3 Day Itinerary Tam Coc, Vietnam 2023

My husband Philip and I went to Vietnam in March 2023 for our honeymoon. We spent 3 days in Tam Coc which is in northern Vietnam in the Ninh Binh province. Here is our 3 day Tam Coc itinerary!

Getting to Tam Coc, Ninh Binh

Tam Coc is just 1.5 hours from Hanoi and about 4 hours from Ha Long Bay. We took a shuttle organized by our Ha Long Bay tour directly to Tam Coc. Other ways to get there are private car, train, or a local bus.

Where to stay in Tam Coc

We stayed at Tam Coc Marina Villa and loved it! I liked that it was in the city center but tucked away on the edge of the rice fields. The staff and amenities were great too. Across the street was the Banana Tree Hostel which is popular among backpackers.

When I researched where to stay there were so many great options, I don’t think you can go wrong. However, it is important to distinguish Tam Coc from Ninh Binh city. The city is not touristy and would not be convenient for exploring the natural beauty in the area.

Day 1 in Tam Coc

Arriving in Tam Coc

From Ha Long Bay we went to Tam Coc (Ninh Binh province) which is nicknamed the Ha Long Bay of the land, because it too has limestone cliffs jetting up out of the earth. We took a shuttle arranged by the tour which took longer than I’d anticipated with multiple groups to pick up. About 5 hours later we arrived in Tam Coc, checked into our hotel, and ate dinner at Aroma Indian which was a nice change of cuisine.

Aroma Indian in Tam Coc — Philip and giant naan!

Views of Tam Coc from Marina Villa hotel

Day 2 in Tam Coc

Breakfast at Nam Coffee Beer Garden

We started the next morning with breakfast and an egg coffee at Nam Coffee Beer Garden. Then we rented a scooter from our hotel and rode through the rice fields to Thung Sen Tam Coc restaurant & cafe which has a massive property you can explore. We wandered down trails, climbed ladders into caves, and enjoyed the serenity of the property.

Later we ate bahn mi and smoothies in Tam Coc town.

Scootering through the rice fields in Tam Coc

Exploring Bich Dong Pagoda

Later we rode to Bich Dong Pagoda which is a complex with multiple pagodas built into the cliff. This is a cool area to explore for an hour or 2.

That evening we ate unmemorable pho at one of the restaurants in town.

Day 3 in Tam Coc

Hiking Hang Mua Peak

The next day we scootered to Hang Mua to hike to the peak. When we arrived we bought a ticket and wandered through the grounds of Hang Mua Ecolodge to get to the staircase. We climbed the roughly 500 steps to the first peak which has a really cool dragon statue and large pagoda. Then we climbed to the smaller pagoda on the other peak.

I thought the views, pagodas and dragon sculpture were all very cool and the hike was doable though steep. One down side was the smoky air from the trash fires at the base of the mountain.

Note: Do this climb in the morning before the heat and crowds pick up!

Hang Mua views — Views from the big pagoda at Hang Mua

Hang Mua dragon sculpture tam coc — Hang Mua

Mushroom sculptures at Hang Mua Ecolodge

Entrance to Hang Mua peak Vietnam — Entrance to Hang Mua peak

Hang Mua peak vietnam — Views from the dragon sculpture

Pool and Dinner

After climbing Hang Mua we scootered back to the hotel and cooled down in the hotel pool. This was the hottest day yet in Vietnam at over 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Later that day Philip gave me my first lesson on driving a scooter! Tam Coc is a great place to learn how to drive a scooter with the mellow roads.

We ended the day with dinner at Tam Coc Lantern – Vietnamese Restaurant & Vegetarian Food which I really enjoyed.

Final Thoughts

I really enjoyed Tam Coc and wish we’d had more time. It was so fun getting to scooter around which I wouldn’t dare do in the bigger cities. This area has so much natural beauty and interesting spiritual sites. The only downside was the smog from the dry season and trash burning.