The 15 Cave Day Trips in Vietnam We Would Book First

1.Hanoi/Ninh Binh: Tam Coc, Hoa Lu & Mua Caves Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 3,613 reviews · from $46Our pick

Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by air-conditioned bus, visit Hoa Lu’s 10th-century temples, eat Vietnamese food, row through Tam Coc’s three caves, cycle through villages, and climb 500 steps at Mua Cave. Guides such as Gary, Hai, and Thang are praised for clear explanations and friendly care, though the day is active and Tam Coc can be busy.

“Excellent day tour. Friendly knowledgeable guide,beautiful scenery-loved the boat tour especially. Thank you.”

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2.Ninh Binh Day Trip: Hoa Lu-Trang An/Tam Coc-Mua Cave-Cycling-Boat

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,886 reviews · from $43Top rated

Spend a full day in Ninh Binh with an English-speaking guide, cycling around Hoa Lu, visiting Dinh and Le King temples, eating a Vietnamese buffet, boating through Trang An grottoes, and climbing about 500 steps at Mua Cave. Guides such as Liam, Max, Tim, James, and Jason have received especially strong praise.

“The boat ride in Trang An was amazing in the truest sense of the word. We chose Route number 3 which takes you through Dot Cave ( the longest cave ). It was a breath-taking experience. This was the high point of the trip and apart froRead more”

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3.Ninh Binh Day Trip: Bai Dinh-Trang An-Mua Cave, Buffet, Boat, Bus

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,183 reviews · from $55

Travel from Hanoi’s Old Quarter by limousine bus to Bai Dinh Pagoda, a Vietnamese buffet, Trang An’s two-hour cave-and-temple boat ride, and Mua Cave’s 500-step climb. An English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, entrance fees, lunch, and return transport are included. Guide Son has earned special praise for his helpful explanations.

“Enjoyable and educational visit to Ninh Binh where we learnt about Vietnamese history at the ancient capital of Hoa Lu. Had a lovely time cruising down the river through limestone caves and a challenging climb to what was a phenomenal view of the area. U need to put aside some money for tips but it was a day we'll spent.”

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4.Best Halong 5 star Day Trip, inclusive,buffet,cave,kayak,transfer

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 933 reviews · from $45

Spend 10 to 12 hours traveling from Hanoi to Halong Bay on a modern cruise with an English-speaking guide. The day includes a seafood lunch, Sung Sot Cave, Titop Island, kayaking or bamboo boating, and a sunset party with red wine and fruit. Guide Duy has earned praise for smooth organization.

“Good experience overall because of incredible scenery and sunset and quality of boat and guide. But the bay was crowded with boats and the activities were absolutely packed. It was overwhelmed with tourists. We skipped an activity Read more”

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5.Halong Bay Day Trip with Titop Island, Cave, & Kayak

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 528 reviews · from $40

Spend a full day on Halong Bay with an English-speaking guide such as Tom, Sunny, or Tinh. Ride from Hanoi to Tuan Chau, cruise past limestone islands, visit Sung Sot Cave, kayak or take a bamboo boat at Luon Cave, climb Titop Island, and return with fruit, cakes, and red wine at sunset.

“Tom, our tour Guide was very good, it was an awesome experience”

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6.Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Trang An & Mua Cave Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 471 reviews · from $50

Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by air-conditioned limousine, then visit Hoa Lu, float through Trang An’s caves, enjoy a Vietnamese buffet, and climb about 500 steps at Mua Cave. An English or Vietnamese-speaking guide, entrance tickets, bottled water, bicycle use, and Old Quarter pickup are included.

“We will recommend this trip if you don’t have too much time but still wants to experience the highlights of Ninh Binh.”

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7.Hoa Lu, Trang An Caves & Mua Cave Day Trip and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 306 reviews · from $49

Travel from Hanoi to Hoa Lu, Trang An, and Mua Cave in a comfortable air-conditioned van. Visit 10th-century temples, cycle through rural villages, ride a sampan through caves, and climb roughly 500 steep steps for views over Ngo Dong River. Guides such as Thong, Moon, Giang, and Frankie have led recent departures.

“The day trip to Ninh Binh was great! The nature and temples were beautiful, and the cycling tour was a highlight since it took us to a less touristy area. A well-organized trip and a great way to see the countryside!”

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8.Hoa Lu, Trang An, and Mua Cave Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 249 reviews · from $48

Leave Hanoi’s Old Quarter for Hoa Lu temples, a short countryside bike ride, a local buffet, a two-hour Trang An boat trip, and Mua Cave’s 500-step climb. English-speaking guides such as Quy, May, Mike, and Sam lead the day. Expect a long, active outing with excellent scenery, heat, and plenty of time on the road.

“It was a beautiful day with a lovely guide May who was sweet kind and made the whole day a success. The boat ride was comfortable and we felt safe at all times. The food was quite decent and all the places we saw were beautiful. I especially enjoyed the bike ride. Highly recommend!”

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9.Hoa Lu, Mua Cave and Tam Coc Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 164 reviews · from $45

Spend a full day in Ninh Binh with an English-speaking guide such as Tony, Max, Lee, or Ngoc. Visit Hoa Lu, hike to Mua Cave viewpoint, eat Vietnamese food, and ride a sampan through Tam Coc’s Hang Ca, Hang Hai, and Hang Ba. Pickup is available in Hanoi’s Old Quarter.

“It was great, it rained but we had fun nevertheless.”

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10.Ninh Binh: Hoa Lu, Trang An and Mua Caves Hiking Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 163 reviews · from $43

Leave Hanoi early for Hoa Lu’s ancient temples, a 2.5-hour bamboo-boat ride through Trang An’s caves and a local lunch, then climb 486 steps at Mua Cave for broad views over Tam Coc. English-speaking guides such as Hoang, Harry, Bao, and Leo have led past departures. Hotel pickup, transport, tickets, and lunch are included.

“Harry and Song were amazing. Harry had great knowledge of the area and good jokes. the trip was timed perfectly around rainstorms. truly a remarkable trip hitting the highlights of ninh binh.”

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11.Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc, & Mua Cave Day-Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 138 reviews · 13 hours · from $26Best value

Spend a full day outside Hanoi visiting Hoa Lu’s ancient temples, cycling through village lanes, cruising Tam Coc by bamboo boat, and climbing nearly 500 steps at Mua Cave. An English-speaking guide such as Sunny, Ken, or Jun leads the trip, with hotel pickup, buffet lunch, water, entrance fees, and rain gear included.

“Transition was smooth from each activity and the tour guide was very helpful and friendly”

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12.Ninh Binh, Hoa Lu, Tam Coc and Mua Cave Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 121 reviews · from $60

Travel from Hanoi’s Old Quarter by limousine bus to Hoa Lu, Tam Coc, and Mua Cave. You’ll visit royal temples, cycle past limestone peaks, eat a Vietnamese buffet, take a 1.5-hour sampan ride, and climb nearly 500 steps. Guides such as Mike, Victor, Quy, and Flora have been praised for clear explanations and good group care.

“Easily one of the most memorable daily trips i’ve experienced: beautiful places and people, driven around in total comfort without a worry in the world and accompanied by our excellent guide Hung - if you want to buy the ultimate one-day experience near Hanoi, I absolutely recommend you check this!”

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13.Halong Bay Day Trip w/ Cave, Island & Kayak

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 54 reviews · from $59

Travel from Hanoi’s Old Quarter to Halong Bay for a full day of cave walking, kayaking at Luon Cave, and time on Titop Island. You’ll have a Vietnamese seafood lunch, an English-speaking guide such as Tom, Sunny, or Brian, and a sunset party with fruit, cake, fries, tea, and red wine.

“Tom our guide was awesome! He made sure everyone was well taken care!”

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14.Day Trip: Hoa Lu, Trang An, Mua Cave with Transfer and Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 27 reviews · from $30

Travel from Hanoi to Ninh Binh by shuttle, visit Hoa Lu’s King Dinh Temple, climb 486 steps at Mua Cave, eat local dishes, and take a 1.5 to 2-hour sampan ride through Trang An. An English-speaking guide, entrance fees, boat fare, lunch, and Old Quarter transfers are included.

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15.From Hue: Phong Nha Cave & Paradise Cave Full-Day Trip

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 25 reviews · from $76

Leave Hue around 4:30 AM for Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. Expect a long road day, a 500-step climb, a 1,000-meter cave walkway, a dragon-boat ride, lunch, and English-speaking guides such as Victor, Jessica, or Jasmine.

“An absolutely incredible day trip to see phong nha cave and paradise cave. Our guide was clearly very passionate and energetic about the history of the caves and gave great insight into how they were formed as well as other interesting history about Vietnam. The way he ran the tour by letting you explore the caves as individuals and then conversing between groups with more information and insight made the trip feel a lot more relaxed and individual than most other tours we’ve done in Vietnam and was a really nice way of co ordinating the trip, ensuring you had plenty of time to explore and marvel at the caves…”

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