Below are best Vietnam beach towns to visit. Many of these beach cities are popular with tourists, but there are some smaller beach towns with few visitors. Because each beach destination is distinct and special, we’ll also highlight places to visit that you can visit.
What You Should Know Before Visiting Vietnam’s Beach Cities and Towns?
- Pack accordingly. Check out our packing slip for Vietnam to ensure you have everything you need for your trip.
- Bring sun protection. This is similar to the first point. Because the sun is so strong in Vietnam, your skin will indeed be burned. Bring a sun hat, sunscreen, and sunglasses if you have them.
- Bring your own reusable water bottle. Plastic waste is a major problem in Vietnam because it is not efficaciously recycled. The majority of plastic water bottles end up in the environment or are burned. Use a jug of water to reduce your plastic waste. You may be able to use reusable water at your lodging. Click here to see some of our favorite water bottles.
- Take your garbage and leave no trace. Another issue in Vietnam is littering. There will be trash on the beaches and throughout town. Let us keep the areas clean by taking our garbage with us and properly disposing of it.
- Some of the beaches are not particularly clean. Depending on the season, debris and garbage may wash up on the beach. When walking on the beach, you should wear sandals to protect your feet.
Make sure you have travel insurance. You never know what might happen on your beach trip, so be prepared with travel insurance.
1. Island of Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc Island (Ph Quc in Vietnamese) is situated in the south of Vietnam and nearer to south Cambodia. This fantastic island is ideal for beachgoers. As a result, it’s a popular weekend getaway or tourist attraction for locals, such as Tet Lunar New Year. It’s only a one-hour flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc.
Phu Quoc is known for having 5-star resorts all over the island, where you can relax and enjoy the accommodations on the private beaches.
Visit the public beaches on the island, such as Sao Beach (which can get crowded), Starfish Beach (where you can see real starfish in the water), Ong Lang Beach, and Bai Truong Beach.
Aside from the beaches, other Phu Quoc attractions include hiking through the Phu Quoc National Park, learning about tiger cages at the Phu Quoc Prison Museum, and visiting the Night Market in the island’s center. Alternatively, take a day trip to private islands for snorkeling and swimming, or ride the world’s longest cable car to An Thoi and Hom Thom Island.
2. Islands of Con Dao
Con Dao Islands is among Vietnam’s most beautiful spots. Con Dao, situated in the remote area of Ba Ra-Vung Tau Province, has clean, blue waters and some of the best beaches we’ve seen in Vietnam.
All of the main attractions are located on the main island, Con Son. The beaches are a highlight because they have soft white sand that is ideal for lying in the sun and watching the sunset. We had a great time at Nhat Beach and Dam Trau Beach (to see the planes landings above your head).
If you have the opportunity to go snorkeling on a neighboring island, take advantage of it! You’ll have access to a secluded private beach as well as live coral reefs.
Check out these fun things can do on Con Dao to spice up your itinerary. Hike through the lush forest of Con Dao National Park to smaller shingle beaches (beaches with rocks instead of sand). Learn about the 113-year-long prison system and see the living conditions of the “tiger cages.”
3. Vung Tau
Vung Tau (Vng Tàu), the closest beach city to Ho Chi Minh City, is located in the Ba Ria-Vung Tau Province. It’s about two hours from HCMC. Locals and tourists alike flock here for a few days at the beach.
Back Beach and Front Beach are two popular beaches. Crowds will flock to these beaches to escape the hot weather. We’ve only been to New Wave Beach, which was moderate due to the packed sand and some trash, so we’re excited to visit the other beach areas.
Hiking is a great way to get some exercise after relaxing on the beach. Vung Tau has several hiking trails, including Big Mountain, Minh Dam Mountain, and Dinh Mountain (this is outside of the Vung Tau area). Take a short walk up Small Mountain to see the Jesus Chris Statue.
When in Vung Tau, don’t forget to try some delicious seafood. The seafood is delivered daily to restaurants, so you’ll get the fresh catch of the day.
4. Mui Ne
Mui Ne (Mi Né) is a small coastal beach town in Binh Thuan Province known for sand dunes and kitesurfing. It is located in Phan Thiet City. It’s a relaxed and extremely quiet neighborhood, especially in the evenings. Spend some time relaxing on the beaches or at the resort’s pool throughout the day.
The two main places to visit in Mui Ne are the red and white sand dunes. Here you can watch the dawn and dusk while sliding down the dunes. When going to visit the white sands, you can either take a Jeep to the top or hike up the dune.
Walk through Fairy Stream and stop by the fishing village area on the same trip. Observe the morning rush of people purchase and sell fresh seafood caught in the early hours. Because much of the seafood sold here is sold to restaurants, you can be assured of its freshness.
If you really want to learn to kitesurf, Mui Ne is the greatest spot to do so. The breeze is strong and ideal for practicing kitesurfing. There are numerous kitesurfing schools to select from along the main street.
5. Ke Ga
Ke Ga (Kê Gà) is a small beach town in Binh Thuan Province. It is approximately 1.5 hours from Mui Ne.
If you’re in the province, it’s a peaceful and beautiful place to visit (even smaller than Mui Ne). There are several charming guesthouses along the coast where you can stay and enjoy beautiful views of the calm blue waters. We stopped for a few hours at Lala Chill Guesthouse to eat and rest.
The standouts of this area are including taking a boat ride to explore an island’s lighthouse (Ke Ge Lighthouse) and watching the sun rising on the main beach in the early morning. Once the sun comes up, it’s also worth checking out the fresh seafood for sale. The seafood is caught a few hours ahead of time.
