I’m a photography enthusiast, and the landscapes in Northwest Vietnam seem incredible for capturing scenic views. Are there any specific spots that are particularly photogenic...
Located on the narrow strip of land along Vietnam's central coast, bordering Laos to the west, Quang Binh is a sunny and windy land with a rather hot climate in summer. However, this land is greatly favoured by several wonderful landscapes, including Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, a world natural heritage site, unique records, a long coastline with white sand glistening under the sun, and wild beaches. Apart from it, Quang Binh is also home to many historical sites related to Vietnam's history.
So how to plan a trip to Quang Binh? Are there some itineraries to make the reference in the Quang Binh trip? Please read this article so as not to miss any important information.
Table of Content[Hide]
1. Planning travel itinerary in Quang Binh
There are really so many things to see and do in Quang Binh, choosing among these landmarks to create an itinerary is never easy. Why don't you take a look at the list of the most beautiful things in this land for you to review things to put on your wish list, then let's find out the most popular itineraries in this province.
1.1. Visit Quang Binh in a day
Do you only have one day in Quang Binh on your big trip to Vietnam? As you can read, Quang Binh boasts a great treasure of natural beauty and we certainly cannot visit everything in 1 limited day. In this case, we recommend a classic excursion with low difficulty. Spending a day in Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park will be a perfect choice that helps you fully feel the most appreciated thing in the area.
You can arrive at Phong Nha area the previous evening, spending a night in a farmstay or homestay, feeling the quiet tenors of life amidst the jungle and the following day a tour in the park before transferring to another destination.
Among the attractions in the park, if you have a day in Quang Binh, you may consider visiting:
Phong Nha wet cave: A boat trip will take about 2 hours and takes you to explore places with many unique records in the world such as “The longest cave”, the cave entrance is the tallest and widest, the most beautiful underground lakes, “The largest and most beautiful dry cave”, “The most magnificent and beautiful stalactites”, “The longest underground river in Vietnam”.
Paradise Cave - Hang Thien Duong, a must-see, hosting stunning stalactites. To visit this cave, it takes 2 hours and a pleasant 1km jungle walk. If you cannot walk that far, it is possible to reach the cave by electric car.
After these visits, you can continue your trip, moving to other places such as Quang Tri - 3.5 hours or Hue - 4.5 hours transfer by car.
If you want to spend more time relaxing and soaking in the clear, cool water instead of an all-day visit, it depends on your travel taste, you may decide to choose one of 2 most famous caves in the park such as Phong Nha Cave or Thien Duong Cave in addition to the interesting water activities such as kayaking, zipline in the Mooc Stream, Hava Valley or Chay River area and Darkness Cave - Hang Toi. You certainly have fun exploring Quang Binh.
If you can arrange a whole day in Quang Binh, leaving from this province in the next morning, I recommend you spend the whole day in the national park. In this way, you don't have to be undecided between the particular Phong Nha Cave or the wonderful Thien Duong Cave.
1.2. 2 days 1 night in Quang Binh
You have 2 full days in Quang Binh, then you can have experiences to do here.
If you want to spend your whole stay in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park, it is really not a bad idea. The park offers so many activities for travellers: from trekking to the jungle, discovering the mysterious caves, swimming in the emerald water in the rivers, hidden streams or the adrenaline-boosting games like ziplines.
You can choose from these options:
Option 1:
Day 01: Thien Duong Cave - Mooc Stream
Day 02: Phong Nha Cave - Chay River - Darkness CaveOption 2:
Day 01: Thien Duong Cave - Mooc Stream
Day 02: Phong Nha Cave - Ozo ParkOption 3:
Day 01: Trekking to Gio waterfall - Botanical garden - Phong Nha Cave
Day 02: Thien Duong Cave - Mooc Stream
In case you want a more relaxing vacation, which allows you to stay close to the sea, feeling your wet feet pampered by the waves of the sea, you can leave the second day to enjoy the beauty of the Quang Binh coastline. There are a few options you can make the references
Option 1:
Day 01: Thien Duong Cave - Phong Nha Cave
Day 02: Downtown Dong Hoi - Jumping Rocks Beach - Quang Phu Sand DunesOption 2:
Day 01: Thien Duong Cave - Mooc Stream
Day 02: Tomb of General Vo Nguyen Giap (the famous historical figure of 20th century Vietnam) - Jumping Rocks beach - Quang Phu sand dunesOption 3:
Day 01: Phong Nha Cave - Chay River - Darkness Cave
Day 02: Tomb of General Giap - jumping rocks beach - Quang Phu sand dunes
1.3 Explore Quang Binh in 3 days
If you are able to arrange 3 days and 2 nights in Quang Binh, congratulations because you can enjoy a little bit of all the beauty the country has to offer, the splendour and mystery of the mountains, jungle and caves to the gentle and fascinating beauty of the sea. Due to its idyllic wilderness aspect, so far the country preserves natural resources very well, which creates the irresistible charm of this country.
In this case, I recommend you spend 2 first days at Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park which so far remains a hidden world natural heritage and the last day at the sea. You can only combine our suggestions for a 3-day 2-night program perfect for your group's travel style. It is just like playing a game with small pieces to create a complete picture.
For example:
Option 1:
Day 01: Thien Duong Cave - Mooc Stream
Day 02: Phong Nha Cave - Chay River - Darkness Cave
Day 03: Downtown Dong Hoi - Jumping Rocks Beach - Quang Phu Sand DunesOption 2:
Day 01: Trekking to Thac Gio waterfall - Botanical garden - Phong Nha Cave
Day 02: Thien Duong Cave - Mooc Stream
Day 03: Tomb of General Giap - jumping rocks beach - Quang Phu sand dunes
1.4. Itineraries for adventurers
Beyond the classic itineraries with must-see landmarks in Quang Binh, there are more options for true adventurers. No matter how much time, from 4 days to a week in Quang Binh, there are always challenges and new things waiting to be discovered. There are some really challenging and exciting itineraries for you to consider.
Hang En Itinerary
Hang En - Swallow Cave takes visitors to the land of fairy tales in the Hollywood movie "Pan: Welcome to Neverland 2015" and is the place where ABC News USA broadcasts Good Morning America live.
The journey to Hang En will take about 1 day of trekking, including crossing the Ba Gian slope and a stop at Ban Doong village - the residence of ethnic Bru - Van Kieu, a tribal minority that lives isolated inside Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park. Then, you continue climbing the rocks to reach Hang En cave, spend a night camping inside the cave next to a very gentle crescent-shaped pool. The next morning, you discover the beauty inside the cave with the stunning stalagmites, underground river,...
Tu Lan itinerary
The Tu Lan cave system is located about 70 km northwest of Phong Nha Ke Bang National Park. Compared with other caves, Tu Lan was just discovered in 2009 and includes 10 different large and small caves, including Hung Ton cave discovered in 1992 and 9 other caves discovered in recent years. Tu Lan is becoming increasingly well-known and is an ideal destination for those who enjoy trekking and mountaineering. Tu Lan is also known as a famous place for filming movies, which require the backdrop of wilderness, the best known of which is “Kong: Skull Island” launched in 2017.
There are many routes to explore Tu Lan which takes from 1 to 6 interior days completely among nature. The difficulty of the trip equals the duration of the route so you need to be sure of your health and do not forget to train well in order to choose a more suitable option.
Son Doong Itinerary
As the largest cave in the world with its unique ecosystem, Son Doong Cave since it opened for adventure tourism in 2013 has always proved to be attractive to the domestic and international tourism community with its majestic beauty that cannot be imagined. It is compared to another underground world as we have read in some books. In 2013, it was recognized as a Guinness record for being the largest cave in the world.
Exploration of new lands is never easy, especially in caves that remain a mystery to the whole world. Therefore, medical professionals will conduct a survey to check your health to make sure you are fit for the trip. It is recommended that before you set out to explore Son Doong Cave, you must practise walking about 10 km a day and be able to cross at least one hill about 200-300 m high. Persevere in training for 3 to 6 months before the start of the trip, you will have enough strength to join this wonderful journey.
There are 2 routes of 4 days or 5 days to choose from when you travel to Son Doong.
5 things to know before exploring Son Doong cave
- Best time to visit: from January to the end of August each year
- Cost: 1 person when joining the tour is around 3,000 USD
- Tour registration: only a maximum of 1,000 tourists are allowed to register each year. It is not always possible to go at the time of registration and places are usually registered until the end of the year very early
- Number of participants per tour: to ensure safety, each tour has a maximum of 10 tourists and 30 tour leaders (including cave experts, guides, security assistants, cooks and porters)
- Requirements to participate in the tour: to participate in this trip, you have to meet a specific health condition
2. Getting around Quang Binh
Motorcycle
The most convenient means of getting around Quang Binh is probably a motorcycle, if you don't mind the fairly strong sun at noon. You can ask to rent a moped from your hotel or homestay to be sure of the quality of the mopeds. Rental fee is about 9 USD/day, oil is not included.
Electric car
In Dong Hoi, there is currently an electric car service that takes guests around the city. With a price of about 15 USD, you can pay a visit to Dong Hoi attractions such as Nhat Le Beach, Nhat Le Bridge, Bao Ninh Beach, Dong Hoi Ancient Citadel, Quang Binh Quan, Mother Suot Memorial, etc. Electric cars often park along Truong Phap street.
Public bus
The bus network in Quang Binh is rather small with only 3 routes in operation. The bus route B4 departs from Dong Hoi and stops at Phong Nha. Note that the first bus leaves at 5:30 AM and the last one leaves at 5:30 PM, so be aware of the time when choosing this means of transportation for your trip.
Taxi
You can also choose a cab as a flexible way in travelling Dong Hoi and attractions in Quang Binh. Some cab companies currently operating in Quang Binh are as follows:
Mai Linh Taxi: 0232 38585
Dong Hoi Taxi: 0232 3841841
Xuyen Viet Taxi: 0232 3848484
Quang Binh Taxi: 0232 3676767
Tien Sa Taxi: 0232 3797979
Private Car
The most convenient way if you are a family group or composed of more than 4 people is by car. To move between attractions, a private car will support you so you don't have to think so much in loading - unloading luggage, waiting to book new transfers. Normally, the price to book a 16-seat car is about 50 USD/day.
3. Tips on accommodations in Quang Binh
On your trip to Quang Binh, you may be confused about booking accommodations. Normally on hotel booking sites, there are various options of resorts, hotels, and homestays at different prices, however they are mostly concentrated in two areas Phong Nha and Dong Hoi town centre, close to the sea. While the Phong Nha area is completely relaxing and idyllic, Dong Hoi town centre (despite not being as lively as other beach destinations in Vietnam) is more vibrant with various seaside bars, night markets,...
List of popular hotels in Quang Binh
Phong Nha area
- Phong Nha Farmstay - phong-nha-cave.com
- Victory Road Villas - victoryroadvillas.com
- Phong Nha Lake House Resort - phongnhalakehouse.com
- Nguyen Shack - Phong Nha Eco Resort - nguyenshack.com
Dong Hoi Zone
- Celina Peninsula Resort - celinaresort.com
- Mường Thanh Luxury Nhật Lệ - muongthanh.com
- Gold Coast Hotel Resort & Spa - goldcoastquangbinh
- Meliá Vinpearl Quảng Bình - meliavinpearlquangbinh
- Sai Gon - Quang Binh - saigonquangbinhhotel
- Rex Quang Binh - rexquangbinhhotel
- Sun spa resort Dong Hoi - sunsparesortvietnam
Choosing a right place will facilitate in arranging the most suitable transfers and itineraries. Therefore, in this article, itinerary suggestions are listed in the first item. Depending on your preferred itinerary, you can choose the suitable location.
For example, based on the itineraries suggested in this article:
- 1.1. Visiting Quang Binh in one day → accommodation in Phong Nha
- 1.2. 2 days 1 night in Quang Binh → accommodation in Phong Nha or Dong Hoi
- 1.3. Exploring Quang Binh in 3 days → one night in Phong Nha and one night in Dong Hoi
We hope our shares will be helpful for you in planning your trip to Quang Binh. If you have any interesting experience, why not comment below so that other tourists can create the most convenient trip?
Happy travelling!
