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Thien Ha Cave

Where is Thien Ha Cave?

Thien Ha Cave is a lesser-known but equally stunning attraction compared to its more famous neighbors Tam Coc or Trang An.

Thien Ha Cave is a complex of caves located on Tuong Mountain in the eastern part of Son Ha commune, Nho Quan district, Ninh Binh. The cave’s location in Nho Quan district places it in a less-visited area of Ninh Binh, offering visitors a chance to explore off the beaten path and experience the raw beauty of Vietnam’s geological marvels away from the more crowded tourist spot

How to Visit Thien Ha Cave

Due to its relatively undiscovered status, visiting Thien Ha Cave requires a bit more planning than other attractions in Ninh Binh. Here’s how you can explore this hidden wonder:

Private Tour and Transfer from Hanoi: Currently, there are no group tours that include Thien Ha Cave in their one-day itineraries. The best way to visit is by arranging a private tour or hiring a car with a driver. This allows for a more flexible schedule and personalized experience. If you stay in Ninh Binh, you can hire a car or motorbike to visit Thien Ha Cave
Boat Tour and Cave Exploration: Upon arrival, you’ll embark on a serene boat ride through the cave system. After exploring the wet and dark caves by boat, you’ll have the opportunity to climb and explore the dry cave on foot.

Entrance Fee & Opening Hours

As of 2024, the entrance fee for Thien Ha Cave is approximately 120,000 VND (about $5 USD) per person. This includes the boat ride and cave exploration.
The cave is typically open daily from 7:00 AM to 5:00 PM. However, it’s always best to check current operating hours before your visit, as they may change seasonally or due to local conditions.

What to Experience in Thien Ha Cave

Thien Ha Cave is a stunning natural wonder, comprising both dry and wet sections. While the entrance to the cave is wide, the interior can be quite slippery due to its status as a “living” cave. Water droplets continuously fall from the stalactites, day after day, in an ongoing process of geological formation.

Wet Cave

Exploring the Water Cave, visitors embark on a boat journey along a 500-meter underground river. Here, the boatman explains the origin of this mysteriously beautiful cave’s name. When the cave was first discovered, it featured both an underground river and sunlight streaming in, inspirin the investors to name it Thien Ha (Galaxy).

True to its name, the stalactites above and along both sides of the underground river resemble stars and the moon, creating the illusion of a galaxy within the mountain. This winding, seemingly endless galactic river is adorned with layers upon layers of shimmering, colorful rock formations. Local legends speak of features like the Fairy Island and the Mother’s Milk, adding to the cave’s mystique.

Visitors often feel as if they’ve entered a magical realm, enchanted by this otherworldly landscape that resembles a heavenly paradise. Even today, the dark recesses of the cave serve as a safe haven for thousands of bats.

This subterranean journey through Thien Ha Cave offers a unique blend of natural beauty, local folklore, and geological wonder, providing visitors with an unforgettable experience in the heart of Vietnam’s karst landscape.

Thien Ha Cave - Wet cave — Thien Ha Cave – Wet cave

Dry Cave

The dry section of the cave is the highest area and the only part that receives natural light. This light enters through an opening in the southern mountainside, known as the “Sky Well,” where heaven and earth seem to merge. The Sky Well, approximately 3 meters wide, allows natural light to penetrate to the cave floor, creating an open and airy space.

This Sky Well area holds significant archaeological importance, preserving numerous traces of ancient Vietnamese inhabitants who lived here approximately 7,500 to 10,000 years ago.