Ha Long Bay vs Ninh Binh: which to choose?

Side by side for the month you pick: real weather, how good a time it is, holidays and festivals, rough costs and getting there.

Ha Long BayPhoto: Marina Lobato / Unsplash

Ninh BinhPhoto: Hoang Vu Tuyen / Unsplash

That month: November

Ha Long Bay

Goodpleasant and dry

Ninh Binh

Goodpleasant, less rain

Weather

Ha Long Bay

25° / 20° · 45 mm rain

Ninh Binh

26° / 19° · 87 mm rain

Holidays & festivals

Ha Long Bay

Vietnam Culture Day Nov 24

Ninh Binh

Vietnam Culture Day Nov 24

Getting there

Ha Long Bay

Pick where you fly from

Ninh Binh

Pick where you fly from

Rough daily cost

Ha Long Bay

$25 budget · $60 mid-range

Ninh Binh

$25 budget · $50 mid-range

Our homestays

Ha Long Bay

None here yet

Ninh Binh

None here yet

Best time to visit

Ha Long Bay

Visit from October to December for cooler, drier weather and fewer crowds. Avoid the heavy rains and heat of summer. Spring is warm with occasional showers, while summer is hot and wet with monsoon rains.

Ninh Binh

Visit from October to April for cooler, drier weather and clear skies. May to September is hot and rainy with monsoon showers, less ideal for outdoor activities but fewer tourists.

Top things to do

Ha Long Bay

Cruise Ha Long Bay · Sung Sot Cave · Ti Top Island

Ninh Binh

Trang An Scenic Landscape · Tam Coc · Bich Dong Pagoda

Food to try

Ha Long Bay

Seafood on the boats · Bánh cuốn · Chả mực

Ninh Binh

Goat Meat Dishes · Com Chay Ninh Binh · Ninh Binh Market

Ha Long Bay: Plan this trip Read the guide

Ninh Binh: Plan this trip Read the guide

Rough daily costs are AI estimates per person, in US dollars, for a place to stay, food and getting around. Flight times are rough: worked out from the straight-line distance, for a non-stop flight. Average daily high and monthly rain over the last ten years, from weather records by Open-Meteo