Best Way to visit Phong Nha Caves

Phong Nha Ke Bang national park in Quang Binh Province - Vietnam, the absolutely stunning place where the largest cave in the world, Son Doong, is located, is one of those must visit places with Top World Amazing Cave System: Phong Nha Cave, Paradise Cave, Dark Cave, Tu Lan Cave, Hang En Cave, Tiger Cave,… and especially the World 's Biggest Son Dong Cave.

How Many Days Should You Spend In Phong Nha National Park?

One day is never enough in Phong Nha. Phong Nha is so beautiful and there is so much to see that you need couple of days to explore. You can Day Trip Tours from Hue or Dong Hoi to Phong Nha.

With two days, you can see some things and it is worth it for sure if you have a time restriction. However, everything will be rushed and you will miss out on some peace and quiet to yourself where you can explore the beauty of nature here.

Three days and up is ideal for your exploration, you can spread your activities into two days and relax on the third day. But we recommend four, five or even six days if you really want some Adventure Activities. Make sure you book your accommodation in advance as rooms can run out during high season.

How To Get There: Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park

Being a new tourist destination in Vietnam, getting to Phong Nha National Park will require a little more planning than usual and flexibility on your part. There are planes, trains and some buses that will drop you off in Dong Hoi – the nearest urban area, or right in Phong Nha Village. Good news for those traveling from Chiang Mai – Thailand; Jetstar Pacific starts Chiang Mai – Dong Hoi flights twice weekly service as of this August. 1 hour and 40 mins and you will be in Dong Hoi city. Below is the information you need about getting to Dong Hoi and then to Phong Nha within Vietnam.

By Open Bus:

Taking the bus is obviously your cheapest option but be prepared to allocate a lot of your time if you’re taking this option. There are buses running the North to South route that you can book from any major urban area in the North. You can get buses from major cities of Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An among others. Depending on your location and the company you choose, the price will change, however, the general amount is around 250.000VND. You can book your ticket from one of these trustworthy bus lines:

- Camel travel – http://www.hungthanhtravel.vn
- Hung Long travel – http://www.hunglongtravel.com.vn
- Sinh café – http://www.thesinhtourist.vn
- Hoang Long – http://www.hoanglongasia.com

Please make sure you book your bus through a trustworthy and well-known name as these companies are the ones that care about your safety.

From the South (Hoi Chi Minh), it’s obviously a long route – over 30 hours, and you will make multiple stops along the way in major cities. We don’t recommend you do this journey by bus or train unless you plan to stay over in other cities on the way such as Nha Trang, Da Lat, Hoi An, etc.

By Railway Train:

It is not a bad idea to get a Vietnamese Train to Dong Hoi from Saigon, Nha Trang, Danang, Hue northward or from Hanoi, Ninh Binh southward. The soft sleeper bed is comfortable and the timing is acceptable (from Hanoi, of course!). From Saigon, it’s another story. Go to this site to check the availability of seats and bookings to Dong Hoi city: vetau.com.vn.

Payment can only be made using Vietnamese credit cards. Hopefully, it will change soon. It is also important to note that prices vary depending on the type of seat and time of year, but most of the time it is more expensive than buses.

By Air Plane:

It’ll be cheaper and more convenient for you if you are booking your flight from Ho Chi Minh because from Hanoi, Vietnam Airlines is the only airline that offers flights to Dong Hoi. The timing is therefore not that flexible as well since you won’t have many options within a day. Generally, prices change depending on airline, and time of year, and it is more expensive than taking the bus or the train. Your options for airlines include:

- Vietnam Airlines – https://www.vietnamairlines.com/
- VietjetAir – http://www.vietjetair.com/Sites/Web/en-US/Home
- Jetstar – http://www.jetstar.com/vn/en/home

Once you reach Dong Hoi, you will have to carry on to Phong Nha by private car or grab taxi. It takes you 90 mins to get to Phong Nha from Dong Hoi city by bus. You can get the bus from the Nam Ly bus station (Ben Xe Nam Ly) or at any bus stop on Tran Hung Dao street. The bus number you should keep an eye out for is B4 with a sign that says Dong Hoi – Hoan Lao – Phong Nha wrote across the windscreen.

Returning buses depart from Dong Hoi at these times: 05h30, 05h45, 07h10, 08h00, 09h00, 10h00, 11h00, 13h00, 14h00, 15h00, 16h00, and 17h00, so make sure to plan ahead if you don’t want to be stranded.

Private Transportation:

You can ask your hotel or hostel to arrange for you a private car. To do this, you should ask them in advance, and give them the details of your arrival time to Dong Hoi Airport. It can cost you around 500.000 VND for a car which is approximately 25USD. If you travel in a group, I’ll be cheaper when you share.

If you travel to Phong Nha National Park from Hoi An, Da Nang and Hue City. The best comfortable way is to hire private car with experienced driver Hue to Phong Nha or Hoi An to Phong Nha vs Danang to Phong Nha with Sightseeing Stops along the way to visit Vietnam DMZ with Hien Luong Bridge, Ben Hai River and Vinh Moc Tunnels.

Motorbike Taxi:

Motorbike taxis are also available for this journey and it will cost around 200.000 VND to 250.000 VND. This option is a good one during the day, but at night, we wouldn’t recommend that you opt for it.

Now that you know how to get there, here are our recommendations of where to stay, what to do for low and mid-range budgets, and Best Day Trips and Adventure Tours in Phong Nha.

Adventure Journey

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