Phong Nha Travel Guide

Best Things to Do in Phong Nha

What Things to Do and Best Places to Visit in Phong Nha? Whether you have a week or just 2 days in Phong Nha, there are some must see places and activities that you should definitely not miss out on and therefore should prioritize! You can either do the following by yourself or take a guided tour through your hostel/hotel. Tours and Outdoor Activities are mentioned as the list goes on, and to do it yourself, you will find a map of the Phong Nha loop to do some free things on your own.

1. Phong Nha and Tien Son caves:

Phong Nha is the first cave in the area that opened to the public. The US Army dropped over a thousand bombs in Central Vietnam including this area during the Vietnam War. Phong Nha cave was actually used during this time as a hospital and a place to hide from the bombs. There should have been so many items left over from the war left in the caves, but floods come every year and sweep away what’s inside. However, the stories left in the memories of the locals haven’t been washed away.

How to Get to Phong Nha Cave? The only way to visit Phong Nha is by taking the traditional boat from the Xuan Son boat dock/station. The locals will drive you up the river. You will be rewarded with stunning views of the natural Karst mountains and of course, of the local river life.

Phong Nha Cave - Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

Tien Son is a smaller dry cave just a few meters above the Phong Nha cave and will take you another 2 hours to visit. After climbing the 400 stairs, you will have a beautiful view of the quiet town below.

A good way to visit these caves is to join the 9 AM morning talk at Easy Tiger Hostel. You will be provided with all the necessary information about the area and you will also be able to find a good group of people to share the boat with.

- Entry Tickets of Phong Nha cave and Tien Son cave:

• Phong Nha cave:   VND 150,000 / person / visit.
• Tien Son Cave:       VND 80,000 / person / visit.

- Boat Ticket for Transportation to Phong Nha Cave:

• Boat Trip from Phong Nha Pier: 360,000 VND / Boat/ 1 cave
• If visit 2 caves Phong Nha and Tien Son: 390.000 VNĐ / Boat

Note: According to the new regulations, each boat can carry a maximum of 12 people and at least one person. All boats are coordinated by the Phong Nha Tourist Center so there is no prey, fare or tourist fraud. No reservation required. You do not need to pre-book. There will be a coordinator for you.

2. Paradise Cave (Động Thiên Đường):

Paradise Cave is the longest dry cave in South East Asia with a length of 31.4 kilometers. If you are in Phong Nha, and you never visit Paradise Cave, then you might as well tell others that you were never in Phong Nha. It is THE place to go. The 1st kilometer, you can easily explored by yourself, but if you want something adventurous, you can take the 1-day tour of Paradise cave that includes a trek of 7km in total. Physical fitness is required for this tour but don’t worry, it’s not too extreme.

Paradise Cave - Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

Entry Tickets to visit Thien Duong Cave (Paradise Cave):

• Adult: 250,000 VND / person
• Children with the height from 0.9m – 1.3m: 125.000d / person
• Children under 0.9m in the height: Free of Charge

3. Dark Cave (Hang Tối):

If you want to put your body through a slight trial, Dark caves is ideal. In addition to exploring the cave, your activities will include kayaking through the river to get there, having a mud fight in the mud baths inside, swimming in the lake, and zip-lining above the river. The entrance ticket for the Dark Cave including activities is 450.000 VND (including kayaking, zip-lining, equipment, and guide).

Dark Cave - Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

There is another part of the Dark Cave, by the way! But to get there, you have to do a 12km trek/hike through the jungle to the Abandoned Valley at the end of the cave and then swim into the cave from there. It is an amazing and authentic experience. To explore the Abandon valley, and the end of the Dark Cave, you should take a tour with the Jungle Boss company. Tour price is 1.650.000 VND/pax and this includes English speaking guide, porters, transportation, and meals. You will trek through the jungle, up misty mountains, wade up-stream of the river, jump into a freshwater lagoon and swim inside a giant cave. What else do you need?

4. Son Doong Cave (Hang Sơn Đoòng):

Son Doong Cave in Tan Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam is considered the largest natural cave in the world. This cave is located in the Phong Nha-Ke Bang cave complex. Son Doong Cave is part of an underground system connected to more than 150 other caves in Vietnam near the border with Laos.

Son Doong Cave - Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

The New York Times ranked Son Doong cave at the 8th position of 52 places in the list of places not to be missed in 2014.

5. Hang Tien Cave (Hang Tiên):

Hang Tien is the largest dry cave in the Tu Lan cave system, located in Cao Quang commune, Tuyen Hoa district, Quang Binh province. Tien Cave is located about 70km west of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, possessing pristine beauty and a stalactite structure that is likened to a unique terraced field.

Hang Tien has a length of about 3 km and a depth of about 100 m, in summer it is a dry cave. In the rainy season, all the water in the rivers flows to create a large underground river inside the cave.

6. Tu Lan Cave System (Hang Tú Làn):

Tu Lan cave system includes more than 10 caves, some were discovered in 1992, the rest were found recently. If you are a person who has a passion for exploring and loves nature? If you want to set foot in an unspoiled land and try your hand at adventure activities?

So Tu Lan is definitely a destination not to be missed, especially for those who love to explore and adventure. Tu Lan cave complex is one of the famous landscapes in Quang Binh. Try once to come here to admire the majestic natural scenery and experience the new life in the jungle, you will definitely not regret this choice of yours.

7. Tiger Cave System (Hang Hổ Quảng Bình):

The journey to explore the Tiger cave system is a unique and unspoiled journey in Phong Nha - Ke Bang. The system of three caves is located deep in the primeval forest of Phong Nha - Ke Bang. The only way to access these caves is walking along the forest trails.

Very few have the opportunity to explore the Tiger cave system for many reasons because this is a very new discovery journey, requires physical strength and high difficulty, so it is not for those who like lightness and relaxation.

The system discovery journey is a great choice for those who are passionate about conquering challenges to have experiences of a lifetime. In this journey, you will conquer three consecutive caves with a length of nearly 7km including Tiger cave, Over cave with a length of 3.2km and Pygmy cave, the fourth largest cave in the world. Accompanied by countless experiences such as walking in the middle of the green forest, swinging rope in the cave, camping underground

8. Trekking, Kayaking & Camping:

Phong Nha Ke Bang national park is the biggest national park in Vietnam and is always mentioned in the list of the must-see parks in South East Asia. Famous for its tropical forests, underground rivers, ancient limestone karst mountains and a vast network of caves, it is definitely worth your visit.

Trekking in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

There are 2 ways to explore the park: one is by taking a loop around national park by motorbike or your other option is to take a Trekking Tour exploring the jungle. Other Adventure Tours for Trekking & Camping visit at https://adventurejourney.vn/phong-nha-tours.html

9. Phong Nha Nightlife and Activities:

Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park is not a place for nightlife as this is a new destination for international tourists as well as local tourist. The city focus on adventure activities with jungle trakking/hiking, kayaking and cave exploration. There are very few bars / night clubs for night activities here.

If you look for some activities at night time here, we recommend you some backpacker 's bars and pubs with drinking and live DJ music for dancing and entertainmance.

10. Try Unique Duck Massage in Vietnam: "Duck Stop" is located near Phong Nha - Ke Bang cave, Quang Binh province. Currently, this is one of the most popular destinations for foreign tourists.

At Duck Stop Farm, visitors will be able to participate in exciting experiences including duck massage. This is a model devised by 20-year-old Tran Van Quynh.

Adventure Journey Vietnam