We have already visited Ninh Binh two times and spent more than a month based there, so we have explored much of the area.
That said, we went on two boat rides in Ninh Binh, and Van Long is by far our favorite!
About Van Long Nature Reserve
Van Long Nature Reserve is one of the largest wetlands in the Red River Delta in northern Vietnam. The protected nature reserve has a rare, diverse, and unique ecological system.
The best way to explore Van Long Nature Reserve is by taking a boat ride through the unique scenery.
Van Long is most known for Delacour’s langurs, an endangered species of monkeys that can be seen here. There are around 200 Delacour’s langurs left globally, and 120 of them are in Van Long Nature Reserve. It’s also a heaven for bird watchers, as many species, such as storks and herons, live here.
Van Long Nature Reserve is a less touristic area of the highly famous Ninh Binh. The area has only been open to tourists since 1998. If you’re interested in an equally beautiful, more affordable, and more peaceful boat ride than Trang An or Tam Coc, then Van Long is the place for you!
- Also read: Best things to do in Ninh Binh
Price and duration of a boat ride in Van Long Nature Reserve
The boat ride in Van Long Nature Reserve lasts 1 to 1.5 hours, and the price is 100,000 VND or about $4 per person (not per boat).
You’ll get two tickets: one for the nature park and the other for the boat ride. If you only want to visit the Van Long Nature Reserve area without taking a boat ride, there’s no need to buy any tickets.
- This is the exact location of the Van Long Nature Reserve Boat Ticket Booth.
Good to know: If you visit solo, you might need to pay double to go on a boat ride, as the standard is to have two people in the boat.
Opening times
The Van Long Nature Reserve boat ticket office is open every day from 7:30 am until 4:30 pm.
Our Van Long boat ride experience
The boat ride in Van Long Nature Reserve was the first boat ride we did in Ninh Binh, and it’s our favorite one.
The ride takes you through beautiful limestone mountains and narrow, dark caves. Unlike in Trang An, the cave here was not lit up at all.
Our rower was a kind older man. Even though he didn’t speak much English, he tried to tell us a bit more about the area and offered to take photos of us without asking for anything.
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The boats in Van Long Nature Reserve are made of bamboo and look a bit different than those in Trang An and Tam Coc. They’re made for shallow water, but we still managed to get stuck twice due to very low water levels during our visit. Nonetheless, we had a fantastic time, even though we couldn’t do the entire route.
- Don’t miss reading the Guide to Mua Caves Viewpoint
The Van Long boat ride is also perfect for bird watching, and if you’re lucky, you might even see an endangered species of monkey. Although we didn’t see them during the boat tour, we saw them while driving around the area!
Video of Van Long boat ride
We did a short YouTube video of our experience on the Trang An boat tour. Check it out here and don’t forget to subscribe to our channel so that we can make more of these! ❤️
How to get to Van Long Nature Reserve
Van Long Nature Reserve is about 85km from Hanoi and 20km from Ninh Binh. Check the bus connections to Ninh Binh here.
The best way to get to Van Long Nature Reserve is to rent a bike in Ninh Binh and drive there yourself. That way, you’ll have the most flexibility.
Otherwise, there are no public buses or other means of transport connecting the more famous parts of Ninh Binh (like Trang An and Tam Coc) to Van Long.
However, you can also take a minivan from Hanoi directly to the Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh (also a great resort to stay in Ninh Binh), which is about 1 km from the Van Long Boat Ticket booth.
Is a boat ride in Van Long Nature Reserve worth it?
A boat ride through Van Long Nature Reserve is definitely worth it, as it offers a great insight into the nature of wetland areas that are not so common. And even more so if you get a chance to see the Delacour’s langur monkeys.
The Van Long boat ride is still much less visited than other Ninh Binh boat rides, so if you’re looking for something more authentic and less crowded, this is a great choice.
Best time to do the Van Long boat ride
You can visit Van Long Nature Reserve year-round, but the best time to do a boat ride is during the rainy season, from May to October.
Visiting Van Long Nature Reserve in May and June will reward you with the whole area filled with beautiful pink lotus.
The water levels during the wetter months are higher, making passing through narrow caves and shallow passageways easier. Otherwise, you might get stuck in the cave, as we did!
But no worries if you get stuck in any of the shallow water, as the rowers are professionals. They might have to turn around at one point and not get through one of the caves. But it’s still very much worth it!
The best time of day for a boat ride
The best time of day to visit Van Long Nature Reserve is at sunset, as it looks incredible. Sunset is also when the wildlife is the most active, especially birds that are returning to their nests.
Where to stay in Van Long Nature Reserve
Emeralda Resort Ninh Binh is the best option for staying close to Van Long Nature Reserve, which is just a few minutes away.
Otherwise, staying in Trang An, Tam Coc, or any other part of Ninh Binh is fine. It’s only about a 30-minute drive away.
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The difference between Trang An, Tam Coc, and Van Long boat rides
The Van Long Nature Reserve boat ride is definitely much more peaceful, as it’s still not in every guidebook and tour itinerary, unlike the Trang An and Tam Coc ones.
The Trang An and Tam Coc boat rides are longer, and there’s more sightseeing included, so the price is also higher. However, Van Long, on the other hand, is a better choice for seeing some wildlife.
- Related article: Guide to the Trang An Boat Ride
Busy
Because of the significant demand for boat rides in Trang An and Tam Coc, you might need to wait in line and share a boat with other tourists. There are four or five people per boat. And if you want to do a private boat ride, you’ll need to pay the same price as for the entire boat.
In Van Long, there’s usually no waiting in a line, and there are usually only two people in a boat, so it’s a more private experience. Families of 3 to 4 can also go in one boat in Van Long, but it’s a bit more cramped then.
Landscapes
The scenery and landscape are beautiful in all areas of Ninh Binh, where the boat rides occur, and they are pretty similar. However, we have to admit that the Trang An landscape was a bit more majestic as limestone mountains are much higher there. And you do get the chance to pass through a 1-km long cave.
Note: “Kong: Skull Island” movie was filmed in both Van Long and Trang An areas. There was also a movie set in Trang An until the end of 2020, but it’s since been removed and you can’t see it anymore, unfortunately.
No hassling
The boat ride at Trang An is free from hassle, begging for tips, and selling all kinds of stuff, unlike the Tam Coc boat ride. We’ve heard from friends who went on a boat ride in Tam Coc that it was pretty overwhelming.
As for Van Long boat rides, we haven’t been asked for a tip at all. However, from recent reviews, it seems like some rowers might ask for a fixed tip of 50k VND per person after the ride.
Overall experience
As for the overall experience, we enjoyed the Van Long boat ride a bit more than the one in Trang An as our rower was a lovely guy, the atmosphere was super nice, and he made us feel completely comfortable. However, while the Trang An boat ride was excellent, our rower there wasn’t really in the mood, making our experience less memorable.
In conclusion, we’d recommend boat rides in both Van Long and Trang An if you have the time.
However, if you need to choose just one, then it depends on your wishes. Trang An is better for more dramatic scenery and temples, while Van Long is perfect for an authentic experience without huge crowds of people and wildlife.
Things to know before the Van Long boat ride
- Many rowers don’t speak English. Therefore, you won’t get much information during the boat tour. However, our rower did his best and we thoroughly enjoyed our time with him.
- We didn’t have life vests during our visit, but they seem to be handing them out now. Either way, the water is usually very shallow.
- You can visit Van Long Nature Reserve by joining a small tour group like this one that also visits Bai Dinh Pagoda, one of the largest Buddhist complexes in Southeast Asia.
- Take binoculars for bird-watching!
- Don’t forget to get insured! We use this travel insurance for all of our trips. Click here to get a 5% discount!
What else to do in Van Long Nature Reserve
You can drive around the Van Long embankment/ridge, as there’s a nice path going all around the water and behind the mountains on the edge of the reserve with amazing views.
We drove all around, taking some random roads, and ended up at a random lake where we got a chance to see Delacour’s langurs, an endangered species of monkeys. We were so lucky to see them on both of our visits, two days in a row!
If you drive around a bit, you may notice a big church that stands out in the area. That’s the newly built Van Lang parish church in Lang Noi village. It’s about 3 km away from the boat harbor. We didn’t visit but took a few photos from a distance instead. It looked incredible during sunset.
We also met many friendly locals and just enjoyed the beautiful scenery. Other than that, there’s not much else to do around here.
Frequently Asked Questions
You don’t have to book the Van Long boat ride in advance. That’s not even possible. Either way, it’s not a problem as Van Long is not that crazy visited, so you’ll be able to get a spot on the boat easily.
A few well-reviewed restaurants are on the road leading to the boat harbor at Van Long, where you can have some delicious food based on the reviews.
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