Caves are perhaps the most magnificent and mysterious masterpieces of creation. Adventures to discover the secrets inside caves always make people more surprised and impressed by the power of creation.
Vietnam is not only a country with a unique culture and heroic history but also a country blessed by nature with magnificent wonders, which are also huge and beautiful caves. Below are the top 5 caves in Vietnam that Lux Travel DMC has handpicked for adventurers:
Table of Contents
1. Son Doong Cave – The largest natural cave
Located in the Phong Nha – Ke Bang cave complex, Son Doong is the largest natural cave on the planet and also the most majestic cave in Vietnam. Discovered and explored in 2009-2010, the Son Doong cave exploration program has been put into operation as adventure tourism since 2013.
Son Doong is in the top 10 most amazing caves in the world (Photo: Oxalis Adventure)
What makes Son Doong Cave the most majestic cave in Vietnam is its incredible size. Son Doong Cave has a length of up to 5km, and the largest chambers of the cave are up to 200m high and 150m wide, Son Doong Cave is so large that it can accommodate a 40-story skyscraper in New York City. With an estimated capacity of 36.8 million cubic meters, Son Doong Cave is the largest natural cave in the world. Because of its huge area, Son Doong Cave also has its own weather system with a relatively stable temperature, maintaining about 22-25ºC in summer and 17-22ºC in winter.
Tourists take a boat across a river inside Son Doong Cave (Photo: Trần Tuấn Việt)
The Son Doong Cave exploration program is always on the list of must-visit adventure destinations for adventure enthusiasts around the world. However, to ensure sustainable tourism and preserve the cave’s ecological system, the Quang Binh provincial government only allows the organization to host a maximum of 1,000 tourists each year, the itinerary includes 4 days and 3 nights camping inside Hang En and Hang Son Doong plus 2 nights at the hotel before and after the journey. The exploitation period is from January to the end of August every year. Currently, the tour is fully booked until January 2025.
2. Phong Nha Cave – One of the largest and most beautiful caves in Vietnam
Phong Nha Cave is the first cave found and is also where the name Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park originates. Not only is it one of the largest and most beautiful caves in Vietnam, Phong Nha Cave is also an iconic cave with many historical values.
The cave is 7,729 m long, with a total of 14 caves and a 13,969 m long underground river. Therefore, Phong Nha Cave is recognized as the cave with the longest underground river in the world. The cave entrance is about 10 m high and 25 m wide. The stalactites in the cave have been created over millions of years from karst limestone and have many extremely strange shapes such as lion shapes, throne shapes, and Buddha shapes…
Phong Nha Cave is recognized as the cave with the highest and widest cave entrance today with a width of up to 20-25m and a height of 10m
Currently, to enter the cave, visitors must take a boat from Phong Nha Tourism Center along the Son River. When coming here, besides admiring the unique limestone formations, visitors can also explore the unique ecosystem here. Phong Nha Cave is divided into three parts and has large differences in temperature including the entrance area, intermediate area, and dark area. Therefore, each area is inhabited by a group of organisms with unique adaptive characteristics. The very large cave entrance area is home to species that live outside the light such as fish, insects, etc. The area in the middle of the cave is equipped with an artificial lighting system to serve visitors, and there are species such as shrimp, eels, etc. Finally, there is the dark cave area, where there is only darkness all year round and there appear creatures that are only suitable for living in the dark such as blind fish, blind spiders, bats, etc.
Boats drift through Phong Nha Cave (Photo: Vietnam Tourism)
Highly recommend: Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park 2 Days
3. Trang An Cave Complex – Top 5 must-visit caves
The cave complex in Trang An is truly the most perfect masterpiece that nature bestows on the S-shaped strip of land. Located in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Trang An Scenic Landscape Complex in Ninh Binh, the scenery here is likened to a natural geographical museum with a series of caves, mountains, forests, rivers, and historical relics. Trang An cave ecosystem possesses majestic natural landscapes and the most unique caves in Vietnam.
Trang An cave ecosystem possesses majestic natural landscapes and the most unique caves in Vietnam
Trang An cave complex is famous for 48 large and small caves, of which the water caves have a length of 200m – 350m, including Dark Cave, Bright Cave, Ba Giot Cave, Tran Cave, Nau Ruou Cave, Son Duong Cave, Quy Hau Cave and Seo Cave. All of these caves can be visited by eco-friendly boats. However, if you are someone who likes adventure and experience, you can choose to kayak on the crystal-clear water of Trang An. Additionally, hiking opportunities are available around the complex, offering panoramic views of picturesque karst formations and riverside landscapes.
Nau Ruou Cave (The liquor making cave) is 250m long, with thousands of liquor jars spread throughout the cave. Legend has it that in the past, this was a cave used to make liquor for the King, so in the cave there were many liquor vases and jars (Photo: Trung Nguyễn Hữu)
If you want to further immerse yourself in the wonderful ecosystem in Trang An, you cannot miss bird-watching activities in Thung Nham. Thung Nham is located in the core area of Trang An Landscapes complex, about 5km to the south of Tam Coc Bich Dong tourist area and 12km to the west of Ninh Binh City. This is a rare nature reserve that still largely retains its wild beauty with vast forests and rivers, and is also home to dozens of rare bird species. Thung Nham is known as the largest natural bird garden in Northern Vietnam
This is a rare nature reserve that still largely retains its wild beauty with vast forests and rivers, and is also home to dozens of rare bird species
Highly recommend: Red River Memmories 10 days
4. Thien Duong Cave (Paradise Cave) – Underground Royal Palace
As a cave in Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park, Thien Duong Cave is located in the ecological restoration forest area, in the core limestone area. Dubbed the “Underground Royal Palace” and ranked among the most magnificent caves in Vietnam, Thien Duong Cave has been a famous tourist destination in Phong Nha in recent years thanks to its huge size and countless magnificent and rare stalactites.
Thien Duong Cave has been a famous tourist destination in Phong Nha in recent years thanks to its huge size and countless magnificent and rare stalactites
Coming to Thien Duong Cave, you will be overwhelmed by the majestic beauty of the cave. Before Thien Duong Cave was discovered, Phong Nha Cave was considered the longest cave in the area. However, when discovered, Thien Duong Cave surpassed Phong Nha Cave to become the longest cave with a length of up to 15km.
Visitors can explore Thien Duong cave quite easily because there is a wooden walkway along the cave
Visitors can explore Thien Duong cave quite easily because there is a wooden walkway along the cave. However, those looking for adventure can further explore the vast cave system with guided caving tours. These excursions involve some climbing and crawling, providing an adrenaline rush and the chance to see more remote chambers and unique formations.
5. Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave) – Top 5 must-visit Caves
Sung Sot Cave is a karst cave in the limestone massif of Bo Hon Island, the central area of the World Heritage Site of Ha Long Bay. The reason for its name is because of the incredible and magical beauty of the cave with an area of up to 10,000m2, 30m high, and 500m long.
The reason for its name is because of the incredible and magical beauty of the cave
The road to Sung Sot cave is steep stone steps, visitors will enjoy the fun of mountain climbing. Going deep inside, visitors will admire the images associated with the famous Thanh Giong legend in Vietnamese culture. Next to the entrance is a stone block shaped like a horse and the long sword of Thanh Giong. Inside the cave, there are small ponds like the footprints of Giong’s horse.
The road to the cave is steep stone steps (Photo: Collected)
Besides, adventurous tourists can choose kayak excursions around the island, to have the opportunity to admire the towering limestone mountains and special features of the cave from a different perspective.
Highly recommend: Halong Tour By Seaplane – 02 Days 01 Night – Paradise Luxury Cruise
6. Travel tips for exploring caves
- Local Guides: It’s highly recommended to hire a local guide when exploring the caves, especially caves that are off the beaten path and difficult to conquer. They can provide useful information about the history, geology, and local stories associated with the caves, helping you understand the place you visit better.
- Proper Footwear: Wear comfortable, sturdy shoes with good grip, as the terrain inside the caves can be uneven and slippery.
- Stay Hydrated: You should carry a reusable water bottle to stay hydrated.
- Bring medicine: When participating in cave exploration, you should bring a small medical kit with necessary things such as pain relievers, band-aids, antiseptic wipes, and personal medicine. You can also bring allergy medicine in case of weather allergies, cold medicine, etc.
- Responsible Travel: Please don’t touch or vandalize the cave formations. Many are delicate and can be harmed by oils from your skin. Follow the principles of sustainable and responsible tourism and do not litter. Respect local communities and wildlife in and around the caves.
- Weather Considerations: Please pay attention to weather conditions, as some caves can flood during heavy rains, making it difficult to explore
- Safety First: Follow safety instructions from your tour guide or area ranger. The cave has difficult terrain and low ceilings, so use caution when moving around.
- Emergency Contacts: Save local emergency numbers to avoid bad situations or unexpected accidents.
Above are 5 hands-picked caves by Lux Travel DMC for you and some useful tips for your future adventure. Hope you will have safe, enjoyable, and respectful experiences when exploring the magnificent caves in Vietnam.
About Lux Travel DMC
Founded in 2005, Lux Travel DMC is the leading Luxury Tour Operator in Asia. We provide 100% tailor-made private tours in Southeast Asia. We are deeply committed to sustainable tourism, recognizing our responsibility to preserve the environment, protect cultural heritage, support local communities, and ensure that future generations can continue to enjoy the beauty and richness of our destinations.
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