Skull Island Vietnam: Visit the Real-Life ‘Kong’ Filming Locations!

Ever since the Kong: Skull Island movie hit theaters, movie buffs and travelers have been asking: Where in Vietnam were those jungle and river scenes filmed?
As someone who’s kayaked in the exact waterways and hiked the towering karsts, I can’t help but share the scoop. Filming took place across three parts of Vietnam, all limestone, all water, and none of them next to each other.

Visiting these spots, you’ll feel like you’ve stepped onto the movie set (minus the CGI dinosaurs!).

I will cover the main filming locations of Ninh Binh (Trang An and Van Long), Ha Long Bay (Bai Tu Long), and Quang Binh (Phong Nha caves). I’ll say what is worth the detour at each, plus practical tips (how to get there, entry fees, best times).
Pack your binoculars and sense of adventure as Skull Island awaits!

How to Get There

• Ninh Binh (Trang An, Tam Coc): About 100km south of Hanoi, Ninh Binh is easily reached by train or bus from the capital (2-2.5 hours). The main hubs: Tam Coc (for boat rides) or Trang An (a scenic park). Buses run hourly from Hanoi’s Giap Bat station. Private car or guided tour options are also popular (nobody told Kong how to drive!). I once hopped on the local green bus from Hanoi’s My Dinh station - super affordable.

• Halong Bay / Bai Tu Long Bay: True filming was mostly done on-screen using a mix of Vietnam and Hawaii, but the scenery matches Halong’s karsts. You can reach Halong City by bus from Hanoi in ~4 hours. Take a cruise into Bai Tu Long Bay (the quieter eastern neighbor of famous Halong Bay) for similar vistas. We recommend overnight or day cruises. Tip: The movie’s lush jungle is fictional, but imagine Tarzan swinging through those limestone islets!

• Phong Nha - Quang Binh: Flight to Dong Hoi Airport (from Hanoi 1.5hr) or 16-18h train from HCMC/Hanoi. Phong Nha area is home to the world’s largest caves (Son Doong, Hang En). The “dark cave” set of Skull Island resembles parts of Phong Nha. Many tours explore Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park caves by kayak and ropes. For example, hire a local guide to paddle in the neon waters of Phong Nha Cave.

Each location has a well-established tourism infrastructure (especially Ninh Binh and Halong). For Phong Nha, book cave tours in advance through Phong Nha Farmstay or Oxalis/ Jungle Boss (they manage many expeditions).

Highlights, and the ones people miss

if You Are Ninh Binh  You Have to Do the Trang an Boat Tour!

• Trang An (Ninh Binh) boat ride: 3.5km on gentle river through multiple caves and behind mountains. This was the backdrop for Kong’s final river scenes. The panoramic view from Hang Mua (Mua Cave) peak, after a 500-step climb, is not to be missed - it overlooks the whole Trang An complex.

  

• Van Long Nature Reserve: This wetland valley with boat tours has rock formations that even look like King Kong’s face (folklore alert!). It’s quieter than Tam Coc but equally dramatic. Birdwatchers love it (spring season is bird-nesting).

  

• Bai Dinh Pagoda: A short drive from Trang An, it’s the largest temple complex in Southeast Asia with 500+ Arhat statues. Not movie-related, but worth an hour if you are already in Ninh Binh.

  

• Halong Bay: There are dozens of cruise operators. If you want to feel epic, choose a night on the bay; the overnight Halong Bay cruises vary more in price than in route. Many cruises kayak through lagoons and caves (similar vibe to Skull scenes).
  Optional: Caves like Sung Sot (Surprise Cave) or the floating fishing village at Vung Vieng. Halong’s classic islets inspired many filmmakers - think the Nam Tu Liem scene where the planes fly past Karst mountains.

  

• Phong Nha - Quang Binh:

• Paradise Cave: A 1-hour trek from the entrance, it looks like the movie’s giant cavern. Inside are stalactites and stalagmites on a scale the photographs undersell.

• Dark Cave (Hang Toi): For adventure seekers, it involves a zipline into a cave pool, swimming, and cave-exit via inflatable. I felt like an extra in an action scene!

• Son Doong (if you win the lottery): The world’s largest cave. It was never a Kong location, though the film’s cave imagery owes it a debt. Oxalis is the only licensed operator, the permit quota is 1,000 people a year, and a place on the six-day expedition costs about $3,000. It is booked well over a year ahead.

  

• Hidden Tip - Cuc Phuong: Not a filming site, but Vietnam’s oldest national park (3-hour drive from Hanoi). If you want wild Vietnam jungle vibes, it’s half rainforest, half archaeological. Housing the Endangered Primate Rescue Centre, it’s an Eco-alternative to jungles.

The one that actually looks like the film

Every location on this page is somewhere a film crew stood. None of them looks much like the island in the finished film, because that was matte paintings and Oahu and a lot of compositing.

The place in Vietnam that genuinely resembles it is a doline: a section of cave roof that collapsed long ago, leaving a sinkhole with jungle growing on the floor and walls going up on every side. Kong Collapse in Phong Nha is one of the largest. You abseil in, and the light comes from a hole a couple of hundred metres above you.

It is a five-day expedition and it is hard. Ropework, jungle, and nights underground. That is a different holiday from a day out photographing the karst at Trang An, and worth knowing before you click.

Practical Info (Hours, Fees, Best Time)

• Hours & Fees: Ninh Binh parks (Trang An, Tam Coc, Van Long) typically open 7am-5pm. Entrance+boat fees for Trang An is about 250k VND ($11) (includes boat rower) - Bargain for 2-3 hours of cruising. Halong Bay cruises can range $50-$200+ per night (more inclusive). Phong Nha caves: Paradise Cave is ~200k VND entry, Dark Cave tour around 350k VND (including gear).

• Best Time to Visit: Ninh Binh is gorgeous year-round, but summer (May-Oct) has rice paddies in green and then golden. Ha Long Bay is best in fall and spring - avoid mid-Sep to mid-Nov (typhoon season can have rough seas). Phong Nha’s rainy season (Sept-Nov) floods some parts, so plan Oct-April for drier weather.

• Facilities: Ninh Binh (city) and Phong Nha (town) have guesthouses and eateries. Halong Bay’s cruisers provide all meals on board (Vietnamese/Western). For the Trang An boat ride, remember it’s outdoor - bring water, hat, and sunscreen (as my friend learned after a very red forehead!).

• Travel Notes: English is spoken by guides in these tourist areas. Still, learning basic Vietnamese phrases is helpful (“Cam on” for thanks, “Bao nhieu tien” for asking price).

  

Tour Itinerary (Full Day/Overnight)

Ninh Binh & Halong Bay (4 Days)

Day 1: Hanoi → Ninh Binh by early train. Rent a bicycle or scooter (or join a tour). Spend the afternoon on the Tam Coc boat ride (also called “Halong Bay on land”), then catch sunset from Hang Mua Cave viewpoint. Stay overnight in Ninh Binh town.

Day 2: Early start to Trang An Grottoes (fewer crowds). Afternoon transfer to Halong Bay area (3.5h drive) or overnight train to Lao Cai (for Sapa).

Day 3: Board a Halong/Bai Tu Long Bay cruise (12pm departure). Explore Sung Sot Cave, kayak into a quiet Lan Ha Bay cove. Spend night on a boat watching emerald islands drift by.

Day 4: Morning cruise to Titov Island (swim or climb viewpoint), cruise back. Overnight bus back to Hanoi or flight/train to Hue for the next leg.

Phong Nha Adventure (2 Days) - Day 1: Fly/train to Dong Hoi; taxi to Phong Nha town (30 min). In the afternoon, tour Paradise Cave (don’t miss the “Great Wall of Quang Binh” - a walkway deep inside). Day 2: Book a combo tour of Dark Cave (river tubing in cave) and botanic trails, finishing with rehydration swim in Chay River. Evening train/bus to Hue or HCMC..

One last thing, since the film is about monsters: the closest thing to Skull Island’s creatures that actually exists is a three-metre lizard, and it lives in Komodo National Park, Indonesia.