Easy Mai Chau – Ninh Binh Tour from Hanoi 3 Days

Day 1: From Hanoi to Mai Chau: Into the Green Heart of the Mountains

🚗 Distance: 145 km – 3.5 hours

At 8:00 AM, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel in Hanoi. The journey begins as you leave the city’s hum and head west toward the tranquil valleys of Mai Chau. The scenery changes gradually — from urban streets to misty hills, winding roads, and endless fields of rice framed by towering limestone peaks.

Along the way, stop at a Muong ethnic village to glimpse daily life in Vietnam’s highlands — wooden stilt houses, farmers tending to their fields, and children playing under the shade of bamboo trees. Continue over the spectacular Thung Khe Pass, where panoramic views of the valley unfold below — a breathtaking scene of green mountains and patchwork rice paddies.

Arrive in Mai Chau Valley, a serene land home to the White Thai ethnic minority, known for their hospitality and traditional stilt houses. After checking in at your accommodation, enjoy lunch with local flavors and a short rest.

In the afternoon, embark on a leisurely bike or walking tour through Lac, Na Phon, and Pom Coong villages. Ride along scenic trails through rice paddies, observe farmers working the land, and visit local weaving houses where colorful brocade is still made by hand.

Return to your lodge by late afternoon, just in time to watch the sunset drape the valley in golden light. Dinner is at your leisure.

🌅 Emotional Highlight: The moment you see the mist rise from the rice fields and hear the soft hum of distant gongs — you’ll feel the mountain peace seep into your soul.

📍 Optional: Enjoy a private traditional Thai music and dance performance (USD 35/group). Ask your guide to arrange it if interested.

Included:

• English-speaking guide
• Meals: Lunch
• Private transportation
• Biking equipment in Mai Chau
• 2 bottles of mineral water (500 ml) per person/day
• Accommodation: Mai Chau Valley View Hotel (Deluxe Valley View) or similar
• www.maichauvalleyview.com

Day 2: Discover Mai Hich Village & Travel to Ninh Binh

🚗 Distance: 150 km – 3.5 hours

Wake up to the gentle sounds of village life — roosters crowing, leaves rustling, and the scent of morning dew. After breakfast, depart for Mai Hich, a peaceful village tucked deep in Mai Chau’s valley.

Enjoy a leisurely walk (6 km) or bike ride (12 km) along tranquil country roads lined with rice paddies, bamboo groves, and winding streams. You’ll pass villagers working in the fields, water buffalo grazing lazily, and children waving as you go by. Stop along the way for a chat with locals, and perhaps share a cup of green tea — a simple but heartfelt moment of connection.

After lunch, bid farewell to Mai Chau and continue your scenic drive to Ninh Binh, known as “Ha Long Bay on land” for its dramatic limestone karst mountains rising from lush plains. Along the way, stop for photos or to stretch your legs as you pass through charming countryside scenes.

Arrive in Tam Coc – Bich Dong, check in to your boutique hotel, and relax for the evening amid nature’s serenity.

🌿 Emotional Highlight: Pedaling through a quiet valley, a gentle breeze carrying the scent of rice, and a smile from a local elder — moments like these remind you what travel is truly about.

Included:

• English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Private transportation
• Bike in Mai Chau
• 2 bottles of mineral water (500 ml) per person/day
• Accommodation: Lalita Boutique Hotel (Deluxe Room) or similar
• www.lalitahotel.com

Day 3: Explore Ninh Binh: Tam Coc, Bich Dong Pagoda & Hoa Lu Ancient Capital

🚗 Distance: 100 km – 2 hours

After breakfast, prepare for a day filled with awe-inspiring natural beauty and timeless history.

Your first destination is Tam Coc, famously called “Halong Bay on land.”

Board a private sampan boat rowed by local women along the tranquil Ngo Dong River. For 90 minutes, drift past rice paddies and limestone cliffs, gliding through three mystical caves carved by nature over centuries. The scene feels like stepping into a living watercolor — soft ripples, birdsong, and reflections of green mountains in the water.

Next, visit the Bich Dong Pagoda, built into the mountainside in the 15th century. Cross a stone bridge surrounded by lotus ponds and climb over 100 steps to explore the three levels of the pagoda: Ha (Lower), Trung (Middle), and Thuong (Upper). The higher you go, the more rewarding the view — a panoramic sweep of Ninh Binh’s countryside.

Enjoy a traditional Vietnamese lunch in Tam Coc before continuing to Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, the cradle of Vietnam’s first centralized kingdom (10th century). Visit the temples of King Dinh Tien Hoang and King Le Dai Hanh, built in the 17th century to honor the country’s early unifiers. Wander among ancient courtyards and banyan trees, where echoes of history whisper through the stone walls.

Afterward, travel back to Hanoi through the Red River Delta, arriving at your hotel by late afternoon.

🌞 Emotional Highlight: As your boat glides silently through Tam Coc’s caves, you’ll feel suspended between earth and sky — where peace, nature, and history intertwine.

📍 Note: Please wear modest clothing (cover knees and shoulders) when visiting pagodas and temples.

Included:

• English-speaking guide
• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Boat trip in Tam Coc
• Entrance fees
• Private transportation
• 2 bottles of mineral water (500 ml) per person/day