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Get ready to explore outside of Hanoi on an adventure filled day at Trang An and the Mua caves. Hike, bike & go on a boat trip to discover beautiful sights on this off the beaten track experience, together with a local!

Destination

Hanoi, Vietnam

Category

Day Trips

Duration

9 hours

Transport mode

Car

Available languages

English

Included

• Private guide
• Driver
• A/C Car
• Pick-up Included

Excluded

• Entrance fees
• Meals
• Bikes

What you can expect

This is the plan

Check out the plan below to see what you'll get up to with your local host. Feel free to personalize this offer with Toan.

1. Meeting point

   You will be picked up anywhere in Hanoi. Your local host will contact you regarding the exact pickup point.

2. Itinerary

   This is what our experience could look like, but it’s not set in stone! Once you book, you can chat directly with your host to make small tweaks to suit your preferences.

3. Meeting point

   Pick up from your hotel near the Old Quarter

4. Stop 1:

   Visit Mua caves, climb up on 500 steps to the top of the mountain to enjoy an amazing view of Ngo Dong River and Tam Coc rice fields.

5. Stop 2:

   Walking or Bicycle through the Tam Coc area to discover the loca life

6. Stop 3:

   Have lunch at a local restaurant and enjoy local specialties.

7. Stop 4:

   Arrive in Trang An Eco Tourist place , take boat trip to visit the cave complex: Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou.

8. Farewell at your hotel

   Arrive Hanoi at around 6:30pm

9. Make it yours

   Want to tweak the itinerary? Book directly & chat afterwards with your host to adjust highlights, skip stops, or make small changes to fit your preferences.

   Book risk-free: Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund.

   Need something special? Personalize your experience for more time, alternative locations or a completely tailored plan.

I can personalize this tour for you

• Tell me your preferred date and group size
• Tell me your preferences and wishes so I can customize the tour for you
• Wait for my personal offer in your inbox!

Contact me

Flexible cancellation policy

• Feel confident booking

  Cancel within 24 hours for a full refund. Even up to 7 days before your experience, you’ll receive a refund, minus the service fee.

• Change of plans?

  Reschedule your experience to a date and time that works best for you.

• Loved by travelers worldwide

  Simple and flexible – your plans, your way.

Reviews from guests

Philipp🇩🇪 Germany

16 September 2024

We had a great time with Toan. It was like traveling with a friend and he made sure that we get a great experience without being touristic and overcrowded. The views and landscape was really amazing. We liked to talk with him about the country and it was interesting to learn more about his point of view. We highly recommend doing a tour with him. Amazing Experience with Toan 👍🏻

Tyson🇦🇺 Australia

10 September 2024

Toan was an amazing host during my trip, he kindly helped arrange all outings and was accomodating to my change to the schedule which was to leave me in Ninh Binh. The canal boat tour was really nice, we saw lots of wildlife, including many Langurs, and Toan helped me to understand the geography and the local area. Was patient and helpful when climbing lying dragon mountain even in extreme heat, and our lunch in Ninh Binh was fantastic, very clean, fresh, and local food with no other westerners in the place. I can't fault the trip, or Toans hospitality.Amazing tour and sights with Toan

Roger🇳🇿 New Zealand

7 May 2024

Toan was a genuinely nice and absolutely amazing person. He made us free right at ease from the minute he greeted us. He organised everything and showed us many things including some that were away from the normal tourist activities. I would strongly recommend him to anyone wanting an authentic visit to his homeland. On our next trip, I would definitely be getting in touch and asking him to show us even more of his country.Amazing experience

Steve🇺🇸 United States

20 April 2024

I had just 2 brief days in Hanoi and Toan did an outstanding job in ensuring I made the most of it and without feeling rushed. I couldn’t recommend him enough. He is your guide if you want a comfortable, authentic experience with some hidden gems throughout!Outstanding guide, authentic experience!

Eli🇦🇪 United Arab Emirates

12 April 2024

Toan was genuine and professional. He spoke good English and had a vast knowledge of the area and its history. He made sure that we were happy. The day with him added a huge value and wonderful memories to our trip. We saw how "real people" live in Hanoi. Thank you ToanA special day in the countryside

Gordon🇬🇧 United Kingdom

16 February 2024

We wanted to get out of the city to see the countryside and experience the real Vietnam. We certainly achieved this - and more. Toan took us off the beaten track and we saw some stunning countryside. More than this we were privileged to be taken on a tour of his village and enjoy a meal with his family. It was lunar new year and Toan had to make alterations to the itinerary as some places were closed. Toan’s English is amazing -really amazing so he was able to bring things to life for us. He is a remarkable human being - super intelligent and fun to spend time with. The driver (sorry I forget her name) was excellent - great driving skills and very friendly. Thank you for a memorable day. Amazing day with Toan

Martin🇨🇦 Canada

22 January 2024

Our time with Toan was the highlight of our trip to Vietnam. The mountain climbing was exceptional, eating with him at a local restaurant was memorable. The boat ride was also interresting (without being too spectacular). We felt that Toan offered us much more than a tour. He exposed us to a different way of seeing life and relationships. We felt he truly cared about us and guided us from the heart. We used With locals in many countries with great satisfaction. But for the first time, we feel like we have found a true friend in our guide. Hopefully, we will find a way to stay in touch. Do not hesitate to book a tour with him. FYI: his English is excellent!Guided from the heart

Payman🇺🇸 United States

29 December 2023

The private tour of the countryside with Toan was excellent. He is very passionate about nature and makes sure that you enjoy nature by taking you to places where less tour buses (or none) go there. I’m very happy that I chose Toan. He’s not only a very knowledgeable guide but also a very down to earth and humble person. Highly recommend Toan!Great tour with Toan

Lorna🇦🇺 Australia

1 September 2023

The 3 of us had an amazing time in Ninh Binh with Toan. Toan was friendly, informative, engaging, fun and patient as we took longer to climb the Mountain steps of the Mua Caves. Fortunately for us we travelled to the area prior to the Independence weekend so it was quieter than usual. We enjoyed a local lunch which Toan recommended and then had a lovely tranquil float along Van Long Lagoon, away from the main tourist attractions. The scenery was stunning, a wonderful adventure.An amazing adventure

Unknown🇨🇦 Canada

14 March 2023

We had such a fun day with Toan. We do not like group tours! So we decided to look for something private and came upon Toan's tour. Toan speaks excellent English, has great knowledge of the area and the country. We asked so many questions during the car ride and learned so much. Once in Ninh Binh, Toan was able to share with us authentic experiences with local people and bring us some spectacular scenery and experiences that you cannot get with a group tour. We drove past the masses of tourists in bumper to bumper traffic to a wayyy better river experience, we ate lunch in a restaurant with no English on the menu, and zero foreigners that was authentic, delicious and just what we wanted. Toan is also flexible with the experiences, so he will tailor the trip to your needs and desires. If you like bus tours, waiting in lines and overall generic travel experiences this probably isn't for you, but if you want to meet a great local guy, and have an experience to cherish than I recommend you go with Toan. Tom & Megan, CanadaSo happy we found Toan and booked his tour

Kristen🇺🇸 United States

24 January 2023

I selected this trip as a starting point with Toan, and he was open to customize it for my husband and me completely. We had specific things we wanted to do and see, and he obliged. Some things we wanted to see (later in the trip, without him), and he gave us honest opinions about them and steered us towards less touristy options, knowing we like to get away from the crowds. He was great at telling us, "Instead of ____ try _____ instead for less tourists." If you are wanting to know where all the tourists go, that's easy to find in any guidebook or travel website. But if you want to know where the locals go, you're going to need a Toan. Toan offered great service before we even arrived, so I felt confident in the decision to hire him, even from the other side of the world. He is highly communicative, his English is outstanding, and his advice is unbeatable. When we were with him, it was our first morning in Hanoi, and I, sort of embarrassed of myself, showed him a list I had created of all the foods I dreamt of eating on our 2-week trip. There was no judgment, and he made sure we got most of those foods fit into that first day and took us to the most delicious, most local places to have them. Some of the restaurants were so hidden and tucked away that we would have never found them on our own, and they felt like a local secret. Honestly, when we would go out to find food without Toan later in the trip, we always seemed to miss the mark. If you're considering hiring a guide for a food tour while in Hanoi, you will get that with Toan while also seeing and doing other things! For this trip to Ninh Binh, my husband and I were planning to be in Ninh Binh for several days, so we only wanted Toan to take us to see things further away from town, and the itinerary Toan collaborated on with us was nothing like what is posted on WithLocals. We were so thankful for this flexibility. He was upfront and honest about the price difference for the gas and driver months in advance, which really was minimal. He loves adventure as much as we do and took us far from the crowds on an awesome jungle hike. If you want to have a day of being in Vietnam and seeing hardly any other people, you're going to need his help to make that happen! We had a very full day of adventures, and I was grateful to Toan and the driver he hired for such a great day. Besides this trip, we ended up booking Toan for an extra day, and if he hadn't been such a popular guide, we would have booked even more! He is funny and a great conversationalist, and we had the most interesting conversations with him - no subjects were off-limits, and no questions were stupid. If you genuinely want to learn about Vietnamese culture and get away from the crowded tourist attractions, I highly recommend Toan for a trip to Hanoi, Ninh Binh, or anywhere else you can talk him into taking you. If you are as lucky as we were, you will even come home from Vietnam with a new friend.Perfect for authentic, local experience

Becca🇺🇸 United States

19 October 2022

Brian🇺🇸 United States

16 September 2022

Wow! I had such a great time with Toan on this adventure. If you're interested in nature this is the tour for you! Toan was very patient and planned everything perfectly! The food was also delicious! Definitely book now!Amazing Nature Adventure

Prisca🇸🇬 Singapore

14 April 2022

Toan is very humble and an amazing guide, he is also a really nice and fun man who puts the tourists before himself. He really gets me and he makes everything we do together really fun. Overall he made our Hanoi trip one of the best trips we had ever been on in Asia. From LSBest person ever (review by my 13-yo)

Kate🇨🇦 Canada

25 February 2020

My husband and I had a great day with Toan. We had looked at group tour options for Ninh Binh but hiring Toan for the day allowed us the freedom to go where we wanted and at a pace that worked for us. Toan was friendly, knowledgeable, and a great photographer. He has a true passion for travel and adventure himself, and is always looking for new off the beaten track destinations to share on future tours, which we appreciated.Fun day with Toan

Dan

24 February 2020

Toan was a great guide. Super friendly and knowledgeable. He took us through the beautiful scenery in Ninh Binh, while avoiding the expensive and crowded tourist traps. Would definitely recommendUnique experience, away from tourist traps

Emily🇨🇦 Canada

21 February 2020

What we didn’t know when we booked our one day tour with Toan, for Ninh Binh Province, was that this day would end up being one of our most memorable during our visit to Hanoi! The mountain climb, the local lunch, the bamboo boat river tour (not to mention the monkey spotting!) were all fantastic activities in and of themselves, but it was the time shared with Toan that was truly the most special experience of all. He is a kind soul. Genuine and generous. (He even went out of a way to help us shop for a few special pharmaceutical items that we needed once we were back in the city). He is passionate about providing a “local experience”, full of home-town pride and he has a huge love and interest for travel in general. With every step of the way (sorry for the pun!), Toan made sure we were comfortable and well taken care of. As he will with you. Please don’t hesitate to book this tour. A tour not to be missed; thank you, Toan

Teresa🇨🇦 Canada

20 February 2020

This day far exceeded my expectations! Toan was early and upon meeting, he was friendly and kind. The pacing of the tour was nice, and he let it be at our pace without rushing us along. We had lots of time to take pictures and get up all of those steps! Instead of feeling like a tour, it felt like friends that were hanging out for the day. Truly an amazing experience and I would not hesitate to recommend Toan. Awesome day with Toan!

Joyce🇺🇸 United States

27 January 2020

My daughter and I booked a one day tour with Toan for Ninh Binh Province, where we climbed the 500 steps to the top of Dragon Mountain and then were taken for a 1 hr. bamboo boat tour through a beautiful cave. Toan is all about providing a truly "local experience", avoiding the highly touristy areas, which made our experience highly personal and very special. He took us to a completely local restaurant for lunch (we were the only tourists there), where we got to experience a truly local food experience. Our boat trip was out of the way as well, not heavily traveled by throngs of tourists, which made it especially private and serene, especially going through the cave. Toan was very personable and knowledgeable about many things relating to Vietnamese culture. His English was excellent and he completely delivered on his promise about providing us with a "local experience." I couldn't recommend him highly enough!! Toan was amazing!!

Ben🇺🇸 United States

20 January 2020

We were picked up at our hotel and drove about two hours to the famous limestone mountains where we hiked the 500 steps to the dragon peak. We then explored the caves and after had lunch at a local restaurant where we got to try unique food to the area. Once we were done, we headed to a more remote row boat area, so we could see the mountains up close and hear the various birds in the area. We saw monkeys up at the mountain tops in the distance and got to go through a cave passage into a beautiful area. The whole boat tour was serene and remote. Without our guide, we would not have been able to find it. After the boat tour, it was about 5 and we headed back to the hotel. I would recommend this tour to anyone who wants a custom experience and likes to explore new things. A big bonus was being able to miss the large crowds by going to equally beautiful spots that were less known to other tourists like us. Local guide and new treats

Katrina🇨🇦 Canada

6 January 2020

Toan was a great guide! He really is an adventurer. He took us up the dragon mountain in mua caves, and was hopping from one rock to another, it was crazy. Toan also loves to chat, and did not hesitate to give us fun facts and learn about our culture as well. When our tour was over, Toan even took us around to a few street food spots at no charge! He was super nice. Highly recommend. Toan is so sweet!

Tracy🇺🇸 United States

1 December 2019

Toan is super helpful and is definitely more like a friend than a tour guide. He provided us with a lot of helpful tips prior to our excursion and was very easy to get in contact with. He brought us to the most remote parts of Vietnam, away from all the tourist, and I can easily say his tour was the highlight of our Vietnam trip. You will enjoy his fun character and a plus is he’s great at taking photos! A must!

Alice🇸🇲 San Marino

13 November 2019

Toan è un ragazzo molto gentile, che parla un ottimo inglese ed a cui piace tanto condividere le sue conoscenze e le bellezze del suo Vietnam con i turisti quindi gli abbiamo fatto tante domande su tutto e grazie a lui ora conosciamo qualcosa in più di questo stupendo paese. Il suo tour di Ninh Binh è diverso dagli altri perché per lui la cosa più importante è fare vedere il vero Vietnam e personalizzare l'esperienza a seconda delle volontà di ogni persona. Noi abbiamo richiesto una partenza abbastanza presto per poter arrivare in cima a Mua Caves senza troppa gente e così è stato...inoltre ci ha accompagnato fino in cima. Il pranzo lo abbiamo fatto in un ristorantino pieno di Vietnamiti dove ci ha fatto provare la specialità locale, la capra e altri piatti molto buoni. Per il pomeriggio la gita in barca ci ha portato a farla a Van Long consigliandoci questo posto invece che Trang An perché più vero e meno sfruttato turisticamente. Tutto perfetto. Fatevi accompagnare da Toan alla scoperta di questi luoghi, non ve ne pentirete!!Bellissima gita con bravissima guida!

Henry🇺🇸 United States

21 October 2019

I had a great day in and around Ninh Bình. Toan picked me up in Hanoi with a driver. On the two-hour drive to Ninh Bình, he gave me lots of information about Hanoi, about Vietnam, and about its people and culture. He's very easy to talk with and a very interesting guy. The morning hike to the top of a Tam Coc mountain was amazing. I'm not in the best shape, but Toan patiently let me stop as much as I needed to get to the top. The whole area is just beautiful. He took me to a lunch place that was clearly just for locals--I think I was the only tourist there. I felt like I got the most authentically Vietnamese meal of my whole trip. It included goat meat, sweet potato greens, and figs. After lunch, at Toan's recommendation, we went to Van Long instead of Trang An for a boat trip through the landscape and into a cave. A visit to this area is a must-do if you're in northern Vietnam. Conversation with Toan was also a highlight of the trip. He's sharp and frank in a way I really liked. He doesn't give you any kind of canned tour-guide spiel. Highly recommended!Memorable Day with a Great Local Guide

Tina🇮🇹 Italy

6 October 2019

We started our vacation the perfect guide. Toan understood what we were looking for...a local experience without tourist scams and tourist crowds. He is such an easy person to start a conversation with. He is genuine, friendly and very knowledgeable. The mountain goat meat lunch we had was amazingly delicious. A restaurant filled with only locals and a beautiful view. Toan was sweet to also let us sample his mom's rice wine special. We had such a wonderful time absorbing all the natural beauty without the hectic busy crowds of tourist. We ended the day with dinner and a new friend. Unforgettable trip

Ronald🇩🇪 Germany

15 September 2019

We booked a trip with Toan to Ninh Binh and we including our kids (6 and 8 years old) had a wonderful day with him. First of all the communication was perfect. So we had the impression that we will have a good day with him. But it was not good, it was really perfect. He is such a kind and intelligent person, our kids loved him (we too). He took us off the path wherever it was possible. For lunchtime we visited a restaurant... no tourists except us. Amazing. Everything was perfect organised. Don't worry. Go with him and you'll not be disappointed. @Toan: Thank you so much that you shared so many moments with us. Thank you so much that you gave us the chance to learn a little bit about Vietnam and your life over there. It was simply a great experience. We wish you all the best and we deeply hope to meet you again.A perfect personal day

Vonetta🇺🇸 United States

16 August 2019

Toan,Is simply amazing. He is kind and considerate. He also speaks great English. He Tailored made the day just for me. I am not particularly an avid sports women nor active but I did work out for this trek and Toan allowed me as much time needed in order for me to get up the mountain. He also carried my bags and took a lot of beautiful photos, since I was a solo traveler. He also accommodated me when I requested to stop at a place to take a shower because it was a particularly hard and hot and humid day. We ate at local restaurants and had very delicious meals. And I really got the feel for Northern Vietnam. At the end he accompanied me to my hotel so I could change, again, and took me to where Obama and Anthony Bordaine are in Hanoi. He made me feel comfortable and so welcome. You want this guy to be your guide and get a taste of Vietnam. Ninh Binh was beautiful, and the two hour ride goes by very quickly. Wonderful

Stefan🇩🇪 Germany

19 April 2019

In der Vorbereitung meiner Reise habe ich einige Berichte zu Touren anderer Anbieter nach Ninh Binh gelesen (Stopps an Verkaufsständen, Massenabfertigung bei den Bootstouren usw.) und ich bin sehr froh das ich die Tour mit Toan gebucht habe. Es war einfach alles bestens organisiert. Abholung, Fahrt, Getränke, Essen, Wanderung, wirklich alles perfekt. Toan ist ein ausgesprochen lieber, netter und zuvorkommender Mensch. Darüber hinaus ist er sehr hilfsbereit und hat eine Menge an Informationen zur der Tour parat. Es war ein sehr lustiger Ausflug der ganz viel bleibende Eindrücke bei mir hinterlassen hat. Ich kann Toan als Tour Guide nur wärmstens empfehlen. Das war meine schönste Tour in 4 Wochen Vietnam/Kambodscha. Danke, Danke,Danke!! Beim nächten Mal sehr gerne wieder. Aussergewöhnlich

Michele🇺🇸 United States

18 April 2019

Toan demonstrated extensive passion and knowledge! We loved how much of this country’s rich history and culture he shared with us. Toan took into account our personal interests and customized this tour perfectly. We saw everything we wanted to and more! It was just what we were looking for and was an experience my family won’t forget. We can not recommend Toan more! He is an amazing guide!Unforgettable!!!

Jonathan🇸🇬 Singapore

9 April 2019

All six of us had a wonderful time with Toan! We arranged a day’s outing with him exploring the Mua Caves and enjoyed the climb up and the view from the top! It was crowded as it was a Sunday but it was filled mostly with locals enjoying their weekends in their countryside! Next, lunch at a busy restaurant filled with local Vietnamese tucking into the speciality: mountain goat! Eye opener and quite a challenge for some of us! The final stop was for a lovely boat trip powered by a nimble boat woman, exploring an eco park with magnificent structures created by Mother Nature and wonderful vistas! Toan ensured everything was smooth, entertaining and fun throughout the 11 hours we spent with him! He offered to even take us to a night market for street food since he was free after the tour but unfortunately, we had dinner reservations! Highly recommended tour and host! 10/10!A Different Journey Slighthe Tourist Trail

Ola🇦🇺 Australia

5 April 2019

Such a legend. The day was incredible and we had time for a street tour in the end. Well the street tour turned into me going home early and the boys coming home at 1am raving about how much fun Toan is! The food was incredible, the walk is incredible and the boat ride was out of this world. Toan in Ninh Binh and Hanoi

Eva🇩🇪 Germany

31 March 2019

It was such a great day ! Full of adventure and flexibility according to what we wanted to see spontaneously ! Very friendly guide and Toan’s English is excellent :)Amazing tour

Maria🇹🇭 Thailand

23 March 2019

We took a one day trip with Toan to the Tam Coc. This included a hike to the Mia Caves, visit to the rise fields, lunch at the local Vietnamese restaurant and a boat trip in the picturesque Van Long Nature reserve. We much apprecitated Toan's dedication, enthusiasm and knowledge. The hike to the caves was a bit over crowded by lots of tourists and locals, but we visited Vietnam in a high season and druring a local holiday, so could have been expected. Toan was happy to adjust our programme and take us for a boat tour in a local village at the beautiful natural reserve instead of the touristy boat ride. We much enjoyed the day and do another trip with Toan next time again. Great trip Tam Coc with Toan

Steven🇬🇧 United Kingdom

17 March 2019

Toan is a fantastic guide with a real knowledge and passion - an asset to the 'with locals' team We decided to pre-book a private day tour with a local guide for our day trip to Trang An and the Mua Caves as we didn't want to go with a regular coach crowd, preferring a more personal touch and we were not disappointed We were greeted at our hotel in Hanoi by our guide Toan who was immediately welcoming and wasted no time in telling us what lay ahead for the day. Toan spoke excellent English so conversation flowed easily On route to the caves we enjoyed a comfortable private car journey with air con and water provisions, chatting comfortably with Toan about the history of the areas we were travelling through. Toan even bought a flask of Vietnam green tea to share with us We arrived at the caves in good time (before the masses) and enjoyed 2 hill hikes and a tour of the surrounding caves before lunch, it was only when we were heading back to the car to leave that we noticed how much busier it was becoming - so great timing! Toan took us to a local village restaurant for lunch so we could try some of the local delicacies.... including mountain goat!! Even if food adventure is not for you the atmosphere is well worth soaking up. Toan was in his element and loved sharing his local culture with us Following lunch we headed to Trang An for a bamboo boat ride ..... with Toans local knowledge we were able to observe how busy the Trang An tourist spot was and quickly move to a quieter spot just outside of the village where we could enjoy a more peaceful boat ride - this was a pure hidden gem and so tranquil .... also the spot where Kong Skull Island was filmed so a great photo opp for us!! Following our boat ride it was time to start the 2hour journey back to our hotel, we felt we had such a fulfilled day with Toan and the private tour made it all the more personal for us. Toan is a mind of information and knowledge and it is lovely to see him so passionate and caring about what he does We 100% recommend both Toan and this tour during your trip to Hanoi Toan is a fantastic guide withreal passion

Heather🇺🇸 United States

27 January 2019

We booked Toan for two tours and could not be more pleased with our decision! Rather than just focus on what every other tour company offers, Toan recommended truly local experiences that were a bit different and unique. He is so knowledgeable, personable and at the end, you truly feel like you made a new friend! He even brought a gift for our boys. Be sure to ask him about the various personalized tours he can create for you! Such an amazing experience!Amazing Tours and Guide!

Jessica 🇳🇴 Norway

6 January 2019

Fantastic day with Taon, he showed us the true Vietnam with the caves, the boat tour and the food. Amazing day away from Hanoi at a less touristy spot, not to mention some amazingly authentic Northern food around Hanoi. Highly recommend Fantastic day, true vietnam discovery

huiqing

1 January 2019

The trip started with the guide came to meet us at the hotel with a car and the driver. It was a long drive from Hanoi to Ninh Binh which took about 2.5 hours. We reached the mua cave and climb up to the mountain where this stone dragon overlooking the area. Then we proceed for lunch at a local restaurant where the guide recommends the goat meat, burned rice which is the local specialties there. After lunch, we visited the Trang An Eco Tourist place and took the boat ride trip to visit the Sang Cave, Toi Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Nau Ruou, a mysterious and wild scenery of the mountains and rivers which took us about 2 hours. This ends our day trip and headed back to Hanoi. Overall we visited 2 places. I was surprised that the trip price we had paid does not include the attraction tickets and our lunch and it was not really mentioned in the "withlocals" web page. The price for this trip to me is already high which quote as Euro and after the trip experience with the guide, I really do not find the price quoted matching the guide professional skills and knowledge, to me is really like any other normal group tour guide and he just started doing such private tour about 2-3 years ago. A long day Trip

Charlie🇸🇬 Singapore

28 December 2018

The private guided tour with Toan was great, he brought us to Mua Caves and Trang An, which were less crowded than Halong bay. The views and scenery were fantastic, and we learnt a lot about the Vietnamese culture and history. Toan also brought us to an authentic local restaurant for lunch, and he also brought along local snacks and rice wine for us to try. Despite only being a tour guide for a few years, Toan has a lot of knowledge and experience as he actively explores new areas and read up more about the places that he guides.The only thing is that the fees are slightly expensive.Day trip to Mua Caves and Trang An

Penne🇦🇺 Australia

9 December 2018

What an amazing day! Toan is enthusiastic, organised and bursting with knowledge making him the ultimate tour guide. We were a tough group, exhausted as he got us on our last day of three weeks in Vietnam, but his enthusiasm was infectious and we had possibly the most amazing day of our holiday with him. We were picked up by a private van and had a short break en-route to Trang An. Toan kept us entertained on the trip and gave us snacks and tea. Trang An was mind blowing, a strenuous climb up 500 steep steps allowed amazing views in ALL directions. Toan took our two mountain goat teenagers to the peak and later sent us some great photos of them. Lunch at a local restaurant consisted of three different versions of goat meat plus greens etc to accompany it. Surprisingly delicious. We then moved on to Trang An Eco Tourist place to be rowed through numerous caves which were spectacular. Having visited Halong Bay in previous days I would say that the scenery and caves here were so much better. This place is beautiful, it retains natural and mostly unspoilt beauty. The rowers (who possibly spoke no English) were fun to row with and enjoyed us helping row and race our boats. Amazing day, amazing guide and awesome scenery. Awesome Adventure

Alanas🇱🇹 Lithuania

8 December 2018

Toan is an extremely pleasant person and good guide. He didn't bother as much with usual guide "script" but rather aimed to tell more about what we found interesting. At the same time he had tour made covering more of local places and experiences than traditional routes. The restaurant he took us was an absolute blast, one of the best eat outs i had in and around Hanoi.Great day with Toan!

Vivian

26 November 2018

Toan is definitely fun and cheerful host to have. Communication in English is no issue with him and he pays attention to our needs. The one day excursion trip thumbs up!!Great & Cheerful Chap

Rhoda

22 November 2018

Toan is a very bubbly and knowledgeable guide. He brings you to the routes less traveled and throws in little perks (be surprised!) along the way. Very positive and most importantly, he understands and speaks quite good English. Highly recommended!Great experience with Toan!

Yean🇸🇬 Singapore

20 November 2018

Toan is a fantastic and knowledgeable host who knows the best route to enjoy Mua Caves and Trang An. He also knows the best places to eat like a local. If he likes you, he will even share some of his amazing secret drink with you! Amazing Mua Caves and Trang An

Ellen🇬🇧 United Kingdom

19 November 2018

Toan has devised this trip himself to take in beautiful scenery and avoid tourist crowds, this was exactly what we wanted an we were not disappointed! We'd read some reviews of other trips to Tam Coc and decided that Trang An was a better option, it was really beautiful and there was no hassle from people selling stuff or demanding tips etc. Toan is a great guide, it was a pleasure to spend the day with him & hear many interesting things about the area and Vietnam in general. The boat ride in Trang An was definitely a highlight, don't miss it! Thanks Toan :)Great day out!

Monica🇺🇸 United States

16 November 2018

Finding Toan and having him take me to Ninh Binh was a highlight of my travels in Southeast Asia. Anyone who has him as a tour guide enjoys the privilege of spending the day with a very kind, knowledgeable and enthusiastic guide who enjoys sharing the beauty and culture of his country with others. He sets his pace according to the clients needs. The areas we visited were spectacular - Quan Am Altar with it’s amazing views and huge dragon (which he joined and encouraged me to climb to the very top and helped me with the tricky parts), a walk through water into a dark cave at Pearl Springs with stalactites, lunch at a local restaurant topped of with rice liquor made by his mother, and then a two hour long boat trip through three caves surrounded by gorgeous mountains. A day I will long remember and a guide who really enjoys his work. Hiring Toan for this tour was one of the wisest choices I made during my 5 week visit to Southeast Asia - not just his warmth and kindness and the beautiful areas one gets to visit but his willingness to answer questoons via text before and after the tour. You can’t go wrong with hiring Toan.Best guide Ever.

Inga 🇮🇸 Iceland

27 October 2018

We spent the day with Toan on a tour of Mua Caves & Trang An. Not just is Toan knowledgeable and good guide but also a very nice person to spend the day with. He has designed a very good day tour that is with his own flavor and we certainly recommend both Toan and this tour. Totally unforgettable. Viktor and Inga IcelandFantastic day with Toan

Tim🇺🇸 United States

12 October 2018

We decided to make a change to our itinerary and needed to change our tour date. Toan immediately switched for us, he was very responsive to any questions we had before the trip. The actual trip was amazing, it was amazing the views and having toan there to help give some of the history made it even better. When we took the boat ride Toan explained how most guides didnt join the boat tour and would put them on the shortest route to save time. That wasn't the case with this tour, Toan joined us giving us onsite along the way and picked the longest route which gave us an incredible 10 minute boat ride through a cave that you almost had to lay down in the kayak in order to not hit your head. Lunch was great and he ordered food catering to a vegetarian. Highly recomend to anyone visiting hanoi.Amazing tour and guide

Celia

31 July 2018

The tour with Toan was an amazing adventure ! We really enjoyed it :)Amazing !

Tina🇦🇹 Austria

26 July 2018

We spent a lovely day with Toan in Ninh Binh province, climbing the Mua cave mountain up to the top (the view is stunning up there) and exploring Trang An on a little boat. Toan is a very well-informed, open-minded guy and a great guide who offers excellent insights into Vietnamese culture. He even tried to help me with my really bad Vietnamese pronunciation! 😊 For lunch, he picked a local restaurant, packed with natives. Always a good sign! A great day in Ninh Binh province

Paul🇺🇸 United States

10 July 2018

We booked a day tour of the Mua caves with Toan. Thankfully the weather became cooler on the day we went because there had been a heatwave and the temperatures had been unbearable. Toan arrived a bit early, but had no problem waiting for us to come down. He booked a very nice driver and SUV that could have seated 7 passengers. Toan was not only prompt, he was prepared and thoughtful. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours chatting and getting to know each other during the drive. About 45 minutes into the ride he offered us green tea that he had brought. He also made sure the driver had some to refresh him for the drive. When we arrived in Trang An, the skies darkened and the rain started. Toan had rain ponchos for all of us which was fantastic since we were unprepared..... he asked if we wanted to still go up because the rain really started to come down. We felt pretty sure the rain would pass, so up the mountain we went. Toan and the driver made sure we had water so we wouldn’t dehydrate. I had been a bit worried that my fear of heights would hinder my progress and enjoyment, but that was not the case. The climb felt very safe and Toan stressed that there was no hurry. Of course my 13 year old son was a billy goat, and Toan made sure to stay with him while I stopped to breathe a few times in the climb. I’m not as fit as I’d likewise be. Toan encouraged us to take as much time as we needed, although he did make me feel better because he told us that some of his guests took longer than we did!😀. We came down and he brought us to a lovely cold spring cave which was nice and refreshing to walk through. For lunch Toan chose a great local restaurant that specialized in the unique food of the province, goat meat. We had goat rice rolls, morning glory (my husband’s favorite) and puffed fried rice cakes with sauce, and another soupy dish with greens. As we settled into our lunch, Toan asked if we would like to have some rice wine that his mother made. Although we are not big drinkers, my husband tried some and it was really delicious. What a great personal touch. Upon arrival at the Mua caves, Toan arranged our tickets and loaded us on a boat, choosing the best route through the caves, and ending at the set where they filmed Kong Skull Island. Just a beautiful and peaceful rivertrip. The ladies who paddle are expert and we didn’t even bash our heads into any low hanging cave stalactites.🤣 On the way back to Hanoi, Toan was again thoughtful of the driver and served him tea to refresh him as it had been a long day of driving. We hope to do another day with Toan while we are here because we enjoyed his company very much. Do yourself a favor and travel with Toan