Cuc Phuong Jungle: mysterious beauty

Cuc Phuong National Forest, a natural paradise hidden in Ninh Binh province, Vietnam, is a must-see destination for those who love to explore and interact with wild nature.

Where is Cuc Phuong Forest?

Cuc Phuong National Forest is located in 3 provinces of Ninh Binh, Hoa Binh and Thanh Hoa, about 120km from Hanoi as well as very close to other famous tourist destinations such as:

• Bai Dinh Pagoda: 35km
• Trang An: 40km
• Tam Coc: 45km
• Thung Nham Bird Garden: 50km
• Dong Mo Lake: 55km
• Hoa Lu ancient capital: 60 km
• Pu Luong Mountain: 70km

Ticket price to visit Cuc Phuong forest 2024

To be able to visit Cuc Phuong National Park, if you go on your own, you will need to buy a ticket at the entrance gate. Ticket prices are specifically regulated for each age group as follows:

• Adult: 60,000 VND/person
• Student: 20,000 VND/person (with student ID card)
• Children: 10,000 VND/person (From 6 to under 12 years old)
• Free of charge: Children under 6 years old

The above ticket price will include the following services:

• National forest entrance fee.
• Travel insurance fee.

If you want to visit the ecological location Inside Cuc Phuong forest, you will have to buy separate tickets to enter each point according to your needs. You can refer to the ticket price table below:

Sight seeing	Fare
Cave of the Ancients	20,000 VND/person
Cho Chi Tree	10,000 VND/person
Endangered Primate Rescue Center	40,000 VND/person
Ban Muong	20,000 VND/person
Primary forest	20,000 VND/person
Cave of the Ancients	20,000 VND/person
Cho Chi Tree	10,000 VND/person

In addition to strolling to visit Cuc Phuong forest, you can also choose car rental services to move around such as:

Bicycle rental price:

• Regular bicycles: 50,000 VND/car/day
• Mountain bike: 80,000 VND/car/day

Electric car rental price:

• 2-seat electric car: 200,000 VND/car/hour
• 4-seat electric car: 300,000 VND/car/hour

Motorbike/car rental price

• Rent Motorcycles: 150,000 VND/car/day
• Car rental: 800,000 VND/car/day

Book a package tour now – rest assured Commitment to no additional costs:

• Ninh Binh 2 Days – Bich Dong – Thai Vi
• Ninh Binh 2 Days 1 Night:Trang An, Tam Coc, and Bai Dinh Pagoda
• Ninhbinh 3Days 2Nights: Trang An, Tam Coc, and Bai Dinh Pagoda

Explore Cuc Phuong biodiversity

Cuc Phuong National Forest is not only a famous natural tourist destination, but also a precious treasure of biodiversity in Vietnam. With more2,000 plant species and1,300 animals, Cuc Phuong is one of the rarest primeval forests in the country.

Cuc Phuong’s ecosystem is diverse and rich, from lush green forests to majestic caves and fresh streams. It is also the habitat of many rare species and wildlife, including endangered species.

Diverse fauna in Cuc Phuong forest

The fauna in Cuc Phuong forest is very diverse with many rare species listed in the Vietnam Red Book:

• Monkey Family:

• Pygathrix nemaeus (Pygathrix nemaeus)
  • A langur species typical of Vietnam’s primeval forest ecosystem, it is classified as endangered in the Vietnam Red Book.
  • Size: Body length 50-70 cm, weight 5-10 kg.
  • Characteristics: Black fur, white rump and cheeks.
  • Behavior: Live in groups of 5-10 individuals.
• Black langur (Trachypithecus francoisi)
  • Langurs are widely distributed in mountainous areas of Vietnam.
  • Size: Body length 50-65 cm, weight 5-8 kg.
  • Characteristics: Black fur, white face and chest.
  • Behavior: Live in groups of 10-20 individuals.
• Hylobatesgabriellae (Hylobatesgabriellae)
  • It is the smallest ape species in the monkey family in Vietnam.
  • Size: Body length 45-55 cm, weight 4-6 kg.
  • Characteristics: Black fur, gray legs and arms.
  • Behavior: Live in pairs or family groups.
• Rhinoceros (Rhinopithecus avunculus)
  • The monkey species is especially rare, classified as endangered in the Vietnam Red Book.
  • Size: Body length 50-65 cm, weight 10-15 kg.
  • Characteristics: Yellow fur, black face and chest.
  • Behavior: Live in herds of 20-50 individuals.

• Dog Family:
  • Jackal (Canis aureus)
    • It is the most common wild dog in Vietnam, widely distributed in mountainous areas.
    • Size: Body length 80-105 cm, weight 8-15 kg.
    • Characteristics: Fur is yellow, muzzle and chest are white.
    • Behavior: Live in groups, active mainly at night.
    • Conservation status: Threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.
  • Cáo (Foxes foxes)
    • It is the most common fox species in the world, distributed in many different areas.
    • Size: Body length 50-90 cm, weight 2-14 kg.
    • Characteristics: Yellow fur, black streaks on face and back.
    • Behavior: Active mainly at night, omnivorous.
    • Conservation status: Little concern.
• Cat Family:
  • Wild cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
    • It is the most common wild cat species in Vietnam, widely distributed in mountainous areas.
    • Size: Body length 35-60 cm, weight 1-3 kg.
    • Characteristics: Fur is golden yellow, with black stripes.
    • Behavior: Active mainly at night, eating meat.
  • Leopard (Neofelis nebulosa)
    • It is the second largest wild cat species in Vietnam, after tigers.
    • Size: Body length 90-165 cm, weight 16-65 kg.
    • Characteristics: Fur is yellow-brown with black spots.
    • Behavior: Active mainly at night, eating meat.
  • Lynx (Lynx lynx)
    • It is a rare wild cat species, classified as endangered in the Vietnam Red Book.
    • Size: Body length 80-130 cm, weight 15-30 kg.
    • Characteristics: Gray fur, with black spots.
    • Behavior: Active mainly at night, eating meat.
• Bear Family:
  • Sun bear (Helarctos malayanus):
    • It is the smallest bear species in the Ursidae family, distributed mainly in Southeast Asia.
    • Size: Body length 1.2-1.7 m, weight 27-65 kg.
    • Characteristics: Black fur, white muzzle and chest.
    • Behavior: Omnivorous, food is mainly fruits, insects, and small animals.
    • Conservation status: Threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.
  • Black bear (Selenarctos thibetanus)
    • It is the second largest bear species in the Ursidae family, distributed mainly in East Asia and South Asia.
    • Size: Body length 1.5-2.8 m, weight 90-675 kg.
    • Characteristics: Brown or black fur, with V-shaped white streaks on the chest.
    • Behavior: Omnivorous, food is mainly plants, insects, and small animals.
    • Conservation status: Threatened by habitat loss and illegal hunting.
• Bird:Cuc Phuong National Forest is home to more than 300 bird species, accounting for nearly 1/3 of the recorded bird species in Vietnam. Among them, there are many rare species such as:
  • Pheasant Family: White pheasant, Fawn-breasted pheasant, Partridge…
  • Tri family: Star hemorrhoids, Yellow-breasted hemorrhoids…
  • Babbler Family: Black-headed Babbler, Rufous-breasted Babbler, Cotton Warbler…
  • Cuoc family: Hoe hoe, Hoe pheo…
  • Stork family: Stork, White Stork, Gray Heron…
• Reptiles and Amphibians: In this list there are also snakes, lizards, turtles and frogs such as King Cobra, Lizard, Box Turtle, Tree Frog and many others.

In addition, Cuc Phuong is also home to a series of rare insects such as Dancing Butterfly, Mantis, Beetle and many others, which play an important role in maintaining the balance of the ecosystem.

Rich primary flora

Cuc Phuong National Forest possesses an extremely rich and diverse flora, with more than 2,000 species of higher plants belonging to 887 genera and 221 plant families.

• Evergreen closed forests: This is the most common forest type in Cuc Phuong, accounting for more than 80% of the forest area. Evergreen closed forests are composed of many layers of canopy, with rare wood species such as green tree, doi, crocodile, au, ironwood…
• Bamboo forest: Bamboo forests appear in low-altitude areas, along streams and ravines. The most common bamboo species in Cuc Phuong is luong bamboo.
• Rainforest: Tropical jungle occurs in high altitude areas, with cool and humid climates. Tropical jungle is home to many species of vines, trees and plants typical of tropical climates.
• Heritage tree: Cuc Phuong forest has many valuable heritage trees, including a thousand-year-old bamboo tree, an ancient crocodile tree and an ancient grinding tree.

In addition, Cuc Phuong forest also has many rare medicinal plant species such as:

• Panax
• Hoang Lien
• Dingling
• Three clicks

The most beautiful times to travel to Cuc Phuong forest

Spring in Cuc Phuong forest

Spring is considered the best time to travel to Cuc Phuong National Park. At this time, the weather is warm, trees are budding, and forest flowers are blooming, creating an extremely poetic scene.

Below are some outstanding features of spring in Cuc Phuong forest:

• Weather: Spring in Cuc Phuong has a cool and pleasant climate, with an average temperature of about 20°C.
• Plant: The trees in the forest began to sprout and take on a fresh green color.
• Forest Flower: Spring is the season when flowers bloom in Cuc Phuong. Visitors can see many beautiful flowers such as sua flowers, ban flowers, orchids…
• Animal: Spring is the ideal time for visitors to see wild animals such as white-rumped langurs, golden monkeys, weasels…

Visitors coming to Cuc Phuong in spring can participate in activities such as:

• Trekking: Participate in trekking to explore the jungle, conquer the peak of Muong Toong mountain…
• Explore caves: Cuc Phuong has many beautiful and mysterious caves such as Nguoi Xua cave, Thanh Minh cave… with a history of millions of years, a place where you can explore and check out beautiful
• Seeing wild flowers: Visitors can take a walk in the forest to see wild flowers blooming in spring with the extremely rich flora of Cuc Phuong forest.
• Take a photo: Spring is the ideal time for tourists to take souvenir photos with poetic natural scenery.

Wildflower season at Cuc Phuong

Wild sunflower season in Cuc Phuong usually starts from October to December. This is the time when wild sunflowers bloom the most, creating an extremely poetic and romantic scene.

• Time: The wildflower blooming season at Cuc Phuong is in November.
• Location: Wildflowers bloom the most in areas such as:
  • Cuc Phuong forest gate
  • Cave of the Ancients
  • The tree is only a thousand years old
  • Cho forest
• Characteristic: Wild sunflowers are bright yellow and grow in large clusters. The flower has 5 petals and orange-yellow pistils. During the season, wild sunflowers will bloom throughout the forest, creating bright pictures, one of the “sought after” check-in options every year at Cuc Phuong forest.

The most beautiful check-in locations in Cuc Phuong forest

The diversity of both animals and plants helps each scene in Cuc Phuong forest have its own unique and unique characteristics, but Bookingvietnamtour will suggest to you the check-in locations that are most popular with tourists. below!

The tree is only a thousand years old

The tree is only a thousand years old also known as the ancient crocodile tree, is one of the symbols of Cuc Phuong National Forest. The tree is more than 1,000 years old, with a large trunk, about 5 meters in diameter and a circumference of more than 20 people. The tree is nearly 50m tall, with wide foliage that covers the entire area.

Cuc Phuong forest gate

The forest gate is located on Road 12A, about 24km from Nho Quan town with a large sign stating the words “Cuc Phuong National Park”. The gate is made of wood and has a tiled roof, surrounded by rows of green trees.

The gate is simply designed but bears the mark of pristine nature, this is also the starting point for all your exploration journeys.

Cave of the Ancients

Nguoi Xua Cave is an ancient limestone cave. The cave is called Bitter Cave by the local Muong ethnic people because this place was once home to many species of bats.

Nguoi Xua Cave was discovered in 1968 by a group of forest rangers. After excavation, archaeologists found many prehistoric relics, including stone tools, pottery and human remains.

Nguoi Xua Cave has a quite simple structure, consisting of one main cave and two secondary caves. The main cave is about 200m² wide, 20m high and 50m long. The two secondary caves are smaller and located on either side of the main cave.

Suoi Nga

Suoi Nga is the longest stream in Cuc Phuong National Park, with a length of more than 10km. The stream originates from the Tam Diep mountain range and flows through the primeval forest of Cuc Phuong.

Characteristic

Suoi Nga has a strong flow, winding through cliffs and rapids, creating an extremely majestic scene. The spring water is clear and jade green.

Silver Cloud Peak

Silver Cloud Peak is the highest mountain in Cuc Phuong National Park, with an altitude of 648m. The mountain peak is located in the primeval forest of Cuc Phuong, about 4km from the center of the national park.

To conquer May Bac peak, visitors must trek through Cuc Phuong primeval forest. The journey is about 6km long and takes about 4-5 hours to complete.

From the top of May Bac, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of the majestic Cuc Phuong National Park. The pristine natural scenery, green mountains, and gurgling streams will leave visitors in awe.

In addition to the above locations, do not miss the extremely attractive attractions below:

• Cuc Phuong Museum: A place to display artifacts about the history, culture and nature of Cuc Phuong.
• Endangered Primate Rescue Center: A place to preserve rare primate species.
• Ban Muong: Where the Muong ethnic people live.

Cuc Phuong forest tourism – where to stay?

Cuc Phuong Resort & Spa

Cuc Phuong Resort & Spa is an ideal resort for those who want to immerse themselves in the pristine nature of Cuc Phuong National Park. The resort is surrounded by primeval forests, majestic mountains and gurgling streams.

Cuc Phuong Resort & Spa offers many different types of rooms, from single rooms, double rooms to luxury villas. All rooms are fully equipped with modern amenities and have views of nature.

• Location: 2km from Cuc Phuong National Park gate
• Room price: From 1,500,000 VND/night
• Facilities: Restaurant, bar, swimming pool, spa, children’s play area
• Contact phone: 0866 611 235

Cuc Phuong Homestay

Cuc Phuong Homestay is an ideal homestay for those who want to experience the life of local people in Cuc Phuong National Park.

Homestay offers simple bedrooms, stilt houses, common living areas and kitchens. The campus has a spacious garden with many trees, where visitors can relax and enjoy the natural scenery.

• Location: In Muong village, 4km from Cuc Phuong national park gate
• Room Rates: From 500,000 VND/night
• Convenient: Simple bedroom, stilt house, common living area, kitchen
• Contact phone: 0866 611 235

Sunny Homestay

Sunny Homestay offering beautiful bedrooms, spacious common areas and gardens as well as a restaurant serving Vietnamese and international dishes.

• Location: 3km from the gate of Cuc Phuong National Park, it is located on a small hill
• Room Rates: From 800,000 VND/night
• Contact phone: 0866 611 235

Conclusion: Cuc Phong Forest – a natural treasure

With a peaceful space, majestic landscape and rich biodiversity, Cuc Phuong Forest is a destination not to be missed for those who love nature and want to experience wild life in the heart of primeval forests.

Don’t hesitate, prepare your luggage to explore and enjoy its wonderful natural beauty – a natural treasure of Vietnam today!