Ninh Binh is often referred to as the ‘Ha Long Bay‘ on land and with hidden gems like the Mua Caves Ninh Binh, we can see why.
This small region has the most incredible picturesque landscapes, which we truly believe captures the most beautiful part of Vietnam. Part of The King Kong movie was filmed in Nang Trang, a short bike ride away from Ninh Binh.
Every article online about the caves, says this was is an easy hike. I can promise you now that nothing worth doing in life, is easy.
We are enjoying our current writing style, how we experience Vietnam, as well as a guide to these locations. This way, we can sleep at night knowing we haven’t sold dreams to those reading this and those crazy enough to take our advice.
Jump to
🌾 What time of year is the Rice Harvest
*This post might contain our affiliate links. This is at no extra cost to you, but you would be doing us a solid if you did use them. It shows us your appreciation after we have written this amazing travel guide for you 😏*
What are the Mua Caves Ninh Binh ❔
located in the heart of limestone mountains and surrounded by rivers and rice paddies, the Mua Caves in Ninh Binh stand tall and proud overlooking the valleys with the Tam Coc river running through.
The Mua cave and Hang Mau is one of the best viewpoints we have ever been to, and quite possibly the most beautiful area of Vietnam.
The Mua Caves is composed of a 500 step staircase that winds through the cliffs and splits into two halfway up.
In one direction you have the stone Mua Caves dragon watching out over the valley surrounding the caves. On the other, you have the beautiful pagoda which on a clear day you can see Ninh Binh town in the distance. The two lookouts are called the Hang Mua Viewpoints.
At the bottom of the mountain, you have the tiger cave. Surrounding the Mua cave you have beautiful gardens with koi fish swimming around, this is part of the Hang Mua Ecolodge.
Behind the cliffs, you are able to see the river which winds its way through the mountains. In some places, the river runs under the cliffs, this has now become a local tourist attraction.
How to get to the Mua Cave viewpoint
The Mua Caves is a short moped drive away through the rice fields from Ninh Binh or Tam Coc. At the entrance of The Mua Caves Mountain is the Mua Cave Ecolodge. If you do stay at this accommodation, then your entrance fee is included in your hotel price. This means you have access to the viewpoint before anyone else.
We recommend hiring a scooter and drive there yourself. It is a 15-minute drive from Tam Coc. When putting the location in your maps you need to search for Mua Caves Ecolodge, this is where the ticket office is.
Day hire for a scooter: 120 VND.
Scammers at Mua Caves Ninh Binh 🚫
While traveling in Vietnam we have come across a few scammers. People see us as rich because we are western, if only they knew the truth. We understand we earn more money due to our national wage being higher. However, this doesn’t justify people trying to scam us.
When approaching the Mua Caves, you have to drive down a narrow road. Along this road will be a number of parking signs, some even say FREE parking. We were stopped halfway down the road by an old lady. It was about 5:30 am and she jumped out in front of us screaming in Vietnamese.
She held onto our scooter and blew a whistle in our faces until we stopped. Olly tried to shake her off and ride around her but she was strong. We parked and she screamed some more and demand we pay.
This was a 5-minute walk away from the entrance and we were pointing to the FREE parking sign past her, but typically she didn’t speak English. Don’t get scammed, just drive on past.
UPDATE – 14TH JULY 2019 – Our friends over at Steph and Luke have been here recently and informed us that all free parking signs have been removed. You will have to pay a small fee to park, where ever that may be. The old lady also grabbed them at 6 am.
This is a regular occurrence throughout Vietnam, especially in Tam Coc. Every single place we pulled up, a local would emerge and say we had to pay. We constantly refused and stated ‘WE LIVE HERE’ and then they would leave us alone. This can be intimidating if you’re on your own, sometimes it’s better to pay the 50p than to be shouted at.
Best Time To Visit Mua Caves Ninh Binh ⌚
The best time to visit the Mua Caves is as early as possible. Visiting the Hang Mau viewpoint for sunrise is magical, you beat all the crowds but most importantly you beat the heat. Keep reading what happened to us, you’re in for a treat.
Starting this hike at 5 am sounded like a good idea the night before🌞. Olly and I thought we could beat the heat if we started climbing the stairs before the sun came up. That and we thought we might be the first people here and get some great photos at the top of Hang Mua Peak.
I planned to bring a nice dress to wear, so if there wasn’t anyone at the lookout I could change easily. This is all very funny to think about now knowing what actually happened.
We started the climb on empty stomachs, mistake number one 🧗♂️Mistake number two came about 20 steps in when we realized we would never be able to beat the heat in Vietnam. To say we were sweating, would be an understatement. 🥵
We used to work out 3-4 times a week but since we have been in Vietnam, we have probably eaten our own body weight in Pho. The 500 stairs seemed like 5000 and every minute I wasted trying to gain control of my breathing, the hotter it got. 🥵
Others were overtaking us and not even breaking a sweat. An Asian BRIDE overtook me and she looked perfect, while I was slowing becoming the same temperature as the surface of the sun.
Once I reached the top, the worst was yet to come. The view was breathtaking, so breathtaking I got extremely dizzy and fell onto the floor. I took all of my clothes off in an effort to cool down but nothing worked.
Olly tried to set the camera up and it took me around half an hour for my head to stop spinning. Every time we took a photo, I would end up on the floor as I was too dizzy. 🥵🥵🥵
Mua Caves Hike – The Cocktail 🍹
Climbing 500 stairs on an empty stomach, in the heat and with my non-existent fitness level, was a cocktail for disaster.
Like most encounters I have with cocktails, I ended up dizzy, on the floor, and trying not to throw up. A local did reach the top while I was calming down, and she also threw up, which was a sigh of relief for me, I wasn’t the only one.
Should You Visit Mua Caves Ninh Binh? 🤔
Ab-so-bloody-lutley. This was difficult for me, but that isn’t saying it will be hard for you. Olly is a lot fitter than me and didn’t struggle as much as I did. There is a lot of steps, but the views are second to none. I would even go as far as to say I’d do it again.
Depending on what time of year you go, the rice fields below could be more vibrant green. My cousin showed me photos of her travels here and she couldn’t see much water as the rice was so tall.
Have you always want to see the Golden Hand Bridge in Vietnam?
Rice Harvest Vietnam 🌾
In the north of Vietnam, there are two rice seasons May and September. To ensure you get the best views possible we recommend arriving at the beginning of these months. This way you get to see the locals harvesting the rice and the fields will be bright green.
Photo Spots At Mua Caves Ninh Binh 📷
There are 4 main photograph locations at the Hang Mau viewpoint to get the perfect shots for Instagram. Below we have laid them out so you can see where they are.
- Once halfway up, you are faced with two sets of stairs. To the LEFT you will find the famous lookout point (1 on the map and pictured below). From below you will spot some boats passing and entering the caves below. This boat tour starts in the village of Tam Coc.
Photo spot 1
2. The next photo opportunity is a few more steps away. The famous dragon statue which runs alongside the wall( number 2 on the map). Please be careful climbing around this area, it’s very dangerous with lots of loose rocks.
Image @Lolahubner
3. Once you go back down the stairs, stop and lookup. From this angle is a great photo of the other lookout, which is where you are going next. (Number 3 on the map)
image @MuaCaves
4. Once you have climbed down, head up to the stairs on the right. This is the well-known spot for sitting against the pagoda with some pretty epic views. (Number 4 on the map)
Image @MuaCaves
Where To Stay In Ninh Binh & Tam Coc 🏠
We would advise anyone to stay in the town of Tam Coc if you are exploring the Ninh Bihn region. Everything that you will need is within a short walking distance from most hotels. All the best and cheap restaurants, plus the amazing boat trips through the caves.
We stayed at King Kong Homestay
Alternatively, you can stay at the Mua Caves Ecolodge
Things To Do In Tam Coc
Tam Coc River Boat
The River Boat Tour starts in the small town of Tam Coc, the boat tour will take you along the river passing the Tam Coc viewpoint. Along the way, you can see the local rice farmers working along the river edge. The only way to reach these locations is via boat as the terrain is too rough to make roads.
On the tour, you will have a local rowing for you. What makes this boat tour so unique is that the locals use their feet to paddle the ores.
Bai Dinh & Trang An
Similar to the boat tours in Tam Coc, Trang An and Bai Dinh are other locations where you can explore the beautiful landscapes of Vietnam. On this tour is you pass many pagodas and temples along the side of the river.
Klook.com
Mua Cave Ninh Binh FAQ’S
A summary of things to know before you visit the Mua caves in Ninh Binh.
What time should I get there? ⏰
It opens at 6 am but someone was in the ticket office at 5:30 and was pretty chill. Most of the tours will arrive around 8:30/9 am. We also advise not climbing up to the lookout in the midday sun, it will be torture.
If you are staying in the Hang Mua Ecolodge then your entrance fee into the Mua Caves is included. This means you can come and go as you please.
You can check the prices and availability for the Eco Lodge here.
How much is the Mua Caves entrance fee? 🎟️
The price to enter the Mua caves is 100VND Per Person
How hard is the walk to the lookout? 🥵
For me it was hard, but I have always thought 500 steps sounded hard. Olly thinks it was intimidating.
What shall I take? 📸
There is a little shop and restaurant linked to the Eco-lodge. It is not the cheapest place to eat so we recommend bringing your own snacks or beers to watch the sunset.
Other places to explore in Vietnam
What Camera Gear Do We Use
- Main Camera: Panasonic G80
- Go To Lens: Panasonic 12-60mm
- Tripod: Manfrotto Adventure Tripod
- Camera Bag: Manfrotto Backpack
- Underwater Camera: GoPro Hero 8
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
- Power Bank: Anker Power Bank
- Hard drive: WD 1TB hard drive
Other Travel Guides
Pin our Mua Caves Ninh Binh guide for later!
