Phong Nha Tours

Why visit Phong Nha

Phong Nha is a small, green town on the Son River, surrounded by rice fields and karst hills. The national park around it holds hundreds of caves, many of them surveyed only in the last few decades, including Son Doong, the largest known cave passage on earth, which is visited only on specialist expeditions. Above ground there are jungle trails, swimming spots and farming villages that are easy to explore by bicycle.

Top things to do in Phong Nha

• Phong Nha Cave: a boat ride up the Son River takes you inside the mountain, through a river cave with lit chambers of stalactites.
• Paradise Cave: a long wooden boardwalk leads into a dry cave full of huge stalagmites and flowstone, and you can walk it at your own pace.
• Dark Cave: zip-line across the river, swim into the cave, wallow in a natural mud pool and kayak back in the sunshine.
• Countryside cycling: ride flat lanes through the Bong Lai valley, stopping at family farms and small local cafes along the way.
• Jungle walks: short trails inside the park, such as the paths and waterfall in the Phong Nha Botanic Garden, show the forest above the caves.

Best time to visit

The best months are roughly February to August, when the weather is dry and the rivers are calm enough for boat and kayak trips. June to August is hot, which makes swimming in caves and rivers especially welcome. From September to December heavy rain can bring flooding, and some caves and adventure activities close when water levels rise.

Getting there

Dong Hoi airport has direct flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and Phong Nha is about 45 minutes away by road. The north-south railway and overnight buses also stop in Dong Hoi. From Hue the drive takes around four hours, so many travellers visit Phong Nha on the way between Hanoi and Hue or Hoi An.