Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Paradise Cave Tour from Dong Hoi or Phong Nha, Private and Guided
A half day given to one cave: the forest climb, the narrow rock entrance, then a kilometre of boardwalk through chambers as tall as a tower block. Every entry fee is paid before you travel.
A sample day at a glance
What changes when the day is yours
A private car for your group alone
Private, 1-4 guests, and nobody outside your party is added to it
Your own licensed local guide
Fluent in English and explains how the formations grew and what the explorers found — to your group alone, not a van of strangers
Collected at your own hotel
Anywhere in Dong Hoi or Phong Nha. No meeting point to reach on your own
Every entry fee prepaid
The ticket and the electric buggy are bought for you. Nothing is collected from you at any gate
No shop stops, in writing
No detour to a souvenir stall that pays to have you delivered
The boardwalk at your speed
Stop where you like and stay until you are done. Nobody is holding a van for you
Duration
About 5.5 hours
Departure
07:00 or 12:00
Pickup
Any Dong Hoi or Phong Nha hotel
from · $53 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$155 BOOK →2 guests$175 BOOK →3 guests$190 BOOK →4 guests$210 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The half day, stop by stop
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Times shown are from Dong Hoi for the 07:00 start. The 12:00 start runs the same route after the late-morning crowd, and pickup from a Phong Nha hotel is about 40 minutes later.
Hotel pickup · 07:00 or 12:00 · any hotel in Dong Hoi or Phong Nha
The drive west · about 75 minutes from Dong Hoi, about 35 from Phong Nha town · forest and limestone along the West Ho Chi Minh Road
The buggy and the forest climb
08:20 · about 25 minutes · buggy, then on foot uphill
Ticket and buggy included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
An electric buggy runs 1.6 km from the gate to the foot of the hill, then about 500 stone steps, or a longer sloped path, climb through forest. The cave mouth at the top is small enough to walk past, which is the point your guide will make before you step inside: nobody knew this was here until 2005.
One kilometre underground
08:45 · about 2 hours · on a raised wooden boardwalk
No extra fee inside
4 photos · tap to enlarge
Wooden stairs drop into the first chamber and the boardwalk runs on for a kilometre, among flowstone columns and terraces of shallow pools. It stays around 20°C all year. Your guide explains how each shape grew and why the visitor route stops at one kilometre of a cave 31.4 km long, and you turn back whenever you have seen enough.
Back at your hotel · around 12:30 from the morning start, or 17:30 from the afternoon start
One cave, half a day, one group
No stops we did not tell you about, nothing to pay at any gate, and any part of it can be changed.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$155 BOOK →2 guests$175 BOOK →3 guests$190 BOOK →4 guests$210 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›What is in the price
Included
- Private air-conditioned car and driver, hotel to hotel
- Licensed local guide who speaks fluent English
- Paradise Cave entrance ticket and the electric buggy both ways
- Bottled water
Not included
− Lunch and drinks beyond the water we provide
− Anything you choose to buy at the cave gate
− A tip for your guide and driver — never expected, always welcome
− Travel insurance, which we recommend you carry
Is this the right tour for you?
A good fit if
You want Paradise Cave properly and do not need a second cave the same day.
You would rather stop and look than keep up with a group.
You are staying in Dong Hoi or Phong Nha and have a free morning or afternoon.
You want one number that covers everything, with nothing to settle at the gate.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget. Shared day tours cover this cave and a second one for much less.
Stairs are a problem. From the buggy stop you climb to the cave mouth by about 500 stone steps or a longer sloped path, then long wooden stairs go down into the cave and back up the same way. There is no lift and no step-free route.
You want the river boat into Phong Nha Cave as well. That is the full day.
You are after the 7 km trek. It is a separate adventure tour run by the cave operator, for fit adults only.
If you want the river cave too, the full day pairs the two with lunch between. See the two-cave day. Or tell us what you want to see, and we will plan a day around it.
Questions before you book
About the day
How long is the tour and when does it start?
It runs About 5.5 hours door to door from Dong Hoi, and about an hour less from Phong Nha town. Departure is 07:00 or 12:00 from your hotel. Google Maps shows the cave busiest from 10:00 to 13:00, and both starts avoid most of that.
Where do you pick us up?
At your own hotel, anywhere in Dong Hoi or Phong Nha, with no meeting point to reach on your own. Your guide waits in the lobby for 20 minutes.
How much walking and climbing is there?
From the buggy stop you climb to the cave mouth by about 500 stone steps or a longer sloped path, then long wooden stairs go down into the cave and back up the same way. There is no lift and no step-free route. The boardwalk itself is easy going. Take your time and your guide will take it with you.
Can we change the route or the pace?
Yes. This is a sample day and every part of it can be adjusted: add a stop, skip one, or spend longer in the big chamber. Tell us before you book and we confirm the plan and an all-inclusive price in writing.
Does the guide speak good English?
Yes. Your guide is a licensed local who speaks fluent English and explains the customs and the story of the cave as you go.
Booking and practicalities
Is the price per person or for the whole group?
For the whole group, from one to four guests, so four people pay less each than two. Children under 5 travel free and do not count towards the group size; from 5 a child counts as one guest; groups of five or more travel in a larger vehicle — message us for a quote.
How do I pay, and when?
Two ways: pay the full price online by card, or pay a 30% deposit online and the rest in cash on the day of the tour, in US dollars or Vietnamese dong. We can also send a secure payment link on WhatsApp. The booking is confirmed once the online payment goes through, and your pickup time and guide’s name arrive in writing.
Can I cancel or reschedule?
Yes — free cancellation up to 3 days before departure for a full refund, and free rescheduling subject to availability. Within 3 days of departure, 30% of the tour price is charged because the car and guide are already committed. Date changes are arranged over WhatsApp.
What should I bring, and do I need cash?
Shoes with grip, a light layer for the cave, water for the climb, and a hat for the path. You do not need cash at any gate, since the ticket is bought for you; if you chose to pay the balance in cash, bring it for your guide.
What happens if it rains?
Rain does not stop Paradise Cave: it is a dry cave high above the valley, though the forest path gets slippery. If the cave closes or the road floods, you get a free new date or a full refund. If only the Son River boats stop, which happens when the river is high, we swap Phong Nha Cave for Mooc Spring or the Botanic Garden, whichever is open, with no partial refund, or you can change the date free of charge. We tell you as soon as we know.
Book the half day
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$155 BOOK →2 guests$175 BOOK →3 guests$190 BOOK →4 guests$210 BOOK →Price is the total for the group · free cancellation up to 3 days before
WhatsApp · +84 368 938 081Want a different route, pace or group size? We will plan your day and send you an all-inclusive quote. ›