6 Unique Things To Do in Phong Nha We’ll Never Forget

ByAllan Updated

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If you want to see some of the most spectacular scenery in Vietnam without the crowds, then head to Phong Nha.

Phong Nha was another place that had never crossed my radar before we arrived in Vietnam. But after visiting, it was one of my favourite places in the whole country.

Vietnam is full of amazing scenery. But Phong Nha was special in my eyes. You can drive for hours through steep mountains full of dense jungle and barely see anyone on the road.

It is an awesome escape from the hectic roads that Vietnam is known for.

We spent 5 nights in Phong Nha, visited a duck farm, went on a motorbike tour and explored caves. Over this time, we stayed at two guesthouses and got a good idea of what Phong Nha is like and how to have a good time there.

Basically, if you like getting outdoors and doing adventurous things, this is the place for you.

So let’s find out some awesome things to do in Phong Nha so you can make the most of your time there.

Table of Contents show

1. Ride The Phong Nha Motorbike Loop

If you really want to experience the beautiful landscapes surrounding Phong Nha, then you have to go on a scooter or motorbike.

When you are in a car, your view is so limited because of the windows and the roof. But on a motorbike, you get a 360-degree view that is unbeatable.

Jumping on a scooter and cruising through the mountains was my favorite thing I did in Phong Nha.

Allan a motorbike wearing an orange helmet rides along a quiet paved road surrounded by lush green jungle and limestone mountains one of the best things to do in Phong Nha

It may even be my favorite thing I did in the whole of Vietnam.

Once we left the small town of Phong Nha and headed into the mountains, we were instantly surrounded by steep limestone karsts covered in the thickest jungle you can imagine.

The scenery is stunning, but what makes it even more special is that the roads are almost empty.

We were driving around for over an 1 hour and only saw a handful of motorbikes on the road the whole time.

There are other landscapes that are just as stunning in Vietnam. But we did not encounter any that are close to as empty as the hills of Phong Nha.

We really love the freedom of exploring by motorbike. It feels like such an adventure when it is just you, your motorbike, and the road.

Katharina wearing an orange motorbike helmut and black athletic wear leaning against a metal railing on the side of the road next to a motorbike looking out over a valley full of lush green dense jungle

Phong Nha Motorbike Route Map

Below is a loop that we drove on while in Phong Nha. On this loop, you can stop at the Paradise Cave and Botanic Gardens.

I have added Point F on the map as an extra road to explore if you have plenty of time. This road was beautiful, but you will just have to ride down it then turn around at some point.

So just explore as much as you feel like!

Another note is that from Point D to E on the map you will end up on a fairly busy main road. So if you want to avoid traffic, I would recommend cutting through some of the quieter country back roads if possible.

2. Paradise Cave (Thien Duong)

A visit to Phong Nha would not be complete without visiting a cave it is what the region is most famous for. One of the best caves in Phong Nha is Paradise Cave.

This cave was only discovered in 2005! I couldn’t believe that the cave was only found recently, considering how huge it is.

But then when we were leaving, I was looking at how thick the jungle was all around us, and realised there are probably hundreds of caves hidden in the mountains no one has ever seen.

What impressed me most is height of the cave, which reaches up to 75 meters high and 150 meters wide. It sounds nuts but this is only the second biggest cave we have visited! There are some caves near Taxco, Mexico that are even bigger.

The cave is not only huge but beautiful as well. There are amazing limestone formations everywhere and my favourite part was the way the reflected in the pools of water. It is an awesome cave if you love photography.

Katharina walking along a wooden walkway inside a massive limestone cave, with dramatic stalactites and stalagmites illuminated by lights. The ground is wet and reflects the cave's formations.

When we visited, it was the wet season and the cave was relatively empty. I really enjoyed how quiet it was because there was barely anyone in it.

But when we did encounter people, if they made noise, it really echoed. So I could imagine if it was busy, it would be way too noisy. So if you are in Phong Nha in peak season, I recommend arriving as early as possible.

  • Entrance Fee: 250,000 VND
  • Buggy Ride: 20,000 VND (worth it to avoid a 1 km roadside walk)

The buggy ride is about 1 km, but I think that it is worth paying for the ride because otherwise you are just walking next to the road to the caves for about 30 minutes.

There is a pretty steep climb up stairs to the entrance for about 25 minutes. So it is worth saving your time and energy for that.

Katharina standing on a wooden walkway, looking at a massive, well-lit stalagmite formation inside Paradise Cave. The cave walls are covered in beautiful rock formations.

3. The Duck Farm We Almost Skipped

One of the most surprising highlights of our visit to Phong Nha was visiting the Duck Farm.

At first glance, I did not like the idea of this attraction. I did not see what the fuss was about visiting a whole lot of ducks. Plus, we are always a bit skeptical when it comes to attractions involving animals.

We never want the animals to be taken advantage of. But when we arrived, we loved our time at the duck farm.

When we first arrived, the ducks were being led out of the rice fields after spending the morning in the fields.

A landscape shot of a lush green paddy field with a person in the distance and a group of white ducks near the treeline. In the background there are green hills and trees.

In Southeast Asia, it is common to raise ducks in rice fields. The ducks feed on insects that negatively affect the crops. The ducks also stir the soil and prevent weeds from growing, and their droppings fertilize the fields. So it is a natural way to keep the rice fields in top shape and raise ducks in the open air.

A woman with a large, conical straw hat is sitting on a small wooden stool, smiling and surrounded by a large group of white ducks. She is holding out her hand to feed them.

Upon arrival, we were taken to a concrete area to feed the ducks, which was hilarious. It is incredible how fast they move their bills to eat the feed, and the sounds they make are so funny.

It is quite a smelly experience because of all the duck droppings. But awesome fun.

After feeding the ducks, we were taken to a field where you can ride a buffalo if you want. I would advise only doing this if you have a good center of gravity! It was super hard to stay on the buffalo.

The guy just led the buffalo into the middle of a muddy rice field and left me there. I had quite a good workout just trying to stay on top of the buffalo and not splat into the mud!

A large, dark-colored water buffalo with long, curved horns stands on a dirt path. A woman and a man wearing conical straw hats are standing on either side of the animal, looking towards the camera.

The last activity at the farm was fishing in a pond. Katharina smoked me in the fishing competition! as soon as her hook hit the water, it seemed like a fish was waiting to jump on it.

Fishing was good fun, and all the fish you catch go to the family who will cook them for their meals so they do not go to waste.

An interesting note is that the pond at the farm is the crater from a bomb dropped during the Vietnam War.

A man smiling and holding up a small orange fish he just caught on a fishing line next to a pond. He is wearing a grey baseball cap, a black t-shirt, and camouflage shorts.

After the activities, we were also given some food as part of the tour. This was totally unexpected and was actually enough for a small meal.

Overall, we loved our time at the Duck Farm; it was an unexpected highlight because of the friendliness of the family and the fun activities and delicious food, all for a super cheap price.

Note : There are two duck farms near Phong Nha. We Went to The Duck Tang Farm Quang Binh. It has slightly better reviews and is more of a family-run experience.

4. Phong Nha Cave: There Was Too Much Water

The Phong Nha Cave was an attraction that we were planning to visit. It is the most popular cave in the region. Unfortunately, we could not do the tour because the water levels were too high.

During the Phong Nha cave tour, you enter a huge cave on a boat. The boat travels into the cave for about 1 kilometer, then you get out of the boat to explore for about 15 to 20 minutes.

Paying to go into Phong Nha Cave can be a little confusing. You need to pay a fee per person and a fee for the boat.

  • The entrance fee is 150,000 VND per person.
  • The boat fee is 550,000 VND, 23 USD, which can be split between up to 12 people.

So if you are travelling alone or as a couple, the best idea to keep costs down is to try and find other travellers to split the boat hire fee with.

The best way to split costs is to try and team up with some other travellers at your accommodation. Or you can head down to the wharf and wait for other travellers to turn up and ask to join them.

Katharina in black athletic wear and a helmut stands on a paved path next to a wide, green river. The river is surrounded by lush, green mountains and a few small boats are visible in the distance.

5. Don’t Expect A Botanical Garden (It’s Still Worth Going)

The Phong Nha Botanical Garden is worth a stop while doing a motorbike trip around Phong Nha. Just do not expect a botanical garden!

It is really just a jungle trail that goes past a cool waterfall. We still really enjoyed it, but it is not a botanical garden at all.

Katharina stands on large rocks with arms outstretched in front of a cascading waterfall surrounded by lush greenery at the Phong Nha botanical gardens.

Entrance to the Botanical Garden costs 40,000 VND, and you have the choice to do a long walk, a medium walk, or a walk straight to the waterfall.

We chose to do the long loop, which is supposed to take 3 hours. But this time is way off; it only took us about an hour and a half to do the walk.

The long walk is a nice forest walk but is nothing special. So if you are not in the mood, just do the short walk to the waterfalls. They are beautiful and worth visiting.

Allan sits on the edge of a rock wearing a tan hat and black t shirt as he looks at a small waterfall cascading over a series of rocks amongst dense green jungle in the phong nha botanical garden

6. Oxalis Adventures

If we had a bigger budget on our trip to Phong Nha, one thing I would have loved to do was a trip with Oxalis Adventures.

This company specializes in doing multi-day expeditions into some of the hard-to-reach caves in the region.

On their tours you can spend multiple days and nights abseiling and swimming through enormous caves systems, camping in the jungle, and visiting local communities.

The tours look amazing, and I want to return one day to go on one.

Their biggest tour costs 3000 USD and lasts 6 days and 5 nights. This tour takes you through the Son Doong Cave, which is the largest in the world.

It is supposed to be an incredible tour. So if you are swimming in money, this may be for you. Just beware that the tour books usually a year in advance.

For more information on tours visit oxalisadventure.com.

Why We Skipped The Dark Cave

A popular attraction at Phong Nha that we think you should probably avoid is the dark cave.

This is a cave with a zipline into it that seems incredibly touristy and overpriced. It costs 450,000 VND or 18 USD to enter.

Which is very expensive for Vietnam. We also talked to some people from our guesthouse who visited the dark cave, and they said they were freezing inside the cave.

They also said the staff at the dark cave are not very friendly. Which was a common complaint I read in the reviews of the caves.

So because of the high price and negative reviews, we chose to skip it. I think there are much better ways to spend your money in Phong Nha.

How Many Days In Phong Nha?

In my opinion, you need 3 nights minimum to really enjoy your time in Phong Nha. You could definitely spend more time.

But 3 nights will allow you enough time to explore by motorbike, visit the duck farms and then visit a couple of caves.

How To Get To Phong Nha

Phong Nha is located in Central Vietnam, close to the border with Laos. It is quite a long way from other popular travel destinations such as Ninh Binh and Hue. So the most popular way to get to Phong Nha is by sleeper bus.

Hanoi To Phong Nha

  • Cheapest Option: Sleeper bus Hanoi to Phong Nha starts from 13 USD for an overnight bus. Just be prepared that these buses often arrive ridiculously early, 3-4 am. So I would recommend paying a little more for a daytime bus. We saw a lot of backpackers walking around like zombies after the overnight bus. You can book a bus on 12go.asia or go to a travel agent. There are often buses available at travel agents that are not on 12go.asia.
  • Second Cheapest: The train from Hanoi to Dong Hoi takes around 11 hours, and tickets start from 28 USD. The advantage of the train is that you will not risk having a crazy driver. The negative is that trains often are late. From Dong Hoi, you can then take a taxi or a local bus to Phong Nha
  • Most Comfortable Option: Fly to Dong Hoi Airport, then get a private transfer for 31 USD to Phong Nha. You can fly for as little as 38 USD, and the flight takes 1 hour.

Da Nang/ Hue To Phong Nha

  • Bus: Direct buses run from both Hue and Da Nang to Phong Nha.
  • Hue to Phong Nha: Around 4–5 hours, tickets from $8–10 USD.
  • Da Nang to Phong Nha: Around 6–7 hours, starting at $12 USD.
    Quality varies a lot, so read reviews carefully on 12go.asia. Some buses have crazy drivers—avoid companies with bad safety ratings.
  • Train + Transfer: Take the train from Hue or Da Nang to Dong Hoi (2.5–4 hours, tickets from $10 USD), then a 1-hour taxi to Phong Nha.
  • Fly: Da Nang to Dong Hoi flights are rare but occasionally available. If you find one, it’s the fastest option.

Warning: Buses in Vietnam can vary dramatically in quality and comfort. Some companies have crazy drivers who speed and constantly blare their horn. So try and read reviews thoroughly.

Passengers relax on reclining sleeper bus seats, with one person watching a video on their phone during a journey to Phong Nha.
Typical Vietnamese sleeper bus. Headphones are rare in Vietnam! Be prepared to hear all your neighbours’ videos and games during your journey. Some sleeper buses have more privacy than this one.

Where To Stay In Phong Nha

We can unfortunately not recommend the first place we stayed in Phong Nha. We booked at Phong Nha Cherish House. Everything was perfect; the hosts were friendly, our room was big and comfortable. But there was a construction site 1 meter from our window that started work at 7 am all the way until the evening!

We seemed to have bad luck all the way through Vietnam. Luckily, our next guesthouse, Vus Home stay was nice and, was nice and a good option if you want to stay in the middle of town.

Below are a range of different accommodations for all budgets and tastes.

For a more in-depth guide, you should check out our where to stay in Phong Nha article.

A panoramic view of the Phong Nha countryside at dawn, showing lush green trees and traditional Vietnamese houses nestled between dramatic limestone karsts under a soft, cloudy sky.
View from the rooftop of our first accommodation in Phong Nha

When To Go To Phong Nha

You can visit year-round, but be aware of the rainy season (October–December). We went during the rainy season and loved the lack of crowds, but some cave tours were canceled due to flooding.

There can also be serious flooding during the rainy season. So unless you are on an extended trip and can spare a couple of days sitting in your hotel room. Go during the drier season.

I Hope This Helps You Have An Awesome Time In Phong Nha

Phong Nha is a beautiful place and was one of the surprise highlights of our time in Vietnam.

It is one of the few places that I really want to return to because the landscapes and caves are so beautiful. Plus, there are so many more things for us to do there!

Because it is located right in the middle of Vietnam, you will only have two choices. They are to do North or South.

If you are heading south, then you should definitely go to Hoi An. But if you are heading north, your next stop should be Ninh Binh. Make sure you check out our articles on both locations below.

Allan is a digital nomad and full-time traveler from New Zealand who has lived in 4 countries and visited 45+ more. Years of slow travel have taught him how to travel on a budget and discover places most tourists miss. On Nomads Beyond, he shares practical guides for offbeat destinations, active adventures, and delicious street food.

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