How much does the Cat Tien wildlife tour cost?

For the night and morning sessions together it is $200 for one guest, $125 per person for two, $100 for three, and $80 per person for four to eight guests.

Can the two sessions be on different days?

Yes. The night session (18:30 to 23:00) and the morning session (05:00 to 09:30) can be done on the same day or split across two days.

Which animals does the morning session look for?

Target wildlife may include black-shanked douc langur, gibbons, crocodiles and other species. None of them is guaranteed.

Is the park entry ticket included?

No. The night and daytime wildlife watching fees are included, but the general park entry ticket of 60,000 VND per person is paid separately.

How is this Cat Tien wildlife tour different from the night herping tour?

It adds a guided dawn session for primates and birds, and it includes the park's night and daytime wildlife watching fees. The night walk itself is the same.

Cat Tien Wildlife Tour: Night and Morning Sessions

Viet Herping / Southern Vietnam · Cat Tien · Option 2

Cat Tien Wildlife Tour: Night and Morning Sessions

Cat Tien wildlife tour in two sessions on foot: night herping for reptiles and amphibians, then a dawn walk for langurs, gibbons and other daytime wildlife.

Meet Your Expert Guide

Nguyễn Minh Phú

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

From

per person · 4–8 guests

Group size

1 2 3 4-8

Check dates on WhatsApp or email contact@vietherping.com

30% deposit by Wise, balance in cash (VND) to your guide on the day. Reschedule up to 3 times free; 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

This Cat Tien wildlife tour pairs the night herping walk with a focused morning session, so you see the forest at its two most active times. It is for guests who have already booked their own accommodation and transport.

The night session runs from 18:30 to 23:00 and the morning session from 05:00 to 09:30. You can do both within one night and the following dawn, or split them across two days. Your guide worked twenty years as a ranger in this park. He reads the season and the weather and picks the route to match, rather than walking the same loop regardless of conditions. Red light keeps night mammals calm; white light shows the colour and scale detail you need to identify a snake or a frog. Every guest leaves with a completed wildlife checklist.

This is one of four options under our Cat Tien National Park herping tour programme. Want only the night walk? Option 1 is the same session at a lower price. Short on time? The Ho Chi Minh City herping tour runs in a single evening without the three-hour drive.

Field conditions and difficulty

We rate this tour Easy: both sessions are on foot at a slow pace. The early start is the demanding part, so plan your sleep around it. Bring closed shoes with good grip; trails stay wet after rain. If conditions delay a session, the field time is extended by the same amount.

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 Cat Tien wildlife tour

To book the Cat Tien wildlife 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) to your guide on the day. Reschedule up to 3 times free; deposit valid 6 months. See the booking policy for the full terms.

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

Two sessions, two sets of animals: reptiles and amphibians after dark, primates and birds at first light. Target wildlife is not guaranteed.

Highlight species on this tour

Black-shanked Douc Langur Pygathrix nigripes

Target

The primate most guests hope for on the morning session. A daytime animal of the forest canopy, searched for from 05:00 when the forest is most active. Not guaranteed.

Ruby-eyed Pit Viper Trimeresurus rubeus

Venomous Target

A green pit viper with a red eye, and the signature night find at Cat Tien. White light picks up the colour and scale detail that confirm the identification. Venomous: observed at a distance only, never handled by guests.

Southern Yellow-cheeked Gibbon Nomascus gabriellae

Recorded

On the Cat Tien mammal list and one of the animals the morning session is built around. Not guaranteed.

Cat Tien Bent-toed Gecko Cyrtodactylus cattienensis

Target

A bent-toed gecko named after the park, which is why it sits on most guests' target list before they arrive. Harmless, and picked out by white light along the night route.

Mammals and birds on the list

Pygmy Slow Loris
Sunda Pangolin
Mainland Leopard Cat
Gaur
Asian Elephant Rare
Asian Small-clawed Otter
Black Giant Squirrel
Green Peafowl
Siamese Fireback
Germain's Peacock-Pheasant
Great Hornbill
Bar-bellied Pitta

Also on the Cat Tien list

Banded Krait Venomous
Blue Krait Venomous
Indo-Chinese Spitting Cobra Venomous
Monocled Cobra Venomous
Burmese Python
Reticulated Python
Green Cat Snake
Jasper Cat Snake
Asian Sunbeam Snake
Laotian Wolf Snake
Chinese Water Dragon
Clouded Monitor
Common Water Monitor
Elongated Tortoise
Giant Asian Pond Turtle
Vietnamese Moss Frog
Annam Tree Frog
South Vietnamese Painted Frog
Cat Loc Caecilian
Nguyen's Caecilian

This is a reference list of species that may be found on our Cat Tien tours, not a complete inventory. Sightings vary with season, weather and conditions on the night and cannot be guaranteed.

Trip Report & Destination

Field notes and photos from our Cat Tien nights and mornings, written up after each trip.

All trip reports →What each group recorded, with dates and photos.Trip reports Cat Tien night herping tour →One night session on foot. From $60 per person.Option 1 Cat Tien 2 day herping tour from Ho Chi Minh City →Transfers, a room inside the park and both sessions. From $215.Option 3 Cat Tien 3 day wildlife tour with Crocodile Lake →Two nights inside the park and a day at Bau Sau. From $310.Option 4 Cat Tien National Park herping tour guide →All four options side by side, with seasons and access.Cat Tien

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 southern 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

The two sessions can be done on the same day or split across two days. Timing adjusts to weather and wildlife activity.

Night session

18:00

Meet and brief

Meet your guide at the park. Safety briefing; red and white lights issued.
18:30 – 23:00

Night herping

Reptiles, amphibians and nocturnal mammals on foot along forest trails and stream edges.

Morning session

05:00 – 09:30

Daytime wildlife watching

A dawn walk for black-shanked douc langur, gibbons, birds and other daytime wildlife. Not guaranteed.
After 09:30

Checklist

Your completed wildlife checklist, covering both sessions, follows after the tour.

Meals

Not included Food and drinks are not included.

Accommodation

Not included You book your own room; staying inside the park makes the 05:00 start easier.

Transfers

Not included You arrange your own way to and from Cat Tien.

Group

Private One to eight guests on foot.

Questions

Frequently asked

Price & Service

Cat Tien wildlife tour price, per person (USD)

Two guided sessions. The rate drops as your group grows.
Group size	1 guest	2 guests	3 guests	4–8 guests
Price per person	$200	$125	$100	$80

A 30% deposit by international transfer (Wise) secures your date. The 70% balance is paid in cash in Vietnamese dong to your guide on the day, at an exchange rate we confirm in writing four days before departure. The deposit is non-refundable but transferable: evening and one-night tours can be moved up to three times free of charge, with no notice period, 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

English-speaking professional Viet Herping guide for both sessions
Professional flashlight: red light for night mammals, white light for reptiles and amphibians
Night wildlife watching fee (national park)
Daytime wildlife watching fee
A completed checklist of all wildlife recorded during your tour

Not included

Park entry ticket: 60,000 VND per person
Food and drinks
Accommodation
Transfers to and from Cat Tien National Park
Late-night ferry, only if you stay outside the park and return late: 200,000 VND per crossing

Optional, paid locally

Jeep ride: 360,000 VND one way, on request if you are tired
Bicycle rental: 200,000 VND half day · 400,000 VND full day

Does the guarantee apply to this tour?

No. Cat Tien is not one of the tours covered by our Target Species Guarantee.

Encounters here depend on weather, season and field conditions, and we would rather tell you that plainly than promise what the forest cannot. What you do get is a guide who has worked this park for twenty years and chooses the route for the night.

In the south the guarantee applies on the Ho Chi Minh City herping tour, where a live wild snake of any species is guaranteed and a quiet night means your next attempt is free.

Other Cat Tien options

If this one is not the fit

Dong Nai Night Herping Tour

Dong Nai night herping tour: a daytime forest walk and a night session along trails and streams in Dong Nai, with private car from Ho Chi Minh City and a return the same night.

Ho Chi Minh City Herping Tour

Ho Chi Minh City herping tour: one private evening in the field for reptiles and amphibians, with pick-up in the city and a guaranteed wild snake sighting.

Dong Nai Herping Tour: 2 Days 1 Night

SCHEDULE

2 Days/ 1 Night

PACKAGE

Full Package

LEVEL

Easy–Moderate

FROM

$210 /pax · 3–5

Dong Nai herping tour 2 days 1 night: overnight wildlife watching focused on reptiles and amphibians, with daytime birding and a nature walk, by private car from Ho Chi Minh City.

Cat Tien Wildlife Tour: Night and Morning Sessions

Cat Tien Wildlife Tour: Night and Morning Sessions