THE ROUTES
Trang An's Boat Routes (and the Kong: Skull Island Link)
How Trang An's boat routes differ, what the tourism portal lists for each, and how to get the one you want.
See Ninh Binh tours on GetYourGuide ↗Four routes, one choice
If you choose Trang An, you also choose a route. Ninh Binh's tourism portal lists four main routes, from about one and a half hours to about three hours, and the stops on each route are easy to get wrong because route numbers and stops differ between guides. On a booked day tour you are put on the route that fits the schedule. Travelling independently, you pick a route at the ticket counter, so check each route's caves and stops there.
Route 1 — nine caves
The portal describes Route 1 as about three hours, with nine caves, one of them a two-way passage, and three spiritual points including Tran Temple and Khong Temple. It has the most caves of the four routes, so it is the one to pick if you want the fullest Trang An and have the time.
Route 2 — four caves, three temples
The portal lists Route 2 as about three hours, with four caves and three spiritual points including Cao Son Temple and Suoi Tien Temple. Some travel guides say this is the route that passes the Kong: Skull Island film location, but sources disagree on which route does, so ask at the counter if the film matters to you.
Route 3 — the Dot Cave route
The portal lists Route 3 as about three hours, with three caves and three spiritual points, and describes Dot Cave as the longest cave in Trang An, at over 1,000 metres. Parts of the film Kong: Skull Island were shot at Trang An, Van Long and Tam Coc, but we could not confirm from an official source which boat route passes the film location, so we do not promise one.
Which route a tour actually runs
A packaged day tour's Trang An segment lasts about one hour 40 minutes to two hours, which is shorter than the three-hour routes. The portal also lists a fourth route of 1.5 to 2 hours, with four caves and two spiritual points. If a specific route matters to you, for example the longest one, go independently so you can choose at the counter, or ask the tour operator before booking.