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Phong Nha: top things to do, hidden gems and key tips

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A wooden boat entering Phong Nha Cave on the Son River

Give Phong Nha two days and go between January and September. Fly or take the train to Dong Hoi, then the local bus to Phong Nha. Many caves close in the October to December rainy season,Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel so check before you book.

How long have you got?

  • One day: Phong Nha Cave by boat in the morning, Paradise Cave in the afternoon.
  • Two days: add the Dark Cave and the Chay River package, or the Botanic Garden.
  • Four days or more: Hang En (2 days, 1 night) or the Son Doong expedition (6 days, 5 nights), both only with Oxalis.

When are you going?

Top things to do

  • Phong Nha Cave by boat: a 30-minute boat ride down the Son River, then 1,200 m of underground river rowed by hand. Entry 150,000 VND, plus 700,000 VND per boat for up to 12 people, round trip. Open 07:15 to 16:30 in summer and 07:30 to 15:45 in winter.Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (opens in a new tab)phongnhakebang.vnTip Allow 2.5 hours. Children under 1.3 m enter free.
  • Paradise Cave: a 1 km wooden walkway, 270,000 VND including an electric buggy. Children 1.1 to 1.3 m pay 145,000 VND; under 1.1 m is free.Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (opens in a new tab)phongnhakebang.vnTip Call the sales line, (0232) 3 818181, to confirm it is open, as the site lists no opening hours.
  • Dark Cave and Chay River: the Exploration Package is 450,000 VND (zipline, cave, mud bath, kayaking). The Standard Package is 220,000 VND and skips the cave and mud bath. Open 07:45 to 16:30 in summer and 08:00 to 15:30 in winter.Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (opens in a new tab)phongnhakebang.vnTip The mud bath needs a height of 1.1 m, and the 400 m zipline needs 40 kg.
  • Botanic Garden: about 10 km from the tourism centre. The standard routes cost 80,000 VND and take 30 minutes to 3 hours.Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park (opens in a new tab)phongnhakebang.vnTip The 120,000 VND route is guided only, limited to 20 people a tour and five tours a day.
  • Hang En with Oxalis: a 2-day, 1-night cave camp for 9,500,000 VND per person.Oxalis (opens in a new tab)oxalisadventure.comTip Check dates on Oxalis’s availability page first, and book direct.Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
  • Son Doong with Oxalis: 6 days, 5 nights for 80,000,000 VND per person.Oxalis (opens in a new tab)oxalisadventure.com Tours are fully booked through 2028; Oxalis called its wait-list long. Groups are capped at 10, ages 18 to 70.Vietnam News (opens in a new tab)vietnamnews.vnVOV (opens in a new tab)vovworld.vnTip Applicants must pass fitness tests, and Oxalis takes payment only after clearing you.Dan Tri (opens in a new tab)dtinews.dantri.com.vnVietnam News (opens in a new tab)vietnamnews.vn

Hidden gems

Getting there and around

  • By plane: Dong Hoi airport has daily flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel Vietnam Airlines fares from Hanoi were from 869,181 VND on sampled dates in late November 2026.Vietnam Airlines (opens in a new tab)vietnamairlines.com
  • By train: Dong Hoi is on the Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City line. Check the timetable on the Vietnam Railways site.Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
  • Dong Hoi to Phong Nha: the local bus costs about 35,000 VND and takes 45 to 90 minutes. It runs hourly, except at noon, from 05:00 to 17:00. A taxi is about 400,000 VND.Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travelTip The bus terminals are a few kilometres from the station and airport, so allow for a taxi.

If it doesn’t go to plan