Trang An Boat Routes

Trang An has three main boat routes from one wharf, each about three hours on the water, and a shorter fourth one, the Phuong Hoang route, of 1.5 to 2 hours. Route 1 is the cave route, with nine caves; route 2 has four caves and three temples; route 3 goes through Hang Dot, the longest cave, at more than 1,000 m. All of them use the same 300,000 dong ticket.

The calendar above is the day from Hanoi with Hoa Lu, the Trang An boat and Mua Cave, from $52 in current promotion (usually $57) a person (checked November 2026).

The routes, stop by stop

Stops, cave counts and times from Ninh Binh’s tourism promotion centre (dulichninhbinh.com.vn), read November 2026. Hang is a cave, Den a temple, Nui a hill, Thung a valley.

Route 1: the caves

Route 1 starts at the Den Trinh temple, then threads Hang Toi, the dark cave, and Hang Sang, the bright one, to Hang Nau Ruou, the wine-making cave, which you pass through twice because Den Tran sits beyond it. After the temple come six more caves, Ba Giot, Seo, Son Duong, Khong, Tran and Quy Hau, before the channel returns to the wharf. Nine caves and three temple stops (Den Trinh, Den Tran, Phu Khong) make it the route for people who came for the caves. Nest Asia Travel’s day from Hanoi names Hang Sang, Hang Toi, Hang Ba Giot and Hang Nau Ruou for its boat, from $46 in current promotion (usually $54) (checked November 2026).

Route 2: four caves and the temples

Route 2 has four caves and three temple stops: the Cao Son temple after Hang Lam, the Suoi Tien temple after Hang Vang and Hang Thanh Truot, a loop round the hills of Dia Linh and Kim Quy, then Hang Dai and the Vu Lam royal retreat, Hanh Cung Vu Lam, on the way back. Asian Discovery Travel’s private day rows through Hang Lam, Hang Thanh Truot and the big cave, Hang Dai, in the morning.

Route 3: Hang Dot

Route 3 leaves by Den Trinh like route 1, then goes through Hang Dot, more than 1,000 m long, which the tourism centre calls the most beautiful and longest cave of Trang An, and Hang Van, before joining route 2 at the Suoi Tien temple and following it back by Hang Dai and Vu Lam. It is the route for one long cave rather than many short ones.

Which route the tours take

The day-tour listings do not promise a route number: the hero tour gives the boat 1 hour 40 minutes to 2 hours, shorter than the centre’s three hours, and Trang An changes routes when the water is high. In 2026 route 3 alone closed from 31 July to 2 August, and on 21 August, again from 15 and 16 September, and in the reopening reported on 20 September the site ran a single changed route instead of the three (the 2026 closures). We found no notice restoring routes 1, 2 and 3 up to 1 November 2026. If one route matters to you, ask the operator before you book which route its boats take that day.

Check dates for the Trang An boat day

Pick your route day

Prices, ratings and review counts from the listings (GetYourGuide checked November 2026). Operators price by date and season, so treat the figures as the shape of the market, not a quote.