DECEMBER 2025

Despite being named Han, I had never visited my namesake caves. So when I had a free weekend in autumn, it seemed like the perfect weekend to visit the Caves of Han. The caves are located in the middle of the Ardennes and autumn is the best time to visit. We lucked out and had nice weather all weekend, so we could fully enjoy our beautiful surroundings with colorful leaves. We also visited the Wild Park and I highly recommend buying a value ticket that gives access to both. And if you are in this area anyway, why not also visit the lovely Dinant and Durbuy?

Practical information

The caves of Han are located in “Domein Grotten van Han”, which is a nature reserve that offers several activities. The official website gives a good overview of the activities and has several value packages. If you buy several activities at once, it generally is much cheaper than just visiting the caves. A ticket for a tour through the caves costs about € 30 per adult. We bought the Wildpark as an add-on, and had to pay €41,5 per adult. During summertime you can also do a tree climbing experience. Please check the official website for all experiences, as sometimes there are special/seasonal experiences such as a beer tasting experience and Halloween shows. The nature reserve features a large playground and there are some food options as well. It is walkable from the city center of Han, but you can also take the free old tram that rides in the mornings. In Han there are some parking options, usually the parking lot is paid. 

Caves of Han

You can do two tours of the Caves, a short tour that takes 75 minutes or a long tour that takes 120 minutes. With small kids it is recommended to do the short tour and I agree with that. There is a Dutch and a French tour, you can spontaneously join either of them. It was really nice to have a guided visit in my own language, as the guide had very interesting stories about the origin and geology of the caves. The tour group wasn’t extremely big, I sometimes stayed behind a bit to take pictures. Make sure to wear sturdy shoes as the stairs and paths can be a bit slippery. The caves were beautiful and diverse and we were even surprised with a gorgeous light show! Pictures don’t do it justice, but it is a mystic experience. 

Wildpark

The wildpark is like a zoo, where the animals have more options of free roaming. You can visit with a Safari bus or visit walking. The animals are quite a walk from the entrance, so if visiting with little kids, take the Safari bus. The bus stops often and you get information about  the animals, it was a fun experience. We were allowed off the bus to enjoy the bears from up close. Besides the bears, we loved the wolves and all the roaming deer. The wildpark looked gorgeous during autumn, with all the colored leaves in the autumn light. It is possible to walk back to the park after the Safari visit, which is what I would have done if I was with adults only. The paths can be very steep, so make sure to dress accordingly. We spent about two hours on the bus and had a lot of fun! 

Where we stayed

As the Caves of Han are located 2,5 hours from where we live, we decided to stay the night in Han-sur-Lesse. We booked a spacious room in the Mercure Han-sur-Lesse. Little did we know it was autumn break for the Belgian schoolkids, so it was absolutely packed and quite expensive. We would have loved to try the restaurant, but all tables were full so we had roomservice instead (not recommended). Our weekendesk offer included a free welcome drink, which we had in the lovely bar area. The hotel features a very good playroom, an extensive breakfast buffet and a (cold) swimming pool. Overall, a good place to stay, but make sure to do dinner reservations. 

We had a traditional Belgian lunch at Au lit des ours and would totally recommend it!