Paradise Cave, Phong Nha: Impressive Cave in Vietnam

Paradise Cave in Phong Nha is an incredibly beautiful cave and one of the most visited cave locations within the national park.

Wander along ancient stalagmites and stalactites that have formed over millions of years. It’s fascinating to be among these enormous natural creations and to enjoy their beauty.

In fact, it’s said that this cave is likely to be over 350 million years old. That’s a pretty impressive timeframe and it’s spectacular that we get to enjoy a glimpse into the beauty that nature has created.

I’ve created this blog post to inform you of everything you need to know, including insider travel tips, what the experience will be like and travel information. Feel free to share this post with a friend or save it for later reading.

Let’s dive into everything you need to know for your trip to Paradise Cave!

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Where is Paradise Cave?

Paradise Cave is set within Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam. Moreover, it’s part of the Quang Binh Province and is a beautiful place to do some exploring.

There is a range of activities that you can enjoy through this national park, and this cave has become an absolute hit.

Address: Paradise Cave, Km 16 Đường Hồ Chí Minh, Nhánh Tây, Bố Trạch, Quảng Bình, Vietnam

How to Get to Paradise Cave

The easiest way to reach Paradise Cave is to travel via scooter. Moreover, this will be the cheapest option as you can simply hire your own scooter and then ride yourself to the impressive cave location.

For the most part, the road feels pretty safe to drive along. But, you will need to be confident riding around mountainous and curvy roads. Nonetheless, there is plenty of space along the road to get to the destination safely.

Alternatively, you could definitely look into booking a tour. I would recommend having a chat with your accommodation as they will likely be able to sort something out for you.

Furthermore, you’ll need to make use of the DT20 or QL15 highway to reach the cave. For the most part, the ride should take you around 45 minutes to reach the location. It makes for an awesome day trip and there are loads of sights to see along the way.

When I visited, I had absolutely no issue running Google Maps the entire way. The mobile service out here is pretty incredible, and you should be fine directing yourself the whole way. However, I recommend having a backup way to direct yourself by downloading some offline maps, should there be an issue.

Opening Hours and Entrance Fee

You’ll be looking at needing to spend 250,000 VND (for adults) to get into the cave. And, keep in mind, this doesn’t include a buggy ride up to the caves. If you wish to get a lift, you’ll need to pay an additional 25,000 VND for a return trip.

However, I had no issue walking to the cave as we were keen to save a little bit of cash and we got to enjoy a truly scenic walk. Some of the views over the national park were incredibly breathtaking, and it wasn’t a difficult walk.

I’d say it’d take around 10 minutes of walking one way to get to the cave.

Furthermore, these are the opening hours of the cave. However, be wary that public holidays may affect these times. Be sure to keep that in mind prior to visiting.

Opening Hours:
Daily: 7 AM – 4 PM

What the entrance to Paradise Cave in Vietnam looks like

Is Paradise Cave Worth Visiting?

Paradise Cave is one of the most visited caves in Phong Nha and Vietnam and is a spectacular sight to see. Moreover, the walk to the cave is absolutely stunning and it’s pretty incredible to wander the depths of the cave.

The cave reaches an impressive height of 72 metres underground, with 1 km of accessible viewing area. However, the cave is actually just over 34 km in length! It’s pretty wild and spectacular.

Views over Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park and entrance into the cave

The boardwalk throughout the cave and natural pool

The Experience

To start off, you’ll park your scooter undercover at one of the parking lots and then make your way up the small hill towards the office box. This is when you will need to pay for your ticket to get into the cave.

You will pay for a ticket, and then receive a plastic card which will be used a little further up to get through the barriers. From there, you will need to wander along the walking trail to reach the beginning of the cave.

Upon arrival at the cave, you will head down underground and this is where it gets fun! It feels like you are climbing into a small hole in the earth, but once you see the space open up, you will be truly blown away!

The cave opens up to a major area and there are lots of lights around to display all of the different stalagmites and stalactites. You can also make use of the boardwalk to explore the many areas of the cave.

Furthermore, there are a bunch of steps that you’ll need to head down to reach the main viewing platform of the cave. But once you’re on the flat area, there will only be small inclines of steps along the way.

You can wander up to 1km deep in the cave. And, it’s pretty wild to be this far deep in the cave. However, the cave stretches over an incredible 34km underground. It’s insanely long, but I’m sure you’ll be pleased with travelling the single kilometre.

Be sure to wander right to the end of the boardwalk and listen to the sounds of the cave. You will hear bats and other insects going about their business and you will hear water trickling around. It’s not very often that you get to experience the inside of a cave at this depth.

Finally, use the boardwalk to head back up to the entrance of the cave and make your way back to your scooter.

Please note: I would recommend avoiding loud conversations as this is a truly peaceful place. You wouldn’t want to ruin anyone else experience by talking with excessive volume. Keep in mind, this is a cave at the end of the day, which means the sound amplifies and echoes.

The various stalagmites and stalactites that you’ll see along the way

Tips for Visiting

Firstly, I would recommend packing a light jumper as it can become quite cool in the cave. And, it might be a nice idea to wear a raincoat as you may get a bit wet on the drive up with potential rain.

Vietnam is a place where cash is the main form of payment. So be sure to stock up on plenty before heading out this way as there are no ATMs in the area. I would recommend bringing about 400,000 VND. Moreover, this will pay for your ticket to the cave, and if you are wanting any refreshments after the experience.

I also recommend wearing some comfortable footwear. You’re about to do a lot of walking and there are some very slippery surfaces. Gear yourself up with some sturdy hiking boots to ensure you have maximum grip when scouring the cave and walking to and from.

In terms of how much time you need, I would say you need to set aside at least 3-4 hours. Moreover, this includes travelling to and from the cave and exploring the depths of the cave. I think this is the perfect amount of time to get the most out of the experience.

You’ll definitely want to allow at least 1 hour to enjoy the caving experience!

You may find some funny-looking stalagmites along the way

Additional Activities in Phong Nha

Since you are within the impressively beautiful Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park, it’s worth checking out a few other activities in the area. Some of the things I recommend visiting include:

The Duck Stop
Dark Cave
Mooc Spring
Phong Nha Cave
Son River

Guided Tour

Fancy checking out a guided tour? Well, look no further than the Cha Loi Cave with a 2-day and 1-night experience with your own guide.

Wrapping Up

In conclusion, Paradise Cave in Vietnam is one of the most spectacular caving experiences in the country. Moreover, it attracts thousands of local and foreign tourists yearly who come to enjoy the sheer beauty of the location.

Be sure to set aside plenty of time for visiting this location and take note of my travel tips to ensure you are entirely prepared. This is a pretty epic location, but it’s also very far from the town of Phong Nha, so preparation is vital.

Finally, if you’d like to discover more about Vietnam, I recommend checking out this section of my blog. I uploaded plenty of content including travel guides, places to visit and things to do while exploring the beautiful landscape of Vietnam. Happy reading!