Top 9 Caves in Halong Bay Worth Visiting 2024

Planning to visit Halong Bay, you should never miss the following top 9 caves in Halong Bay, whose beauties are truly outstanding.

As one of the Seven Wonders, Halong Bay has been long famous for its distinctive geology, high aesthetics, and lasting archeology value. The bay itself has existed for millions of years, from primitive times, and undergone thousands of natural changes, thus containing many archaeological traces of Earth's formation and development history. One of those is the presence of more than 59 caves, which are gifted by Mother Nature; hence stunning sceneries and long-standing values. Every year, thousands of tourists from all around the globe come to see them.

Top caves in Halong bay worth visiting

 

Why Should You Visit Caves in Halong Bay?

Extraordinary getaway

Each of the caves in Halong Bay features a unique beauty that could never be found elsewhere. Once visiting the grotto system in the World Heritage, you will have a chance to immerse yourself in the tranquility created by the large space, and strange-shaped karst cliffs. Therefore, you can find peace of soul which seems hard to find in stressful urban life.

Besides, the caves themselves possess spectacular sceneries perfect for check-in and taking some photos for your travel collection. For those who want their trip to be more about relaxing and admiring the scene to get away from their daily life, visiting a Halong cave could be the right choice.

• What to expect: Magnificient beauty; Strange-shaped karst cliffs; and Calm atmosphere

Long-lasting archaeology

Having existed here for thousands of years, the grotto system features everlasting archaeology values, captivating to learn. These have made a lot of archaeological experts come each year to study and do some research.

To those who do not specialize in archaeology, getting to know about the values could be a thrilling experience, bringing them another point of view of the World Heritage besides its stunning beauty.

• What to expect: Precious archaeological values

Inside a Halong Bay cave - the unspoiled paradise

Engaging experience

Apart from the stunning beauty and long-standing archaeological values, Halong Bay caves provide tourists visiting here with great experiences on the way to them. As it is quite hard to reach the caves by normal vehicles, tourists have to go kayaking or row small bamboo boats to enjoy the scenery inside.

• What to expect: Kayaking; Bamboo boat

Those are the reasons why you should visit the caves during your trip to the bay. If you are interested in the idea, why not pack your luggage and join an exploration of the best places to visit in Halong Bay?

 

Top 9 Halong Bay Caves Worth Visiting

As previously mentioned, there are more than 59 caverns, and it will take you a lifetime to visit all of them. Yet, don't worry, since the top 9 most recommended will be presented to you. Maybe, from those, you could choose one that perfectly fits the bill for the best experience in the bay.

1. Sung Sot (Surprise) Cave

• Entrance fees: US $2.16 per person
• How to get there: Take a boat tour to reach Bo Hon Island, on which lies Sung Sot
• What to expect: Behold stunning panoramic view of the bay from the top 

The surprising scenery of Sung Sot Cave

Located in the World Heritage's core, Sung Sot is among the most magnificent grotto to be found. After reaching Bo Hon Island, walk about 10 minutes through the path covered with the evergreen plants, and Sung Sot will gradually manifest itself in your eyesight. Get inside; as its name suggests, you would be surprised by the stunning beauty and uniqueness.

It features a huge space inside and is full of strange-shaped karst cliffs created by nature for thousands of years, hanging themselves upwards, thus giving the tourists an impression of a hundred chandeliers above their heads. In a moment, you might imagine being lost in the fairy tales, as the scene here is breathtakingly beautiful.

Recommend cruises that visit Sung Sot Cave Paradise Elegance Glory Legend Hermes Queen Luxury Day Cruise

 

2. Thien Cung Cave

• Entrance fees: US $ 2.16 per person
• How to get there: Book a day cruise that includes Thien Cung in the itinerary
• What to expect: Mystical legend of the cave, peace of soul, and perfect check-in corners

Thien Cung Cave, with its breathtaking view

Earning 2nd place in the top 9 is the beautiful Thien Cung, which lies on Dau Go Island. Like the former, Thien Cung also possesses a complicated karst structure with towering height and long-standing unique stalactite cliffs. The cavern has been for ages linked to the famous legend.

The honorable Dragon King, who brought peace and prosperity to the country, was told to have lived there thousands of years ago. He was praised not by the people but also by the animals. As a result, the fact that there are both human-like and animal-like cliffs inside Thien Cung could be explained.

Today, fully equipped with a colorful light system, Thien Cung Cave seems to be far more stunning than it used to be. 

Recommend cruises that visit Thien Cung Cave Phoenix Day Cruise

 

3. Dau Go Cave

• Entrance fees: US $2.16 per person 
• How to get there: Book a day boat in 4 hours or 6 hours in Halong Bay
• What to expect: Amire the magnificent stalactites and stalagmites

Dau Go - the most beautiful caves in Halong Bay

Dau Go is also among the top 9 most beautiful caves in Ha Long Bay. It attracts tourists with its magnificent beauty inside with a large space full of light and various stalagmite cliffs. Besides, a feature that makes Dau Go Cave a stunning place is its aboriginal scenery giving us a feeling of being back to the past when primitive nature took place.

Dau Go is quite near Thien Cung. Like its neighbor, the cavern has been linked to a legend about King Tran Hung Dao's defeating Nguyen invader with hundreds of wooden spiles, hence its name.

 

4. Luon Cave

• Entrance fees: US $ 1.29 per person 
• How to get there: Take a 2- or 3-day Halong Bay to Bo Hon Island
• What to expect: Kayaking by yourself or rowing a bamboo boat with local people

Kayaking into the unique Luon Cave

Lying 14 km to the South of the World Heritage area, Luon Cave is the most unique in Halong Bay. The grotto itself is open with a small entrance (only 3 meters wide and 2.5 – 4 meters high). Therefore, you can only admire the stunning scenery of it while kayaking or rowing a bamboo boat.

Luon Cave was, at first, a huge limestone rock that has undergone erosion for thousands of years, thus featuring small gaps in the bottom, creating uniqueness. Getting here, you would find the amazingly tranquil and perfect for relaxing. Besides, you could also immerse yourself in the fresh air, and cold wind and take some pictures of the monkeys climbing on the rock above energetically.

Recommend cruises that visit Luon Cave Athena Luxury

 

5. Thien Canh Son Cave

• Entrance fees: US $ 2.16 per person 
• How to get there: Take an overnight cruise to Bai Tu Long
• What to expect: Conquer 400 stone stairs to admire the spectacular views from the top

Inside Thien Canh Son Cave

The Grotto of Thien Canh Son is the 5th to be worth visiting in 2024. The grotto belongs to a brother of Halong Bay, Bai Tu Long Bay. While Halong Bay is a tourism center that is well-known to the world, Bai Tu Long Bay is a lesser-known and more deserted but equally stunning one.

Therefore, Thien Canh Son is more pristine and untouched than others, allowing tourists to immerse themselves in a peaceful atmosphere while getting away from bustling urban life. The grotto also attracts people by its collection of stalagmites that resemble many floras and faunas like a baby elephant, and a lotus flower, which can give tourists a vivid imagination of nature.

Recommend cruises that visit Thien Canh Son Cave Dragon Pearl Junk Paloma Swan

 

6. Dark & Bright Cave

• Entrance fees: US $ 2.16 per person (kayak included)
• How to get there: Take an overnight cruise to Lan Ha Bay 
• What to expect: Discover the green valley and sparkling stalactites on a kayak/ small bamboo boat

Rowing a small boat into Dark & Bright Cave

Dark & Bright Cave is among the most unique in the bay. The system itself is a sophisticated limestone structure that contains two parts: Dark and Bright. Generally, Dark Cave is huge and, as its name suggests, dark and often hard to get in, while Bright Cave is a small but easily accessed one that has Sunshine from the entrance to the end.

To explore its stunning beauty, you will have to go by kayak on your own or sit on a small bamboo boat rowed by the locals. Once arriving at the two, you would find the place extraordinarily quiet and breathtakingly beautiful.

Recommend cruises that visit Dark & Bright Cave Mon Cheri Peony Sena

 

7. Tien Ong Cave

• Entrance fees: US $ 1.29 per person 
• How to get there: Take a 2-day or 3-day cruise to Bai Tu Long
• What to expect: Learn about the legend and the masterpiece of archeology in the cave

Tien Ong Cave

Ranking the 7th in the top 9 worth visiting, Tien Ong is famous for its breathtaking scenery. With an area of about 1,000 m2, the cavern features a huge space inside. Also, Tien Ong is divided into two chambers by a tall rustic tall pillar. Both chambers feature many strange-shaped limestone cliffs such as animal-shaped, man-shaped, etc., giving the tourist a sense of interest.

Besides, the primitive charm created by layers of emerald green moss would be the one that makes Tien Ong a must-see in the bay.

Recommend cruises that visit Tien Ong Cave Heritage Line Violet Emperor

 

8. Trung Trang Cave

• Entrance fees: US $ 3.45 per person 
• How to get there: Take a 2-day or 3-day cruise to Cat Ba Island
• What to expect: Trekking to Cat Ba National Park and exploring the ecosystem

Trung Trang Cave 

Located in Trung Trang Valley and about 15km to the Northwest of Cat Ba Town, Trung Trang is one of the most recommended Halong Bay Cave. They are locally known as "gold measure" with a variety of unique things. Those include hundreds of animal-like or man-like shaped stalagmites that give visitors a fertile imagination and remind us of the amazing nature. Here, you can find various ideal corners to take some photos for your travel collection and learn about its archeology, which will bring you another point of view of nature.

Recommend cruises that visit Trung Trang Cave Orchid Trendy

 

9. Hospital Cave (Quan Y Cave)

• Entrance fees: US $3.45 per person 
• How to get there: Take an overnight cruise to Cat Ba Island
• What to expect: Discover the historical and archeological values

Hospital Cave

Not only a stunning Halong Cave, but Hospital Cave is also a historic place, as it used to be a makeshift hospital during the war. Therefore, once you come here, you would have a chance to enjoy the scenery and explore many lasting historical values. With an area of about 2,000m2, It is divided into 3 floors, including 17 rooms. In the past, it was an ideal base for the army to discuss the strategy to fight against the enemy, so the entrance was designed to ensure security, thus hard to get in. With all these features, Hospital Cave could give you the best experience that can never be found anywhere else.

Recommend cruises that visit Trung Trang Cave Mon Cheri

 

An overview of the top 9 caves in Halong Bay

 

Best Ways to Explore Cave in Halong Bay

If you are interested in one or more of the top 9 listed above, why not book a trip to admire the one that you like? Especially, we highly recommend you take a cruise tour, as it is the best way to explore the caves. Instead of traveling by different transportation to get here, then, finding a hotel to stay in, you can book a Halong Bay cruise to thoroughly enjoy your vacation. Also, traveling on a cruise could give you a chance to explore more places and take part in more activities, which is included in the cost. Such great convenience! Usually, there are two options for you.

A Halong Bay cave tour on the cruise

Halong Bay Day Cruise

Halong Bay day tour is particularly suitable for those who don't have much time on their vacation but still want to visit the highlights of the World Heritage. During a day on the Halong cruise tour, you will be taken to many outstanding places around the bay including a wide range of worth visiting caves such as Sung Sot, Luon Cave, etc, explore the stunning scenery of each one, and take part in kayaking, swimming, climbing, etc. Besides, a Halong Bay day tour would only cost you about $100 for a full-day trip.

 

Halong Bay Overnight Cruise

If you want to visit more places and experience more about the tourism services, Halong Bay overnight cruise will be the best idea. Due to a longer time, the ship would take you to more caves in and outside the Ha Long area. You can also take part in activities in a more comfortable way and especially, experience the professional on-board services, and well-prepared cuisine, which would make your trip a far more enjoyable one.

 

Local Tips When Visiting Halong Caves

• Should NOT visit caves on a summer weekend, it is too crowded with Vietnamese & Chinese tourists.
• Some caves are very crowded in the afternoon like Sung Sot, Thien Cung, and Dau Go because both day & overnight cruises visit them. So a morning tour is recommended.
• Some of them are suitable for young and promising health travelers because you have to climb relatively high: Sung Sot (100 steps up), Trung Trang, Hospital, and Thien Cung.

Visiting caves in Halong Bay are must-do activities you should not miss when traveling to this destination. I hope our articles provide you with useful information to choose the best Halong bay tour to visit on your next trip.

Duc Anh Tran

(Image Source: Internet)