Son Doong Cave Travel Guide

Son Doong is the world's biggest cave, discovered as recently as 2009, located in Quang Binh province, Vietnam. It is found by a local man named Ho Khanh in 1991 and was recently discovered in 2009 by British cavers, led by Howard Limbert. The name "Son Doong" cave means "mountain river cave". Tours started in 2014 and numbers are restricted only 10 tourists/ per week during the "caving" season from February to late August.

The best time to visit

The best time of the year to visit Son Doong is from February to August. From February to April, the weather is cool and mild, perfectly suitable for trekking in the cave

How to get there

By Air

The nearest airport is Dong Hoi Airport, which lies in the capital city Dong Hoi of Quang Binh province. So if you want to travel to Quang Binh by air, you can get a fligth to Dong Hoi Airport and then take a bus or taxi to Son Doong. At present, Vietnam Airlines offers flights from Hanoi to Dong Hoi while Vietjet Airs offers flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Dong Hoi on the daily basis. Travel time is around one hour for both

By Train

There are train services from various cities such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hue, Vinh, etc. to Dong Hoi. Travel time varies with distance from your starting point. Please click here for more information in detail.

Special things about Son Dong

Geology: Son Doong is the oldest karst system in Asia, between 400- 450 million years old.
Son Doong is over 5km in length, with sections reaching up to 200m tall and 150m wide, this cave is large enough to house an entire New York City block, complete with 40 story skyscrapers. The total measured volume of 38.5 million cubic meters
To reach Son Doong Cave, visitors have to pass through Ban Doong Ethnic village by foot which located inside the Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

What to bring

To prepare the great trip in Son Doong Cave, don't forget to prepare need stuff like trekking boot, sun block, hat, anti-insect repellent (mosquitos & and leeches are the majority), warm clothes for cold weather, rain coat, toiletries, original passport.

Related readings: Quang Binh Travel Guide , Dong Hoi Travel Guide and don't forget to check Vietnam Visa Requirement