Cat Tien National Park
A lowland forest park in southern Vietnam, about 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City, where gibbons, langurs and birds are the main reason to visit.
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Cat Tien National Park is a lowland forest park in southern Vietnam, about 150 km north of Ho Chi Minh City. It lies within Đồng Nai province and partly in Lâm Đồng Province, and covers about 720 square km. The park protects one of the largest remaining areas of lowland tropical forest in Vietnam. It is also a biosphere reserve, and the English article says it became part of the Đồng Nai Biosphere Reserve in 2011.
The wildlife is the main attraction. Gibbons, langurs and birds are the animals you are most likely to see, while the rarer large mammals are much harder to spot. Much of the park is bamboo forest, which makes wildlife harder to find than in primary forest. Bàu Sấu, a crocodile lake, is one of the wetlands in the Nam Cát Tiên sector. The rainy season floods the lakes and grasslands and can limit access to some areas, so check conditions before you go.
Cat Tien National Park in five
- Book the night wildlife tour with the parkThe park lists a nightly wildlife tour from 18:30 by open-top vehicle. Sightings are never guaranteed, so treat it as a quiet drive and follow the guide's rules on light and noise.
- Choose two days or threeThe park publishes sample programs for two days and one night and three days and two nights. Two nights let you split trekking, a bicycle loop and the wetland over slower days.
- Plan the transfer, not just the busA direct local coach runs from Ho Chi Minh City to the park gate. A bed on the Saigon to Da Lat bus can drop you at an office about 25 km away, and you must ask for a transfer when you book.
- Use the park map and a local guideThe park offers a map of its routes, local guides, bicycles and open-top vehicles for rent. Take a guide for forest treks, and keep to marked trails.
- Know the park's scale before you planThe reserve covers about 71,000 ha and has been a UNESCO biosphere reserve since 2001, with the Bau Sau wetland listed under Ramsar since 2005. One day does not cover it.
Need to know
- Entrance
- Paid at the park; see the official price list for each service
- Permits
- Night tours and treks are booked with the park and a guide
- Season
- Open all year; the dry months run roughly Nov to Apr
- Nearest town
- Tan Phu, with a bus station and taxis to the gate
- Getting there
- Coach or sleeper bus from Saigon or Da Lat, then a transfer
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Days with storms
- Best
- Mixed
- Poor
- JanuaryPartly cloudy6 rainy daysHigh31°Low22°Dry, coolerJanuaryPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 31°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 36 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, cooler
- FebruaryClear4 rainy daysHigh33°Low22°DryFebruaryClear
Best
- High
- 33°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 28 mm
- Rainy days
- 4
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry
- MarchClear5 rainy daysHigh34°Low24°Dry, hotMarchClear
Best
- High
- 34°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 23 mm
- Rainy days
- 5
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, hot
- AprilRain13 rainy daysHigh34°Low25°HotAprilRain
Mixed
- High
- 34°
- Low
- 25°
- Precipitation
- 78 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot
- MayRain26 rainy daysHigh33°Low26°Rains beginMayRain
Poor
- High
- 33°
- Low
- 26°
- Precipitation
- 268 mm
- Rainy days
- 26
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rains begin
- JuneRain28 rainy daysHigh31°Low25°Wet seasonJuneRain
Poor
- High
- 31°
- Low
- 25°
- Precipitation
- 349 mm
- Rainy days
- 28
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet season
- JulyRain30 rainy daysHigh30°Low24°Wet seasonJulyRain
Poor
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 452 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet season
- AugustRain30 rainy daysHigh30°Low24°Wet seasonAugustRain
Poor
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 423 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet season
- SeptemberRain30 rainy daysHigh29°Low24°Wet seasonSeptemberRain
Poor
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 463 mm
- Rainy days
- 30
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Wet season
- OctoberRain28 rainy days1 day with stormsHigh29°Low24°Wet, stormsOctoberRain
Poor
- High
- 29°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 401 mm
- Rainy days
- 28
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 1
Wet, storms
- NovemberRain20 rainy daysHigh30°Low23°Rains easeNovemberRain
Mixed
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 164 mm
- Rainy days
- 20
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rains ease
- DecemberRain13 rainy daysHigh30°Low22°Dry, pleasantDecemberRain
Best
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 22°
- Precipitation
- 95 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Dry, pleasant
Average daily high and low in Cat Tien, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Right now in Cat Tien National Park
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
22
- Feels like
- 26°
- Humidity
- 98%
- Wind
- 4 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 100%
Cat Tien National Park
03:37 AM
Tuesday, November 3
- Today31°24°100%Tuesday: Thunderstorms. High 31°, Low 24°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Wed32°23°98%Wednesday: Rain. High 32°, Low 23°. Chance of rain 98%.
- Thu32°22°84%Thursday: Thunderstorms. High 32°, Low 22°. Chance of rain 84%.
- Fri31°22°85%Friday: Thunderstorms. High 31°, Low 22°. Chance of rain 85%.
- Sat31°22°100%Saturday: Thunderstorms. High 31°, Low 22°. Chance of rain 100%.
- Sun32°22°89%Sunday: Thunderstorms. High 32°, Low 22°. Chance of rain 89%.
Updated 11:14 PM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 25,787 VND
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Day trips by train
- Night wildlife tourfrom 18:30, run by the parkAn open-top vehicle drive through the forest edge after dark.
- Bau Sau wetlandwithin the parkA wetland on the Ramsar list, reached by trail and boat.
- Jungle trek or bicycle loopa half or full day inside the parkMarked routes with a map, guide and rental bicycles available.
Before you go to Cat Tien National Park
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Rules for Cat Tien National Park, checked
- The park lists a nightly wildlife tour from 18:30 by open-top vehicle and sample programs for two and three days; book through the park.Checked Oct 2, 2026 · Source
Plan around Cat Tien National Park
The usual starting point
Read the guideDa LatHighland city on the road north from the park
Read the guideBest time to visit VietnamWeather by region and month
Read the guideGetting around VietnamCoaches, trains and flights
Read the guideAll of VietnamEntry, seasons, regions and money
Read the guideCat Tien National Park FAQ
How do you get to Cat Tien from Ho Chi Minh City?
By local coach straight to the park gate, by a sleeper bus on the Da Lat route that drops you at an office about 25 km away, or by private car. Ask for the transfer when you book, since it is not automatic.
How many days do you need at Cat Tien?
Two days and one night is the minimum for a night tour and a morning walk. Three days and two nights lets you add a trek, a bicycle loop and the wetland without rushing.
Can you see wildlife at Cat Tien?
You may, especially on a night tour or a quiet early walk. The park is a large forest, so sightings are never promised. Go with a guide and keep distance and quiet.
When is the best time to visit Cat Tien?
The dry months, roughly November to April, make trails easier and cooler early. The wet season brings leeches, mud and swollen streams but quieter paths.
Is Cat Tien worth visiting from Saigon?
Yes, if you want a night in a real forest. It is not a day trip, since the road time takes most of the daylight. Skip it if you need hotel comfort and short transfers.