Son Doong Cave Map - Explore the World's Largest Cave

Cruising north from Saigon, I swapped city bustle for rice paddies and limestone karsts until I rolled into Dong Hoi, the gateway to Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Quang Binh Province, home of the world's largest cave, Son Doong. After hopping on a local bus from Hue (about 200 km north), I hit a junction in Son Trach; the last stretch to the park office is a bumpy 50 km jeep ride through jungle roads.

By late afternoon, I found myself at the Oxalis Adventure office, where a quick safety briefing set the tone for the wild 6-day, 5-night expedition ahead. With only 10 spots per departure and travelers aged 18-70, securing your slot requires booking up to a year in advance-and fair warning, tours run only from January through August each year due to monsoon floods.

Packing & Permits: Before You Go

Oxalis provides a detailed gear list (harness, headlamp, life jacket), but I threw in a few extras: quick-dry clothes, sturdy trekking poles, and a light camera rig for the dolines. A $660 park fee is wrapped into your US $3,000 tour price (VND 75 million), and you'll need a passport-style photo for your permit.
Fitness prep? Expect river crossings, jungle treks, and 800 m of vertical climbs-train on uneven ground beforehand, like I did by tackling local hills back home in Saigon.

Mapping the Underground Highway

Entrance & Hang En Warm-Up

Your journey starts with a 1 and a half day jungle trek straight into the heart of En Cave, where your first campsite nestles on flat limestone. At sunrise, you plunge deeper toward Son Doong's yawning mouth-after crossing knee-deep streams fed by the Thuong River, you step into the cool hush of the world's largest passage.

Son Doong Cave map

Key Map Icons

Thanks to laser scans, Son Doong's 3D map reveals these signature landmarks:

• Hope & Vision Passage - where sunlight first filters through cracks.

• Underground River - a churning ribbon you ford twice; it vanishes at Doline 1.

• Fossil Passage - swim in a 20 °C subterranean lake framed by coralized walls.

• Doline 1 "Watch Out for Dinosaurs" - a 450 m-deep skylight where midday sunbeams spotlight the "Wedding Cake" stalagmite.

• Doline 2 "Garden of Edam" - a mini-jungle beneath a collapsed ceiling, 200 m deep with ferns and towering trees.

• Passchendaele Chamber - giant rimstone pools known as cave pearls glisten like jewels.

• The Great Wall of Vietnam - a 90 m flowstone barrier you climb using via-ferrata gear on Day 4.

From entry to exit, the cave spans nearly 9 km, with passages soaring over 200 m high and 150 m wide-imagine a Boeing flying through a corridor five city blocks long.

Insider Tips & Hidden Gems

• Sunbeam Chasing: For the most surreal sun rays at Doline 1, aim for Jan-Mar between 11 am-1 pm.

• Fossil Dip: Bring swimwear to chill in the Fossil Passage lake; life jackets are provided and I swear it's the coolest post-trek tonic.

• Garden Secrets: Listen for monkeys cracking giant snails in the Garden of Edam-my guide swore he'd heard the remix of crunches echoing off the walls.

• Photo Ops: Position yourself atop the Wedding Cake for that epic Alan Walker shot; crowds are small but competitive, so nab your spot early.

• Weather Watch: February delivers crisp cave temps (15-20 °C), while April-May offers lush greenery and manageable jungle heat.

Ticketing & Booking Logistics

Only around 1,000 adventurers enter Son Doong annually, and 2025 -2026 slots sold out within weeks of opening. Once you've locked in your date, pay a 100% non-refundable deposit; cancellations within 60 days of departure incur heavy fees, as Oxalis can't backfill your spot.

Most guests spend 4 nights camping underground (Days 2-5) and 2 nights in Phong Nha guesthouses before/after. If Son Doong is full, consider the Kong Collapse Jungle Expedition in Phong Nha for similar thrills by Jungle Boss.

Final Caving Musings

Wrapping up at the exit, quenching a dusty throat with coconut water, I couldn't help but feel humbled by Son Doong's scale and silent power. This map-etched in stone, river, and light-does more than chart a route; it tells a story of discovery, community, and nature's grandest architecture. Whether you're ticking off Vietnam's north-to-south checklist or chasing subterranean marvels, Son Doong demands both respect and wonder. Pack your bags, stretch those calves, and let this map be your underground compass into one of Earth's greatest frontiers.