Son Doong Cave Expedition 5 days

Morning: Upon arrival in Dong Hoi, transfer to your hotel at your own expense. Check-in is available from 2:00 PM, and you will have free time until then.

Afternoon (after 2:00 PM): Our driver will meet you and transfer you to Phong Nha for your safety briefing. Upon arrival, our hospitality team will be happy to help you plan your free time. The rest of the day is yours to rest, relax, or explore Phong Nha village. Please note that you will need to arrange and pay for your own breakfast and lunch on this day.

At around 5:30–6:00 PM, gather at the hotel restaurant before being transferred to our headquarters, where you will meet your cave expert and guide team for the mandatory safety briefing and equipment check. Participation in the briefing is compulsory. Anyone who chooses not to attend may be excluded from the tour without a refund.

Please prepare all the belongings you intend to take on the trek before the safety briefing. Immediately after the briefing, our operations team will collect your belongings in individual large plastic bags and hand them over to the porters for preparation for the following day.

You will receive your belongings each evening upon arrival at your campsite. Therefore, please keep anything you need during the day, such as cameras and tripods, in a separate backpack.

Before dinner, you will be given a helmet for the expedition, which you will be responsible for throughout the tour. Please also note that you must sign the Release Form during the safety briefing.

Afterward, enjoy dinner with your team at our headquarters at around 7:30 PM. You will then be transferred back to your hotel for a good night's sleep.

Meals: D

Accommodation: Hotel

Early in the morning, you will be transferred to our headquarters. Enjoy breakfast with your guide at 8:00 AM before departing at 9:00 AM for the first leg of the expedition. Before setting off, you will leave any extra luggage and valuables at our headquarters, then meet the porter team and begin your adventure.

After a 45-minute drive along Road 20 of the Ho Chi Minh Highway, you will reach the trailhead. From there, you will trek downhill through the forest for approximately one hour. Some sections of the trail are quite steep.

Continue walking for about 30 minutes along a small stream to Ban Doong, an ethnic minority village that is a real highlight for many expedition participants. Learn more about the local community and enjoy lunch beside a small river.

For the rest of the afternoon, you will spend approximately two hours walking along a river with very little shade. You will cross the river several times, so expect to have wet feet throughout the day. In summer, the water is usually only knee-deep. However, Gore-Tex boots will fill with water and retain it, so they are not recommended.

You will then reach the entrance to Hang En Cave, home to thousands of swifts. Here, you will be given a headlamp before trekking and scrambling over boulders for approximately 20–30 minutes to reach your campsite inside the cave.

The group is expected to arrive at camp by 3:00 PM, where you can enjoy swimming and washing in the underground river. Dinner will be served at this spectacular campsite, which also offers numerous opportunities for photography.

Meals: B, L, D

Accommodation: Tent

You’ll begin your day with another delicious breakfast at around 8:00 AM. Today will be a challenging one, so be sure to enjoy a hearty breakfast to fuel your adventure!

At 9:00 AM, you’ll begin trekking through Hang En Cave for approximately 30 minutes to reach its magnificent exit, which has been featured in photographs by many photographers over the past few years. You’ll scramble down to the river valley before spending about an hour walking through the river. Your boots will remain wet for most of the day. This is unavoidable, but it’s all part of the adventure.

Next, you’ll climb a steep hill for approximately 45 minutes, with some rocky sections along the way. At the top, you’ll enjoy lunch, receive a safety briefing, and be fitted with a safety harness in preparation for your journey underground. A steep descent, followed by a couple of short rope-assisted climbs, will finally bring you to the entrance of Son Doong Cave.

Wearing your safety harnesses, you’ll begin the 80-meter descent into the cave, navigating several short climbs with the help of ropes, safety lines, and your guides. Please note that no rappelling or abseiling takes place at any point during the expedition.

You’ll then continue climbing and scrambling over boulders to reach the first and second river crossings inside the cave. Depending on water levels, the water will be no deeper than knee-to-thigh height. Take the opportunity to wash here, as this will be the last place to do so during the day.

On your way to the first campsite, located in the cave’s first large passage, take extra care along the rocky trail, where you’ll encounter several significant drops and sections requiring you to scramble over boulders. Eventually, you’ll be rewarded with one of the expedition’s most spectacular views: Hand of Dog and daylight streaming into the cave through the first doline.

You’ll then scramble down to Son Doong’s first campsite, arriving at around 3:00–4:00 PM. After a tea and coffee break, you’ll head down to view the ancient fossils. There will also be an opportunity for a short, refreshing swim, although washing is not permitted here.

Enjoy another hearty dinner with your team before settling in for the night.

Please note that there are no washing facilities at the campsite on this day.

Meals: B, L, D

Accommodation: Tent

Your day begins with a hearty breakfast with your team before departing at 9:00 AM for your second campsite in Son Doong Cave.

You’ll begin with some rocky climbs, which are quite steep in places, as you make your way to the first jungle inside the cave, known as Watch Out for Dinosaurs. The journey from Camp 1 to Watch Out for Dinosaurs takes approximately 1.5 hours. After a short break, you’ll continue down the rocky trail to reach the enormous Green Gours, one of the tour’s most magnificent and famous photography spots!

A light lunch will be served against the incredible backdrop of the first doline. If you’re lucky, you may even catch the sunbeams streaming into the cave, creating truly spectacular photo opportunities.

Next, enjoy an easy walk through the cave, passing gigantic formations and numerous cave pearls as you make your way towards the light of the second doline and the main underground jungle. Follow the path through beautiful foliage towards the light until you reach this extraordinary jungle, unlike anything you’ll find elsewhere on the planet! Cross the jungle for approximately 45 minutes before descending a steep, sometimes slippery path to your second campsite inside Son Doong Cave. You’ll arrive at camp around 2:00–3:00 PM.

After a short rest, you’ll head deeper into the cave towards the Great Wall of Vietnam. You’ll pass through a vast, dry passage featuring enormous stalagmites and spectacular views back towards the second doline. Many fascinating small creatures have been discovered in this passage, including white spiders, fish, woodlice, and shrimp species, so keep your eyes peeled.

At this point, conditions will determine your route to the Great Wall of Vietnam. You may encounter a vast, beautiful underground lake, where you’ll paddle towards the wall, or an adventurous muddy passage that requires you to trudge through mud for several hundred metres to reach it.

Continuing to the Great Wall of Vietnam is entirely optional. Be prepared to get very muddy, and remember that there are no bathing facilities at the campsite on this day. If you decide to take on the muddy route, be sure to pack plenty of wet wipes!

You’ll return to camp at around 6:00 PM to enjoy a sensational dinner with your team. Spend the evening playing games and enjoying entertainment, or simply relax and soak up the views at what may well be one of the world’s most spectacular campsites.

Meals: B, L, D

Accommodation: Tent

After refuelling with another hot breakfast, you’ll pack up camp and begin your journey towards the Great Wall of Vietnam. Climbing the wall involves a combination of ladders and ropes, with safety lines and team members on hand to support you throughout the ascent.

After this strenuous climb, you’ll catch sight of daylight streaming in from the exit. Continue past more flowstones and cave pearls, and see the calcified animal skeleton. Enjoy a picnic lunch before emerging from the cave into the jungle once again.

A short but fairly rocky trail will lead you down to the foot of the hill, followed by a short hike to the road. Cold drinks will be waiting for you at the top of the hill before you take a 45-minute drive back to Chay Lap Farmstay, where cool towels and a refreshing swimming pool await. You’ll have time to relax and recover after your long trek before joining your fellow expedition members for a farewell dinner.

Please inform our sales team of your departure time for the following day in advance so they can arrange your transfer back to the airport or train station. If you’d like to extend your stay in Phong Nha, let our team know so we can help you book additional nights at the hotel.

Meals: B, L, D

Accommodation: Chay Lap Farmstay