Ninh Binh is a town which lies to the southeast of Hanoi and acts as a base for visitors to explore the surrounding area. Slightly confusingly, the state is also known as Ninh Binh, with Ninh Binh town also acting as the capital city, so often when people refer to this part of Vietnam they are talking about the whole Ninh Binh district which comprises several towns, villages and key attractions.

There are not many set ‘sights’ in the town on Ninh Binh itself, but this is a great place to visit if you want to get out and about and spend time in some of the prettiest and most unspoilt parts of Vietnam. Ninh Binh town is usually used as a jumping off point to Tam Coc, Van Long and Hoa Lu and although it is not as well known as other places in the country, it is a great spot for anyone with an interest in nature thanks to its craggy limestone scenery. As other parts of the country such as Halong Bay and Sapa become more popular, if you want to take the road less traveled then Ninh Binh is the ideal choice.