National parks of Vietnam: 5 places worth leaving the beach for

Entry to most parks is 40,000–60,000 VND (~$1.60–2.40). The exception is the Phong Nha caves, where tickets start at 150,000 VND. And an expedition into Sơn Đoòng runs to ~80,000,000 VND (~$3,000, the Oxalis price for 2026) — but that is a story of its own.

• Phong Nha-Ke Bang (Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng): UNESCO, 392 caves — Entry from 150,000 VND (~$6)
• Cat Tien (Cát Tiên): 150 km from Ho Chi Minh City — Elephants, night safari, 60,000 VND (~$2.40)
• Bach Ma (Bạch Mã): Between Da Nang and Hue — Waterfalls, 1,450 m, 65,000 VND (~$2.50)
• Cat Ba (Cát Bà): Ha Long Bay, kayaking — Trekking, climbing, 40,000 VND (~$1.60)
• Cuc Phuong (Cúc Phương): Vietnam's oldest park (1962) — Primate centre, 60,000 VND (~$2.40)

Phong Nha-Ke Bang — the cave capital of the world

392 caves, including Sơn Đoòng — the biggest on the planet, large enough to swallow a 40-storey skyscraper. Phong Nha-Kẻ Bàng National Park, in Quang Tri province (Quang Binh until July 2025), is a two-time UNESCO site (2003 and 2015) for a karst system around 400 million years old. For a foreign traveller it is the one park you should not skip. If caves are your reason to come, go deeper — the Phong Nha guide and a full breakdown of the caves.

Which caves you can visit

You reach Phong Nha Cave by boat — 750,000 VND per boat (up to 12 people, so ~63,000 VND a head in a full group). The Dark Cave is the most adventurous: a zipline over the river, kayaking in the dark, and mud baths inside.

…Don't repeat my mistakes: be sure to bring the best photo and video gear you have to Paradise Cave. Before the Dark Cave you can leave it in the storage roomShivanaut, Vinsky Forum, 2016, translated by VietnamSpot

For the caves you buy tickets at the visitor centre; the boat to Phong Nha is a separate fee. English signage is limited, so an organised half-day tour from Phong Nha town is the easy option if you would rather not sort out boats and tickets yourself.

How to get there

The nearest town is Đồng Hới. The train from Hanoi takes about 10 hours, from 400,000 VND (~$16). From Dong Hoi it is 50 km to the park by bus or motorbike. From Da Nang or Hue it is also the train, 4–5 hours.

Where to stay in Phong Nha village: homestays from 200,000 VND a night (~$8), small hotels around $15–25.

Cat Tien — wildlife near Ho Chi Minh City

Cát Tiên National Park is 72,000 hectares of rainforest, 150 km (four hours) from Ho Chi Minh City. Asian elephants, gaur, sun bears and yellow-cheeked gibbons live here. Seeing an elephant in the wild is possible, but it takes luck and a night outing.

Entry: 60,000 VND (~$2.40).

Night safari: ~200,000 VND (~$8). You ride a jeep through the park with a spotlight while a guide looks for deer, civets and, with luck, bears. Nothing is guaranteed, but the atmosphere of the night jungle is worth it.

What else:

• Trekking on marked trails, from 2 to 10 km
• Bear Rescue Center — check visiting conditions on site
• Crocodile Lake — you can watch Siamese crocodiles from a safe distance

How to get there: a bus from Ho Chi Minh City to the park is about four hours, from 150,000 VND (~$6). Lodging inside the park — guesthouses from 300,000 VND a night.

The downside: the mosquitoes are vicious, so repellent is a must. Heat and humidity even in winter. The roads inside the park are dirt.

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Bach Ma — mountains between Da Nang and Hue

Bạch Mã park rises to 1,450 metres between Da Nang and Hue. More than 2,000 plant species, douc langurs (striking primates with golden faces) and the Đỗ Quyên waterfall, over 300 m high.

Entry: 65,000 VND (~$2.50).

The main trek goes to the waterfall: about 5.5 km on foot from Km12, then almost 700 steps down, 2.5–3 hours each way. The trail is marked but slippery in places. At the summit stand the ruins of a 1930s French villa and a viewpoint over the bay and the mountains.

How to get there: 45–50 km from Hue and 60–65 km from Da Nang by road, by motorbike or taxi. There is no public transport to the park — only as far as the QL1A turn-off, then 18 km up the mountain road.

The park sees few package tourists. If you are in Da Nang or Hue and can give the mountains a full day, Bach Ma is worth it: since the landslides, vehicles stop at Km12 and you walk several kilometres from there. Post-landslide status, trails and prices are in our full Bach Ma guide.

Cat Ba — an island of adventure in Ha Long Bay

Cát Bà is the largest island of the Cat Ba archipelago, on Lan Ha Bay next to Ha Long, and part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. The national park covers half the island: rainforest, cliffs and the golden-headed Cat Ba langur — found nowhere else on Earth, with around 70 counted in 2016.

Entry: ~40,000 VND (~$1.60).

What to do:

• Trek to the Ngũ Lâm summit: 18 km, a full day, through forest to a lookout
• Kayaking in Lan Hạ Bay — a less touristy alternative to Ha Long Bay: $15–25 for a half-day
• Rock climbing on the karst islands
• Cát Cò Beach — three coves with clear water

How to get there: from Hanoi, a bus to Hai Phong (2 hours), then a ferry to Cat Ba (1 hour). Or a speedboat from Ha Long.

Cat Ba is a good compromise: nature, adventure and decent infrastructure (hotels, restaurants, bars). You can pair the park with the sea here.

Cuc Phuong — the oldest park and a primate centre

Cúc Phương is Vietnam's first national park: a protected reserve from 1962 and a national park from 1966. It is about 120 km from Hanoi, in Ninh Binh province. The headline attraction is the Endangered Primate Rescue Center, home to Delacour's langurs — among the rarest primates on Earth.

Entry: 60,000 VND (~$2.40). The primate centre is a separate ticket, ~50,000 VND.

What else:

• The thousand-year-old chò tree — 45 metres tall, five arm-spans around
• The prehistoric-man cave (Người Xưa Cave)
• Trekking: from one hour to two days through rainforest
• April–May: millions of butterflies in the park

How to get there: a bus Hanoi → Ninh Binh (2 hours), then a taxi or motorbike 45 km to the park. Or straight from Hanoi by taxi, 2.5 hours.

Easy to combine with a trip to Ninh Binh (Tam Coc, Tràng An — see the Ninh Binh guide).

Compare — which park to choose

If you pick just one — Phong Nha-Ke Bang. Nowhere in Vietnam (and few places in the world) will you see anything like it.

If you are near Ho Chi Minh City — Cat Tien. The best spot in the south for big wildlife.

If you want to combine — Cat Ba plus Ha Long Bay, or Cuc Phuong plus Ninh Binh.

What to pack and when to go

Clothing and gear

• Trekking boots — the trails are slippery
• Long trousers and sleeves — against insects and branches
• DEET repellent — essential in Cat Tien and Cuc Phuong
• Headlamp — for the night safari and the caves
• 2 litres of water — there is nowhere to buy it on the trails

When to go

• Phong Nha: February–August (central Vietnam's dry season)
• Cat Tien: November–April (dry, animals come to the water)
• Bach Ma: March–August
• Cat Ba: October–April (no typhoons)
• Cuc Phuong: April–May (butterflies), November–March (cool)

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