Son Doong Cave: Can You Visit, What It Costs, and the Alternatives

The world's largest cave is real, visitable and booked years ahead. Here are the facts, and the caves nearby you can still see this year.

Published Oct 2026 • Updated Oct 2026 • By the Vietnam Private Tours planning team, reviewed by Van Anh (Founder & Chief Executive Officer)

Photo: Dave Bunnell, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Quick answer

You cannot do Son Doong in a day. The only way in is a 6-day, 5-night expedition with Oxalis Adventure, the sole licensed operator, for US$3,000 (80,000,000 VND) per person, January to August, ages 18–70, groups of up to 10. Visitors are capped at about 1,000 a year, and Oxalis lists 2027 and 2028 as fully booked. For a cave trip this year, choose Hang En (2 days, camping in the cave) or the day visits to Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave.

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Son Doong: key facts

Location	Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park, central Vietnam (Quang Tri province since Quang Binh was merged into it on July 1, 2025)
Size	About 38.5 million m³, the largest natural cave in the world by volume
Length	Nearly 9 km
Passages	Over 200 m high in places and about 150–160 m wide
Inside	An underground river, two dolines (roof collapses) letting in sunlight, jungle with more than 200 plant species, and stalagmites up to about 80 m
Found	1990, by local man Ho Khanh while searching for agarwood
Surveyed	April 2009 by the British–Vietnamese expedition led by Howard Limbert, which announced it as the world's largest cave; completed in March 2010 after climbing the 60 m "Great Wall of Vietnam"
Open to tourists	Pilot tours from August 2013; Oxalis Adventure is the only licensed operator
Visitors	8,552 between 2013 and late 2025 (VOV); capped at about 1,000 a year (Dân Trí, March 2026)

Why there is no one-day Son Doong tour

The entrance is deep in the jungle, and the cave is protected: the park allows one operator and caps the number of visitors. Getting there means about 28 km of trekking on jungle and mountain trails, with climbs of up to 800 m and around 50 river crossings. Then come a roughly 90 m descent into the cave, about 9 km of caving, and a roughly 90 m climb up the Great Wall of Vietnam to get out. Any "Son Doong day tour" you see advertised is a different cave.

The Son Doong expedition in 2026

Operator	Oxalis Adventure (the only one licensed)
Price	US$3,000 / 80,000,000 VND per person
Length	6 days, 5 nights: briefing in Phong Nha, one night camping in the forest, two nights camping inside the cave (Doline 1 and Doline 2), last night at a farmstay
Group	Up to 10 guests, with a team of 1 cave expert, 1 guide, 6 safety assistants, 2 chefs and 18 porters
Season	January to August; closed from September for the rains
Age	18 to 70
Fitness	An overnight trek in the last 12 months (8 km a day, 1,000 m of climbing), plus five flights of stairs non-stop or 5 km in 45 minutes
Included	Transfers from Dong Hoi, meals, accommodation, camping and safety gear, and the travel insurance Vietnamese law requires (pays up to 50,000,000 VND per case; Oxalis advises extra cover)
Cancellation	90+ days out: 7,000,000 VND fee; 45 days out: 50%; under 45 days: 100%
Availability	Oxalis lists 2027 and 2028 as fully booked

Book only on oxalisadventure.com. No other company can sell you a place inside Son Doong, whatever it advertises.

Every Phong Nha cave trip, compared

If Son Doong is full, or six days in the jungle is not for you, these are the caves you can actually see. Prices are per person, as published in October 2026.

Cave	Trip	Price	Notes
Son Doong	6 days, 5 nights (Oxalis)	80,000,000 VND	Ages 18–70, fitness test; booked through 2028
Hang En	2 days, 1 night, camping in the cave (Oxalis); about 25 km of trekking	9,500,000 VND	Fit hikers; ages 16–70, up to 16 guests
Hang Va	2 days, 1 night (Oxalis)	9,400,000 VND
Tu Lan	1 day, or 2 days and 1 night (Oxalis)	2,000,000 VND (1 day); 6,700,000 VND (2 days)
Hang Tien	1-day trek (Oxalis)	2,000,000 VND
Paradise Cave	1 km boardwalk; 7 km adventure route by guided tour	270,000 VND; 2,000,000 VND (7 km)	31.4 km long; about 500 steps up to the entrance
Phong Nha Cave	Boat up the Son River into the cave	150,000 VND + 700,000 VND per boat (up to 12)	Allow about 2.5 hours

Oxalis calls Hang En the world's third-largest cave, after Son Doong and Deer Cave in Malaysia.

Getting to Phong Nha

Fly to Dong Hoi, then drive about 40–45 km (roughly 45 minutes to an hour) to Phong Nha town, the base for the caves. Phong Nha sits between Hanoi and Hue, so on a north-to-south trip it fits between Ninh Binh or Hanoi and Hue. Two nights let you see Paradise Cave and Phong Nha Cave without rushing; add a night or two for Hang En or Tu Lan.

Planning Phong Nha with us

We do not sell Son Doong places: only Oxalis can. If you have an expedition date, or want Hang En, Tu Lan or the day caves, we can plan the private part of your trip around it: flights to Dong Hoi, your car and guide, and the rest of Vietnam before and after. Tell us your dates, or start from Vietnam Adventure: From Mountains to Caves.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

Can you do Son Doong Cave in one day?

No. The only licensed expedition is 6 days and 5 nights in total, including a safety briefing in Phong Nha, about 28 km of jungle trekking, around 50 river crossings, one night camping in the forest and two nights camping inside Son Doong. For a one-day cave trip, choose Paradise Cave, Phong Nha Cave, the Hang Tien day trek or a Tu Lan day trip.

How much does a Son Doong tour cost?

US$3,000 (80,000,000 VND) per person with Oxalis Adventure, the only company allowed to take visitors in. The price covers transfers from Dong Hoi, the expedition team, meals, accommodation, camping and safety gear, and the travel insurance required by Vietnamese law.

How big is Son Doong Cave?

About 38.5 million cubic meters, the largest natural cave in the world by volume. It is nearly 9 km long, with passages more than 200 m high and up to about 150–160 m wide, two giant dolines (skylights) with jungle growing beneath them, and stalagmites Oxalis measures at up to about 80 m.

Can I still book Son Doong for 2027?

Not as of October 2026. Oxalis says the 2027 and 2028 expeditions are fully booked. Dân Trí reported in March 2026 that the cap is about 1,000 visitors a year and that all 2026 and 2027 places were taken. Check oxalisadventure.com for the next open season.

Can you visit Son Doong without a tour?

No. Access is by licensed expedition only, and Oxalis Adventure is the only operator with permission. There is no ticket or independent entry.

When can you visit Son Doong?

Expeditions run January to August. The cave closes from September because of the weather, as the rainy season sets in across central Vietnam.

How fit do you need to be for Son Doong?

Very fit, and aged 18 to 70. Oxalis asks for an overnight trek in the last 12 months (at least 8 km a day with 1,000 m of climbing), and the ability to climb five flights of stairs without stopping or run 5 km on the flat in 45 minutes. It advises against joining with high blood pressure, diabetes or joint problems.

What is the best alternative to Son Doong?

Hang En: a 2-day, 1-night trip with a night camped inside the cave, 9,500,000 VND per person with Oxalis, ages 16–70. For something easier, Paradise Cave (31.4 km long, 1 km open on a boardwalk) and Phong Nha Cave by boat are both day visits.

Where is Son Doong Cave?

In Phong Nha–Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam. The area was Quang Binh province until July 1, 2025, when Quang Binh was merged into Quang Tri. The nearest airport is Dong Hoi, about 40–45 km from Phong Nha.

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