Does Vietnam only have stretching rice fields, stunning mountains, beautiful beaches, and majestic rivers and waterfalls? Definitely not. Vietnam is also home to incredible caves that attract both domestic and international tourists. Let’s see the top 07 best caves in Vietnam with Handspan Travel Indochina!

Through this blog post, you will find detailed information about these caves below. 

Sung Sot Cave (Surprise Cave)

• Sightseeing fee: VND 290,000

Sung Sot Cave, located on Bo Hon Range Island belonging to Halong Bay, is one of the most amazing caves in Vietnam that you may not want to miss. Visiting the cave, besides admiring the stunning stalagmites, you will also have a chance to learn about the legend of Saint Giong (Thanh Giong) in Vietnam. Climbing 50 steep stone steps and going down ten steps, you will reach the cave’s door, which is 25 meters high. Passing through a narrow rock crevice and an 800-meter stone road, you will be amazed by the mysterious and charming beauty of Sung Sot Cave.

Sung Sot Cave

The cave has two main compartments. The second compartment is larger, with a spacious capacity of up to 1000 people. The deeper you go inside the cave, the more stunning the scenery is. You will see a glistening lighting system illuminating the stalactites and the stone statues in different shapes. There are small ponds, stone artifacts in the shape of a horse, and a long sword related to the story of Saint Giong defeating the An enemy and chasing demons.

Sung Sot Cave

Sung Sot Cave's sword-shaped stone

Continue walking, you will reach a garden in the highest place of the cave. Here you can find a charming landscape with a small lake, various kinds of trees, flowers, and birds. 

Sung Sot Cave's second compartment

Let's refer here for more detailed information: Exploring Sung Sot Cave, a unique masterpiece in Halong Bay you should not miss. 

Dau Go Cave

• Sightseeing fee: VND 290,000

Dau Go Cave is also among the wonderful caves in Vietnam you should visit during your trip. This is an outstanding cave in Halong Bay with a majestic landscape. The cave is 27 meters above sea level and has a total area of 5000-meter squares, with a 17-meter-wide and 12-meter-high door. Thanks to the wide and high cave door, natural light can enter the cave. This creates conditions for ferns, woody plants, and mosses to develop. Therefore, besides stalagmites and stalactites, you can also see a diverse flora system inside the cave. 

Dau Go Cave

There are three main compartments inside the cave. Let's explore the charm of each compartment with us!

First compartment

Stepping foot on the first compartment, you will see many stalactites in different shapes like lion, turtle, hen, etc., depending on your imagination. This area is closest to the cave’s door;  therefore, it is full of natural light. 

Dau Go Cave's first compartment

Second compartment

Going deeper, you will reach the second compartment. This compartment resembles a mini photo of Ha Long Bay with many large rocks protruding above the waves created by nature. Although the amount of natural light inside this area is not much, there are glistening lighting systems instead, which help you easily move and observe the scenery. 

Dau Go Cave's second compartment

Third compartment

This compartment amazes tourists by the spacious area having a well with clear fresh water in all seasons and natural stalagmites in strange shapes and size. The deeper you go inside the cave, the weaker the natural light is, making everything become fancier. 

Don’t hesitate and visit Dau Go Cave, one of the most pristine caves in Vietnam!

Luon Cave

• Sightseeing: VND 290,000

Among the caves in Vietnam, Luon Cave, which belongs to Halong Bay, is a cave with unique characteristics. To explore the cave, you will have to stay on a boat because this cave has a flooded floor and opens to the sea. The cave combines natural characteristics, including cliffs, mountains, sea, and high biodiversity. Especially you can find white monkeys on the cliffs around the cave. 

Luon Cave

Getting through the impressive archway, you will admire stunning stalagmites, fossil snail shells, ferns, and orchids dropping from the cliffs. Also, there is a calm and blue lake in the middle of the cave, connected to the sea by a tunnel. 

During your journey to explore Luon Cave, you may want to experience these amazing activities below.

Kayaking

The best way to explore the Luon Cave is by kayaking. Let's rent a kayak for VND 50,000 for two people and wriggle through the cave together. You will have a chance to immerse yourself in the majestic scenery and the sound of nature.

Kayaking inside the Luon Cave

Boating

Besides kayaking, you can also stay on a bamboo boat if you are in a group of 5 to 6 people, at VND 30,000 per person. Staying on the boat, you will have an opportunity to appreciate the landscape while listening to the locals telling exciting stories here.

Boating in the Luon Cave

Watching yellow monkeys

Luon Cave is one of the places where the yellow monkeys live. You can boat to the foot of the mountain and watch the monkeys climbing up the cliffs around the cave. Don’t miss the opportunity to see these naughty monkeys!

Phong Nha Cave

With impressive scenery, Phong Nha Cave is undoubtedly one of the most wonderful caves in Vietnam that you may want to visit. The cave is located in the core area of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province. 

Phong Nha Cave's entrance

Phong Nha Cave

Phong Nha Cave is more than 7,500 meters high, and 83 meters wide, including 12 main caves and many branches connected together. Visiting the cave, you will have a chance to admire the cave’s combination of dark and light space, and colorful stalactites in various shapes, enjoy the relaxed and mild atmosphere, and listen to the water’s sound. To reach the cave’s mouth, you will take a boat along the Son River, which is about 40 meters wide. Staying by the boat, you can see the beautiful scenery and local people’s daily lives on the riverside. 

Phong Nha Cave

Phong Nha Cave, one of the World heritages recognized by UNESCO in Vietnam, is a magnificent cave with these characteristics below.

• The cave with the longest water grotto - 28 kilometers 
• The cave with the highest and widest cavemouth
• Beautiful sandy and rocky bank
• Splendid underground lake
• Magnificent stalagmite systems with diverse shapes
• The cave with the longest underground river system (1,500 meters)
• Vast and stunning dry cave

Phong Nha Cave's water grotto

Stalagmites inside Phong Nha Cave

With those above characteristics, Phong Nha Cave is indeed among the most stunning caves in Vietnam. Let’s visit the cave, adore the landscape, and learn about the cultural values of the cave!

Son Doong Cave

Son Dong Cave, the world’s largest natural cave, located in Quang Binh Province, is certainly among the caves in Vietnam that you may want to visit. The cave amazes tourists with the unique world inside the cave: countless huge stalagmites (more than 80 meters high), primeval forests, diverse ecosystems, endless underground rivers, etc. 

Son Doong Cave

Son Doong Cave

To explore the cave, you will have to join a tour operated by Oxalis Adventure at around US$ 3,000. Besides, you must ensure that your health meets the requirements, as the journey requires high endurance. 

Exploring the Son Doong Cave

Stalagmites inside Son Doong Cave

Your journey to explore Son Doong Cave will start from the cave mouth, located deep in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. As soon as you climb down through the cave entrance, you can feel the wind blowing through and the sound of the underground river. Going inside the cave, you will have a chance to immerse yourself in a spacious area and discover these outstanding characteristics below. 

Ban Chan Cho stalactite

Ban Chan Cho stalactite is a massive natural stalactite block in Son Doong cave. From this position, you can admire the panoramic view of Son Doong Cave.

Fossil corridor

This area has cave walls filled with coral fossils dating back 300 million years old, right next to the first campsite inside the cave.

The first sinkholes

Coming to the first sinkholes, you can see a large stalactite block called “Wedding Cake,” and a cave called “Rat Run.” From here, you will admire a panoramic view of the sinkholes and the rays of sunlight passing through the cave.  

First sinkhole inside Son Doong Cave

The first campsite

Son Doong’s first campsite is near the first sinkholes. The camp is located in a relatively flat sandy area and has a beautiful view of the first sinkholes.

The second sinkholes

To reach the second sinkhole, you will climb over a rocky hill filled with ferns and small plants. When you get to this place, you will be amazed by the small forest with trees and vegetation. 

Second sinkhole inside Son Doong Cave

The second campsite

This campsite is located on the cave floor covered with white sand, impressing tourists with the majestic view. 

Vietnam Wall

Vietnam Wall is the highest stalactite wall at the end of Son Doong, with the highest ceiling at about 200 meters.

Now, it’s time to prepare for your trip to Son Doong Cave!

En Cave

En Cave is also among the most beautiful caves in Vietnam you should take time to visit. If you do not have enough time, budget, and health conditions to join the Son Doong exploration tour, you can choose En Cave instead. The cave has a huge size, with arches up to 140m high and nearly 200m wide. 

En Cave

The cave is not only famous for being the third largest cave in the world but also for its own pristine beauty. Coming to En Cave, you will have a chance to enjoy the experiences below.

Learning about the life of the Bru - Van Kieu ethnic minority group in the Doong Village

Your journey to explore the En Cave will pass through the Doong Village. This is a small village of the Bru-Van Kieu ethnic group, with 40 people living isolated in the forest. Visiting the village, you can learn about the life, and culture and talk with the local people. 

Doong Village

Trekking through the primeval forests

En Cave is located in the core area of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. Along the trekking route to the cave, you will catch up with ancient primeval forests that existed for thousands of years. 

Trekking to the En Cave

Camping inside the cave

After a long trekking route through the forests and rivers, you will reach the camping area inside the cave. It is located in the middle compartment of the cave. There is a cave entrance above, a wide sandy bank with a crystal lake below, and the Rao Thuong stream flowing through. 

Camping inside the En Cave

Let’s visit the cave and have your own experience!

Tu Lan Cave

Tu Lan Cave, 70 kilometers to the Northwest of Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, is also on the list of incredible caves in Vietnam. Visiting Tu Lan Cave, you can see and discover a peaceful picture with lush green fields of corn, tropical forests, steep mountains, underground rivers, etc. 

Tu Lan Cave

Tu Lan Cave

Like Son Doong and En Cave, you cannot explore the cave on your own but have to join a local guided tour. Depending on the time you choose for the tour, you will have different experiences and explore various cave sites from one to four days. The more days you choose to explore the cave for your trip, the higher the level of difficulty you will try. If you have good health conditions, you can extend your trip and experience more cave characteristics. You can refer to some of the experiences in Tu Lan Cave below. 

• Trekking mountain roads with rocky terrains
• Exploring the caves
• Long and steep hill climbing
• Swimming in the underground rivers
• Stream and river crossings
• Ladder climbing with a safety rope

Trekking to Tu Lan Cave

Ladder climbing in Tu Lan Cave

The Tu Lan cave complex system has ten caves in total. You should not miss some of the caves during your trip to Tu Lan, including Tu Lan Cave, Kim Cave, Hung Ton Cave, Ken Dry Cave, etc. Let’s come and explore the cave, and enjoy your adventurous time here!

Stalagmites inside Tu Lan Cave

In conclusion, you have just known about the top 07 best caves in Vietnam. If you want to have further information, please do not hesitate to contact our team.