Giving up on the Trang An boat trip because it was too crowded.

On the morning of May 2nd, the Trang An eco- tourism area in Ninh Binh province recorded a sudden surge in visitors during the peak of the April 30th - May 1st holiday. Images show long lines of people crowding the waiting area at 8:30 AM.

From early morning, crowds of people flocked to the boat dock area, forming long lines stretching from the ticket booth to the gate.

At the pier, many tourists had to queue in the hot sun. The ticket and boat boarding areas were often overcrowded. After the long wait, many tourists appeared tired. Some chose to leave the pier or adjust their sightseeing plans.

This was Doan Ngoc Trang's third visit to Trang An, and she considered it the busiest boat dock she had ever seen. "Although we had proactively bought tickets online in advance to save time, my whole family still had to queue for over two and a half hours. We had anticipated Trang An would be very crowded during the holiday, so we happily waited to board the boat," Trang said.

According to the Trang An Heritage Management Board, the heritage site does not have a fixed number of tickets sold each day. However, based on the actual situation at the boat dock, the number of waiting passengers, the ability to coordinate boats, and the operating capacity, the unit will proactively adjust to avoid overcrowding.

"When the number of visitors reaches a point that could affect the visiting experience, the management board will temporarily stop selling tickets or recommend that visitors switch to another time slot. We are not aiming for a massive ticket sales target, but rather prioritizing a smooth journey for visitors who have already purchased tickets, while also avoiding long waits for those who arrive later," a representative of the Trang An Heritage Management Board shared.

Crowds of people packed the boat dock on the morning of May 2nd. Due to the unique nature of Trang An tours, which are entirely by boat, the large concentration of visitors at the same time easily leads to long waits, affecting the quality of the experience.

During this year's April 30th - May 1st holiday, Ninh Binh continued to record a strong increase in visitors, especially at destinations such as Trang An, Hoa Lu, and Tam Coc. Prior to this, in the first quarter of 2026 alone, the province welcomed approximately 9.9 million visitors, an increase of over 20% compared to the same period, demonstrating the strong appeal of this heritage site right from the beginning of the year.

Source: https://znews.vn/bo-cuoc-di-thuyen-trang-an-vi-qua-dong-post1648203.html