Why visit Phong Nha
Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park protects a huge limestone karst landscape full of rivers, rainforest and caves. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2003 and extended the listing in 2015. The park lies in Quang Tri province (formerly Quang Binh), about 4 hours north of Hue.
Travellers stay in Phong Nha town, a small riverside town at the edge of the park with guesthouses, hostels, cafés and tour offices along its main street.
The caves
Phong Nha Cave
The cave that gave the area its name. You reach it by boat along the Son River from Phong Nha town, then glide inside past rock formations.
Paradise Cave
A vast dry cave explored on a long wooden boardwalk, lit to show its enormous stalactites and stalagmites. It is one of the most impressive caves you can visit without special gear.
Dark Cave
An adventure stop: travellers usually zipline, swim or kayak, and wade through a natural mud bath inside the cave. Bring clothes you do not mind getting muddy.
Son Doong
The largest known cave passage in the world. It can only be visited on multi-day expeditions with a licensed operator, with a limited number of places each year that are usually booked far in advance.
Beyond the caves
Cycling through the rice fields and villages around Phong Nha town, kayaking on the river and jungle treks are all popular ways to spend a free day.
How long to stay and when to go
Plan two or three nights: one day for Phong Nha Cave and Paradise Cave, another for Dark Cave or a trek. The drier months, roughly from spring to late summer, are the easiest time to visit. From around September to December central Vietnam has its rainy season, and some caves and river trips can close when water levels are high, so check before you go.
Getting between Phong Nha and Hue
HK Buslines runs sleeper buses between Phong Nha and Hue, about 4 hours each way. In Phong Nha the bus picks up and drops off in the town centre, on the main traveller street. In Hue it drops you at your hotel, and picks you up from your hotel when you head north, at no extra cost. Every cabin is private, and there is a toilet on board.
Coming from Hue? Read our Hue guide.