Two things decide a sunrise or sunset climb at Hang Mua: when the sun is up or down, and whether you can be on the hill at that hour. The first we can calculate. The second no one publishes: we found no opening hours for the tourist area on the pages of Ninh Binh’s tourism promotion centre, on the Trang An management board’s ticket list, or anywhere else from an official source.
Sunrise and sunset by month
| Date | Sunrise | Sunset |
|---|---|---|
| 15 January | 06:34 | 17:37 |
| 15 February | 06:26 | 17:55 |
| 15 March | 06:05 | 18:06 |
| 15 April | 05:39 | 18:15 |
| 15 May | 05:20 | 18:25 |
| 15 June | 05:16 | 18:37 |
| 15 July | 05:25 | 18:40 |
| 15 August | 05:36 | 18:26 |
| 15 September | 05:43 | 18:00 |
| 15 October | 05:51 | 17:33 |
| 15 November | 06:05 | 17:16 |
| 15 December | 06:24 | 17:19 |
Calculated for the summit of Ngoa Long (20.2295° N, 105.9338° E) with the standard solar equations, for a level horizon, in Vietnam time (UTC+7); the times move by a minute or so from one year to the next. Karst peaks stand around the hill, so the sun drops behind them a few minutes before the time in the table, and clears them a few minutes after sunrise.
Where the sun goes
| Month | Sun rises | Sun sets |
|---|---|---|
| June | east-north-east (65° from north) | west-north-west (295°) |
| March and September | due east (about 90°) | due west (about 270°) |
| December | east-south-east (115°) | west-south-west (245°) |
From the summit the Tam Coc river lies to the south and the Trang An peaks to the north-west. In winter the sun sets toward the south-west, over the karst beyond Tam Coc and Bich Dong; in early summer it sets toward the north-west, over the Trang An side.
Before a sunset climb
- Time it backwards. Be at the top 30 to 45 minutes before the sunset time, and leave yourself light for the way down.
- Bring a torch. The descent is about 500 stone steps, and dusk is short in the tropics: start down soon after the sun goes.
- Check the weather. From May to September Ninh Binh has rain on 12 to 16 days a month; the summit is the highest point around. Turn back in thunder.
- Ask about closing time on the hotline from the province’s ticket list, 0987 111 312, or at the gate when you buy the ticket.
Before a sunrise climb
- Confirm the gate opens before sunrise. No official opening hours are published.
- Sleep nearby. From Ninh Binh railway station the gate is 5.5 km by road; from Tam Coc boat wharf it is 3.5 km on foot. From Hanoi it is 100.1 km by road, too far for a sunrise start without a night in Ninh Binh. See getting there.
- Expect cloud in winter. December to February are the driest months (under 30 mm of rain a month), but dry does not promise a clear dawn.
The ticket is the same at any hour: 150,000 dong for anyone over 1 m tall (checked November 2026). See ticket and opening times.