Located between Minh Hoa and Bo Trach district of Quang Binh province, Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park (Phong Nha National Park) is about 50km northwest of Dong Hoi city, 100km from Quang Tri province, and 500km to the south of Hanoi, bordering the Hin Namno nature reserve of the Lao People's Democratic Republic. The total area of the national park is 105,154ha, of which the core area accounts for 85,754ha - the remaining buffer zone is 195,400 ha. In particular, the Karst formation of the national park is the oldest in Asia, formed about 400 million years ago - corresponding to the Ancient Age period.
I - How to get there?
1 - From Dong Hoi to Phong Nha National Park
With a distance of 50km, you can choose to travel to the national park by bus or taxi
Source: Internet
By bus number B4
- Route: Quang Phu commune, Dong Hoi city - Phong Nha tourist center, Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district
- Travel time: 45min
- Ticket price: 35,000 VND / person (~ $1.5)
- Frequency: 14-16 trips/day, from 5:30 - 17:30
By taxi
- Cost: 500,000 VND / 4-seater car (~ $20)
- Travel time: 45min
Taxi firms in Dong Hoi
- Taxi Mai Linh - 052 3845 888
- Taxi Dong Hoi - 0523 841 841
- Sun Taxi Quang Binh - 0523 53 53 53
2 - From Hanoi to Phong Nha National Park
There are 3 options to travel from Hanoi to Phong Nha-Ke Bang national park:
Source: Oxalisadventure
By airplane
- Route: Noi Bai international airport (in Hanoi) - Dong Hoi airport (Dong Hoi city, Quang Binh province)
- Flight time: 1.25 hours
- Ticket price: about 600,000 - 1,200,000 VND / way (~ $26 - 52)
- Available airlines companies: Vietnam Airlines; Vietjet Air; Bamboo Airways
After getting off the plane, you can continue to Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park by taxi through a distance of 44.8km.
By train
- Route: Hanoi train station to Dong Hoi train station
- Travel time: 10 hours
- Train ticket price: from 230,000 VND (~ $10).
- Ticket booking at: https://dsvn.vn/#/
From Dong Hoi station, you should get to the national park by taxi
By bus
It takes about 10 -12 hours to travel by bus from Hanoi to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. You can find out more specific information as follows:
Hưng Long bus - 38-seater car
- Frequency: 4 trips / day at 18:30; 19.30; 20:00 and 20:30
- Pick-up point: Office at No.26 Pham Hung Street, My Dinh Ward, Nam Tu Liem District, Hanoi City
- Drop-off point: Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province
- Ticket price: 250,000 VND / way (~ $10.77)
- Contact: 0914 0777 79.
Camel Travel Bus - 41-seater car
- Frequency: 01 trip / day at 19:00
- Pick up point: No.459 Tran Khat Chan street, Thanh Nhan ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi city;
- Drop-off point: Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province
- Ticket price: 250,000 VND / way (~ $10.77)
- Contact: 024 8585 0555
3 - From Ninh Binh to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
There are 2 options for you to choose from: travel by bus or train
Source: Internet
By Queen Cafe bus
- Frequency: 01 trip / day at 20:00
- Travel time: 9 hours
- Pick up point: Queen Restaurant, 27/7 Street, Ninh Binh City
- Drop-off point: Thien Phu Hotel, Ly Thanh Tong Street, Ly Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province
- Ticket price: 250,000 VND / way (~ $10.77)
- Contact: 0858 446 699.
By train
- You can book the ticket at https://dsvn.vn or at the Ninh Binh train station.
- Travel time: 8 hours
- Ticket price: 352,000 - 535,000 VND / person (~ $15.7 - 23).
From Dong Hoi train station, you book a taxi to Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park.
4 - From Da Nang to Phong Nha Ke Bang Vietnam
There are 3 options for you: traveling by bus, train or renting a private car
Hanh Luyen bus
- Frequency: 1 trip/day at 10am
- Travel time: 7 hours
- Pick up point: Nguyen Tat Thanh street, Hai Chau District, Da Nang city
- Drop-off point: Phong Nha town, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province
- Ticket price: 150,000 VND/person (~ $6.46)
- Contact: 0912 173 173
By train
You can book a train from Da Nang station to Dong Hoi station with a travel time of 6,5 hours/ trip, the ticket price is about 163,000 - 342,000 VND (~ $7.02 - 14.74) at https://dsvn.vn. From Dong Hoi station, you can book a taxi to Phong Nha Ke Bang Park.
Renting private car
A rental car with driver from Da Nang to Phong Nha costs about 2,800,000VND/4-seater car/way (~ $120); 3,000,000 VND/7-seater car (~ $129); 4,000,000 VND/16-seater car/way (~ $172). Travel time is about 6 - 7 pm.
Please contact Danang Transfer: No.11, Thanh Luong 24 Street, Cam Le Ward, Da Nang City; Tel: 0853 5555 93 for more details
It can be seen that moving from Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Da Nang to the national park is quite complicated, so you should prioritize booking tours to Phong Nha - Ke Bang to save time and avoid unexpected accidents.
II - Weather in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
Located in the north-central region of Vietnam, the national park is influenced by the typical hot and humid tropical monsoon climate with two seasons including the dry season (April - August) and the rainy season (September - March).
The average annual temperature fluctuates between 23-25°C, the highest temperature recorded is 42.5°C and the lowest is 6°C. The hottest period has an average temperature of 28.3 ± 0.5°C (June - August), the coldest period has an average temperature of 18.3 ± 0.5°C (December - February).
III - Biodiversity
Source: Oxalisadventure
Phong Nha National Park is a wild nature reserve that is less affected by humans. There are a total of 15 habitat types, 10 important vegetation types, and a forest-covered area of 93.57% in which 83.74% are tropical forests. This is also the home to 2,951 plant species (112 species listed in the Vietnam Red Book) and 1,394 species of animals (110 species listed in the Vietnam Red Book).
The ecosystem in Phong Nha Ke Bang Park also has many species of flora and fauna that have not been discovered. Over the last 20 years, 38 new species have been discovered in this national park. Truong Son Rock Rat, for instance, was discovered in 2012 as an animal of the ancient family - considered extinct about 11 million years ago.
Furthermore, there exist many exotic animals due to special living environments. For example, aquatic animals such as shrimp, fish, and scorpions living in Son Doong cave have no eyes due to the lack of light in the cave.
IV - Cultural and historical values in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
Phong Nha cave area in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park has preserved many archaeological relics dating back to about 3,000-12,000 years ago, including ancient characters carved on cliffs, stone statues, and ceramic pieces. Those invaluable relics contain information about the ChamPa culture.
People also discovered graves containing ceramic jars, earrings, ax blades, ... related to Dong Son culture and Sa Huynh culture in Hung Trach commune, Bo Trach district. The Brahmi inscription of South Indian origin, bricks, Buddha statues, pottery fragments,... stone ax relics of the Stone Age were also discovered there.
Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park Vietnam is also home to many different ethnic groups. These ethnic people can live in different localities or together with each other in the same village; creating diversity and interference in culture and language.
The ethnic groups mainly live in the buffer zone of the national park, in the area of 13 communes, including the Chut ethnic group; Bru - Van Kieu ethnic group. There are many unique cultural festivals that attract tourists such as the MaCoong ethnic drumming festival, the new rice festival,... and cultural buildings of local people such as stilt houses, rice huts, warehouses.
V - Things to do in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
1 - Exploring the caves system
Nature has endowed this national park with a system of more than 300 district caves. That is why this place is known as the "Kingdom of the Caves".
In particular, there are 03 large cave systems including:
- Phong Nha cave system with a total length of 45km includes: Dark cave, Cha An cave, Thing cave, En cave, Khe Tien cave, Khe Ry cave, Khe Thi cave, and Phong Nha cave.
- Vom cave system with a total length of about 30km, including Vom cave, Dai Cao cave, Ca cave, Ho cave, Duot cave, Ruc Caroòng cave, etc.
- Ruc Mon cave system has not been explored much, so there are many interesting and unknown things inside the caves. In which, the Ruc Mon cave has a nearly 3km long and 49m deep arch and an underground river as well as many beautiful stalactites & stalagmites.
Source: Internet
The top discovered caves in Vietnam Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
Son Doong Cave
Son Doong cave was first found by Mr. Ho Khanh in 1990, but it was not until 2008 that Howard Limbert first discovered it at a depth of 80m. Son Doong is the largest cave in the world with an area of 38.5 million m2. The highest point in the cave reaches 244m high. Inside the cave is a system of underground rivers and waterfalls; a pit of death with an impressively spectacular stalactite system,...
Phong Nha Cave
To reach the Phong Nha cave entrance, visitors might take a boat on the emerald green Son River. Entering deeper, you have the opportunity to admire the magnificent beauty of "The First-class Cave" with colorful stalagmites & stalactites in many typical shapes and sizes. Phong Nha Cave is one of the most stunning caves in the Phong Nha Ke Bang caves system.
- Ticket price: 150,000 VND / person (~ $6.5)
- Boat rental free: 360,000 VND / boat - maximum 12 guests (~ $15.5)
Toi cave (Dark Cave)
Dark Cave and Chay River are extremely popular among tourists with various exciting activities such as ziplines, mud baths, swimming, kayaking,... The beautiful entrance is surrounded by lots of typical-shaped rocks eroded naturally by the flow of water.
Tour price of Chay river - Dark cave: 450,000 VND / adult (~ $19.4) and 150,000 VND / child (~ $6.5).
En Cave
Source: Oxalisadventure
En Cave is considered to be the 3rd most challenging cave to discover in the national park. The entrance to En cave is a rather unspoiled mountain cliff instead of a clear entrance. Visitors can camp inside the cave, right by a long river, and discover more about the life of the animals in the cave. At the rear door of the cave, you can see lots of tiny & undulating mountains created from falling drops of water.
Tour price of En cave 2 days 1 night tour: 7,500,000 VND / person (~ $323)
Tien Son Cave
Tien Son Cave is a dry cave, located at an altitude of 200m above sea level with a total length of 980m and has a height of 145m. Its entrance is about 1,000m from Phong Nha cave.
Going into this Phong Nha Ke Bang cave, you are amazed by the spectacular limestone, deep abyss and colorful stalactites formed tens of millions of years ago with unique shapes. When the wind blows through the system of rocky mountains, stone pillars create a resonance of unique sounds such as the sound of a flute or drum.
Ticket price: 80,000 VND / adult (~ $3.44) and 40,000 VND / child (~ $1.72)
Thien Duong Cave (Paradise Cave)
Located at an altitude of 360m above sea level, this is the longest dry cave in Southeast Asia. Thien Duong cave has a total length of 31.4km, and an average height of 60m. Inside this Phong Nha Ke Bang cave, the beautiful and spectacular stalactites and stalagmites with unique shapes such as the Lotus Tower, the communal house,... were formed millions of years ago.
Ticket price: 250,000 VND / adult (~ $11) and 125,000 VND / child (~ $5.38)
Tu Lan cave
The cave system is divided into two main parts: dry area and wet area. Inside the cave, there is a waterfall and the stalactites look like stairs. Visitors can experience exciting activities in the cave such as camping, swimming, and walking along the stream, crossing the rocks to reach Kim cave, Secret cave, Ken cave, Mouse cave, and Rao stream,...
Price of 3 days 2 nights cave discovery tour: 7,200,000 VND / person (~ $310)
2 - Rivers system in Phong Nha National Park
In this national park, there are also many rivers flowing through, offering many exotic experiences for visitors:
Chay River
Having a length of only about 10km, however the Chay River contains many beautiful rocky rapids and terrain which is suitable for activities such as zipline, kayaking, rope swing to dark cave,...
Tour price of Chay river - Dark cave: 450,000 VND / adult (~ $19.4) and 150,000 VND / child (~ $6.46).
Son River
Son river is a pristine river, a beautiful landscape bestowed by nature. The poetic river flows meandering along the foot of the Ke Bang limestone mountains and hugging the corn fields and the banana fields next to the peaceful villages in the Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park Vietnam. Peaceful landscapes on both sides of the river make it look like a charming water-ink painting, a pure and beautiful life in the wilderness.
Mooc Stream
Source: Phongnhaexplorer
Mooc Stream is often compared to a jewel hidden inside the mountains with clear blue water and wild beauty. Some interesting activities that you can experience while there are bathing on the stream, kayaking, watching the flooded white butterflies, taking a suspension bridge over the stream,...
Ticket price: 110,000 VND / adult (~ $4.74) and 70,000 VND / child (~ $3.01)
3 - Mountain system
More than 80% of the total area of this national park are limestone mountains with lots of mountains and peaks covered by the lush primary forest, suitable for Phong Nha Ke Bang trekking tours. U Bo Mountain - the highest mountain here with the height of 1,009m above sea level is the most attractive peak. The way to get to the peak is quite dangerous with many high slopes but it is really a worthwhile experience since from the top of the mountain, you can admire the whole view of the national park.
4 - Other famous attractions in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
Botanical Gardens Phong Nha
The 40ha nature reserve still retains the wild and majestic beauty of mountains, forests and a rare fauna and flora ecosystem. The botanical garden includes 9 attractions which are Gio Waterfall, Tien Waterfall, Vang Anh Lake, Specimen Gallery, Indigenous Seedling Nursery, 100-year-old Sao tree, ancient Gua tree, Landscape hill and Bull cave.
- Location: Km9, Road 20 Quyet Thang, Tan Trach Commune, Bo Trach District, Quang Binh Province - about 12km from Phong Nha - Ke Bang Tourism Center.
- Ticket price: 40,000 VND / adult (~ $1.72) and 20,000 VND / child (~ $0.86)
Bong Lai Valley
Source: Phongnhaexplorer
Bong Lai Valley in Phong Nha National Park Vietnam is an ideal point of interest near Phong Nha Ke Bang where you can see many farms and local houses of a typical Vietnamese village. There are some attractions here that you should not miss such as Bamboo village, The duck stop, Oh Oh Lake Silence, Dong Soi farm, Love valley, The Pub with cold beer, Bong Lai swing nature farm,...
To explore the entire valley, you should have a bicycle tour, follow the trails, visit the local villages and enjoy the dishes made from home-grown ingredients.
- Location: Hung Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province
- Tour operator - Go Di Thoi:
+ Address: Chay village, Phuc Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh
+ Phone number: 091 99 00 423
+ Tour price: 1,000,000 VND / person / 8 hours (~ $43.1)
The Duck Stop Phong Nha
Located in Bong Lai valley, the Duck Stop is a nice place to experience local cuisine and explore the lives of the locals. The finest fresh dish’s ingredients are mainly planted and raised in the local farm. Enjoying grilled chicken with a jar of cold beer or local wine is the best way to appreciate life. Other interesting things to do here to enhance your trip experience are duck catching, duck feeding, duck herding, buffalo riding, canoeing, river bathing, ...
- Location: Hung Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh
- Opening hours: 8:00 - 18:30
- Phone number: 0382 906 262.
VI - Other information
1 - Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park accommodation
Some places to stay:
Ho Khanh Homestay
Ho Khanh Homestay has a simple design but full of amenities with an air-open space. Staying here, you are offered a free delicious breakfast in a local & unique style.
- Location: Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province
- Room rate: 300,000 - 350,000 VND / room / night (~ $13 - 15)
- Phone number: 091 679 45 06
Phong Nha Lake House Resort - 3*
The resort rooms have an elegant design with red-white or black-white tones offering guests an amazing river view.
- Location: Khuong Ha hamlet, Hung Trach village, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh
- Room rate: 670,000 - 1,100,000 VND / room / night (~ $29 - 47)
- Phone number: 02323 675 999
Farmstay - Chay Lap Resort - 3*
Where to stay in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park - Source: Chaylapfarmstay
The rooms are simply designed like a local house with red tiles and white-painted walls. This 3-star standard resort provides full amenities and services making your stay as comfortable as possible. An outdoor swimming pool, sauna, restaurant, camping area, kayaking area, gardening area, water sports area are available here.
- Location: Phuc Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province
- Room rate: from 1,600,000 VND / room / night (~ $69)
- Phone number: 0911 030 057
Phong Nha Farmstay
The harmony of modern equipment and traditional architecture at this Phong Nha accommodation creates an impressive resting space. This property has an outdoor swimming pool, outdoor bathroom and many other additional services including airport shuttle, jeep rental,...
- Location: Khuong Son area, Cu Nam village, Bo Trach district
- Room rate: 990,000 - 1,250,000 VND / room / night (~ $43 - 54)
- Phone number: 094 475 98 64
Jungle Boss Homestay
The surroundings of the homestay are fully covered with many green trees and beautiful orchid baskets. The homestay has an outdoor swimming pool, a yoga room, a restaurant, and a spacious outdoor play area. Additional services are bicycle rental, airport shuttle, car rental.
- Location: DT20 Phong Nha village, Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district
- Room rate: 600,000 VND / room / night (~ $26)
- Phone number: 091 780 08 05
2 - What to eat in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
The best delicious local dishes with unique flavors and rich nutrients:
Quang Binh soup
With the main ingredients of chewy noodles, fresh fatty fish, and nutritious broth combined with scallions, chili, pepper, cilantro, lettuce,… is the best appetizer.
Price: 20,000 - 30,000 VND / dish (~ $0.86 - 1.3)
Khoai fish hot pot
Khoai fish is a typical fish of Quang Binh land. It has firm meat, less little bones and is rich in nutrients. A flavor fish hot pot is a perfect combination of vegetables, pork bones and fresh Khoai fish.
Price: 250,000 - 300,000 VND / pot (~ $11 - 13)
Son river fish
The fish can be cooked into many dishes such as steamed fish, fish stock, grilled fish.
Price: 100,000 - 250,000 VND / dish (~ $4.3 - 11)
Snakehead fish porridge
You should try snakehead fish porridge when visiting the Phong Nha National Park Vietnam - Source: Intenret
Instead of using rice stew for many hours to create porridge, the chefs use rice flour to make sticky noodles. The fish meat is simply boiled and put in a bowl of broth along with rice noodles. This dish has a cool, fragrant flavor with a little bit of onion and chili used to create color and smell.
Price 20,000 - 25,000 VND / bowl (~ $0.86 - 1.07)
Foodie can enjoy these delicious dishes at the homestay or at some following restaurants:
Nguyen Shack Art Café & Restaurant
- Address: Phong Nha, Son Tien village, Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district
- Opening hours: 6:00 - 22:00
- Prices: 50,000 - 120,000 VND / dish (~ $2.15 - 5.17)
- Phone number: 0966 55 00 42.
Phong Nha Veggie Box
- Address: Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district
- Opening hours: 7:30 - 22:00
- Prices: 40,000 - 100,000 VND / dish (~ $1.72 - 4.3)
- Phone number: 096 989 85 89.
Lantern restaurant in Phong Nha National Park
- Address:Xuan Tien village, Son Trach commune, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh;
- Opening hours: 7:00 - 22:30 daily
- Prices: 50,000 - 200,000 VND / dish (~ $2.15 - 8.62)
- Phone number: 088 837 84 56.
Welcome to Vietnam
- Address: Phong Nha town, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh province
- Opening hours: 11:00 - 23:00 daily
- Tour price: 50,000 - 120,000 VND / dish (~ $2.15 - 5.17)
- Phone number: 091 685 00 55.
3 - Phong Nha National Park tour agencies
In general, cave exploration tours in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park are relatively challenging, requiring visitors to be in good health and fully equipped. Therefore, instead of self-organizing, you can contact a number of professional tour agencies to ensure your safety as well as have the most suitable schedule and best experiences.
Phong Nha Explorer - Phong Nha Expedition Travel Company Limited
- Address: No.41 Hai Ba Trung Street, Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh Province
- Phone number: 0232 652 88 68.
- Tour price: 2,100,000 - 4,200,000 VND / person (~ $90.5 - 18)
Source: Oxalisadventure
Oxalis Adventure
This is an international organization specializing in organizing professional tours to discover Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. Currently, Oxalis is the only company licensed for the Son Doong cave discovery tour.
- Address: Phong Nha village, Phong Nha town, Bo Trach district, Quang Binh
- Phone number: 0232 3677 678
- Tour price: 1,500,000 - 58,200,000 VND / person (~ $65 - 2509)
It is obvious that Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park Vietnam has many interesting things to see. Hopefully, with that mentioned information, you can have the best trip to explore Vietnam cave paradise.
