Tam Coc – Bich Dong is part of the Trang An – Tam Coc scenic complex, a special national monument and was ranked by UNESCO as a world cultural and natural heritage in 2014. This is a place that is loved by many domestic and foreign tourists, because of its special natural landscape, with majestic limestone mountains, vast rice fields on the Ngo Dong River, and especially the tour to explore the mountain ranges and caves on a boat.
Through today's article, I will introduce to you the Tam Coc - Bich Dong complex, a place with majestic and poetic scenery, definitely not to be missed when you come to Ninh Binh.
- Bich Dong Pagoda
Bich Dong Pagoda was built in the 15th century under the Le Dynasty and has undergone many restorations. The pagoda is not only a place of worship but also a destination for those seeking serenity and spirituality.
Address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZvbSmrJiNxuqKzDz6
The best time to visit Bich Dong Pagoda is from May to July, when the lotus pond in front of the pagoda gate is at its most beautiful.
During the lotus season, you can also rent a boat to take you around the temple to take pictures.
Bich Dong Pagoda does not require an entrance fee, and the grounds are not too large, so you can come here to take some light photos before moving to Tam Coc, about 3km away.
2. Tam Coc
You will have to buy a ticket to go by boat to visit Tam Coc, the ticket price is 250,000 VND for 1 adult, 4 adults per boat. If you have 2 people, you have to share with 2 other passengers, if you cannot share with 2 other passengers, or you only want to go by 2 people / 1 boat, you have to buy an additional "shared ticket". The price of a shared ticket is 100,000 VND.
Boat ticket office address: https://maps.app.goo.gl/YzqCJWFJb1hadViXA
Today, we went on a boat with 2 people, so taking pictures was much easier. The roads to Tam Coc also have many beautiful angles to take pictures.
Everyone should depart from around 2-3pm, when arriving at the checkpoints to take photos, the sunlight will be at its best.
There are two places where you can take panoramic photos of Tam Coc from above. If you want to stop here to take photos, remember to tell the boatman.
The first location, you need to climb about 50 steps before reaching the top of the mountain.
Around mid-May to late June, we see a much more beautiful scene, when below the river are vast fields of ripe rice.
After taking pictures, I continued to take a boat to the next location to take a panoramic view of Tam Coc from above, called Hang Gioi (or Khe Gioi).
The two locations are about 30 minutes away by boat. Along the way, we passed many beautiful scenes, such as golden rice fields and rolling hills, which made me constantly raise my camera to take pictures.
After arriving at Hang Gioi (Paradise Cave), you will have to climb another 250 steps before “reaching heaven” 😀 The path up is quite narrow, just enough for one adult to walk, the steps are also high and steep, but don’t give up because the scenery above will definitely not disappoint you.
The Heaven Cave in Tam Coc was named to reflect its association with heaven due to its elevation and the panoramic views it offers. “Gioi” is a variation of “Troi”, which means “heaven” or “sky” in Vietnamese. The location of the cave on a hillside allows visitors to enjoy stunning views of the surrounding limestone mountains and rice fields, giving them a sense of being closer to the sky.
The time I went was August, so the rice here was no longer beautiful. If you plan to come here, if possible, go between mid-May and late June.
After taking pictures here, I took a boat to the last point of Tam Coc before returning to the starting point.
I finished the trip when it started to get dark. I was lucky to meet a very enthusiastic and hospitable boatman who showed me all the places and waited for me to take pictures for a long time.
If I only had one day to visit Ninh Binh, I would choose Tam Coc – Bich Dong instead of Trang An, because the boat ride is shorter, but there are more beautiful photo angles, from above to below the boat. In addition, there is an option for you to buy tickets for 2 people / 1 boat, instead of the mandatory 4-5 people / 1 boat like Trang An, giving you more space and time to take photos.
And here is the end of the article sharing about my journey to explore Tam Coc – Bich Dong, hopefully the article helps you in some way in planning your itinerary to explore Ninh Binh. Thank you for reading to the end of the article.
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