Bich Dong Pagoda

Bich Dong Pagoda

Bich Dong Pagoda
4
About
Duration: < 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
What is Travellers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Top ways to experience Bich Dong Pagoda
Are you currently on your trip?
Help us find experiences available for you.
See what travellers are saying
  • Chris318i
    Regensburg, Germany422 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Nice pagoda close to Tam Coc
    Nice pagoda close to Tam Coc. The pagoda is free of charge, but you need to pay for the parking of your bicycle or scooter. From our point of view the Bich Dong Pagoda is worth a visit.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 28 April 2024
  • Dante
    27 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Get the boat through the small cave
    The pagoda is ok, but our highlight was the boat tour. Next to the pagoda you can walk up a hill to see a small valley, from there you can take a boat through a dark cave full of bats. Not touristy at all and hence in our opinion a better experience than the Trang an boat tour (it was too crowded).
    Visited May 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 17 May 2024
  • Chris B
    Holyhead, United Kingdom448 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Worth a visit while in Tam Coc
    It is a small Pagoda just outside of the village. We cycled there and it took about five minutes. The pagoda is very peaceful and was quiet while we were there. There are steps that take you above the pagoda, not too difficult and then there are nice views and an opportunity to have a boat tour. We did not go on this one but it was a nice setting.
    Visited April 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 13 June 2024
  • M W
    11 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Bich Dong Pagoda
    Absolutely loved this old, authentic and absolutely beautiful mountain Shrine. Each tier was very different and gave spectacular views. Very peaceful feel at the top. My favorite Shrine out of lots visited.
    Visited August 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 20 August 2024
  • Henry Jackson
    Milan, Italy23 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    The Bich Dong Temple
    Bich Dong Temple is a very nice and quiet place. The surrounding landscapes are picturesque with limestone mountains and green fields. The temple is built inside a cave, creating a very special and mysterious atmosphere. My friends and I enjoyed visiting each floor of the temple, each with its own unique beauty, perfect for taking magnificent photos. The atmosphere is serene and relaxing, ideal for finding peace and admiring the beauty of nature.
    Visited November 2024
    Travelled with friends
    Written 30 December 2024
  • Anita Rosaleh
    Taipei, Taiwan1,581 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Very picturesque pagoda
    Beautiful pagoda with some temples inside the cave. Free entrance, prepare for some mosquitoes repellent so you won’t get eaten alive! There’re few sellers that could be quite pushy but they just need to make a living so just politely said weren’t interested. We parked our bicycles at Gao coffee bar and restaurant across the street that had the best salt coffee we’ve had!
    Visited October 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 31 December 2024
  • ArpitaS
    34 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    The route and the destination- both were amazing.
    Just the kind of place where one would want to go for some quiet and peace. We cycled to this place from our accommodation and the entire route was beautiful with water lilies on side of the road and the limestone hills at the horizon. This three layer Pagoda is so serene. But it is also a religious place and hopefully visitors keep that in mind.
    Visited December 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 31 December 2024
  • Mr. Y
    Yokohama, Japan14 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Tam Coc's Secret
    The morning after I stayed overnight near Tam Coc, I rented a bike and was introduced as a sightseeing spot that can be done in about two hours round trip at the hotel. I wasn't expecting that much, but it's a better place than I thought. After going through the gate in the photo, I went up the stairs endlessly, and the main hall? Just when you thought you'd reached it, the road continued up through the cave behind it, and from the top you had a beautiful view of the rocky mountains.
    Visited December 2024
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 3 January 2025
  • Sirisha D
    India131 contributions
    3.0 of 5 bubbles
    Beautiful Pagoda
    Beautiful pagoda with some temples inside. Few areas are not accessible. The boards mention that there is a cave temple from inside the pagoda area. But no body knew about it. Visit if you have more time to spend. Beware of the sellers
    Visited December 2024
    Travelled with family
    Written 8 January 2025
  • Liliane M
    Buger, Spain655 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    PRETTY PAGODA IN AN IDYLLIC PLACE
    Its name means emerald cave and is named after the lush vegetation that surrounds it. It is located on three levels to which you have to climb through stone steps. The tour is not suitable for everyone. You go inside and appear, altars, cave. The views from above are beautiful.
    Visited January 2025
    Travelled solo
    Written 5 February 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

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

Popular mentions

4.0
4.0 of 5 bubbles771 reviews
Excellent
305
Very good
309
Average
120
Poor
24
Terrible
13

Ali_Royal_2015
905 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Couples
We cycled to the pagoda and arrived around 4:30pm. It was very quiet on the road in and we didn’t encounter any hassle or issues, just paid the 10k each to leave our bikes in the official small covered parking area just passed the entrance walkway. There is no entrance fee but remember to save your parking receipt to collect your bike and show you paid when you return.

We seemed to arrive at the perfect time as there was hardly anyone there which was perfect as it was easy to relax and enjoy the tranquility of the place without crowds. I took a large sarong to wrap around my shoulders and knees when walking through the temples. The scenery is really beautiful and the temples are interesting to walk between, they felt very calm and spiritual. It definitely made a big difference experiencing the peaceful vibe with hardly any other people around.

I would recommend going early morning or later in the afternoon when it’s slightly cooler and less busy.
Written 27 July 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.

hm777
7 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022
Beautiful temple. We arrived at 6-7 AM and it was almost empty of tourists. The temple complex past the front gate only opened at 7 AM (actually slightlylater), and from inside there, there were 2 paths up to further sections of the temple in the mountain (up steep stairs). The left one of those paths was open, and led to a pitch black cave with a shrine inside it. Very amazing experience. The other path was never opened before we left at around 8.

We travelled by bicycle and ended up leaving it in a nearby shop in exchange for buying a coconut (30/40,000 dong) before we left. I have read that there is free parking, but I'm not sure where that was. There was an undercover shelter for parking immediately opposite the main temple gate, but not sure if that was paid or not.
Written 22 November 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.

Skram66
England, UK743 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2023 • Couples
Slightly off the beaten track, a short 5-10mminute cycle ride from Tam Coc Amanda Villas, this beautiful secluded oldest pagoda in Ninh Binh is definitely worth a visit. One of my top visits while travelling from North to South Vietnam. Fabulous views from the top. Would recommend the Gao Restaurant, situated in the car park (red & yellow signage, on your right hand side) wherr you can go park you bike, great area to sit & have a nice cool drink, admire the view & soak up the relaxed ambience. Decent climb which takes you through an unlit cave...watch out for uneven surfaces.
Written 1 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.

Jo G
New Zealand45 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2023 • Couples
My husband and I biked to the pagoda, It seemed like such a lovely peaceful place ruined by some guys blowing whistles rushing in front of us and pointing to where he wanted us to park our bikes and telling us we needed to pay. It totally put us off - starting to feel that everyone just wants money out of you. It would have been nice to have a drink at one of the coffee shops there but we took a photo then turned around and left. Really put a damper on visiting what looked like a beautiful place. I would happily pay an entry fee to know it went to the upkeep of these temples but not to line the pocket of some random.
Written 5 January 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.

Polly
London, UK102 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
Beautiful area with temples and a pagoda and view points to explore. You can park your bikes etc for a small fee. There are a few small stall holders in the area. Very peaceful and beautiful, definitely recommend visiting at a quieter for a more peaceful experience. We enjoyed taking the path around the right hand side of the lake where you can climbs up some steps and descend down into a pretty valley with a small body of water and a cave.
Written 13 March 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.

Alex H
Port St. Mary, UK2,590 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2023 • Couples
Be careful when visiting here as they try to rip you off when you are parking your bicycle or scooter. At first one man tried to charge us 50,000, but when I refused he got angry and started waving a ticket in my face. I asked another tourist how much they paid to park their bicycle, and they had paid 20,000. The man heard me ask this so demanded I then paid 30,000 (different price) because a scooter was more expensive than the bicycle. Eventually we gave in because he was being very aggressive and wouldn’t leave us alone.
The pagoda itself isn’t great at all, and there are way better ones throughout Vietnam, so I’d say it’s barely even worth coming here.
Written 26 February 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.

Yann Renaud
Switzerland878 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
Nice temple built in the mountains. It is pretty impressive to see. The entrance is free, but the gate closes at 5pm.
The place is accessible.on a bike (10-15 minutes). Parking it will cost you 5kD per bike, but they will try to raise it 10kD.
Written 10 March 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.

Alu-Poo
Tissamaharama, Sri Lanka728 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2022
The entrance to the temple at the lake is really beuatiful. We went and looked at the temple etc. It's very nice but not worth to drive hours to see. But if you stay in Tam Coc it's definitely worth to visit. You can cycle there from Tam Coc town. Instead to walk through the gate to see the temple you can walk around the lake on the right side and then climb up the hill. You end up between hills in a very beautiful landscape, most likely alone as people don't go that way.
Written 27 August 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.

EarlyRetirementAbroa
Princeton, NJ3,041 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023 • Couples
A nice activity for the rainy day. Since the weather was bad, we didn't see a lot of people at the Pagoda. We slowly walked around the ground level of the complex but didn't climb the steps because of rain and slippery steps.

It is a nice well maintained complex with peaceful vibes. However, the sellers at the parking lot are aggressive and it is better to go directly to the Pagoda without paying any attention to them.
Written 14 April 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.

aljax83
Hertfordshire, UK179 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Couples
Was alright. Apparently you can leave your bikes anywhere but we chose to leave them at the entrance and pay 10k per bike. Don’t try and ride them over the bridge into the pagoda... like some stupid tourists tried to do 🙄
It’s all a bit run down but has some nice views. You can walk around the back and up some steps for a good view. Be respectful and if it says don’t wear shorts in the temple DON’T WEAR SHORTS. It might not be religious to you but be respectful. So many people aren’t it’s disgraceful.
Written 6 March 2020
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.

Showing results 1-10 of 396
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

BICH DONG PAGODA (2025) All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

All Ninh Binh HotelsNinh Binh Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Ninh Binh
All things to do in Ninh Binh
Day Trips in Ninh Binh
RestaurantsFlightsHoliday RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesCar Hire