Ninh Binh's sights are spread across a small area, mostly within 10-30 minutes of Tam Coc. Once you've arrived from Hanoi, here's how to get between them.
The most charming way to explore: flat lanes wind through the rice paddies between Tam Coc, Mua Cave and the ancient capital. Most homestays lend or rent bikes for a few dollars a day, fine for a short loop, although many of them are old and heavy. For an easier ride there is an e-bike delivered to your door, see the tip below. Visit Hoa Lu has a dedicated cycling guide.
🚲 Tip: an e-bike delivered to your hotel. eBike Tam Coc brings an as-good-as-new e-bike (about 150,000 VND, US$6 a day) or an electric motorbike that needs no licence (about 250,000 VND, US$10) to your hotel or homestay in Tam Coc, Trang An or Ninh Binh city in the morning, and collects it in the evening. No deposit, cash on delivery, and a guide on your phone that plans the day and navigates you between the sights.
Rentable for around $5-8 a day and great for covering more ground, reaching Bai Dinh or Cuc Phuong. Only ride a petrol scooter if you're confident and licensed; wear a helmet and check the bike first. No licence? The electric motorbike from the same e-bike service is capped at 49 km/h, needs no licence (16 and over) and costs about 250,000 VND (US$10) a day, delivered and collected at your door. See our safety tips.
Taxis and the Grab app work in the main areas, though coverage thins out at remote sights. For a full day of sightseeing without thinking about it, a private car with driver is the comfortable choice, especially for families or in hot or rainy weather.
The boat tours themselves (at Trang An and Tam Coc) are attractions, not transport, you return to where you started. Visit Hoa Lu covers local transport in more depth.
Simple plan: cycle for the close-in scenery, and use a car with driver for the longer hops (Bai Dinh, Cuc Phuong) or anytime you'd rather just relax.