Private & tailor-made · 1–4 guests
Phong Nha and Paradise Cave Tour, Private, with Lunch and the River Boat
The two caves people come to Phong Nha for, and they could not feel less alike: one a vast dry hall you walk through, the other a river you float into. 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
Both tickets, the buggy and the boat are paid 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
A boat for your group
The Son River boat takes up to twelve. Yours carries only you, your guide and the crew
Duration
About 9.5 hours
Departure
07:00
Pickup
Any Dong Hoi or Phong Nha hotel
from · $105 · / person · ›Check your price ›
Choose your group size · price is the total for the group
Solo traveller$295 BOOK →2 guests$340 BOOK →3 guests$380 BOOK →4 guests$420 BOOK →Free cancellation up to 3 days before · every tour tailored on request
The day, hour by hour
This is a sample day: add, skip or linger over any stop and we will adjust it. Times shown are from Dong Hoi; pickup from a Phong Nha hotel is about 40 minutes later.
Hotel pickup · 07:00 · any hotel in Dong Hoi or Phong Nha
The drive west · about 75 minutes from Dong Hoi · 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
1 photo · tap to enlarge
An electric buggy covers the first 1.6 km, then about 500 stone steps, or a longer sloped path, climb through forest to a cave mouth you could walk straight past.
One kilometre underground in Paradise Cave
08:45 · about 2 hours · raised wooden boardwalk
No extra fee inside
4 photos · tap to enlarge
The morning is when the climb is coolest and the cave quietest. Your guide walks you through a kilometre of a 31.4 km system, explaining how the columns and rimstone pools grew and what the 2005 expedition found beyond the point where visitors stop.
Back to Phong Nha town · about 40 minutes by car
Lunch in Phong Nha
11:45 · about an hour · seated
Lunch included
1 photo · tap to enlarge
A sit-down Vietnamese rice lunch of several shared dishes at a local restaurant. Tell us about vegetarian meals or allergies when you book.
The Son River boat
13:00 · about 30 minutes each way · seated
Boat included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
From the wharf a long wooden boat runs upriver between limestone hills and village fields. It is the same trip every visitor takes, but you are not waiting for twelve seats to fill or sharing it with anyone.
Phong Nha Cave
13:30 · about 1 hour 15 minutes · by boat, then on foot
Entry fee included
4 photos · tap to enlarge
At the cave mouth the engine goes off and the boat is rowed by hand for about 1.2 km along the underground river. You land and walk back through dry passages to rejoin the boat. Your guide explains why this cave, 7.7 km long, has been known for centuries while Paradise Cave stayed hidden until 2005.
Back at your hotel · around 16:30 in Dong Hoi, a little earlier in Phong Nha
Two caves, one river, 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$295 BOOK →2 guests$340 BOOK →3 guests$380 BOOK →4 guests$420 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 ticket and electric buggy both ways
- Phong Nha Cave ticket and the Son River boat, chartered for your group
- Sit-down Vietnamese lunch at a local restaurant
- Bottled water
Not included
− Drinks beyond the water we provide
− Anything you choose to buy along the way
− 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 have one full day in Phong Nha and want its two best-known caves.
You like a day with two different kinds of wonder, on foot and on water.
You want lunch and every ticket sorted before you leave the hotel.
You are a couple, a family or a small group and want the day to bend around you.
Look elsewhere if
You are one person on a tight budget. Shared van tours run the same two caves 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 are visiting in October or November and cannot be flexible. High water can stop the river boats for a few days.
You want adventure caving, kayaks or mud. Dark Cave and the 7 km trek are different days.
If one cave at a slower pace sounds better, the half day stays at Paradise Cave. See the half 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 9.5 hours door to door, departing at 07:00 from your hotel, a little later from a Phong Nha hotel.
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. Phong Nha Cave is much easier: you sit in the boat and walk on paths for the way back.
Is the boat really just for us?
Yes. The boat is hired per trip and we hire the whole of it for your group. It is run by a local crew, and your guide goes 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 either cave. 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 both caves 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 caves, and a hat for the path and the boat. You do not need cash at any gate or on the boat; 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 two-cave day
Private car and licensed local guide, hotel pickup, every fee already settled.
Group total · everything included
Solo traveller$295 BOOK →2 guests$340 BOOK →3 guests$380 BOOK →4 guests$420 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. ›