Table Of Contents
Introduction To Mua Cave Ninh Binh
Mua Cave Ninh Binh is a masterpiece created with nature’s miracles and human cleverness. Standing tall amidst Hoa Lu’s ancient capital land and connected to the great Ngoa Long Mountain, it boasts jaw-dropping scenes. Unquestionably, visitors should expect an incredible experience in this fairyland.
To lend a hand to visitors-to-be at Mua Cave, Hanoi Locals Travel compiles a travel blog as a guidebook on helpful facts and tips. Let’s see what is actually special about this venue.
Where Is Mua Cave?
- Address: Khe Dau Ha Hamlet, Ninh Xuan Commune, Hoa Lu District, Ninh Binh
Hang Mua Caves are nestled in a limestone mountain called Mua Mountain, or Ngoa Long Mountain. It’s 10 kilometers southwest of Ninh Binh City and 100 kilometers from Hanoi Capital City.
Mua Cave in Ninh Binh is part of the Trang An Landscape Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has been invested in tourism quite early, since 2000, but its natural features are well-preserved.
TripAdvisor has ranked it in the top 5 destinations in Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam. It’s also famous for being a venue for hiking tourism.
How To Get To Mua Caves Vietnam?
There are many ways to visit Mua Cave Ninh Binh: package tours, private car rentals, taxis, buses, trains, or even motorcycles. You can choose a suitable vehicle for your starting point and travel purposes.
We recommend travelers preferring comfort and convenience during their travels go for a private car ride or a package tour. Check out the high-quality Ninh Binh tour and Ninh Binh private cars as follows:
- Hoa Lu – Tam Coc – Mua Cave Tour – from 99 USD/pax
- Ninh Binh Private Tour 2 Days (contact for details)
- Ninh Binh Tour From Hanoi 2 Days 1 Night (contact for details)
- Hanoi To Ninh Binh Private Car – 68 USD/sedan
- Halong Bay To Ninh Binh Private Car – 68 USD/sedan
- Sapa To Ninh Binh Private Car – 192 USD/sedan
- Hai Phong To Ninh Binh Private Car – 64 USD/sedan
Mua Cave Opening Hours And Entry Fee
Opening time: 06:00–19:00
Entrance fee: 100,000 VND/person
- If you choose to stay at Mua Caves Ecolodge (Hang Mua Ecolodge), you will get unlimited free access to attractions in Mua Cave.
- Digital payment methods for entrance fees are inaccessible, so you should prepare cash for better convenience.
Best Time To Visit Mua Caves
Regarding seasons, there are three good times in a year to visit Mua Cave:
- Harvest season: It’s best to visit Ninh Binh from May to June, when the rice ripens and turns golden. The weather during this time is sunny but not too harsh, making it suitable for mountain hiking.
- Lotus season: Mua Cave Ninh Binh is also famous for its wondrous lotus lakes, which bloom all year round but most remarkably from May to July.
- Early spring: If summertime in Ninh Binh seems too touristic, you can turn to springtime. From January to February, it’s more tranquil and cloudy, but vibrant thanks to traditional festivities.
Regarding the time of the day, we suggest you visit in the morning. Mornings in Ninh Binh offer visitors fresh sunrises, cool air, lotuses in full bloom, and fewer tourists.
Mua Cave Name And Related Folk Tales
The Vietnamese name of Mua Cave is “Hang Múa,” which is supposed to originate from a traditional legend. First of all, the word “múa” literally means “dance.”
Many locals have narrated that during the construction of the Thai Vi Temple, the Tran Thai Tong Emperor usually visited a cave at the Ngoa Long Mountain’s foothills and watched vivid dance performances. Later, the locals used that series of dance events to name the cave “Hang Múa,” which means dance cave.
Apart from the folk tale, Ninh Binh Mua Cave also appeared in the tough days of national history. During the nation’s protecting battles, the cave acted as a “mobility hospital” where soldiers received injury treatments and shelter.
What To Do In Mua Cave Ninh Binh?
As a core part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site – Trang An Landscape Complex, Mua Cave is praised for its unique topography dating back millions of years. It provides an exquisite venue for sightseeing, including the best natural sights: a lush flora system and layers of colossal mountains.
As follows, Hanoi Locals Travel will introduce must-do activities that you should add to your to-do list in Ninh Binh Mua Caves.
Admire Impressive Architecture Of Mua Cave
Apart from its favorable position amid great nature, Ninh Binh Mua Cave will steal your heart with its outstanding structure.
At first sight, Hang Mua Cave looks like an upside-down huge bell, with a size of 800 square meters. In particular, you will immediately feel astonished at its consecutive 486-step staircase leading to the mountaintop.
Hiking along this path, you can enjoy the sophisticated ornaments of mascots, such as dragons, phoenixes, eagles, and nghê, which are imbued with the Tran Dynasty’s artistic styles. According to folklore, these mascots are very sacred, so their appearance in such a majestic setting enhances harmony and optimism for the land.
Moreover, at the mountain’s peak, you can see other ancient structures, such as the Lady Buddha statue, the highest-positioned dragon sculpture, and the sky-high Buddhist tower.
Embrace Gorgeous Panoramic Views Of Ninh Binh
Higher and higher along the 486 stairs to the top of Ngoa Long Mountain, you can seize more and more splendid charms. On top of all, once you stand at its peak, the whole enchantment of Ninh Binh, particularly Tam Coc, will appear right in front of your eyes.
No one can hold their excitement in the face of extensive paddy fields, overlapping mountains, and the elegant Ngo Dong River with lovely sampan boats floating on it. Those features create a tranquil and vigorous painting for nature admirers.
With such a good location to relish the best vista of Tam Coc, Mua Cave has an endearing nickname, “the muse of Tam Coc.”
Learn About Local Culture
As you might know, Ninh Binh was once the capital of Vietnam, under the name Hoa Lu. Therefore, you can see Vietnamese culture and history in every corner of Hoa Lu Ancient Capital, including Mua Cave.
Right inside the Mua Cave at the mountain’s foothills, you can see several temples to worship the holy figures in Vietnamese beliefs. On the other hand, on the mountaintop, you will see a Lady Buddha statue overlooking the fairyland underneath her.
Furthermore, each mascot decorated on the staircase bears local beliefs. For example, the hawks or eagles show a desire to fly over the ancient capital of Hoa Lu Ninh Binh.
More interestingly, the position itself demonstrates the Fengsui viewpoint of the Viet Emperors. It’s a combination of plain, river, and mountain, which is perfect for protecting and developing agriculture. Hence, it provides visitors with a very “Vietnamese” vision.
Watch Sunrises And Sunsets At Mua Cave
To secure a completely unforgettable experience at Mua Caves Ninh Binh, you should try watching its dawn or twilight. The ideal time for sunrises is 5-6 AM, and for sunsets, it is 5-6 PM. Plus, a tip is that you can keep track of online weather applications for a more precise time.
Sunrise lovers will fall in love with the pure beauty of the first daylight at Ninh Binh Province Mua Caves. Meanwhile, sunset admirers will be mesmerized by the mysterious and alluring atmosphere of the twilight.
Enjoy Attractive Lotus Lake
Although Ninh Binh has several lotus lakes, the most gorgeous one is in the Ngoa Long Mountain’s foothills. It becomes popular among tourists thanks to the blushing flowers blooming beautifully amidst the poetic natural setting of Mua Cave.
Many think that Ninh Binh Trang An Mua Cave comes to its dreamiest status during the lotus season. If you go during the summer, from May to June, you can embrace both golden paddy fields and the enchanting lotus lake.
Lotuses in Ninh Binh have smaller and sharper petals than those in Hanoi, but their beauty isn’t less. All in all, the lotus lake in Mua Cave promises to feed holidaymakers a visual and fragrant feast.
Take Impressive Check-In Photos
With such striking features, from nature to structure, Mua Caves Ninh Binh Vietnam obviously comes out as the perfect background for check-in photos. You can easily come across a nice spot for picture-taking.
The most famous spots are the tower and the dragon, situated at the top of Mua Mountain. You will feel as if you were hanging in the sky, among clouds. Photos taken from there can enclose nearly all the views and turn out to be one-of-a-kind images.
Attractions Near Mua Cave Ninh Binh
Tam Coc – Bich Dong
Tam Coc – Bich Dong is another core part of the Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh. It’s only 4.6 kilometers from Mua Cave. You can see it when standing on Mua Mountain, but why not take a closer look?
Except for the stunning nature of the Ngo Dong River, paddy fields, caves, and great mountains, it features noteworthy relics. You will love to drop by Thai Vi Temple, Bich Dong Pagoda, Linh Coc Pagoda, and Co Vien Lau.
Hoa Lu Ancient Capital
Besides Mua Cave and Tam Coc, you should add Hoa Lu Ancient Capital to your itinerary. Hoa Lu also plays a core role in the complex of Trang An for its special significance to national history and culture.
It was the first capital of a centralized feudal state in Vietnam, which was related to Vietnamese dynasties and important upheavals. Therefore, you can see lots of heritage structures at this site, as well as a wonderful setting.
Bai Dinh Pagoda
Bai Dinh Pagoda Ninh Binh is a large-scale Buddhist complex with several records in Vietnam and Asia. Indeed, it has the longest Arhat corridor in Asia, the most Arhat statues in Vietnam, the largest Jade Well in Vietnam, and other titles. Additionally, with 539 hectares of land, it is the biggest pagoda in Vietnam.
Bai Dinh Pagoda is 17 kilometers from Mua Cave. It attracts visitors due to the extremely imposing Buddhist structures and the sacred atmosphere. If you intend to spend more time in Ninh Binh, this venue should be on your travel list.
Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve
Van Long Wetland Nature Reserve in Ninh Binh is far from Mua Cave, 20 kilometers away. If you don’t want to visit Tam Coc, it will be an excellent alternative. It’s characterized by peaceful rivers, paddy fields, overlapping limestone mountains, caves, and especially a diverse fauna system.
More interestingly, it was featured in a Hollywood movie called “Kong – Skull Island.” Clearly, Van Long Wetland deserves a visit.
Cuc Phuong National Park
If you want a whole different thing from the Trang An Complex, Cuc Phuong National Park is another destination in Ninh Binh that you might want to see. It offers vacationers a worthy eco-tour with untouched lands and great biodiversity.
You can spend a day trekking through primitive jungles and relishing all the refreshing atmosphere and sights that Cuc Phuong nature grants. Besides trekking and sightseeing, you can plan a lovely picnic amidst its charming forested setting.
Travel Tips
Where To Stay?
Tourists, especially those who want to watch the sunrise at Mua Cave, should book accommodation close to it. We highly recommend Mua Caves Ecolodge Ninh Binh, whose location is within the Mua Cave Tourist Complex. Its lodging service costs around 600,000–1,200,000 VND (25–50 USD).
Otherwise, you can stay at:
- Homestay Nguyen Shack Ninh Binh: around 500,000 VND (20 USD)
- Phuong Thao Homestay: 200,000–300,000 VND (8.5–13 USD)
What To Eat?
Some local specialties that you should try when visiting Mua Cave or any place in Ninh Binh are:
- Goat meat (Hoang Giang Restaurant and Thang Long Restaurant recommended)
- Snake eel salad (Vu Bao Kim Son Restaurant recommended)
- Nem Yen Mac
- Scorched rice Ninh Binh
- Lotus tea
Good-To-Know Information
- Mua Cave is the hardest to conquer in Trang An Complex as it has a long staircase. Thus, you should wear light simple clothes and comfortable footwear to move around easily.
- To avoid intense heat, you should bring hats, sunscreen, light jackets, sunglasses, and other things that you find necessary for you.
- It’s highly advisable to bring water bottles because you will get very thirsty during the visit.
- Please be careful along the way, as the terrain is difficult and rocky. You can watch the views and take photos anywhere, but please avoid risky spots for your safety.
- You can find good rental clothes for your photos at local shops, such as Tiem Dam, She Vintage, Chi Chi Shop, and An Nam (Thuy Dinh) Shop.
Conclusion
Visiting Mua Cave has become one of the top things to do in Ninh Binh among domestic and foreign tourists to Vietnam. Standing tall amidst Hoa Lu, the ancient capital of Vietnam, Mua Mountain in Ninh Binh proves its charms with a favorable position, rustic but alluring scenery, and intriguing architecture.
Hanoi Locals Travel will be especially glad if you get useful information about Mua Caves Ninh Binh from our travel blog. We wish you the best of travel in Vietnam. Thanks for reading.