I chose the Hoa Lu - Tam Coc - Mua Cave Day Trip with Tam Coc Travel booked through my hotel. The tour guide was easy going and quite funny at times. The bus was upgraded, had comfortable seats and it wasn’t full which is always nice. The tour guide followed the set itinerary, all attractions were good, with the 90-minute row boat in Tam Coc as the highlight, money well spent.
The only thing I didn’t like was the first six drop-offs were directly in front of travelers hotels, while I was dropped off two blocks from mine. I should have given him the tip on the bus, instead of outside, maybe would have been dropped off closer.