Rank caves for your group
How to read the result
Cave ranking
The five caves are scored against your inputs. Length, climb count, ceiling height, and boat-vs-walk character are weighted against your ability and what you're trying to see. The top of the list is the most-aligned pick for you.
Inside temperature
Karst caves sit around 12–16 °C year-round. Above 1,200 m entrance altitude they drop to 8–11 °C. A light fleece inside is rarely a regret — even in July.
Boat sections
Three of the five (Longgong, Jiudongtian, Tianhe) have underground-river boat sections that can be skipped or included. Boats are easy, but they cap the formation experience — pick the walk if you came for geology.
What this tool can't tell you
- Whether the cave is open the day you visit. Zhijin sometimes closes specific chambers for maintenance on short notice; check the morning of.
- Lighting quality. Show caves dim lights on rotating schedules to save power; the "wow" chamber may not be lit when you arrive.
- Your personal reaction to a 6 km walk underground. Even strong walkers hit a wall around 3 km in low-ceiling, dim-lit tunnels. Pace yourself.
- Whether guides speak English. At Zhijin, English audio guides are available at the entrance; at Longgong, almost no English. Plan ahead with the showcave tool page or a translation app.
- Photography rules. Most show caves ban tripods and pro lenses. Phone cameras always allowed.
Common questions
Which cave has the best formations?
What's the easiest cave if I have mobility issues?
Is the Water Curtain Cave (水帘洞) really a separate cave?
Sources & reference data
Cave length / formation data: 织金洞管理局 (Zhijin Cave Authority), 龙宫风景区 (Longgong Scenic Area), 贵州省洞穴协会 (Guizhou Speleological Society) bulletins. Average temperatures measured at cave entrances (2024 readings). Walk / climb counts from official tour-route publications.