Hiking To Hang Mua Viewpoint For The Best Views In Ninh Binh

The walk to the top of the Hang Mua Viewpoint is one of the best things to do in Ninh Binh in Northern Vietnam due to the stunning views.

This article explains all you need to know about visiting Hang Mua – including the cave and the viewpoint, when to visit, how to get there independently or tours to join that stop there, entrance fees, what to expect.

Plus it also describes the new aesthetic Incense field just a couple of hundred metres away that you can visit at the same time!

    

Where Is Hang Mua Viewpoint?

Hang Mua Viewpoint is located 6.5km south-west of Ninh Binh, and about 6km north of Tam Coc Village.

Here is the Google maps location.

How To Get To Hang Mua Viewpoint

You can easily reach Hang Mua by renting a scooter, or taking a grab taxi if you’d prefer to not ride a scooter. The ride from Tam Coc to the entrance of Hang Mua should take around 10-15 minutes. The roads are quite pleasant and not busy.

There are plenty of places in Tam Coc from which you can rent scooters for around 100,000 VND per day, and bikes for around 50,000 VND. Many hotels in Tam Coc also have the option to rent a bike if you wish. 

You can also visit Hang Mua Viewpoint as part of a tour. Many people choose to visit Ninh Binh for 2 days when exploring North Vietnam, but many – especially those who are tight on time, choose to visit just on a day trip tour from Hanoi.

These 1 day trips from Hanoi are perfect if you are short of time and just want to see the best of Ninh Binh:

 

How To Get To Ninh Binh

Ninh Binh is 95 km south of Hanoi. Buses and minivans operate frequently every day between Hanoi and Ninh Binh, and the journey takes around 2.5 hours. The road is very smooth and straight so it’s an easy ride.

The minivans are just a little bit more expensive than the buses but I definitely recommend taking a minivan – it literally costs $6 USD one way from Hanoi to Ninh Binh. The minivans are also very comfortable, offer big reclining chairs, and some even have complimentary wifi.

It’s best to book your bus or minivan in advance on 12Go Asia. Not only do 12Go Asia offer the best rates, but you can get instant confirmation and download of your tickets, plus you ensure you book the time that is most convenient for you.

I use 12Go Asia to book all my travel in Asia, I find them the best online platform for trains, buses and ferries – they are so reliable, cheap and easy to use.

What Is The Entrance Fee & Opening Time For Hang Mua Cave & Viewpoint?

The entry fee for Hang Mua Cave & Viewpoint is 100,000 VND – you’ll pay this at the ticket office on your left next to the car park. 

Hang Mua is open daily from 6 am until 7 pm.

When Is The Best Time To Visit Hang Mua Viewpoint?

As a visit to the Hang Mua Viewpoint is one of the best things to do in Ninh Binh due to the spectacular views in every direction, the Hang Mua Viewpoint is a popular place to visit and therefore the best time to visit is first thing in the morning.

If you visit when the gates open at 6am, you’ll get to enjoy this place without the crowds and tour groups. You may even have the whole mountain to yourself and be able to witness a beautiful sunrise from up here.

Visiting at sunrise also means you’ll get to do the climb before the heat of the sun and the humidity kicks in!

In addition to sunrise, sunset is also a great time to visit the Hang Mua Viewpoint if you’re into photography. Just remember to bring a torch so you can get up or down the mountain safely in the dark.

There are lights along the path, but it’s always best to bring your own torch to watch your footing as the steps can be a little uneven.

Sunset is definitely not as quiet as sunrise up on the mountain, plus you don’t often get to see good sunsets from up here, so if you have the choice over sunrise and sunset, choose sunrise!

If you visit during the rainy season (May – October), the landscapes will look much nicer as they will be greener, plus there are less tourists around. Be very careful on the steps though if it has rained lately.

Climbing Up To Hang Mua Viewpoint

After you’ve paid the entrance fee, walk along the path to the end, where you’ll find the stairs on the left to climb up the mountain.

There are a few stalls here along the way if you fancy a drink or snack, plus lots of nice hanging lanterns on the path that make for cute photos.

On the right there’s also a boardwalk over a lake that you can enjoy. From the boardwalk you can see all the stairs on the pathway you will climb to get to the top of the mountain, like in the picture below. It looks like a lot of steps, but it’s honestly not that bad.

There’s also toilets just before you get to the stairs and the cave, so make sure to do a stop off before you climb to the top!

The Hang Mua Cave is at the bottom of the stairs, and there’s also one on the path just to the left of the stairs that’s worth a visit before climbing up the stairs to the viewpoint.

There are 500 stairs to reach the viewpoint. While this sounds like a lot, the walk to the top of Hang Mua Viewpoint only takes around 20 minutes.

The stairs are fairly steep in parts, but I managed it easy enough when I was 24 weeks pregnant with just a couple of stops to catch my breath!

Halfway through the climb you’ll come to a split in the trail where you can either turn left or right. Turn left to reach the statue on Lying Dragon Mountain, or turn right to reach the pagoda.

Both are located on fairly narrow rocky outcrops so watch your footing and be careful.

Many people choose to climb up the path to the pagoda on the right first, and then up the path on the left, which is higher so has better views. The path on the left also looks down onto the pagoda, as seen in the picture below.

Reaching The Hang Mua Viewpoint

As you’re nearing the top of the path on the left, you’ll be able to enjoy the stunning views of the towering mountains and the river below.

When we were here, there was also a Vietnam flag that had been left on the side of the stairs, which made for a cool photo prop – hopefully it’s still there when you visit!

Continue up the last section of the stairs, then when you reach the top of the mountain, you’ll see a pagoda with the statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva.

Behind the pagoda you’ll see the dragon sculpture at the top of the peak. Be very careful up here if you want to see the dragon sculpture.

The best way to see it is actually with a drone so you can see it in perspective as when you’re right up next to it it’s hard to appreciate its ornate beauty as it’s quite long.

Other Things To Do In Ninh Binh

Besides climbing up to the Hang Mui Viewpoint, there are several other great things to do in Ninh Binh.

Just a hundred metres from the entrance to Hang Mua is a small incense field in Ninh Binh – perfect to visit if you don’t have time to go to the famous Quang Phu Cau Incense Village – a new and upcoming bucket list destination in Asia that is one hour south of Hanoi.

This incense field next to Hang Mua is free to visit and is surprisingly quiet! You can get some lovely photos of the incense.

Here is the location on Google Maps – it is labelled as Tam Huong Duc Tai.

Bich Dong Pagoda is another must visit in Ninh Binh, as well as a journey on the Trang An boats. If you have time, it’s also worth checking out Bai Dinh Temple which is 15km west of Ninh Binh and is the largest Buddhist temple complex in South East Asia!

Summary

Overall, a visit to Hang Mua Viewpoint is definitely worth the climb. The views are spectacular and it’s a beautiful part of the country to explore.