[Private] Trang An Boat Ride and Hoa Lu Temples - Day tour
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Description
Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex was recognized by UNESCO as a mixed natural and cultural property. This day tour to Trang An and Hoa Lu ancient capital will give you a chance to get both of the values above
Tour Options
Itinerary
In the morning: you will be picked up by our tour guide and driver at your hotel in Hanoi at 7.30 AM. The drive through the Red River Delta to Ninh Binh takes you about 2,5 hours. Upon arrival at Trang An boat operation station, you will get on a small sampan boat and enjoy 3 hour row on a little river which goes through many small limestone caves. This is a very interesting discovery! The scenery is spectacular as you are rowing in between the towering karst formations of this newly recognized Unesco’s heritage. After the row, your lunch is served at a local restaurant where you will enjoy a Vietnamese meal with the local specialties.
In the afternoon: Hoa Lu was chosen as the capital of the nation in the tenth century. The heart of the ancient Vietnam surrounded by steep rock mountains lasted for 41 years before it was moved to Thang Long (today Hanoi). Visiting the area, you are not able to view the royal palaces which is described amazingly in Vietnamese history but the interesting temples which were erected by the locals many years ago. This is where the locals pay homage to the country founders. Here, you will be told an interesting story about the royal family and the fortune of Hoa Lu ancient capital. This piece of Vietnam history will surely make your day more interesting. About 3.30 PM, you will get back on your private vehicle and make your way to Hanoi. Arrive at your hotel in Hanoi, end of service.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
8:00 a.m - Pick-up from your hotel in Hanoi Old Quarter
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- Sunscreen, a hat, comfortable shoes and insect repellent is recommended
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
Reviews(14)
We booked this private tour several months before our arrival, with the understanding that the itinerary would be customized by reversing the typical order of sites (as seen in many online itineraries). This was intended to help us spend less time in the heat and focus on the locations that interested us most. We also arranged—and paid an additional fee—for both an English/Vietnamese-speaking guide and a Chinese/Vietnamese-speaking guide. On the day of the tour, only the English/Vietnamese-speaking guide was initially provided, and he was not aware of the second guide arrangement. We chose to delay the start of the tour until Maeve was able to arrange for the Chinese-speaking guide to join us. This was ultimately resolved, although it did shorten our tour time by about an hour. In addition, the itinerary followed was more aligned with standard tour routes rather than the customized version we had discussed. It may be helpful for future travelers to note that Custom Asia Travel appears to work with local operators in delivering their tours. Overall, while the experience did not fully align with our original expectations, we appreciated that the company worked to address the guide issue, and both guides were professional and enjoyable to spend the day with.
Hi Rob, Thank you for taking the time to share your detailed feedback. We’re sorry to hear that parts of the experience didn’t fully match what had been discussed, particularly regarding the guide arrangement and the customized itinerary. You’re absolutely right to expect those details to be handled smoothly from the start. We do appreciate your patience on the day while we worked to resolve the second guide, though we understand the delay impacted your time. Your comments are very helpful and have been shared with the team to ensure better coordination moving forward. That said, we’re glad to hear both guides were professional and that you still had an enjoyable experience with them. Thank you again for your honest feedback - it helps us improve and deliver better experiences in the future.
It was my family’s last minute decided private trip and I found this operator by chance. However, it turned into an over expected wonderful trip we got, thanks to the very detail and enthusiatics recommendations, advises and consultancy of Ms Vu Thu Huyen. My family got various members included teenagers boys & girl, and my mom who is car sick and needs special care during thw whole trip with specially customized initerary to make sure it is suitable and enjoyable for every single family member. Ms Hang, the sweet, nice local tour guide did her good job to take care my whole family during 3 days trip, she was just more than a tour guide but became one of the family big sister who could manage to well accompany my teens and take good care of my mom as well. The driver was nice, polite, attentive and considerate the whole 3 day long. I would highly recommend Custom Asia Travel for your private & customized travel plan.
Hi Giang, thank you so much for sharing this. We’re truly happy your last-minute family trip turned into something even better than expected. Huyen will be so pleased to know her care and attention helped create a journey that suited everyone, especially with the thoughtful adjustments for your mom. It’s also wonderful to hear Hang and your driver made such a positive impact — being able to care for your family like their own means a lot to us. Thank you again for your trust and recommendation.
Thankyou Custom Asia travel for a well organised and professional experience , from ease of booking and interaction through WhatsApp, payment and then on to the day. , Tam was a great guide, energetic and really new her stuff..good locations and family was happy with choice of food..fair priced and timing was also great. Thanks for making it a memorable day for us all..
Hi Giovanni, we’re glad to hear your day was such a memorable one for your family. It’s great to know the booking process, communication, and timing all worked smoothly, and that Tam’s energy and knowledge helped bring the experience to life. We’re also happy the locations and food choices were a good fit for everyone. Thank you for choosing Custom Asia Travel!
My partner and I did the day trip, was an unbelievable experience. We had Happy as our tour guide and he is a true gentleman. He has a great knowledge and speaks very well. Highly recommend. The tour itself covers a great amount and it’s organised well.
Hi Joshua, it’s great to hear how much you and your partner enjoyed the day trip. Happy will be proud to know his knowledge and care made such a strong impression — he really is a gem. We’re glad the itinerary felt well paced and smoothly organised. Thanks for the recommendation, and we hope to see you again on another adventure!
We were impressed with Custom Asia Travel service throughout the booking process. We had to rearrange the tour due to weather conditions but Maeve Van was very helpful organising a change of date and communicated any updates promptly. The tour itself was amazing and personalised where possible to our preferences. I would recommend their input when booking Ninh Binh trips.
Hi Andy, we’re so glad to hear you enjoyed your Ninh Binh trip! Maeve will be delighted to know her support and quick communication helped make the changes smooth and stress-free. It’s wonderful that the tour still felt personal and memorable despite the weather shift. Thank you for sharing your experience and recommendation — it means a lot to us!
Great tour and fair price! Our guide, Thu, was brilliant, friendly and knowledgeable which very good English skills. Thanks!
We did a private tour with driver + guide. A great way of touring without having to do add-on activities that you aren't interested in. Even though it was a cold and wet day, we had a great time at Trang An and Hoa Lu. Our guide, Alex, was knowledgeable and spoke excellent English and added to the experience. Our driver was smooth and safe and the day was very comfortable. Our lunch stop was deliciouse with a wide variety of cooked food and they accomodated a vegetarian well. A great day all round. Booking was smooth and the team were very responsive. Thanks to Fiona and Minh.
overwhelmingly crowded. We were there at 8 AM, and there were throngs of people crowding and pushing in front of both ticket offices. People push and shove to try to get in front of you, and 2/3 of them are smoking. It might be a lovely bit of nature, but it’s way too crowded to enjoy it. Long lines for both buying tickets and for getting on a boat.
Hello, I am very sorry that your experience at the destination was not as complete as desired. However, I see that you are misunderstanding and leaving an incorrect review on our products and services! We do not manage tourist attractions and never require customers to purchase entrance tickets on their own. I hope you will reconsider this incorrect review ❤️
Actually I have booked every day another tour for one week! Especially Halung Bay was my target destination to visit - as a must to see.
Custom Asia travel review We are from California and we only had nine days to explore Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Hue & Danang including transportation. I am an ambitious traveler who wants see picturesque places and experience the local foods. There’s no way that we could do it ourselves without the help of Custom Asia Travel. Molly was the nicest travel agent I have ever had. We started communicating three months before the trip. I just sent her our flight information and told her which hotels we wanted to stay and places we wanted to visits. Quickly she formulated a detailed tour itinerary customized to our taste. The tour included private car transportation, five star hotels, breakfast and lunch, English speaking tour guide, and airport pick-up/ drop-off. Surprisingly, the cost was not expensive at all. Our tour guide is Callum (Cương) who can communicate fluently in both Vietnamese and English. He went extra miles to make sure we really had a good time. Our flight from Hanoi to Hue was two hours delayed, Custom Asia Travel made an arrangement with the tour guide and the driver to give us a food tour in Hanoi without an extra cost! During the trip, Molly made herself available 24/7 by phone for customer support. We travel the world but this trip was one of the most memorable journeys! I wish Custom Asia Travel soon expands their service to everywhere in Vietnam and Asia. Their outstanding customer service certainly made our trip safe, smooth and unforgettable! I highly recommend this travel agency to everyone, anyone who want to travel to Vietnam.
Dear Hung L, Thank you for taking the time to share your wonderful experience with Custom Asia Travel on TripAdvisor. We are thrilled to hear that you had an amazing time exploring Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Hue, and Danang with us. It was our pleasure to assist you in creating a memorable journey within your limited timeframe. We appreciate your kind words regarding Molly, your dedicated travel agent. Molly takes great pride in providing exceptional service, and she was delighted to assist you throughout the planning process. It's fantastic to know that the customized tour itinerary she prepared aligned perfectly with your preferences. We always strive to tailor our offerings to meet the individual needs and interests of our clients. We're glad to hear that Callum (Cương), your tour guide, exceeded your expectations. Communicating fluently in both Vietnamese and English, Callum is an invaluable asset to our team. We're pleased that he went the extra mile to ensure you had a wonderful time, even accommodating the unexpected flight delay by arranging a food tour in Hanoi at no additional cost. Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service and creating unforgettable experiences for our clients. Furthermore, we're delighted that Molly's commitment to customer support shone through during your trip. Being available 24/7 by phone is one of the ways we ensure your journey is safe, smooth, and stress-free. We understand the importance of addressing any concerns or inquiries promptly, and we're thrilled that Molly was able to provide you with the assistance you needed. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we are grateful for your trust in our services. While we currently operate in various locations throughout Vietnam, we appreciate your suggestion to expand our services further in Vietnam and across Asia. We are continuously working to enhance our offerings and explore new destinations to cater to the diverse interests of our valued customers. Once again, thank you for choosing Custom Asia Travel. We are honored to have been a part of your memorable journey. Should you plan any future travels, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We look forward to serving you again and creating more unforgettable experiences. Warm regards, Smiley Phuong



