Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave tour from Dong Hoi

Two caves, one river, and the stalactites that took millennia to form

A full-day tour from Dong Hoi combines Paradise Cave, Asia's longest dry cave at 31km, and Phong Nha Cave, a river cave with an underground system carved by the Son River. Hotel or station pickup is included. A live English or Vietnamese guide leads both caves, with lunch and water provided. The day runs roughly 10 hours from pickup to return.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Paradise and Phong Nha Caves

• Pick up at Dong Hoi city or Phong Nha
• Travel to Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park
• Ride electric car to Paradise Cave entrance
• Explore 1km of Paradise Cave on wooden floor
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Travel to Phong Nha Cave
• Boat 5km along Son River to Phong Nha Cave
• Explore Phong Nha Cave by boat
• Return by boat to station
• Transfer back to Phong Nha town or Dong Hoi
• Drop off at original starting point or station

The experience

The tour starts with pickup from your Dong Hoi hotel, station or airport between 7:30 and 8:00 am, then heads into Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park. At Paradise Cave, an electric car carries you 2km from the parking area to the cave entrance through jungle where you'll hear animal sounds and pass through different tree species. Inside, you walk about 1km on a wooden floor past stalactites in shapes that resemble glass pillars and other formations the British Caving Research Association discovered in 2005. The cave's naturally primitive features (white crystal formations and dramatic rock shapes) fill the passage without any manufactured lighting or staging.

Lunch comes at a local restaurant serving regional specialties before the second half of the day. At 1:30 pm, you board a boat for a 5km ride along the Son River to Phong Nha Cave, passing villages where you'll see daily life on the water. Children playing, families at the riverfront. Phong Nha itself is a river cave: you travel deeper into the mountain on the water, passing limestone cliffs and the underground river system that carved the passages. The stalactites here, called Fairy and Imperial by locals, took thousands of years to form. The boat returns you to the station by 4:00 pm, then a vehicle transfer takes you back to Dong Hoi city or Phong Nha town by 5:00 pm.

The guide speaks English or Vietnamese throughout. Bottled water and lunch are included. The itinerary is fixed, so both caves fit into a single day without gaps. Insurance is covered as part of the booking.

What’s included

• Hotel or station pickup in Dong Hoi.
• live guide in English or Vietnamese.
• entry to both caves.
• electric car transport to Paradise Cave entrance.
• 5km boat ride along the Son River to Phong Nha Cave.
• lunch at a local restaurant.
• bottled water.
• insurance.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:00

Book up to4h before

AgesAdult (9 to 80 years) · Child (5 to 8 years) · Infant (under 5): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 2 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Phong Nha Cave Day Tours

Is this one for you?The fixed itinerary packs both caves and the river journey into one morning-to-evening day, so you see the longest dry cave in Asia and an underground river system without splitting the experience across two bookings. Not recommended if you have spinal injuries, are pregnant, or have cardiovascular concerns that would make walking or boat travel difficult.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Vietnamese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 8 years); Infant (under 5): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is Paradise Cave like to walk through?

Paradise Cave is Asia's longest dry cave at 31km, though you explore about 1km of it on a wooden floor. An electric car takes you 2km from the parking area to the entrance, so you walk through jungle before entering. Inside, white crystal stalactites resemble glass pillars, and the formations have natural shapes created over thousands of years without any artificial enhancement.

How do you get to Phong Nha Cave?

You travel by boat along the Son River for about 5km to reach Phong Nha Cave. On the water, you'll see the daily life of riverside villages (children playing and families at the waterfront) before arriving at the cave entrance carved by the underground river system.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes hotel or station pickup in Dong Hoi, a live guide in English or Vietnamese, lunch at a local restaurant, bottled water, and insurance. The guide stays with you through both caves and the boat ride.

How long is the full day, and when does it end?

The tour runs approximately 10 hours from pickup to return. Pickup happens between 7:30 and 8:00 am, and you're back at your hotel or starting point by 5:00 to 5:30 pm.

Can I do both caves in one day?

Yes. The fixed schedule fits both Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave into a single day with lunch between them. You visit Paradise Cave in the morning, eat at a local restaurant at noon, then boat to Phong Nha Cave in the afternoon.