Hoa Lu Tam Coc Full-Day DELUXE Tour Including BUFFET LUNCH & River Boat Ride
Badge of Excellence
Hanoi, Vietnam
- 10 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Overview
Visit Hoa Lu and Tam Coc on a full-day tour from Hanoi that explores Vietnam's imperial history and spectacular scenery. See two beautiful temples on the grounds of a former palace, pause for lunch, then cruise to a series of three limestone caves on the Ngo Dong River. Pass soaring limestone mountains and rice paddies at the edge of the river, and take in great views on the scenic trip back to Hanoi. This full-day Hoa Lu and Tam Coc tour includes all transport, entrance fees, activities, and lunch.
- Full-day trip to Hoa Lu and Tam Coc from Hanoi
- Visit a former capital of imperial Vietnam
- Get out of the city to see the gorgeous countryside
- Boat tour to the Tam Coc river caves
- Explore a UNESCO-listed landscape
- Includes a buffet lunch with vegetarian options
- Pickup and drop-off at hotels in Hanoi's Old Quarter
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off (Hanoi Old Quarter hotels only)
- Lunch
- Boat trip on the Ngo Dong River
- English-speaking guide (other languages on request)
- Biking from Tam Coc to Bich Dong
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Food and drinks not mentioned in the itinerary
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
Pick up at all hotels located in Hanoi Old Quarter- The time from 07h30 am to 08h am depend on specific hotel address when clients provide.we will inform the time again when you have specific address. if hotel out of old quarter please come to meeting point at opera house around at 07h35 to 07h40 am
Operating hours.8:00 am
Itinerary
1
Hoa Lu temples of the Dinh & Le Dynasties
3 hours • Admission Ticket Free
2
Bich Dong Pagoda
3 minutes • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hanoi Old quarter (any other location out of city center can be arranged for an additional cost, or you can meet at 12 Cau Go -Coffee Chill between 8:05am and 8:15am)
- Most travelers can participate
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 25 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
H_R
Excellent tour with a knowledgeable and garrulous guide. He kept things moving and on schedule while entertaining us and giving flexibility. Lunch was superb with great arrangement for those with dietary restrictions. Fantastic; 10/5
Reviews
4.5
based on 86 reviews
Rebecca_R, Aug 2023
Lovely day trip! The hike was a bit tough but very doable. The river tour was a definite highlight. Duc was a phenomenal tour guide!
Sandralee_K, Apr 2023
Unfortunately, this trip was memorable for the wrong reasons. Given the outdoor nature of the activities, the weather made the tour of the ancient temple uncomfortable, the bike ride undoable, and the boat trip which should have been unforgettable, disappointing. Duc was a lovely guide in unfortunate circumstances. We returned to Hà Nội deflated.
rebecca_m, Dec 2022
The boat ride was very interesting. The buffet didn’t cater to westerners. The temple site was very beautiful and calming
Preshgena_S, Dec 2022
Brilliant tour, attentive helpful and kind guide. Duc did a fantastic job. Thank you very much. 😊 He was thoughtful of my family who are a little less able.
Response from Host, Dec 2022
Dear Preshgena,
Thank you so much for your kind words of support for our tour company.Our tourguides, who will be thrilled to know of your appraisal.
I would like to express my gratitude for your patronage and do hope to served you again next chance.
H_R, Oct 2022
Excellent tour with a knowledgeable and garrulous guide. He kept things moving and on schedule while entertaining us and giving flexibility. Lunch was superb with great arrangement for those with dietary restrictions. Fantastic; 10/5
Estefania_j, Aug 2022
We paid 44$ each for a tour with an english guide but we found a person who doesn’t speak enough english to do the tour. On the other hand he told us info that everyone already know searching on internet, not very interesting.
We felt cheated when the bus stopped in the highway for a break. Instead of a rest-station to buy some food or go to restroom as we did in the other tours, we visited a bamboo shop. There, they locked us in a room around 20 minutes and a girl, who spoke in Vietnamese, tried to sell us many clothes of bamboo. All of us were very frustrated there.
When we arrived to tam Coc, we met other Spanish people. They told us that they had paid the same price than us for the tour in spite of not making it from Hanoi. Add to that, the tour taxi that took them from their hotel to the meeting point (2km distance in total) asked them for 12$ more.
They were arguing with the guide about the price of the taxi and suddenly the guide closed the van door violently and move to copilot seat. He didn’t want to know anything about the complain of that group people. That was unacceptable.
For all of that, we definitely don’t recommend the tour.
Sarah_A, Jul 2022
Great trip and host. Improvements, for me the food was pretty bland and booking was over complicated, I had to confirm 3 times where I wanted to be picked up and what time.
Nathaniel_M, Jun 2022
This was a fun day trip from Hanoi to an area we might not have otherwise gotten to. I did this tour with a 2 childhood friends and we all had varied opinions on the different activities, for example I personally thought the traditional boat ride went on too long but enjoyed the bike ride. The lunch wasn’t great but we met some nice people during it. I would probably tour a 4 if not for our tour guide (Eric, we think) who was very charismatic and most importantly came to get me when I got lost in the old quarter prior to pickup. I was very worried, not all tour guides would do that for me, and it was much appreciated. Overall a great way to spend a day in northern Vietnam.
Jimmy_B, Jun 2022
Amazing experience! Beautiful place, amazing attention by the team, and great food with many vegan options available!
JonErik_J, Dec 2019
Even if overrun with tourists creating that Disneyland, “curated” feeling, the Tour guides do a good job of presenting historical narratives with the skill of timelessness and putting us at ease. I don’t typically do these shuffled around tours, but I was pleasantly surprised with the level of activity involved (bike ride was a bit anti-climatic but still nice to get the blood flowing). The boat ride at the end was definitely the highlight. I’m a pretty active guy and enjoyed the option of being able to help out with the paddling. It would have been neat to know a little more about the area we were paddling. I could tell there was some sort of agriculture process, but it was either the off-season, or the productions were completely abandoned, maybe due to tourism?
Beautiful area, but rapidly becoming developed, again most likely because of all the money tourism is bringing in. Not necessarily a bad thing, just be prepared for it.
Really cool to visit the ancient capital and learn about some of the older history of when Vietnam was first unified as a nation pre-European colonialism and post Chinese imperialism. Tour guides were willing to engage in conversation. Very friendly and outgoing. I recommend!
Doni_I, Jun 2019
even though half of the time was only to get the destination with unnecessary detour to the souvenir shop, but overall the trip was good, our trip guidance was helpful and informative, good job for him!
Peter F, Jan 2019
I'd done an overnight trip through Ha Long Bay the day before so I was a bit worried I might be disappointed by this day tour. We had a stop at a store on the 2.5 hour drive from Ha Noi which was a lot smaller than the one we'd stopped at going to Ha Long Bay, but it also had things that were different. The history of Hoa Lu was great, as were the ancient pagodas, but I feel the tour guides in Vietnam are very long winded, as they do extensive lectures, with no visual context. I'm a school teacher and I'd suggest maybe a one page visual stimulus otherwise you'd have no chance at remembering all the information. How ever the boat ride on the Ngo Dong River from Tam Coc was amazing, the highlight of a 2 and a half week tour through Cambodia & Vietnam! Apart from the amazing scenery, think Ha Long Bay, but closer around a river, where the river even goes under the mountains in caves a few times in the journey, the people rowing use mainly their feet! So dexterous and skilled its a wonder to witness. The included bike ride was nothing much, so I walked around the town instead. This trip is worth it for the boat ride alone. I've done motor boats on the Guilin River, China, with similar scenery, but this is closer and more intimate with the landscape. I'd recommend it!
Hellen w, Nov 2018
Everything was smooth, friendly and helpful tour guides, and gorgeous scenery!Overall This was a great experiences,HIghly recommended .
Michelle N, Oct 2018
The highlight was Tam Coc for the breath taking scenery, Duc, our guide was knowledgeable and interesting. The boat trip was fabulous. This was the hilight of the day. The lunch was delicious with a lot of choices. I would recommend this tour
Le thi D, Aug 2018
Worth the travel to Tam Coc . the boat ride! The long boat ride was relaxing with fantastic view... we cycled along the peaceful padi fields after the boat ride, beautiful!
David T, Jul 2018
I have heard about this place when I watch the Kong's movie - So fantastic.
I will come back to this place next time. Thanks to tour operator for your services.
Brent C, Mar 2018
Our group of four had a great day on this tour. Our guide, affectionately known as Mr Key, was a gracious host. He did his best to provide background history, explain what we were seeing, and the hardest part to keep us all together. I would recommend to anyone wanting to see Tam Coc! Worth it!
JULIACS_K, Jan 2018
Hard to communicate with guide. Spent too many hours stuck in traffic. Felt nauseated in the van.
Campbell E, Nov 2017
We were picked up on time even though our hotel was not in the Old Quarter. Quite a long day as trip there and back is quite long. This was not helped by having another tour group in our bus that meant we went slightly out of our way to drop them off and pick them up. If our tour had been full this probably would not have happened.Trip up the river was interesting and relaxing and the bike ride following it gave you a chance to look at the county from a different perspective.
On return to Ha Noi traffic in the centre was very congested so guide put us in a taxi back to our hotel at their expense.
Tatiana S, Nov 2017
Excellent trip. Both places were worth visiting. The boat trip was amazing the scenery around is amazing. The tour guide was very knowledgeable and funny. My only complaint relates to the lunch. The quality of food wasn't great and hygiene level in the restaurant was poor. Overall it was a very good tour. I would highly recommend to anyone.
Helen C, Nov 2017
The scenery at the river boat ride at Tam Coc was really beautiful and was what we expected. The ride itself was nice. But at the end of the river before turning around, there were many boats with merchandise pressuring you to buy things from them and the prices were not cheap compare to what's the usual price in Vietnam. The worse part of this tour for me was the bus ride to go in and out of Hanoi. It was more like a full size van with narrow seats, not a coach bus. They packed the 24 seats van full with another tour group and it was a 2 hrs ride plus 45 minutes going around old quarter hotels to pick up people. We were the 1st ones to be picked up. So, it was 2hrs and 45minutes on those narrow seats for us. It was very uncomfortable to me. Also, I thought this tour does not include bike ride since the description did not mention the biking as several others do. But it still included 1 hr bike ride. So, we had to wait around.
Tatiana J, Oct 2017
The tour was nice and the agenda pretty much respected with correct time for each activity. The only not so great point is the transport, that could have been a more comfortable for a 2h30 ride each way: chairs are very close to each other, not reclinable and also the clima was not working properly.
Margaret_M, Oct 2017
We went on this tour after reading the many reviews on Viator. While it was a lovely experience on the river boat the river we went on certainly wasn't the area where we were. The 2 hour bus ride was on a cramped bus with little to no leg room. My husband is quite tall and his shoulders almost touched the guys across the aisle from us. The toilets at the travel stop were dirty and smelly. The lunch was advertised as a buffet with goat meat the local delicacy. The only goat meat was a few pieces floating around in a soup. The lunch restaurant was a large area with seating for approximately 200 and there was a constant coming and going of buses leaving and arriving. I find it hard to believe that this is the only available restaurant in the area. I would have preferred an a la carte restaurant where we select and pay for our own meal. The river boat ride was enjoyable but we were told by the guide that as it was a 2 hour ride we should tip the rower. We were happy to do this but the majority of the people on the bus were backpackers with limited funds and their thoughts were that for Vietnam the tour was expensive and they shouldn't have to pay extra on the day. At the end of the oat ride it had started to rain and we were the last boat to arrive back to the starting point the tour guide met us with nobody wants to go on the bike ride do you. It didn't particularly worry us but there were 2 people on the bus who would have liked the bike ride but were told nobody wanted to go. We would have been happy to sit at the restaurant and have a rest while they had their ride which they had paid for and were entitled to do. I felt for the quality of the bus ride, lunch, boat ride with a requirement to tip and no bike ride it wasn't as described in the advertisement.
Vicki_B, Sep 2017
The photos advertising this tour are deceiving, it looks like rice paddies when it is not. The people rowing the boats are amazing in how they do it with their feet. When you get through the last cave its like a whole group of women in boats gang up on you and try and get you to buy something and for the lady rowing the boat. had already seen this on TripAdvisor and here and we declined. they were not happy. Then the women in all the boats try and get you to buy some handicraft thing they have in a bucket on the boat. Then our lady did a side track to a duck farm and purchased 3 ducks for her dinner, that was kinda cute. we got back and tipped her 1 US and she got upset with us and kept demanding more, we walked away.
The temple was interesting enough but partner was templed out by then. The puh bike ride was hard case, the bikes were terrible and partners one eventually gave up and he had to double me back to town in the heat, boy that cold beer was well earned. if asked would I do it again I would say no! the hill's in Ha Long bay were way better. The guides were very good.
Denna_H, Sep 2017
This was a very worthwhile trip, as it is BEAUTIFUL on the river boat ride. Unfortunately some of the boat drivers are aggressive and not only pester for tips at the end, but also at the half way point they aggressively pester you to buy drinks and snacks for them but this is luck of the draw and not something the vendor can control. The boat ride itself is very peaceful and wonderful. The lunch wasn't very good, but the destination was worth the trip.
Joseph C, Aug 2017
Great tour, well coordinated, great lunch with a nice tour leader. Well done Duc.
Thank you
Thanh P, Aug 2017
Amazing! Highly recommended. I really love this place especially when I seat on the boat, that's is a wonderful experience.
Loan is an informative tour guide. She is very funny and makes us laugh a lot.
Thanks to Loan and this team.
Wendy G, Aug 2017
This was an excellent tour, with a variety of experiences. The trip in the boat, through caves and spectacular scenery was brilliant - however make sure you take a hat it was very hot. The bike ride to the pagoda built in to the side of the hill was also fun. The bikes are pretty dodgy, but safe enough on quiet roads! Guides were a little lacking in communication, so there were a couple of times where we were unsure about what we were supposed to do. However, overall very well worth doing.
vanmanh_n, May 2017
Amazing hoa lu tam coc boat trip.super. Rich in cultural and historical experiences and food. The nature is stunning.we enjoyed the sampan river ride and the scenery was breathtaking . Was amazed on how our rower rowed using her feet the entire 2 hour. Hoa Lu was the best choice for day trip from HN
Vanessa L, Apr 2017
This area of Vietnam is spectacular and an easy day trip from Hanoi. The old capitol, Hoa Lu, is very interesting and you can see that a lot of work is going into preserving it. Temples are not really my thing but I must admit that they were beautiful. Tam Coc is sometimes referred to as the Ha Long Bay on land and it certainly lives up to that reputation. The boat ride down the river takes you past sheer cliffs and lush, green rice fields. Although there are heaps of boats taking tourists up and down, it still has a peaceful, serene feel to it. I can't stress how truly amazing the scenery is around you. We did the trip that included the 3 caves and it was worth it. At times you can touch the ceiling and had to bob your head a bit. After the boat ride, we cycled through the countryside a bit and went off road down a bumpy walking path past yet again, really amazing scenery. Didn't get too far too fast on the bikes because we kept stopping to take photos of the awesome bright green rice fields. The cons about this trip is that it is really, really touristy, especially on the river, and the people rowing you get a bit pushy about tipping. I get the crowd numbers because it is spectacular and not a big area so of course it's going to be crowded. You just have to get over it and enjoy the scenery for what it is. Be firm but polite when you say no thank-you. On a side note, where you stop for lunch is very nice with good quality, tasty food. The goat meat in Ninh Binh province is a specialty and it didn't disappoint.
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