By rail
Dong Hoi station, on the Hanoi–Saigon line
Southeast Asia · Vietnam
Phong Nha, Vietnam
The world's greatest caves in a jungle park
Getting there
By air
Dong Hoi (VDH), ~45 km
Best time to visit
February to August — dry season (the caves close in the autumn floods)
Don't miss
Paradise Cave
Phong Nha Cave
Dark Cave
The Son River
Things to do
Paradise Cave
Kayaking into Dark Cave
A boat into Phong Nha Cave
Expeditions to Hang En
Where to eat
What to pack
Quick-dry clothes, water shoes, a headlamp
A quieter corner
The Botanic Garden's waterfall trail inside the park
Questions travellers ask
Can I visit Phong Nha's caves all year?
Not quite: the caves close in the autumn floods. February to August, the dry season, is the time to go.
How do I get to Phong Nha?
Fly into Dong Hoi (VDH), about 45 km away, or take the train to Dong Hoi station on the Hanoi–Saigon line.
Which caves can I visit at Phong Nha?
Paradise Cave, Dark Cave by kayak and Phong Nha Cave by boat, with expeditions to Hang En too. Bring quick-dry clothes, water shoes and a headlamp.
Where should I eat around Phong Nha?
Try the local chicken and roast pork at family restaurants in Son Trach.
About Phong Nha
- Forest
- Riverside
Where it is
Phong Nha is a village on the Son River in north-central Vietnam, the gateway to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, a vast area of forested limestone mountains running to the border with Laos.
History
Cham inscriptions found in Phong Nha Cave show it has been known for many centuries, and during the Vietnam War the Ho Chi Minh Trail ran through these forests. Since the 1990s British and Vietnamese cavers have explored and mapped many of its caves, and the area became a national park in 2001 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.
People
Villages around Phong Nha are home to Kinh Vietnamese farming and fishing families, and the park's upland forests to small communities of minority peoples such as the Bru-Van Kieu and Chut. Many local families now run homestays, boats and caving tours.
Known for
- Paradise Cave's vast chambers
- Boat trips into Phong Nha Cave
- Kayaking and zip-lining at Dark Cave
- Expeditions to Hang En and Son Doong
- Karst forests and clear rivers
Did you know?
Son Doong, surveyed by cavers in 2009, is the largest known cave passage in the world, so vast that patches of jungle grow inside it where the roof has collapsed.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.