Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Themes
The right sea for the month you come
Vietnam has more than 3,000 kilometres of coast and at any time of year some of it is excellent and some of it is grey and rough. Choosing a beach here is really choosing a month.
Overview
The one thing to understand
Vietnam runs north to south across two monsoon systems, and its coasts face different directions. The result is that the country never has one beach season. When Phu Quoc is at its best, in the middle of the northern winter, the central coast is often wet and the sea at Hoi An can be too rough to swim. When the central coast is calm and blue in June, Phu Quoc’s west coast is taking the south-west monsoon and the beaches are strewn with weed. Beach brochures rarely say this. It is the main thing we will talk to you about.
So a beach trip starts with your dates and works backwards. If you are travelling in January, we point you south and west. If you are travelling in July, we point you to the centre. If you want a beach in October or November, we are careful: that is typhoon and flood season on the central coast, and the southern islands are only just settling.
The coast near Quy Nhon in June: calm, clear and almost empty.The trips
Trips with time by the sea
Some of these are beach trips from start to finish; others build a few days on the coast into a longer route. The right one depends first on your month.
Day tour · from USD 69
Vung Tau and the coast
The city’s own weekend beach: seafood, a lighthouse, and the ferry option.
2 days · from USD 225
Mui Ne dunes and the coast
Four hours east for red dunes at dawn, fishing boats and a night by the sea.
4 days · from USD 455
Nha Trang, the islands side
Four days built around the bay and the quieter beaches north of town.
4 days · from USD 495
Phu Quoc, the island
Three nights on the west coast, with the north-coast forest and a fishing village.
3 days · from USD 525
Con Dao, three days
The island prison, turtle beaches and a sea that is actually clear.
6 days · from USD 795
Saigon, Da Lat and Nha Trang
City, highlands and sea in six days, with the mountain road down to the coast.
8 days · from USD 1155
The south in eight days
Saigon, two nights in the delta and four on Phu Quoc.
4 days · from USD 545
Quy Nhon and the quiet coast
The central coast before the resorts: fishing villages, Cham towers, empty coves.
14 days · from USD 1795
Vietnam with children, 14 days
Short drives, pools that matter, and a beach in the middle.
14 days · from USD 2195
Vietnam for two, 14 days
Small hotels, late starts, a private boat night and an island to finish.
16 days · from USD 2095
Highlights and beaches, 16 days
The classic route with the sea put back into it: Hoi An beach days and Con Dao.
12 days · from USD 1695
Saigon, Angkor and the Cambodian coast
Temples, Battambang, the capital and two nights of nothing at Kampot.
By month
Month by month, coast by coast
| Coast | Good months | Avoid | Character |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phu Quoc (west coast) | November to April | June to September | Calm, warm, resort-heavy in places |
| Con Dao | March to June | November to February, when seas are rough | Quiet, protected, turtles, clear water |
| Hoi An and Da Nang | March to August | October to December | Long sandy beaches, easy with the old town |
| Quy Nhon | March to September | October to December | Coves, fishing villages, few foreign visitors |
| Nha Trang | February to August | October to December | A city on a bay, islands by boat |
| Mui Ne | April to June for calm sea | November to March if you dislike wind | Dunes, fishing boats, kitesurfing in the windy months |
| Kampot and Kep, Cambodia | November to April | July to September | Pepper farms, crab, a slow coast |
These are tendencies, not guarantees. A storm can arrive in any season, and a good week can turn up in a bad month. But the pattern is strong enough to plan around, and when we book a beach at the edge of its season we say so and keep the booking flexible.
In practice
What changes on a beach-led trip
Beach days change the pace completely. There is nothing to organise, so the guide is usually off duty; we keep a driver on call for a village, a market or a restaurant along the coast. Hotels matter more than anywhere else on the route, because you will spend most of your waking hours in them, and the stretch of sand in front of the hotel matters more than the hotel’s star rating. Several of Vietnam’s most developed beaches have hotels on one side of a road and the beach on the other; we check which is which.
On Phu Quoc and in Nha Trang, large resort developments have changed parts of the coast. The quieter stretches still exist and we know where they are. Con Dao and Quy Nhon are the opposite: less choice of hotel, fewer restaurants and much more peace. If you want lively evenings, Da Nang and Nha Trang have them; if you want a book and a quiet sea, the other two are better.
Trade-offs
Costs, safety and who should not bother
- Flights: Phu Quoc and Con Dao are islands, and the flight is part of the budget. Con Dao flights are small planes with tight baggage limits.
- Hotels: rates rise sharply around Christmas, New Year and Tet, when the best beach rooms go months ahead.
- Swimming: many beaches have strong currents in the rough months and few lifeguards. Swim where locals swim, and not after a storm.
- Sun: this close to the equator the sun is fierce. Shade, water and a long-sleeved top do more than any sun cream.
A beach trip in Vietnam does not suit anyone who can only travel in October or November and wants guaranteed sunshine; we will suggest a later date or a different kind of trip. It does not suit anyone expecting the empty white-sand beaches of the Andaman coast everywhere: some of the famous beaches are busy, and the best ones take a flight to reach.
Checklist
Checklist for the coast
- Tell us your dates first; the coast follows the calendar.
- Book island flights early and check the baggage allowance on the smaller routes.
- Pack reef-safe sun cream and a rash vest for snorkelling.
- Keep one flexible day at the end of an island stay, in case a flight or ferry moves.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Where is the best beach in Vietnam in December?
Phu Quoc, usually, followed by Mui Ne if you do not mind wind. The central coast is often wet and rough in December.
Can we swim in Ha Long Bay?
In summer, from about May to September, at a few designated beaches and from some boats. In winter the water is too cold for most people.
Is Con Dao worth the extra flight?
If you want quiet water, forest and history in one place, yes. If you want restaurants and nightlife, no.
Related
Read next
Southern Vietnam
Phu Quoc
Beaches, timing and where on the island to stay.
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Southern Vietnam
Con Dao
Empty beaches, real diving, and a serious history.
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Central Vietnam
Quy Nhon
Beaches and Cham towers without the crowds.
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Southern Vietnam
Nha Trang
The resort city: beaches, islands and a frank assessment.
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Southern Vietnam
Mui Ne
Dunes, wind sports and the nearest coast to Saigon.
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Start planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.
Or talk to us:+84 766 045 399