Hang Tien Endeavor Tour
Hang Tien Endeavor Tour is a challenging adventure tour, where guests will explore two dry caves considered to be one of the largest caves in the Tu Lan System, Hang Tien 1 & 2. They are well-known for giant stalactites and big cave passages, the tour also includes one-night camping by a tranquil river.
Hang Tien is the largest dry cave in the Tu Lan System, and is located in Cao Quang Commune, Tuyen Hoa District, Quang Binh Province, Vietnam. This is about 70 km from Phong Nha – Ke Bang National Park. Hang Tien is famous for its natural beauty with special cave formations such as gour pools.
The unique features of the trip are:
- Explore: Fun Cave, Tien 1 and Tien 2 Caves - the final caves of the Tu Lan Cave System. Discover the impressive and unique cave ceiling dome, the large gour pools – a special kind of cave formation resembling rice terraces, and many stalactites.
- Experience the "flying fox" inside Hang Tien 1: a safety system used to cross the stream in case of high water (normally walkable to cross). This is an impressive experience for most visitors of the Hang Tien Endeavor Tour.
- Hang Tien Campsite: one of the dreamiest campsites next to the river with stunning views. Enjoy the “natural infinity swimming pool” where the underground river from Tu Lan wells up right next to the campsite. This is a lake beneath a small limestone cliff, formed naturally with an “infinity view” as described by many guests. Do not ignore this opportunity in this tour - Hang Tien Endeavor.
- Swim in the natural infinity pool: The underground river originates in Tu Lan and reappears at the Hang Tien camping area. A swimming area with a naturally blue lake where guests are surrounded by mountain views. The naturally occurring circular lake is known to many people as a natural "infinity" pool. All tour participants should make sure to visit this swimming pool.
Note: On heavy rainy days, the water will not be as clear and blue as on normal days. - Local cultural experience: Guests will be invited to have dinner at one of the porters' homes after the group's adventure. Hearing how tourism has improved a villager’s life from working as a farmer and logger to providing services for tourists, visitors can learn about their daily activities whilst dining with their family. The lovely and tranquil Tan Hoa village can also be explored by bicycle.
- Unique stay after the tour: You will spend one night at a Rural Homestay in Tan Hoa. Rural Homestay is a weather-adaptive lodging model sponsored by Oxalis. It is based on the construction of 10 flood-resistant floating houses for households in Tan Hoa. These homestays offer peaceful views of the lives of Tan Hoa villagers.
Note: This tour takes place in remote areas with complex terrains. Customers must be physically fit.
Please carefully read the tour itinerary and honestly fill out the booking information yourself, especially your experience and health condition.
To book a tour for a group, please send the tour information to them and instruct each member to complete the booking form on their own. Our booking system lets each person fill in their own information, avoiding errors or missing details when someone else does it for you. Read more about Oxalis Adventure Level.
Itinerary
The itinerary of exploration tours can be changed due to weather conditions. The jungle trail during the exploration trip can be quite muddy and slippery when it rains.
Phong Nha - Tan Hoa Commune - Fun Cave - Tien Cave Campsite
From 07:30 to 08:00 AM on the departure day of Hang Tien Endeavor Tour, the tour guide and driver will pick you up at hotels around Phong Nha town to drive to Tan Hoa Commune for the safety briefing and packing. After signing the Release form, you will receive the necessary safety equipment and set off for the caving tour.
After warming up with an ascent of a small hill, you will overcome some rocky terrain, and trek downhill to a small valley, there will be a short steep peak to conquer before reaching Fun Cave – an interesting dry cave also known as a “warm-up” cave in this caving and jungle trekking tour. You will also stop at the other end of the cave for a picnic lunch prepared by our porters. After Fun Cave, you will carry on down to Hang Tien campsite, where it is time for you to have a break, enjoy the scenery and get ready for a swim at a “natural infinity swimming pool”. Enjoy a cool bath surrounded by beautiful scenery before returning to the idyllic camp for a hot cup of coffee or tea before sunset. A delicious dinner will be served soon by the amazing porter chefs. You may linger after dining or return to the tents for a comfortable night.
Hang Tien 1 & 2 - Tan Hoa
After breakfast at the camp, guests continue to walk through the jungle and over a very rocky path to reach Hang Tien 1. You will be amazed by the vast entrance with a high roof, and tall calcite formations covered with plants and mosses. Marvel at the circular ceiling dome inside. At the end of Hang Tien Cave, you will be equipped with safety harnesses to climb up a 10m high ladder, leading to the cave exit. After about 30 minutes of trekking through the forest from Hang Tien 1, you reach Hang Tien 2. Pass through a small entrance and spiral down to a huge passage, containing a floor of fine terraces, cave pearls, and many formations.
After finishing Hang Tien 2, guests return to the entrance to have lunch and then conquer a 300-meter-high rocky mountain before dropping down to the pickup point. Back at the Tan Hoa office, the group will check in to Rural Homestay in Tan Hoa to shower and relax.
Around 6:00 p.m., the group will walk to the porter’s house for dinner and interact with the villagers. You will not only have the opportunity to try some delicious local food but also learn more about the living conditions of the people here. After dinner, the group will come back to Rural Homestay for a restful night.
Explore Tan Hoa village and ATV tour - Phong Nha
Early in the morning, waking up from your Rural Homestay, there will be a peaceful review of the lives of the villagers, guests can explore Tan Hoa village and enjoy the sunrise over the Tan Hoa paddy fields or corn fields by biking around the village. You can also enjoy breakfast at the Tu Lan Lodge.
Adventure enthusiasts can also do the ATV Quad bike off-road tour to explore Lim forest and Kong's home, for two hours starting at 9:00 am. This is a sporty driving tourism activity that takes you up hills, across streams, and through the beautiful Lim forest and Kong’s tunnel.
Homestay check-out time is 12:00 p.m. There will be a shuttle service from Tan Hoa to Phong Nha after the Hang Tien Endeavour tour. You can consider visiting other sightseeing and exploring destinations in Phong Nha, such as Phong Nha Cave, Paradise Cave, Blue Diamond Camp, Mooc Spring, or Chay River-Dark Cave.
Notice
On heavy rainy days, the water may turn brown with a strong current.
Enjoy the local cuisine during the trekking tour: food cooked by local chefs is one of the highlights of any Oxalis Adventure tour.
Photo
Weather and Climate in the Tu Lan - Hang Tien area
The Tu Lan - Hang Tien area has 4 seasons in a year (spring, summer, autumn, and winter). Due to the weather and for conservation, Hang Tien Endeavour tours are only operated from November to the middle of September yearly.
- From December to March, the weather will sometimes be cold interspersed with sunny days.
- April and May are spring months with cool air.
- June to August are the warm months of summer. However, most of the time visitors trek under the forest canopy or inside the cave with a temperature of 22 to 25 degree Celsius. This is also a perfect time to enjoy the swim at the “infinity swimming pool” near the campsite.
Each season has its natural features to enjoy, and visitors can check the weather at Hang Tien or Tu Lan via Accuweather before joining an Oxalis Adventures caving tour.
Adventure level on tour
After many years of operating exploration adventure tours, Oxalis has created an adventure scale to help tourists visualize and choose the right caving trip for their fitness and health. This scale is not to be applied to other companies with different conditions and terrains. The easiest level anyone can join and the most difficult level 6 requires regular exercise and some trekking experience.
Adventure level: 3 - Moderate
The Hang Tien Endeavor Tour is rated as Moderate (Level 3) on the Oxalis Adventure level system. The difficulty of the tour is based on the physical fitness and health of average active people, not runners, athletes, or intensely active individuals.
Number of guests per tour: Maximum of 10; Age 16-70 years old.
Activities: Rocky terrain, steep hills, long trek and short ladder climb
- 2 days 1 night
- 8km of trekking, 3.5km of caving
- 457m elevation gain
- River crossings
- Swimming in the natural stream
- A 10m ladder climb with a safety rope, operated by the safety team
Physical fitness requirements for Hang Tien Endeavor Tour
The basic physical fitness requirements for participating in the Hang Tien Endeavor Tour include:
- Trekking experience requirements: Within the last 12 months, it is required to have trekking experience, at least one overnight-trek, OR 2-3 day-treks with the following tour elements: trekking routes through forest/mountain/rocky/steep terrains, covering a minimum distance of 8km per day (equivalent to 5 miles per day), with an elevation gain of at least 300m.
- Fitness Preparation: Engage in strenuous sports such as football, and skiing, or regularly participate in outdoor activities such as walking or running (3-4 times per week, covering 4-5km each time) to maintain physical fitness. This ensures that they are able to:
- Run continuously for 5km in 50 minutes or walk for 75 minutes.
- Climb 5 floors continuously without becoming out of breath or dizzy.
Guests aged 16 to 70 are permitted to join the Hang Tien Endeavor Tour, which demands good physical fitness and prior trekking experience. Those with experience in mountain trekking and good physical health, as well as those who engage in regular sports training, could easily complete this tour.
Some guests on the Hang Tien Endeavor Tour may find it not particularly challenging, while others may encounter difficulties and require assistance from many safety assistants to complete the tour. The tour regulations allow safety experts and/or guides to temporarily suspend the journey, and escort guests out of the forest if significant difficulties are encountered on the itinerary. Refunds or rescheduling are not applicable in such cases.
For more information on the necessary physical activities for a successful trip, please refer to: https://oxalisadventure.com/getting-ready-oxalis-tour/.
Safety on the tour
This is always the top priority of Oxalis Adventure to ensure the safety of both visitors and Oxalis’ staff on any trip, including one night adventures. We only use high-quality equipment meeting international standards, mainly imported from France, the UK, and Switzerland. The tour guides must undergo professional training and be tested for skills regularly. Only qualified guides may lead an Oxalis tour. Visitors can learn about the "safety management" and " safety equipmen" that Oxalis uses here.
Oxalis Adventure has an established "Emergency Response Protocol" that includes on-site first aid and rescue if an accident occurs during trekking or cave exploration. We organize many training courses for first aid, rescue, and evacuation, and have rescue teams for each tour operation area. The specialized equipment is imported from abroad and complies with European standards. Due to the remote location, rescue teams and medical assistants will take from 30 minutes to 2 hours to reach the location. Therefore, the safety of visitors is the top priority of Oxalis in any activities related to caving in Vietnam. For Experts and Sales consultants to give suitable advice, guests are required to fill in their fitness and health information in the Booking form honestly. They are also required to update the information to the Oxalis consultant 45 days before the tour departure.
Communication on tour
Hang Tien - Quang Binh is operated in a remote forest with physical challenges, far away from external support such as medical assistance, hospitals etc.
The Hang Tien Endeavor Tour follows jungle trails, many hills up and down, and no paths are suitable for vehicles. There is no phone signal, no wifi, and no charging facilities. Each Oxalis cave tour is equipped with 1 satellite phone for the guide to contact the office in case of emergency. Guests can only use the internet and phone at the hotel before and after the Oxalis tours. During the tour, Oxalis staff will keep in touch by radio.
Travel safety tips
Any adventure activities will always contain risks and these must be carefully managed. Oxalis tours take place in remote locations without easy access to medical care. Hence a lot of work goes into managing and reducing risks to the lowest level possible.
You can learn more about "Adventure Safety Tips" here.
Items to bring on tour
The Hang Tien Endeavor Tour is a three-day two-night trip in the jungle with different terrains and weather conditions, so guests need to be well prepared. They will be asked to have appropriate clothing for safety reasons, good for moving in the jungle, river crossing, or exploring the cave and avoiding dangers and risks from sharp rocks, snakes, insects, or poison ivy. Long trousers and long-sleeved shirts must be worn for trekking. Trekking shoes play a very important role in Oxalis Adventure tours in Vietnam. Visitors must choose a good and well-fitting pair of shoes for rocky steep mountains and should NOT buy waterproof footwear for river crossings as they will retain water. Please test your shoes before the trek. Besides, guests also need to prepare personal items for 1 night’s camping in the jungle. The Oxalis Phong Nha tour consultant will give you helpful advice before joining the Hang Tien Endeavor Tour.
Fitness preparation
Provided by you (required)
Essential clothing
- Backpack (20L)
- 1-2 quick-dry, bright, long-sleeved T-shirts
- 1-2 quick-dry trekking pant
- 1 waterproof jacket (in winter)
- 1 pair of trekking shoes with good drainage
- 1-2 pairs of calf-length, densely-woven socks
- 1 campsite clothing set
- 1 pair of sandals/slides for campsite
- Swimwear
Accessories
- Mosquito repellent
- Sunglasses, sun hat, sunscreen
- Mini fan
Personal items
- Towel
- Underwear
- Nature-friendly shampoo & soap
- Personal hygiene items
- Power banks
- Passport
Provided by Oxalis
- Essential gear: camping, caving, and safety
- Basic trekking shoes (size 36-46)
- Meals included
- Water bottle (1L) and filter
- Compost toilet, toilet paper, hand cleaner
- Guided tour with chef and porter team
- Shared dry box and semi-dry bag (15L)
- First aid and medical rescue equipment
- Satellite phone
- Portable fan (in summer)
- Secure storage at office
Optional
- Arm cover if wearing short-sleeved T-shirts
- Camera & Tripod
- Reusable bags for dirty clothes
Campsites in tour
This is considered to be one of the most beautiful campsites that Oxalis has, located right on the riverbank, and also the point where the underground river emerges, on its way to the sea, creating the amazing “natural infinity swimming pool”. The campsite in the valley has open views allowing visitors to contemplate the clear blue sky, millions of stars or the colorful dawn.
The average temperature in winter is about 15 to 18 degrees Celsius, and in summer it is from 30 to 38 degrees Celsius. Guests will be provided sleeping bags and warm mattresses for winter and solar-powered fans for summer. More information about the "unique campsites in Tu Lan Cave System" - camping inside Quang Binh forest is available here.
Bathing at the campsite
The campground on Hang Tien Endeavor Tour is located next to the river and pools so guests can swim here. All swimming activities are supervised by safety assistants. Soap and shampoo cannot be used in the rivers and pools. At the campsite are water storage tanks to store clean water for drinking and cooking. During heavy rain the river may turn brown and muddy. For conservation reasons, visitors must use bio-shampoos and soaps. Washing should be done at the campsite and not in the river.
Toilet at campsites
The tour occurs in a remote jungle with no power or infrastructure and for conservation and hygiene, Oxalis has created environmentally friendly toilets, called "Oxalis Composting Toilets".
The toilet consists of a normal toilet seat on top of a box. Inside the box, is a bucket and waste bag to collect all waste and toilet paper which is provided. Nearby is a container of rice husks. After finishing, cover the waste with a generous scoop of rice husks. This ensures a dry composting process, which does not smell, and covers the waste from insects.
When the buckets are full, the porters will change them and bury the waste in a designated location in the jungle. This will biodegrade and turn into fertilizer.
Visitors are required to use the composting toilets for both urination and defecation. Urination outside the toilet or inside the cave is not allowed because of the smell and impact on cave formations and the cave ecosystem.
Hand washing facilities are provided.
Directions to Phong Nha
Phong Nha is located 45 km from Dong Hoi City, Quang Binh, Vietnam (about 40 minutes by car). From there you can book a shared or private transfer from Oxalis or rent a taxi to get to Chay Lap Farmstay resort.
* Visa: Vietnam provides visa exemption for citizens of ASEAN countries (30 days), and 45 days for citizens of (United Kingdom, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Belarus, Russia).
* International airports: There are 3 main international airports for international flights: Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), Noi Bai International airport (HAN) and Da Nang International Airport (DAD). From Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or Ha Noi, travellers can book domestic flights to Dong Hoi Airport (VDH). From Da Nang, traveler can catch a train or bus to Dong Hoi/Phong Nha.
- Airplanes: There are many flights with Vietnam Airlines, Vietjet, Pacific Airlines, and Bamboo Airways, daily from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh to Dong Hoi.
- Trains: Many SE trains run daily from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City stopping at Dong Hoi Station.
- Bus: There are many days or night buses from Hanoi, Da Nang, and Hue to Dong Hoi or Phong Nha daily.
You can see more details of “transportation to Phong Nha" here.
Tour booking process
This is an adventure tour, and it requires a lot of logistic support. To avoid disappointment and complications, guests should choose the best tour for their fitness, abilities and interests. Reading the tour information carefully will help visitors make the right choice for their trips. The booking process includes the following steps:
- Visitors carefully read the tour program and self-assess their health and physical fitness. Appropriate training and preparation may be necessary.
- Guests carefully read the tour highlights and activities to ensure they choose the tour that most interests them.
- Guests fill in the personal information on the booking form themselves. They are asked to give honest answers about their fitness and health.
- After the reservation is made, the Oxalis consultant will contact you within 48 hours to review the information and give guidance for the next steps. If you have not received any news from Oxalis’ within 48 hours, please give us a direct call or check the spam box in case Oxalis’ emails are in there.
- After approval, guests will be asked to pay 100% of the tour cost to confirm the booking.
- Leading up to the departure, your Oxalis consultant will regularly contact you to support you with the preparation of items as well as physical fitness. Or you can contact us for questions.
- 45 days before departure, guests are asked to update their health and fitness to Oxalis.
Tour price and available dates for booking
The tour price for Hang Tien Endeavour is VND 8,500,000 or US$354 per person. For conservation and safety at Tu Lan - Hang Tien, the tour has a limited annual number of visitors. The tours are operated from November to September (closed from September to October.) Tours depart on a fixed schedule and each individual can book and join with others. In addition, Oxalis also has a small number of tours for special groups or filming crews. Please see the tour departure schedule in the calendar below, the dates in bold are available. If you don't see the calendar appear, please wait a few seconds or press F5.
The date in bold is the first date of the tour schedule.
Terms of tour cancellation
After completing the reservation, visitors will be required to pay 100% of the tour cost to confirm the booking. Guests can receive a full refund if the cancellation is 7 days before departure. Any cancellations less than 7 days before the departure date are non-refundable. Please see more refund and cancellation terms here.
Hang Tien Endeavor Tour price includes
The tour prices includes VAT, sightseeing fee, and environmental service fee along with the following services:
- Logistics: Each 10-guest tour will have 1 tour guide, 2 safety assistants, 1 chef, 2 security guards, and 4 porters as well as food and camping equipment.
- Food and Drink: Oxalis provides food, water, tea, and coffee during the journey (not including extra requirements). Dinner at the local household. The Dishes are based on fixed menus, vegetarian and vegan will be provided if ordered.
- Accommodation: Oxalis offers 1-night camping in the jungle and 1 night at Rural Homestay in Tan Hoa after the tour.
- ATV Tour: 2 hours ATV Quad bike tour, explore Lim forest - Home of Kong.
- Safety equipment: Oxalis will provide safety equipment such as helmets, harnesses, headlights, gloves etc.
- Travel insurance: Oxalis buys travel insurance for all guests participating in the tours with a maximum compensation of VND 10,000,000. Visitors are asked to buy comprehensive travel insurance for themselves before joining the tour.
Hang Tien Endeavor Tour • HT2
Adventure Level: Moderate
Age 16-70 years old
USD 354 • VND 8,500,000/pax
Book nowWhether you prefer long treks, camping in a cave, sleeping under the stars in the jungle, swimming underground in river caves, explore the huge dry caves or just taking an exploratory day trip, Oxalis Adventure Tours can provide the right amount of adventure just for you.
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