Son Doong Cave: Expedition, Costs and Booking
Contents
- 1. How Son Doong Was Discovered
- 2. The Expedition: What You Actually Do
- 2.1 Day-by-Day Overview
- 2.2 What Is Included
- 3. Booking and Availability
- 4. Physical Fitness Requirements
- 5. Getting to Phong Nha
- 6. Alternative Caves in Phong Nha
- 7. Tips for Planning Your Son Doong Expedition
- 8. Sources and background
- 9. Frequently Asked Questions
Son Doong is in Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in central Vietnam. Guinness World Records identifies it as the largest single cave passage by overall dimensions, not the longest cave system.[1] Rivers and openings in the roof support an unusual underground landscape. This is a guided expedition, not a cave where you can buy a walk-in ticket.[2]
How Son Doong Was Discovered
Local resident Ho Khanh found the entrance and later helped the British caving team survey the cave in 2009. Oxalis Adventure runs the visitor programme today.[2]
Things to Do
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The Expedition: What You Actually Do
Day-by-Day Overview
The expedition takes six days and five nights, including the arrival briefing and departure transfers. The four trekking days pass through Hang En, camp for the first night in the forest near Son Doong’s entrance, then spend two nights inside Son Doong. The route includes a high-level passage, the two dolines and the climb up the Great Wall of Vietnam using ladders, ropes and staff assistance. The last night is at Chay Lap Farmstay. Weather can change the route.[2]
What Is Included
The price is VND 80,000,000 (USD 3,000) per person. It covers park fees, Dong Hoi transfers, meals, camping and safety equipment, and accommodation before and after trekking. For ten guests the team is a cave expert, a guide, six safety assistants, two cooks and eighteen porters. Personal expenses, travel to Dong Hoi and extra services are not included.[2]
The included insurance pays a maximum of VND 50,000,000 per case. Take out your own cover for remote trekking, caving, rescue, evacuation and trip disruption, and get written confirmation of what it excludes before you pay.[2]
Booking and Availability
Oxalis is the only licensed expedition operator, and each group has a maximum of ten guests. Check the live departure calendar on its website and wait for a booking confirmation. You give health, medication, allergy and trekking details when you book and update them 45 days before departure. The safety briefing is mandatory and part of the package. Read the cancellation and refund terms before paying: weather does not automatically trigger a refund.[2]
Physical Fitness Requirements
The expedition is rated Challenging. Participants must be 18 to 70 and have recent experience of overnight forest or mountain trekking and the fitness to match. You trek roughly 28 km through jungle and mountains and explore the cave, with repeated river crossings and technical climbs. Talk to Oxalis about your experience and health, and to a doctor if in doubt. Rescue can take hours to reach you.[2]
Getting to Phong Nha
Plan your arrival in Dong Hoi with Oxalis before you book flights, trains or buses. You must arrive by 15:00 on briefing day, and Oxalis arranges the transfers to Phong Nha.[2]
Alternative Caves in Phong Nha
If the expedition is full, too demanding or beyond your budget, look at the Hang En and Tu Lan programmes from Oxalis. Their routes, duration and fitness requirements differ, and they are not automatically easier. For other Phong Nha caves, ask the operator about access, price and conditions.
Tips for Planning Your Son Doong Expedition
Pack good-grip closed trekking or approach shoes, quick-dry clothing, a personal daypack and waterproof protection for electronics. Heavy trekking boots are not necessary. Oxalis provides the camping and safety equipment. The porters carry a dry bag of up to 7 kg per guest, and you cannot reach it during the day’s trek, so keep what you need in your own pack.[2]
Expeditions run from January to August, and conditions and safety decisions can change departures. Expect no mobile signal or Wi-Fi while trekking. The team carries emergency satellite communications for emergencies only, so tell your contacts when you will be off the grid.[2]
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Guinness World Records: Largest cave record: a single passage by overall dimensions and the discovery chronology. Retrieved October 19, 2026.
- [2] Oxalis Adventure: Son Doong expedition: current itinerary, eligibility, booking and included services. Retrieved October 19, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. The expedition is rated Challenging. Participants must be 18 to 70 and have recent experience of overnight forest or mountain trekking and the fitness to match. You trek roughly 28 km through jungle and mountains and explore the cave, with repeated river crossings and technical climbs. Talk to Oxalis about your experience and health, and to a doctor if in doubt. Rescue can take hours to reach you.
The price is VND 80,000,000 (USD 3,000) per person. It covers park fees, Dong Hoi transfers, meals, camping and safety equipment, and accommodation before and after trekking. For ten guests the team is a cave expert, a guide, six safety assistants, two cooks and eighteen porters. Personal expenses, travel to Dong Hoi and extra services are not included. The included insurance pays a maximum of VND 50,000,000 per case, so take out your own cover for remote trekking, rescue and evacuation.
Oxalis is the only licensed expedition operator, and each group has a maximum of ten guests. Check the live departure calendar on its website and wait for a booking confirmation. You give health, medication, allergy and trekking details when you book and update them 45 days before departure. The safety briefing is mandatory. Read the cancellation and refund terms before paying.
Expeditions run from January to August. Conditions and safety decisions can change departures. Expect no mobile signal or Wi-Fi while trekking; the team carries emergency satellite communications.
Very. The expedition is rated Challenging, with roughly 28 km of jungle and mountain trekking, repeated river crossings and technical climbs such as the Great Wall of Vietnam on ladders and ropes. Participants must be 18 to 70 and have recent overnight trekking experience.
Look at the Hang En and Tu Lan programmes from Oxalis. Their routes, duration and fitness requirements differ, and they are not automatically easier. For other Phong Nha caves, ask the operator about access, price and conditions.
Weather can change the route, and conditions and safety decisions can change departures. Cancellation and refund terms are set by Oxalis; weather does not automatically trigger a refund, so read them before you pay.
Pack good-grip closed trekking or approach shoes, quick-dry clothing, a personal daypack and waterproof protection for electronics. Heavy trekking boots are not necessary. Oxalis provides the camping and safety equipment. The porters carry a dry bag of up to 7 kg per guest, and you cannot reach it during the day’s trek, so keep what you need in your own pack.
