Paradise Cave is a dry limestone cave 31.4 km long in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam, and visitors walk its first kilometre on a raised wooden boardwalk. Allow two and a half to three hours from the gate and back. The ticket is about 270,000 VND with the electric buggy, and the cave is 62 to 75 km from Dong Hoi and 22 to 25 km from Phong Nha town.
It is not an easy stroll and it is not wild caving. Plan on about 500 stone steps or a longer slope, then long wooden stairs with no lift, and on sharing the boardwalk with other visitors. Going further than the first kilometre means a separate full-day adventure tour with its own age and fitness limits.
See Paradise Cave at your own pace
Your own car and a licensed local guide who explains what you are looking at, with every ticket already paid. Both tours can be changed to suit you.
★Paradise Cave & Phong Nha Cave Private Day TourThe dry cave on foot, the river cave by boat, with lunch between · About 9.5 hoursSee the tour →Paradise Cave Half-Day Private TourOne kilometre underground with your own guide, at your own pace · About 5.5 hoursSee the tour →What Paradise Cave is, and where
Vietnamese call it Thien Duong, which means paradise. It sits at Km 16 on the western branch of the Ho Chi Minh Road, inside a national park listed by UNESCO for its limestone landscape. Since the 2025 provincial merger the area belongs to Quang Tri Province, though many guides and maps still say Quang Binh.
Vietnam’s book of records listed it in 2011 as the longest dry cave in Asia. The ceiling in the main halls averages about 60 to 80 metres, and the walls run from 30 to 100 metres apart. Inside it stays around 18 to 22°C all year, which is a real relief on a hot day and cool enough to want a light layer in winter.
A British Cave Research Association team explored it in 2005, and the visitor route opened in 2010. Our full-day tour pairs it with Phong Nha Cave, because the two could not be more different: one you walk through, the other you float into.
What the visit is like, step by step
From the car park an electric buggy runs 1.6 km through forest to the foot of the hill. You can walk that stretch instead if you prefer. Then about 500 stone steps, or a longer sloped path, climb to a cave mouth so small you could walk straight past it.
Inside, long wooden stairs drop into the first hall. The boardwalk then runs on for about a kilometre among flowstone columns, stalactites and terraces of shallow pools, lit from below. Most of the light is white and warm, with a few coloured patches that not everyone will like. At the far end you turn round and walk the same way back.
| Part of the visit | What you do | Rough time |
|---|---|---|
| Gate to foot of the hill | Electric buggy, 1.6 km | 10 minutes |
| Foot of the hill to cave mouth | About 500 stone steps or a longer slope uphill | 15 to 25 minutes |
| Inside the cave | Stairs, then 1 km of boardwalk and back | 1.5 to 2 hours |
| Back to the gate | Path downhill, then the buggy | 20 minutes |
Tickets and hours
The park’s own website lists the adult ticket at 270,000 VND including the buggy, and 145,000 VND for children between 1.1 and 1.3 metres. Children under 1.1 metres enter free. The board at the gate has shown the ticket and the buggy as separate charges, so the split can differ slightly on the day. Prices here were checked in November 2026.
Published hours vary between sources, from about 07:00 to 16:00 or 16:30, with a longer day in summer. Arrive by 13:30 for the full visit, and before 15:00 at the very latest. Google Maps shows the cave busiest from 10:00 to 13:00, so a very early start or an early afternoon arrival is noticeably calmer.
Getting there
Dong Hoi has the nearest airport and railway station. The drive takes about 75 minutes. From Phong Nha town it is about 35 minutes. Local buses reach Phong Nha town but not the cave gate, so most independent visitors take a taxi or ride a motorbike for the last stretch.
Hue is about 210 km from Phong Nha town, so expect four hours or a little more each way. That makes for a very long day, though it can be done: our day tour from Hue is built for people with no night to spare. If you do have a night, sleeping in Phong Nha is the better plan.
One group, one guide, every ticket included
Choose the half day for this cave alone, or the full day to add the river cave and lunch.
Paradise Cave & Phong Nha Cave Private Day TourAbout 9.5 hoursSee the tour →Paradise Cave Half-Day Private TourAbout 5.5 hoursSee the tour →Questions about visiting Paradise Cave
Is Paradise Cave the same as Phong Nha Cave?
No. They are separate caves in the same national park, about 40 minutes apart by car. Paradise Cave is dry and you walk through it. Phong Nha Cave has an underground river and you enter it by boat. Many visitors see both in one day.
Do I need a guide or a tour to visit?
No, you can buy a ticket and walk the boardwalk on your own. A guide mainly adds the explanation of how the cave formed and was found, plus the transport and tickets sorted for you.
Can children and older travellers manage it?
Many do, taking it slowly. The limit is the stairs rather than age: a steady climb to the entrance by steps or a slope, then long wooden stairs inside. There are handrails on the stairs and the boardwalk itself is easy.
What should I wear?
Shoes with grip, because the path and some stairs can be damp. Bring a light layer for inside and a hat and water for the climb, which is the hottest part of the visit.
Plan your day at Paradise Cave
Prices are for your whole group, with the car, guide and every ticket included. Any route can be changed before you book.
★Paradise Cave & Phong Nha Cave Private Day TourThe dry cave on foot, the river cave by boat, with lunch between · About 9.5 hoursfrom$105/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$295BOOK →2 guests$340BOOK →3 guests$380BOOK →4 guests$420BOOK →See the full tour page →Paradise Cave Half-Day Private TourOne kilometre underground with your own guide, at your own pace · About 5.5 hoursfrom$53/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$155BOOK →2 guests$175BOOK →3 guests$190BOOK →4 guests$210BOOK →See the full tour page →Ticket prices, hours and distances checked 4 November 2026. They are set by the cave operator and can change.