Cuc Phuong Herping Tour: Full Package 2 Days 1 Night

Cuc Phuong Herping Tour: Full Package 2 Days 1 Night
Viet Herping / Northern Vietnam · Cuc Phuong · Package 1

Cuc Phuong Herping Tour: Full Package 2 Days 1 Night

Cuc Phuong herping tour: a professionally guided night herping experience in Cuc Phuong National Park, Vietnam's oldest national park, as a full two-day package with private car and hotel.

SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE

2 Days/ 1 Night
PACKAGE

PACKAGE

Full Package
LEVEL

LEVEL

Easy
FROM

FROM

$220 /grp · 1–3

Meet Your Expert Guide

Nguyễn Minh Phú

Nguyễn Minh Phú

Founder, Viet Herping · Co-founder, Viet Snake Rescuer

From

  • $220
per group · 1–3 guests (group total)

Group size

30% deposit by Wise, balance in cash (VND) on day one. Reschedule up to 2 times free with 5 days' notice; deposit valid 6 months.

Questions before you book? WhatsApp +84 963 258 366 or email contact@vietherping.com. Returning guests get 5% off any tour.

Overview

The Cuc Phuong herping tour Full Package is two days and one night from Hanoi or Ninh Binh: a private car, a hotel with a private room, the national park entrance fee, and a guided night walk for nocturnal reptiles and amphibians from about 19:30.

Your herping guide has many years of experience and fluent English. Pick-up and return times are adjustable on request, and the group is private, from one to six guests.

Who this tour is for

The night walk moves at a relaxed, unhurried pace along established park trails, so no herping experience and no special fitness are required: if you can manage a normal walk, you can join. It suits families with nature-curious children, first-time herpers, wildlife photographers who want unhurried field time, and researchers and naturalists searching for the region's locally distributed species.

Other ways to do it

If you only want the night session, the Cuc Phuong night herping tour covers guide and transport and returns the same evening. If you have a single evening in the capital, the Hanoi herping tour is an urban night walk with a snake sighting guarantee.

Safety and responsible herping

Venomous species are observed at the distance your guide sets. Any handling is offered, never assumed, and happens only under direct guide supervision. We do not bait, provision or move animals for photographs. Every tour carries a first aid kit and runs under a written emergency protocol.

How to book the Cuc Phuong herping tour

To book the Cuc Phuong herping tour, send us your preferred dates and group size on WhatsApp or by email at contact@vietherping.com. We reply with availability and the booking steps. 30% deposit by Wise, balance in cash (VND) on day one. Reschedule up to 2 times free with 5 days' notice; deposit valid 6 months. See the booking policy for the full terms.

Viet Herping logo, operator of the Cuc Phuong herping tour

Want different dates, pace or target species? We build private trips around what you want to see and when you can travel.

Ask for a tailor-made trip

Highlighted Species

You pick one target species at booking and we search until it is found. These are three of the animals guests most often ask about.

Highlight species on this tour

Vietnamese Mossy Frog Theloderma corticale

Target

A master of camouflage: spiny, moss-green skin makes it close to invisible on wet rock and bark. One of the animals northern herping trips are planned around.

Tam Dao Salamander Paramesotriton deloustali

Endemic Recorded

A stocky, warty salamander with an orange-and-black belly, on the recorded amphibian list for the Cuc Phuong area and found only in northern Vietnam.

Chinese Green Tree Viper Trimeresurus stejnegeri

Venomous

One of three venomous snakes on the list for this forest. A green pit viper, observed at the distance your guide sets and never handled by guests.

Venomous snakes recorded: 3

  • Chinese Green Tree Viper (Trimeresurus stejnegeri) Venomous
  • Tonkin Pit Viper (Ovophis tonkinensis) Venomous
  • Brown Spotted Pit Viper (Protobothrops mucrosquamatus) Venomous

Harmless snakes recorded: 19

  • Brahminy Blindsnake (Indotyphlops braminus)
  • Mountain Water Snake (Trimerodytes percarinatus)
  • Heller's Red-necked Keelback (Rhabdophis helleri)
  • Tai-yong Keelback (Hebius boulengeri)
  • Mount Omei Keelback (Hebius optatus)
  • South China Green Snake (Ptyas multicincta)
  • Taiwan Kukri Snake (Oligodon formosanus)
  • Black Cross-barred Kukri Snake (Oligodon cinereus)
  • Futsing Wolf Snake (Lycodon futsingensis)
  • Formosa Wolf Snake (Lycodon ruhstrati)
  • Vietnamese Big-toothed Wolf Snake (Lycodon meridionalis)
  • Rein Snake (Gonyosoma frenatum)
  • Red Mountain Ratsnake (Oreocryptophis porphyraceus)
  • Oriental Whipsnake (Ahaetulla prasina)
  • Big-eyed Bamboo Snake (Pseudoxenodon macrops)
  • Bamboo Snake (Pseudoxenodon bambusicola)
  • Baise Slug-eating Snake (Pareas baiseensis)
  • Formosa Slug Snake (Pareas formosensis)
  • Hampton's Slug Snake (Pareas hamptoni)

Lizards and geckos recorded: 11

  • Siamese Supple Skink (Lygosoma siamense)
  • Three-striped Forest Skink (Sphenomorphus tritaeniatus)
  • Common Sun Skink (Eutropis multifasciata)
  • Longtail Mabuya (Eutropis longicaudata)
  • Forest Garden Lizard (Calotes emma)
  • Scale-bellied Tree Lizard (Acanthosaura lepidogaster)
  • Vietnam False Bloodsucker (Pseudocalotes brevipes)
  • Chinese Water Dragon (Physignathus cocincinus)
  • White-tailed Dibamid (Dibamus bourreti)
  • Asian House Gecko (Hemidactylus frenatus)
  • Palm Gecko (Gekko palmatus)

Amphibians recorded: 29

  • Asian Common Toad (Duttaphrynus melanostictus)
  • Sung's Litter Toad (Leptobrachella sungi)
  • Speckle-bellied Metacarpal-tubercled Toad (Leptobrachella ventripunctata)
  • Glandular Horned Toad (Xenophrys major)
  • Maoson Horned Toad (Xenophrys maosonensis)
  • Fea's Short-legged Toad (Brachytarsophrys feae)
  • Narrow-mouthed Horned Toad (Ophryophryne microstoma)
  • Rough-skinned Horned Toad (Boulenophrys palpebralespinosa)
  • Dark-sided Chorus Frog (Microhyla heymonsi)
  • Beautiful Pygmy Frog (Microhyla pulchra)
  • Asian Painted Frog (Kaloula pulchra)
  • John's Frog (Rana johnsi)
  • Mao-Son Frog (Sylvirana maosonensis)
  • Large Odorous Frog (Odorrana graminea)
  • Long-snout Torrent Frog (Odorrana nasica)
  • Orlov's Treefrog (Rhacophorus orlovi)
  • Spot-legged Tree Frog (Polypedates megacephalus)
  • Burmese Whipping Frog (Polypedates mutus)
  • Dotted Bubble-nest Frog (Theloderma albopunctatum)
  • Hainan Frilled Treefrog (Kurixalus hainanus)
  • Karin Bubble-nest Frog (Raorchestes parvulus)
  • White-lipped Treefrog (Zhangixalus smaragdinus)
  • Chinese Flying Frog (Zhangixalus dennysi)
  • Vi Xuyen Wart Frog (Limnonectes nguyenorum)
  • Banna Large-headed Frog (Limnonectes bannaensis)
  • Paddy Field Frog (Fejervarya limnocharis)
  • Round-tongued Floating Frog (Occidozyga martensii)
  • Koh Tao Caecilian (Ichthyophis kohtaoensis)
  • Tam Dao Warty Newt (Paramesotriton deloustali)

This is the recorded herpetofauna of the Cuc Phuong area, not a guarantee of what you will encounter. Apart from your chosen target species, sightings depend on temperature, rainfall and field conditions.

Trip Report & Destination

Field notes and photos from our Cuc Phuong nights, written up after each trip.

All trip reports →What each group recorded, with dates and photos.Trip reports Cuc Phuong night herping tour →Guide and transport only, back the same evening. From $165 per group.Package 2 Hanoi herping tour →An urban night walk with a snake sighting guarantee. $95 per group.Hanoi Tam Dao herping tour →A demanding overnight expedition for highland endemics.Tam Dao Cuc Phuong tours →Both Cuc Phuong packages side by side.Cuc Phuong
 

Viet Herping is run by field herpetologists who research and rescue Vietnam's snakes, and the same people lead you into the field. This trip is one Vietnam herping tour among several in northern Vietnam: compare every herping tour Vietnam has on our list by region, or ask us to build a tailor-made route. A portion of the revenue from each tour supports reptile conservation through Viet Snake Rescuer.

Ready to book? Send us your dates, your group size and the species you most want to see. We will confirm availability and tell you honestly what a night here produces at that time of year.

Message us on WhatsApp

Last updated: 2 October 2026 · Written by Nguyen Minh Phu, Founder of Viet Herping and Viet Snake Education, Co-founder of Viet Snake Rescuer.

Schedule

Pick-up and return times are adjustable on request.

Day 1 · Arrival and night herping

  1. 17:00

    Depart from Hanoi or Ninh Binh

    By private car.

  2. 19:00

    Arrive at Cuc Phuong National Park

    Short break before the walk.

  3. 19:30

    Night herping

    Enter the national park and start the guided walk.

Day 2 · Return

  1. 12:30

    Return to Hanoi or Ninh Binh

    By private car.

Accommodation

1 night · hotel 1 room for 1 to 4 guests, 2 rooms for 4 to 6. Additional room on request: USD 23.

Transfers

Included Private car from Hanoi or Ninh Binh and back.

Park fee

Included National park entrance fee.

Group

Private One to six guests.

Questions

Frequently asked

How much does the Cuc Phuong herping tour cost?

The Full Package is a group total: $220 for one to three guests and $280 for four to six guests. The night-only Guide and Transportation package is $165 or $175.

How does the target species guarantee work at Cuc Phuong?

You choose one target species when you book and it is confirmed in writing. If it is not seen alive and in the wild during the tour, your next attempt is free and valid for six months. Accommodation and the drive from Hanoi for a return attempt are not covered.

Do I need herping experience or special fitness?

No. The night walk moves at a relaxed pace along established park trails. If you can manage a normal walk, you can join.

What does the Cuc Phuong herping tour include?

Private car from Hanoi or Ninh Binh, a hotel with a private room, an experienced English-speaking herping guide and the national park entrance fee.

How many species are recorded at Cuc Phuong?

Our checklist for the area lists 29 amphibians, 11 lizards and geckos, 3 venomous snakes and 19 harmless snakes. It is a record of the area, not a guarantee of what you will see.

Price & Service

Cuc Phuong herping tour price, group total (USD)

Prices are the total for the whole group at the stated size.
Group size 1–3 guests 4–6 guests
Total price $220 $280

USD is shown at an indicative rate; the final amount is settled in VND at the confirmed rate.

A 30% deposit by international transfer (Wise) secures your dates. The 70% balance is paid in cash in Vietnamese dong to your guide on the first day, at an exchange rate we confirm in writing four days before departure. The deposit is non-refundable but transferable: two-day and three-day tours can be moved up to two times free of charge with at least five days' notice, and the deposit stays valid for six months from your original date. Full terms: booking policy and cancellation and refund policy.

What is included

Included

  • Private car transportation
  • Hotel with private room (1 room for 1 to 4 guests; 2 rooms for 4 to 6 guests)
  • Herping guide with many years of experience and fluent English
  • National park entrance fee

Optional, paid locally

  • Additional hotel room on request: USD 23 per room

Target Species Guarantee: you choose one species

Yes. On Cuc Phuong you choose one target species when you book, for example the Vietnamese Mossy Frog (Theloderma corticale).

The guarantee is met when the animal is seen alive, in the wild, during the tour, by you or anyone in your group, and confirmed by your guide. If that does not happen, your next attempt is free: same tour, same guarantee, valid for six months, with no limit on attempts. The free attempt covers the guided session and what your original booking included; it does not cover accommodation or long-distance travel you need in order to return. Full terms are in our Target Species Guarantee policy.

Your choice is confirmed in writing with your booking, not after the tour has started. Cuc Phuong is the only Viet Herping tour where the guest selects the species. A free return attempt does not cover accommodation or the drive from Hanoi.

Other Cat Tien options

If this one is not the fit

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PACKAGE

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LEVEL

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LEVEL

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Tam Dao herping tour: a challenging two-day overnight expedition in the steep, dense mountain forest of Tam Dao National Park, built around the Tam Dao Warty Newt and the Vietnamese Mossy Frog.

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SCHEDULE

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PACKAGE

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LEVEL

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FROM

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Cuc Phuong night herping tour: one guided night session in Cuc Phuong National Park with private car from Hanoi or Ninh Binh, returning the same evening.

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