Bai Dinh Pagoda: Old and New Temple Areas
Bai Dinh Pagoda lies in the karst country around Ninh Binh. The complex has two parts, an old temple area and a much larger new one, and the new part is known for its covered corridors lined with stone statues. Most visitors come for the scale of the grounds and for the walk between the halls.
Bai Dinh lies in the buffer zone of the Trang An Landscape Complex, which UNESCO listed in 2014. That makes it a good partner for a boat day on the nearby rivers, described on our Trang An page. Plan on a few hours here, more if you walk everything instead of taking the cart.
Our picks: Bai Dinh Pagoda tours
One tour starts at your hotel in Ninh Binh, the others run with transfers, and one uses an electric car at the pagoda. Check the inclusions to see whether tickets and the Trang An boat are in the price.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Hoa Lu, Bai Dinh, Trang An and Mua Cave starting in Ninh Binh
- Hoa Lu ancient capital
- Trang An boat tour
- Mua Cave hiking
A minivan with an experienced driver, Wi-Fi and water on board, and an English-speaking guide.
Check availability →
Bai Dinh Pagoda and Trang An with electric car and boat
- Electric car in Bai Dinh Pagoda
- Entrance fees & boat trip at Trang An
- Vietnamese lunch at local restaurant
About 11 hours with an English-speaking guide in an air-conditioned vehicle. The tour has only a few reviews so far.
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Full-day Ninh Binh tour with Trang An boat and Mua Cave
- Boat in Trang An
- Entrance fees
- Buffet lunch at restaurant
The electric car to the Bai Dinh entrance belongs to the Bai Dinh option and the cycling to the Hoa Lu option; a vegetarian lunch is available. A surcharge can apply around Lunar New Year.
Check availability →Bai Dinh Pagoda tours
Day tours that include Bai Dinh together with Trang An, Hoa Lu or Mua, from Hanoi and from Ninh Binh, with live prices and availability.
Old and new temple areas
Two sites on one hill.
The old area is the original temple. The new temple was built later on a far bigger scale. Press reports describe the whole grounds as 539 ha, of which 27 ha are the old area and 80 ha the new build. Tourism pages quote other figures for the new part, so treat any hectare number as a rough idea of size. What matters on the day is that the grounds are large, so plan time for walking.
Look for the covered gallery of stone statues. If you also plan Hoa Lu, see our Hoa Lu page for the old capital.
Electric cart 2026
What the shuttle costs on the price list.
An electric cart can be used for a return ride at Bai Dinh. The price list updated on 27.02.2026 gives 150,000 VND for a return ride for adults and 100,000 VND for children between 1 m and 1.3 m, valid from 15.02.2026. A package that adds the Bao Thap tower and a foot bath is listed at 300,000 VND for adults and 210,000 VND for children. A press guide updated in March 2026 still quotes 60,000 VND for the cart, so ask at the ticket desk what you will pay and whether you need the cart for your route.
The cart is a paid service inside the grounds. It is not the same as the free heritage bus, which connects the sights themselves.
Entry and opening hours
Check on the day.
A press guide updated in March 2026 reports free entry to the pagoda and daily opening from 06:00 to 21:00. Treat these as a guide and ask at the gate or the tourist office if timing matters, for example if you want to come late in the day after a boat trip.
What to wear
It is an active temple.
Clothing
Press advice is to cover shoulders and knees and to dress respectfully. It is advice rather than a printed rule, but it suits a place of worship and also protects you from the sun.
Behaviour
Keep voices low in the halls, put litter in the bins and leave donations in the boxes provided, not on the statues.
Footwear
Wear comfortable shoes for a long walk.
Bai Dinh and the UNESCO buffer zone
What the listing covers.
The UNESCO listing applies to the Trang An Landscape Complex: 6,226 ha of listed area with a buffer zone of 6,026 ha, inscribed in 2014. Bai Dinh is assigned to that buffer zone. The listing does not cover the whole province, so say “Trang An Landscape Complex” when you mean the heritage area. For the core sights see things to do in Ninh Binh.
Free heritage bus between Trang An and Bai Dinh
A 2026 addition.
An announcement dated 24.07.2026 describes a free bus linking Trang An, Bai Dinh and the Dong Chuong lake. It runs every 2 hours at 07:00, 09:00, 11:00, 13:00, 15:00 and 17:00. Ask the tourist office or the staff on site whether it is running the day you visit and where it stops. It does not go to Hanoi.
Bai Dinh on a day tour
Three ways it appears in tours.
From Hanoi
The Hanoi day tour with a Bai Dinh option lists an electric car ride to the pagoda entrance, a boat ride in Trang An, entrance fees and a buffet lunch. Read our day trip from Hanoi page to compare it with other tours.
From Ninh Binh
A day tour starting in Ninh Binh combines Hoa Lu, Bai Dinh, a Trang An boat tour and the Mua Cave hike, with hotel pick-up in Ninh Binh.
Shared tour with cart
Another shared tour lists the electric car at Bai Dinh together with the Trang An boat and lunch.
Boat trips in Trang An run as a normal part of these tours. In storms and floods the authority can pause routes at short notice, so ask for the local status before you go. Our getting there guide covers the road and rail from Hanoi.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bai Dinh Pagoda free?
A press guide updated in March 2026 reports free entry to the pagoda. The electric cart is a separate paid service, listed at 150,000 VND return for adults.
Do I need the electric cart?
The grounds are large. You can ask on site whether you need it for the route you plan.
What should I wear?
Cover shoulders and knees and dress respectfully. Press advice also asks you to leave donations in the boxes and not on statues.
Is Bai Dinh part of the UNESCO site?
Bai Dinh is assigned to the buffer zone of the Trang An Landscape Complex. The core listing is the Trang An area.
How do I get from Trang An to Bai Dinh?
By your tour vehicle, by taxi or on the free heritage bus reported on 24.07.2026. Check with the tourist office whether it runs the day you go.