Best National Parks in Vietnam

Vietnam's national park system is a treasure of the region. Here are the 10 best locations.

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park

Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park is often called the heart of Quang Binh tourism.

This location’s pristine natural landscape is like an ink painting that captivates visitors. It is located adjacent to the Hin Namno National Park of Laos.

Giant limestone mountains reach up to the sky containing hundreds of meters of underground labyrinths. The flora and fauna system is rich, but the cave system has cemented this location’s status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The park is millions of years old and features nearly 300 caves and underground rivers. Hundreds of rare precious flora and fauna species exist on the site inspiring tourists and scientists to come here to explore.

April to August is a great time to take a cave exploration trip. The temperature inside the cave is always a cool 20 to 21 degrees celsius.

Phu Quoc National Park

This is a jewel in the western portion of Phu Quoc island. It is home to more than 200 kinds of animals and 1,000 species of plants. Phu Quoc National Park is a complex of rare, old-growth forests with dipterocarp trees up to 30 meters high. You can easily go hiking and camping in the garden from Ganh Dau village.

Besides rich flora and fauna, Phu Quoc National Park also contains about 60 km of coastline and its beautiful views. This is where visitors find beautiful coral reefs and unique sea creatures.

After, make time to explore the top of Nui Chua, known as the "roof" of Phu Quoc. The peak has an altitude of 565 meters in the Ham Ninh range. Visitors can take pictures with the green of the forest, and blue of the sea and the sky.

The ideal time to visit Phu Quoc National Park is from February to June. When it is less rainy and sunny, many flowers bloom and it’s convenient for trekking and admiring the beauty of the vegetation.

Nui Chua National Park: A Unique Ecological

System

Located on the eastern edge of the Truong Son range, Nui Chua National Park is bordered by one of Vietnam's most impressive coastal roads. Here, guests can watch primates, bears roaming the hillsides, bats, and birds flying in the blue sky.

Primates and bears roam the hillsides within the semi-arid park grounds, and bats and birds fly in the sky. The shoreline is of special importance: it is the nesting ground for several endangered species of turtles.

The time from about mid-August to late October of the year provides the best weather for your visit to Nui Chua National Park in Ninh Thuan.

Cat Tien National Park

Cat Tien is considered a precious gem just a short distance from Ho Chi Minh City. Cat Tien stretches over the three provinces of Dong Nai, Lam Dong, and Binh Phuoc with more than 80,000 hectares and a 90 km-stretch of the Dong Nai river at its border.

Cat Tien National Park has among the most valuable and diverse biological resources in Vietnam. According to wildlife statistics, in Cat Tien National Park, there are 1,610 species of plants and 1,568 animals. This is the habitat of deer, gibbons, and wild boars.

In the park, the comprehensive nature trails are still preserved. A guest can visit and explore the forest without a guide. The park features a wide range of beautiful places to stay, from campsites to riverside wooden cottages, making Cat Tien National Park the perfect place to get close to nature.

The most suitable time to visit is from about December to May because there is little rain and the forest is dry, so it is more convenient to travel and explore the beauty of the woods then.

Cat Ba National Park: A Green Tourist Destination

This is a special-use forest in Vietnam and a world biosphere reserve. Many marine ecosystems, terrestrial forests, submerged forests, and rare species of flora and fauna are currently preserved in Cat Ba National Forest.

It is located in Cat Hai district in Hai Phong. Cat Ba National Park deserves a stop on your excursion to the north. Cat Ba National Park looks like part of “Jurassic Park” with old-growth forests shrouded in mist. Cat Ba National Park contains some beautiful trails of moderate difficulty for trekking lovers.

The ecosystem in Cat Ba national forest includes more than 282 plants and nearly 800 animals living in the woods and under the sea. Cat Ba National Park is home to most of the world's white-headed langurs.

The most suitable time to travel to Cat Ba is from April to October. At this time, Cat Ba is very pleasant. There isn’t much rain, so it is very suitable for climbing and exploring the area.

Ba Be National Park

Ba Be National Park is home to Tay, Dao, and H’mong ethnic groups in Bac Kan province. Going to Ba Be National Park, you can enjoy nature and have the opportunity to experience life in traditional homestays.

Ba Be National Park is famous for its towering limestone mountains and poetic waterfalls flowing down Ba Be Lake, one of the county's largest natural freshwater lakes.

This place contains more than 1,000 species of plants and about 80 species of rare animals.

Hike through the forest or take a boat ride to explore hidden limestone caves along the water's edge. If you want to enjoy the fantastic atmosphere and admire the poetic natural landscape, summer is always the best suggestion for tourists to Ba Be Lake.

Yok Don National Park

This park is located between the two provinces of Dak Nong and Dak Dak. It is the only known natural forest in Vietnam that still preserves the dipterocarp tree growth.

As the national park with the largest special use forest in Vietnam, Yok Don is also home to some of the country's last remaining wild elephants and leopards.

Over the years, poaching and illegal logging have decimated the populations of these species and visitors are no longer able to see them. However, the park still retains a pristine appearance.

From November to April (the dry season), the sun in the Central Highlands is hot, but the forest is still very cool inside. But in the rainy season from May to October every year, this is the time when the vegetation inside Yok Don becomes rich and fresh.

Cuc Phuong National Park

Cuc Phuong is a special-use forest, also known as a nature reserve, located on the territory of three provinces, Thanh Hoa, Hoa Binh, and Ninh Binh. Therefore, when referring to the Thanh Hoa tourist map, visitors will also see that this is a prominent local destination.

Cuc Phuong forest area is 22,408 ha. This is one of the national parks with vibrant flora and fauna ecosystems. In addition, there are also many rare animals that visitors can freely explore and experience.

This area was recently honored by the World Travel Awards (WTA) in the Asia-Pacific region as Asia's Leading National Park 2021. This is the third consecutive year that Cuc Phuong has won this title (2019, 2020, and 2021).

Cuc Phuong has a very cool climate with tropical rain and green vegetation all year round, especially in summer.

Coming here, visitors will be greeted by the green and new space of the mountains and forests where they can admire nature's beauty.

Bach Ma National Park

Bach Ma is located about 40 km from Hue. This is the only ancient forest in Vietnam. This national park still has traces of ruined French-style villas hidden in the pine forests along the trails, relics of a golden, bygone era.

Bach Ma Mountain is nestled within Truong Son range. Bach Ma National Forest has a total area of nearly 37,500 hectares. It is a large ancient forest, with 2,373 plants and 1,715 diverse animals, including many rare species.

The ideal time to travel here is the dry season, from December to April every year. At this time, the climate of Bach Ma National Park is quite remarkable. It is dry, with little rain, and convenient for traveling and participating in outdoor activities such as trekking and swimming.

Tam Nong Tram Chim National Park

This park is a site of international and national importance.

The ecotourism area of the Dong Thap Muoi region is an ideal destination for domestic and foreign tourists. With a total area of 7,313 hectares, the park has 130 plants belonging to 47 families and six distinct biomes. It also has 231 species of water birds, including 32 rare species including red-crowned cranes.

If you go in the fall (August to November), you can enjoy a lot of Tram Chim's specialties such as braised water lily, fish, grilled rats, etc. To see the birds, you should go in spring (February to March).

Let’s Go See the Parks

Here are the top 10 best national parks in Vietnam. Each national park has its outstanding beauty, so you can’t go wrong when you visit any of these.