A lovely way to unwind for a day. The boat trip up to the pagoda area was great - a beautiful way to relax and take in the riverside lifestyle of the locals. Recommend walking up to the Pagoda to get a real feel for the 'pilgrimage' made by the faithful (takes about 40 mins at a moderate pace) then... more

Having read a lot of reviews here, they seem to be more negative than positive. I think for a visit to a religious site, we should have a different state of mind. Be more relaxed and tolerant of things that are different or we are not used to. Very often, littering is a universal problem in public places. If you... more

I append to the other reviews. When we started, it was sunny and hot. But after reaching there, it began to drizzle. We hiked about 2km to see a very unattractive pagoda. We went 5 people, and there were 5 rowers+guides for us! When we were returning, it started raining cats and dogs!! We had an extremely shivering rain bath,... more

Had a spare day in Hanoi, so did this trip without researching it first; big mistake! To get half an hour looking at a Buddhist cave in the limestone mountains outside Hanoi you’re basically going to spend the whole day travelling. It’s about two hours each way in a minibus (including the obligatory stop in the souvenir/coffee shop in each... more

I agree with the other posters- this is a bit of a let down. The female rowers are extremely pushy about wanting additional tips. One actually grabbed money out of my hand as I was trying to put it back in my purse, and then refused to give it back. The walk down is long and we had shakey legs... more

Starts early, then you're on a long bus ride, then long boat right (maybe 3 hrs each way combined) then a 4 km hike each way (unless you buy tickets for the cable car). Basically you have enough time to hike to the pagoda, see it for 15 minutes, then hike back for lunch, then leave. Would not recommend this... more

We have just got back from a holiday in Vietnam and Lao which on the whole was fantastic. We visited the Perfume Pagoda on our last day which I have regreted. The drive is quite long there and back for a one day trip and i am not a great fan of cramped minibuses. Secondly the pagoda and surrounding area... more

Previous review said it all ... boat trip is the best part of this. The area around the temples are filthy .. rubbish strewn everywhere and pick pocketers are easily identifiable because there are that many. Surrounding scenery is beautiful as you ride the boat but only tip the boat owner once you are back on land. I was told... more

This is a good day's trip from Hanoi - we left at 8.30 and got back at 6.30. The bus trip there is OK - the roads are fine, if slow, and there's plenty of city and country life to see from the windows. The last hour to the base of the mountain is via a leisurely row-boat trip up... more