Best national park in Vietnam
This guide unveils the magic of Vietnam’s top national park, ditching rigid rankings and focusing on matching your travel desires with the park’s distinctive offerings. Whether you crave adrenaline-pumping hikes, serene boat tours through towering limestone pillars, or encounters with rare wildlife, we’ll help you discover the national park in Vietnam that will ignite your sense of wonder.
Pick a national park in Vietnam within this top 10 and go
Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park in Vietnam (Quang Binh Province)
- Highlights: Home to Paradise Cave, the world’s longest cave, and Son Doong Cave, the world’s largest cave by volume. Offers stunning scenery, biodiversity, and historical sites.
- Lowlights: Can be crowded during peak season. Some tours can be physically demanding.
- Service providers: Numerous tour operators offer various packages, from day trips to multi-day adventures. Prices vary depending on the itinerary.
- Price range: Budget-friendly options start around $30 for day tours, while multi-day adventures can cost upwards of $500.
- Address: Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam
- Notes: UNESCO World Heritage Site. Requires permits for entering some caves.
Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam (Dong Nai Province)
- Highlights: Diverse wildlife, including birds, primates, and reptiles. Offers trekking, camping, and wildlife watching opportunities.
- Lowlights: Limited facilities and infrastructure inside the park. Getting to the park can be challenging, especially during the rainy season.
- Service providers: Several ecotourism operators offer tours and accommodation options.
- Price range: Prices vary depending on the chosen service provider and itinerary, but generally budget-friendly.
- Address: Dong Nai Province, Vietnam
- Notes: Home to the critically endangered Douc Langur.
Ha Long Bay National Park in Vietnam (Quang Ninh Province)
- Highlights: Dramatic scenery with towering limestone pillars, caves, and floating villages. Kayaking, swimming, and visiting caves are popular activities.
- Lowlights: Overcrowded during peak season, especially around popular attractions.
- Service providers: Countless tour operators offer cruises, kayaking tours, and day trips to Ha Long Bay.
- Price range: Prices range depending on the type of cruise (day trip, overnight, luxury), itinerary, and inclusions. Budget options start around $30, while luxury cruises can cost upwards of $1000 per night.
- Address: Quang Ninh Province, Vietnam
- Notes: UNESCO World Heritage Site. Choose cruises with responsible tourism practices to minimize environmental impact.
Ninh Binh National Park in Vietnam (Trang An Landscape Complex) (Ninh Binh Province)
- Highlights: Scenic boat tours through limestone caves and floating pagodas. Offers beautiful landscapes, temples, and historical sites.
- Lowlights: Can be crowded, especially during peak season. Some caves have low ceilings and require crouching or swimming through shallow waters.
- Service providers: Many tour operators offer boat tours, motorbike rentals, and bicycle rentals.
- Price range: Budget-friendly destination with plenty of affordable accommodation and activities. Boat tours typically cost around $20-$30 per person.
- Address: Ninh Binh Province, Vietnam
- Notes: Often referred to as “Ha Long Bay on land” due to the similar karst landscape formations.
Bach Ma National Park in Vietnam (Thua Thien Hue Province)
- Highlights: Diverse flora and fauna, with a high concentration of endemic species. Offers trekking, bird watching, and opportunities to see primates.
- Lowlights: Limited facilities and services inside the park. The weather can be unpredictable, with cold temperatures at higher elevations.
- Service providers: Several guesthouses and homestays are located near the park entrance. A few tour operators offer guided trekking tours.
- Price range: Relatively inexpensive destination. Park entrance fees are around $10, and homestays start at around $10 per night. Guided tours typically cost around $30-$50 per day.
- Address: Thua Thien Hue Province, Vietnam
- Notes: Home to the endangered Swinhoe’s Pheasant.
Yok Don National Park in Vietnam (Dak Lak Province)
- Highlights: Largest national park in Vietnam, with dry forests, waterfalls, and volcanic lakes. Offers elephant trekking, wildlife watching, and opportunities to learn about ethnic minority cultures.
- Lowlights: Limited facilities and infrastructure inside the park. Some areas can be inaccessible during the rainy season.
- Service providers: Several tour operators offer elephant trekking tours, homestays, and park tours.
- Price range: Prices vary depending on the chosen service provider and itinerary, but generally budget
Pu Luong National Park (Thanh Hoa Province)
- Highlights: Stunning terraced rice paddy fields, waterfalls, and ethnic minority villages. Offers trekking, biking, and homestay experiences.
- Lowlights: Limited facilities and can be challenging to reach for independent travelers. Some trekking routes require a guide.
- Service providers: Homestay experiences and guided tours are available through local tour operators.
- Price range: Budget-friendly destination with affordable homestays and tours. Homestay stays can be around $20-$30 per night, and guided tours start at around $40 per day.
- Address: Thanh Hoa Province, Vietnam
- Notes: Offers a glimpse into the traditional way of life of ethnic minority groups like the Thai people.
Ba Be National Park (Bac Kan Province)
- Highlights: Ba Be Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Vietnam. Offers boat tours, kayaking, trekking, and visits to waterfalls and caves.
- Lowlights: Limited tourist infrastructure outside of the main pier area. Public transportation can be limited.
- Service providers: Boat tours, homestays, and motorbike rentals can be arranged through local guesthouses and tour operators.
- Price range: Budget-friendly destination. Homestay stays can be around $10-$20 per night, and boat tours start at around $20 per person.
- Address: Bac Kan Province, Vietnam
- Notes: Home to the Tay people, a unique ethnic minority group known for their traditional stilt houses.
Nam Cat Tien National Park in Vietnam (Lam Dong Province)
- Highlights: Lowland rainforest with diverse wildlife, including birds, mammals, and reptiles. Offers trekking, wildlife watching, and opportunities to learn about conservation efforts.
- Lowlights: Hot and humid climate year-round. Mosquitoes can be abundant.
- Service providers: Several ecotourism lodges and tour operators offer guided tours and trekking expeditions.
- Price range: Prices vary depending on the chosen service provider and itinerary, but generally more expensive than some other parks on this list due to the higher quality ecotourism options. Budget options can be found, but luxury lodges can be quite expensive.
- Address: Lam Dong Province, Vietnam
- Notes: Important habitat for endangered species such as the Vietnamese crocodile and the Asian giant muntjac.
Phu Quoc National Park (Kien Giang Province)
- Highlights: Located on Phu Quoc Island, offering beautiful beaches, rainforests, and coral reefs. Activities include hiking, wildlife watching, and snorkeling or diving.
- Lowlights: Can be expensive to reach depending on location. Some areas may be undeveloped.
- Service providers: Many resorts and tour operators offer day trips, diving/snorkeling excursions, and forest tours on Phu Quoc Island.
- Price range: Prices vary depending on chosen activities and accommodation type. Budget options can be found, but Phu Quoc can also be a luxury destination. Day trips to the national park typically start around $50 per person.
- Address: Kien Giang Province, Vietnam (Phu Quoc Island)
- Notes: Home to a variety of wildlife, including long-tailed macaques and wild boars.
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