly Ninh Hai Commune, Hoa Lu District), Ninh Binh Province, it is a complex of Bich Dong pagoda and Tam Coc grotto, and part of the Trang An Landscape Complex that UNESCO listed as a World Heritage Site in 2014.

Tam Coc Ticket Prices and Boat Ride

The Ninh Binh tourism portal’s price list, updated in February 2026, gives one ticket for the Tam Coc – Bich Dong route: 250,000 VND for adults and 120,000 VND for children 1–1.3 m tall, or 350,000 and 190,000 VND with the electric shuttle. It lists no separate boat fare, while older guides, VnExpress’s among them, quote 120,000 VND entry plus 150,000 VND per boat. Ask at the counter what yours covers.

A boat takes two or four passengers, and the round trip through the three caves takes about two hours. Many rowers paddle with their feet, to spare their arms and backs. Vietnam’s tourism authority advises a hat, sunscreen and a life jacket.

Rowers may not sell goods or press you to buy anything during the trip: Ninh Binh’s Department of Tourism confirmed the rule in 2024, after an American visitor complained. Every boat carries a number, so note yours.

Historical Values of Tam Coc-Bich Dong

Bich Dong is a beautiful pagoda on the nearby Ngu Nhac Mountain dated to 1428 under the Le Dynasty, comprising three structures: Ha, Trung, and Thuong Pagodas, in ascending order.

In 1773, Mr. Nguyen Nghiem (the father of the great writer Nguyen Du) visited this cave. He was much impressed by the whole magnificent scenery of mountains, waterways, fields, and sky covered in green mist. Thus he gave it a very beautiful and romantic name, Bich Dong, which literally means “Green Grotto”. VnExpress credits the name to Lord Trinh Sam, in 1774, instead.

This picturesque landscape is added by Tam Coc portion. It derives its name from its consisting of 3 caves (Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba); “Tam” means 3, “Coc” means cave. Tam Coc or “Three Caves” portion is of great enchanting charm and mystery, inviting tourists to come and explore!

What to See in Tam Coc-Bich Dong?

1. Tam Coc Wharf – Starting Point of Journeys

To begin the journey, tourists have to queue at Tam Coc Wharf, in Van Lam village, to take a boat along the Ngo Dong River. The pier is crowded with tourists from morning till afternoon. People coming here share the same pleasant feeling about such a nice picture with the classical communal house, ancient banyan tree, moss grown well, marble rock, and friendly locals.

2. Tam Coc – A Mysterious Grotto

Tam Coc Grotto, located approximately 2km from the pagoda, is the place that will make tourists feel like they had just disappeared from the real world to get lost in such a hidden fairy site. 

Van Lam Wharf is the same place as Tam Coc Wharf. Now, take a boat from Van Lam Wharf to reach the Tam Coc Grotto, which consists of the Hang Ca, Hang Hai and Hang Ba caves. The round trip takes about two hours on your small boat along the Ngo Dong river, beginning at the village of Van Lam and proceeding through a scenic landscape dominated by rice fields and karst towers. 

This grotto is adorned with beautiful stalactites and stalagmites of different shapes and colours that sparkle like gemstones. 

Now when drifting along the gentle Ngo Dong River under the Grotto, you can feel the deeply pure atmosphere with special smell of fresh river water and cool air from karst mountains when reaching each of the 3 caves in turns.

Among the three caves, Hang Ca is considered the most picturesque one since it is the longest and contains most fascinating natural arts deep inside. It is 127m long, with a cave mouth more than 20m wide. 

When leaving Hang Ca, just turn back to see it once again, you will feel that it was like a very old white-haired man sitting down for fishing. A Vietnamese legend tells that this was a Heaven Land where that fishing man – a considered fairy one – lived, and flying above within the Heaven was a flock of fairies in graceful white dresses! You may be so much seduced by the beautiful fairy landscape that you do not even think of coming back at that time!

Hang Hai is nearly 1 kilometer from Hang Ca. This is the second stop-over on your waterway journey, with a series of colorful sparkling stalactites falling from the cave ceiling. This cave is about 60m long. The last cave, Hang Ba, just nearby, is about 50m long, with a lower ceiling than the above two, shaped like a stone vault.

Now getting out the whole grotto, looking out the vast landscape, you can see mountains and waterways all around. After Hang Ba, the boats turn round and row back to Van Lam.

3. Bich Dong Grotto

Bich Dong pagoda is 2–3 km from Tam Coc Wharf by road, and is situated at the grandiose Ngu Nhac Mountain. The Pagoda is divided into three levels: Ha Pagoda (lower pagoda), Trung Pagoda (middle pagoda), and Thuong Pagoda (upper pagoda). 

From the lower pagoda it is about 100 stone steps to the middle one, and about 40 more from Dong Toi, the “Dark Cave”, to the upper pagoda near the summit.

A small pagoda stood on the mountain top from 1428; two monks, Tri Kien and Tri The, enlarged it in 1705 and cast its bell in 1707.

The caves hold stalactites; do not touch or knock on them, as that damages them. Bich Dong has long been nicknamed “Nam Thien de nhi dong”, the second most beautiful cave under the southern sky.

“Surrounding mountains full of water during 4 seasons,

Rattan boat lightly drifting,

Covered with mist and clouds, is Pagoda landscape”

These are beautiful lines of verse offered to Bich Dong pagoda grotto, a rare natural work of Art.

4. Thai Vi Temple and Tien Cave

The ticket also covers Thai Vi Temple and Tien Cave (“Fairy Cave”) near Bich Dong. Thung Nang (“Sun Valley”) is a separate site, not on the Tam Coc boat route or ticket.

What to Eat in Tam Coc Bich Dong

Ninh Binh is renowned not only for spectacular scenery but also for goat meat. Thus, once visiting Tam Coc-Bich Dong in Ninh Binh province, a must-food you should try is goat meat. The local people cook goat meat in so many attractive ways. 

For example, rare goat is served with herbs like lemon, chilly, seasoning powder and ginger. Grilled goat meat is integrated with sesame and rare-goat meat is mixed with basil, coriander and fig leaves. A menu with goat meat will definitely stay long in your memory. 

Tam Coc-Bich Dong is also famous for its burned rice (com chay) and eel vermicelli. For restaurants, see our guide to where to eat in Ninh Binh.

How to Get to Tam Coc Bich Dong

From Hanoi, take a bus or train to go to Ninh Binh province, about 100–110 km by road. Buses from Giap Bat bus station take about 2 hours and cost 100,000–150,000 VND (VnExpress, 2025). Then, drive about 6 km from Ninh Binh railway station to reach Tam Coc-Bich Dong. Or see our Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and Mua Cave day tour.

Best Time to Visit

Tam Coc-Bich Dong remains its own beauty throughout the year. However, the best time for you to visit is from late May into June, when the rice ripens; in 2026 the province held its tourism week (24–29 May) and its “Golden Tam Coc – Trang An” festival during the harvest. Spring is also good, when the sky is blue, the temperature is comfortable and the vast fields are green. It is also the time when Vietnamese people organize a lot of festivals for the Tet holiday, so expect crowds: Vietnam’s tourism authority suggests avoiding Tet if you dislike them.

Tam Coc or Trang An?

Pick Tam Coc for half a day: about two hours on the water, on a 250,000 VND ticket (ask whether the boat is extra). Trang An, about 20 minutes away, runs three boat routes of roughly 2–4 hours for 300,000 VND per person, boat included. Vietnam’s national tourism site rates it the more dramatic trip, with bigger mountains, longer caves and more temples.

With a full day, add Hoa Lu Ancient Capital or Bai Dinh Pagoda; our Ninh Binh guide lists the rest.

Local Tips for Tam Coc

VnExpress suggests climbing to Bich Dong before the boat trip, for a view over the route. It is 2–3 km away, and the provincial tourism portal lists cycling through the rice fields among things to do here.

Sources: Ninh Binh tourism portal (ticket prices), Ninh Binh Department of Tourism, Vietnam National Authority of Tourism