Tam Coc is often called “Halong Bay on land”. Tam Coc nestled among the rice fields, surrounded by ranges of limestone mountains, which are covered by a dense vegetation.
Tam Coc is often called “Halong Bay on land” and in fact, this corner has much of the characteristics of Halong Bay. Tam Coc nestled among the rice fields, surrounded by ranges of limestone mountains, which are covered by a dense vegetation, creating a dreamlike panorama.
The valley is crossed by a winding river that goes through the monoliths of rock with a rounded shape, making the impression as a leading the route to the heart of a place covered by lush nature and the intense green of the vegetation make the area look like an Eden on Earth.
Tam Coc is about 3 hours drive from Hanoi, which you can visit on a day trip. Taking part in an organized excursion is the only visit the attraction if your first arrival is in Hanoi since there is no public transport to this countryside.
Otherwise, you can choose to get to Tam Coc with a private car with driver (or for the more adventurous and patient travelers, you can rely on public transport with the many changes and stops required) and stay in a guesthouse or resort nearby. Personally, I recommend choosing the excursion from Hanoi that allows you to better optimize the times, but there are several beautiful guesthouses surrounded by greenery and I must say that for those who have the time it is definitely worth staying one more day.
An excursion to Tam Coc from Hanoi
The excursion program is almost identical and not really differs between travel agencies. It starts early in the morning with a 3-hour transferring to Tam Coc. Along the way, you will stop to visit an interesting complex of temples and pagodas of the imperial era.
Once in Tam Coc, you are immediately escorted to the pier where you embark into one of the wooden boats to start the sail along the river. The boats are small, accommodating 2 maximum 3 people and the peculiar feature is that the boatmen row with their feet. In fact, watching them as they easily push the boat toward with a quick gesture of legs and feet, without showing the slightest effort, is a lot of fun.
Tam Coc attracts plenty of tourists so you will not suffer loneliness, especially in summer, but the presence of the other boats is not disturbing because the boats do not use motor engine so that they move silently while tourists are too busy to admire the landscape and take the breathless photos.
The circular boat tour takes about two hours, so there is plenty of time to savor every detail of the magnificent landscape that present in front of your eyes, especially admire the majestic limestone mountains surround the green of the rice fields under the blue sky.
If you visit Tam Coc in summer, the temperature might be really very high. Don’t forget to bring with you bottles of water, sunscreen and above all a hat. My advice is to buy the Vietnamese cone hats that sell at the pier for $1, they are much better than normal cloth hats and under the scorching sun, you can see the difference. When returning to the pier, the boatmen expect a tip of $2 per person.Many excursions include an extension with a bike ride with a small surcharge. Although it is a very short route, I recommend doing so because it allows you to observe closely the life in the village and the wonderful rice fields that surround the whole area, as well as having new glimpses of the river and the mountains.
For those who stay two days, there is a path (very steep with numerous steps) that goes up to a mountain named Hang Mua. The view from up there is magnificent, but you should consider your time and weather condition if you want to get there.
And even if you cannot spend two days in Tam Coc, do not skip the day trip from Hanoi, it’s definitely worth it. Check out this video to figure out why so many travelers choose to visit Tam Coc: