Bai Dinh Pagoda

Bai Dinh Pagoda

Bai Dinh Pagoda
4
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Monday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Tuesday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Wednesday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Thursday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Friday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Saturday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
Sunday
5:00 AM - 10:00 PM
About
Bai Dinh Pagoda, which belongs to The World Natural and Cultural Heritage Trang An Landscape Complex, has been considered as the Southeast Asia’s largest Buddhist complex. It consists of several temples and over 500 intricately carved statues of Buddha, including some giant ones. Set within the Gia Sinh Commune, it attracts a huge crowd of local devotees and travellers looking to pay their respects and have their fortunes told by the resident monks. There are two main pagodas of the same name, one of which is located on the slopes of Dinh Mountain often called the Ancient Pagoda. Accessible via a 300-step stairway, this quiet shrine houses a main prayer hall and natural caves, where locals pray to Buddha, Mother Goddesses and mountain spirits such as Saint Nguyen and Genie Cao Son. The New Bai Dinh Pagoda (extended part) is about 800 metres away, seen in most photos, covers a total area of 7 million square metres and achieves lots of titles in The Guinness Book of Vietnamese Records.
Duration: 2-3 hours
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  • LaNyonsaise
    West Midlands, United Kingdom1,092 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    A strange place.
    We hired a taxi to take us to the pagoda, Hoa Lu and Mua Cave starting at the pagoda. This is a strange place, recently constructed and work is still going on yet it appears to be quite ancient. We paid for the entrance tickets including golf buggy. It’s a huge site and it would be a long walk. Bizarrely, instead of there being a simple system with one buggy doing the whole circuit you have to travel a short way on one buggy then transfer to a different one at several points. There are lots of temples to visit, each adorned with gold statues. It’s interesting to see what items are placed in front of the Buddha, fruit, Danish butter cookies and Coca-Cola to name but a few. The view from the tower is not to be missed and the religious foundation has had the foresight to put in a lift. The attendants will insist that you wear cloth overshoes to protect the marble floor so you need to take care not to slip or trip when going up and down the spiral staircase that leads to the lift. Why is this pagoda so large? There were relatively few people when we were there and it’s hard to imagine it busy but there are crowd barriers at the ticket office and at the boarding points for the golf buggy.
    Visited January 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 23 February 2024
  • Marta Odino
    Stratford-upon-Avon, United Kingdom173 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Visit after sunset to enjoy the lights without tourists
    Unexpected beautiful pagoda! We visited in combo with the boat tour in Trang An. We arrived here after sunset to enjoy the night lights of the complex and it definitely worth it! We went on Sunday and we were almost the only tourists. The facilities like bars and restaurants were closed, but the electric cars and the toilet together with the access to the pagodas were open until 9pm. Recommended!
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 14 April 2024
  • Chris318i
    Regensburg, Germany422 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Biggest pagoda in Ninh Binh
    Biggest pagoda in Ninh Binh. It was a little bit complicated to find the parking lot. At the parking lot there is also the ticket counter where you can choose among different options. The area around the pagoda is huge, therefore you will need at least two to three hours if you want to see the most important spots. From our point of view the Bai Dinh Pagoda is worth a visit.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 April 2024
  • ボボ
    Saitama, Japan935 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Golden Buddha
    As it is the largest temple in Southeast Asia, it is recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes as there are long distances and steps. There are three stupas, each of which houses a golden Buddha statue. There is also a temple inside a cave at the back.
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 5 May 2024
  • EleonoraO75
    Bologna, Italy4,698 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bai Dinh Pagoda
    Very beautiful and very large place that requires at least two or three hours to visit. There are various types of tickets. We had done the most complete of all, the one that allowed us to move everywhere with the electric car due to the strong heat. In reality, in my opinion it is nicer to move around on foot inside, so if you don't have particular problems walking I recommend taking the electric car just to get to the entrance of the site and to return to the ticket office. Very nice, definitely worth it!
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 June 2024
  • alisaww
    Missoula, Montana179 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Strange place, but worth a visit
    We went here as we were a bit out of ideas of what to do when in Ninh Binh, and so we took mopeds and when to the nature preserve (meh, although the riding of mopeds around the nearby mountains was nice) and here. This was both strange and a good visit. It felt a bit like a Buddhist Disneyland - it is huge. They could park 10,000 cars in the parking lot. But it is still beautiful, and it was nearly empty while we were there, so it still felt respectful. Not sure what it would be like on a really busy day. It was very odd that they had a souvenir shop at the end that had Elsa dolls from Frozen and other random stuff mixed with little Buddha statues. Worth a visit - you can spend 1 hour to 4 here, depending on how much time you spend in each temple. It was REALLY hot while we were there so we took it slow and skipped some, taking about 2 or fewer hours to explore.
    Visited June 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 26 June 2024
  • Co P
    1 contribution
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Trip to Bai Dinh Pagoda
    We had a great time at the pagoda. Our tour guide is Trần Thị Huyền. She’s amazing. The pagoda is huge. We went to chưa ha (bottom), middle and top. Our tour guide explained clearly everything around the pagoda. Our family have 15 people including the elder and kids. Our tour guide was able to engage kids by explaining things in English. Overall, we’re happy with our visit at Bai Dinh pagoda. And I highly recommend Huyền to guide the tour.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 31 July 2024
  • Trek57308214049
    Spencer, Tennessee4 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice.
    Everything is reasonably priced, good drinking water, no trash, good green trees, warm welcome. I like the enthusiasm of the red shirt person, thank you for explaining the ticket. I like to drink grape juice.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 3 August 2024
  • gionnitrip
    Collegno, Italy9 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Mystical experience in a magical place
    We visited this huge pagoda complex on a gloomy August day. The intermittent rain and gray weather added a magical atmosphere to the visit that made it all the more enjoyable. In order to fully enjoy the experience I suggest the purchase of the most complete package that allows you to get on electric carts guided by staff of the sanctuary. Otherwise, given the size of the complex immediately that ina walking visit allows you to get to towers the points of interest with the necessary clarity to appreciate the "attractions" In the package is included a warm foot bath with medicinal herbs halfway along the way. We loved the view from the central Stupa at 100m. Absolutely spectacular and a must for your photo shoots in Ninh Binh. In all it took us over 4 hours while using electric carts.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 4 August 2024
  • Emacado
    Munich, Germany16 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice to visit - but quite touristic
    The pagoda complex is huge and very impressive. Because it was very hot today (37C), we chose the hop-on/hop-off option for 250k per person. There is also a herbal foot bath included in the price. We couldn’t visit the ancient temple because it was too hot to walk up. Unfortunately, they don’t offer tours with professional tour guides who explain some things to you but you can scan QR-Codes and read something about the temples and pagodas. The free option isn’t even mentioned at the ticket office and it seems to be very touristic. There are many people who want to sell you their things, drinks or a massage.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 9 August 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

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Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles1,239 reviews
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350
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Joy
Tokyo Prefecture, Japan36 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Solo
I booked and participated in a collaboration tour with Chang An on site. It is a vast site, so I went around part of it, but while listening to the explanation of the introduction of Buddhism, I enjoyed the temple leisurely while looking at many Buddha statues. There are many people everywhere, but I thought it was a reluctant choice because it had a temple atmosphere and groups kept their distance from each other to avoid wearing too much.
Automatically translated
Written 24 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Katarzyna O
4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2025 • Family
What an amazing place! We went after dark and the temples and pagodas were all light up. The view was breathtaking. We also lit up lanterns and put them on a lake with a water temple and had a herbal foot soak which was just lovely and made us fall asleep as soon as the head hit the pillow. It was an unforgettable experience and I highly recommend it.
Written 9 January 2025
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

AlbertoG3991
Brunico, Italy222 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2023 • Friends
The temple complex is not bad, but the visit is very distracting.
Inside you move with electric carts, given the distances, but the stages are really numerous and a lot of time is spent. Perhaps thanks to the great heat, the visit was a bit difficult.
We included it with the combo ticket with Trang An, but it's better to do others if you're on time.
Google
Written 2 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Constance
Nantes, France6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
We wanted to go see these temples. It was 5 p.m. the site closed at 9:45 p.m. Our hotel advised us to do it at the end of the day because it’s pretty after dark. We arrive, pay for parking, the welcome is cold. Then the time comes to take the tickets (which have doubled) they sell us the tour for 220,000 at all costs but we wanted to walk. Impossible, they laugh and tell us that it’s very long and that we’re going to have to walk patati patata, they only swear by the most expensive ticket. We tell them once again that we want to do it on foot for 60,000 with the return by electric car. They tell us that the bus will be able to bring us but not bring us back after 6 p.m. that's it, then she gets lost and tells us 6:30 p.m. then 6:45 p.m. Finally in all cases she does not want to sell us the walking tour and felt offended because she did not succeed in selling us her solution for 220,000, so we decided even if we had the time not to do it. tour with them, because just at first glance, the attitude and atmosphere created by the office literally DISGUSTED us.
15 minutes later we returned to the scooter parking lot to ask for cash back or a small discount, the lady, cold as a prison door, tore the ticket in front of our eyes and left without saying a word.

STAFF TO AVOID.
Google
Written 19 October 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sue V
Whitstable, UK313 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2024 • Couples
We took a taxi out here on a recommendation to see the place lit up of an evening. It was a beautiful evening, with a bit full moon hanging low in the sky. I checked opening times, which says till 10pm. However we arrived at 6:30pm and we’re not permitted entry as the ticket office closes at 6pm. Wasted an expensive return taxi ride and our last evening of the holiday.
Written 18 October 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Robert W
6 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2023 • Couples
Definitely would not recommend this place, website says free, but that is definitely not the case, you will end up paying for parking then get scammed on the outrageous price packages to buy tickets to the pagoda. You will be confused the whole time you are there. Felt more like a tourist Disneyland for Buddha, every turn they will try to sell you on something or try to get you to buy something. This place is the true definition of tourist trap.
Written 16 November 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Siddharth M
Mumbai, India119 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2023 • Couples
First of all, this is a newly built place so people seeking historical places should avoid.
That said, it is quite charming and serene and worth a visit if you have the time.
Now why such a poor review -
At ticket shop, there are two options, "Electric tram for 60000 VND" and "Combo Electric Shuttle and entry to Stupa". We did not have a lot of time so thought will just use the tram to quickly visit and return. However, the cheaper ticket only drops you to the first stop at the base of the complex and requires you to walk the rest of way up (over 1km incline). The expensive one allows you to take the tram all the way up with stops at all important attractions.

So the 220000 ticket should say tram to the top including all stops and 60000 ticket should say tram only to the bottom ie first stop and walk the remaining way. Your information is wrong and you are losing money because of this as I would have bought the 220000 ticket and not the 60000 ticket.
Written 24 December 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kato V
1 contribution
1.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2024 • Friends
We didn't end up going in there, because the organization is a scam. After you pay 15K for a motorcycle parking you want to walk to the temple complex, since the entrance is 'free'. What they don’t tell you is that walking there is no longer allowed and that you have to drive their electric cars, which are 100K pp for a one-way ticket. And then you're just at the entrance. As a budget traveller we decided not to visit.
Automatically translated
Written 20 November 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

CrtB
3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2023 • Couples
Amazing experience. Huge complex of buddhist pagodas interwoven beautifully into the natural enviroment.
The electric car/minibus system works great and makes it possible to visit diffentent parts of the complex without fatigue, especially if visiting in warmer/humid months.
Would highly recommend paying 500k for the tour guide. Their narrative gives added value and meaning to the different pagodas and even if not interested in Buddhism or spirituality, you will take some core messages home with you. Thanks again to our tour guide, she was amazing and all the staff very friendly.
Best wishes.
Written 11 September 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nixoid
San Francisco, CA10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2022 • Couples
Mind-blowing scale temple complex with infinite number of buddhas and other giant artifacts that will blow my mind. After all the boring temples in the region this one is a pleasant surprise.

You need at least 5 hours to fully explore it. Full day is recommended.

How transportation works for 150k ticket:
At every stop there is a bus line (queue of busses) that takes you to the next temple. You get out, explore the temple, and then get on any other bus - it goes only to the next stop again. If you want to skip the stop - you get out anyway and get on the next bus right away.
Written 10 October 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Bai Dinh Pagoda, Gia Sinh

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