Tours out of Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam
Southern Vietnam
Nha Trang from the water, and the coast beyond it
The city front is a wall of towers. Turn round, though, and there is a bay full of islands, the clearest water on the mainland coast, and empty sand an hour north.
Overview
Using Nha Trang for what it is good at
Nha Trang has been built up hard, and if you want a small fishing town this is not it. What it does well is the sea: the bay is sheltered, the water clearer than anywhere else on the mainland coast, and the islands a short boat ride out. The city beach is long, maintained and swimmable, and there is a Cham temple complex over a thousand years old on a hill above the river.
So we give the city itself a single afternoon and spend the rest of the trip on the water and up the coast. One day is a private boat in the bay with snorkelling. Another goes north to the long, quiet beach at Doc Let and to the salt fields where the workers are out before the sun.
- Length
- 4 days, 3 nights
- Flight from Saigon
- About 1 hour to Cam Ranh
- Airport to town
- About 45 minutes
- Best months
- February to August
- Style
- Private, with guide
Nights
Where you sleep
Day by day
Day by day
Day 1
Fly in, the Cham towers at dusk
Po Nagar in the late afternoon
A late-morning flight of about an hour from Saigon lands at Cam Ranh, about forty-five minutes south of the city along the coast. After check-in and a swim, your guide takes you at 16:00 to Po Nagar, the Cham towers above the river mouth, which are still a working place of worship. You watch the fishing fleet in the river below as the light goes.
Day 2
A day in the bay
Snorkelling in the protected part of the bay
At 08:00 a private boat collects you from the harbour. We head out to the islands of the marine protected area, where the coral is in better shape than in the rest of the bay, and anchor for snorkelling. Lunch is seafood at a floating restaurant or on board.
In the afternoon we find a quiet beach on one of the smaller islands for a swim before heading back at about 15:30. You are at the hotel by 16:30.
Day 3
North to the salt fields and Doc Let
The salt workers at dawn
An early start, at 05:00, for the salt fields at Hon Khoi, about an hour north, where the workers rake the salt into white heaps before the heat. Then breakfast on the road and on to Doc Let, a long beach of fine white sand that stays almost empty on weekdays.
You have the middle of the day on the beach, with lunch at a simple beachfront place. We drive back in the afternoon and reach Nha Trang around 16:00.
Day 4
A last swim and the flight home
The city beach at seven in the morning
The morning is free for the city beach, which is at its best before nine. We collect you at the hotel after lunch for the drive to Cam Ranh and an afternoon flight back to Saigon, or on to Hanoi or Da Nang if you are continuing.
Price
Price
| Travellers | Tier 1 — simple | Tier 2 — comfortable | Tier 3 — the good ones |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 travelling | from 455 | from 570 | from 865 |
| 4 travelling | from 375 | from 465 | from 710 |
| 6 travelling | from 335 | from 420 | from 640 |
The hotel choice is the main variable: the city front is good value, while the resorts on the quieter bays nearby cost more and put you forty minutes from town. Flights vary with the season, and Vietnamese summer holidays in June and July are the busiest weeks. The private boat is a fixed cost, so the per-person figure drops quickly for four or six.
Included
What is included
What the price includes
- Return economy flights Saigon to Cam Ranh
- All transfers and the drive to Doc Let and Hon Khoi
- Guide on days one to three
- Private boat with snorkelling gear on day two
- Three nights at your chosen hotel tier, with breakfast
- Two lunches, entrance fees and water
What it does not include
- Scuba diving, which we can arrange with a certified centre
- Cable car and amusement park tickets
- Dinners, drinks and tips
- Travel insurance and visas
Practical
Weather and timing
Nha Trang runs to a different calendar from the rest of the south. Its rains come from October to December, when the sea can be rough and boat days are cancelled. February to August is dry, hot and the water at its clearest, which makes this a good choice for June and July when much of the country is at its hottest or wettest.
Bring reef-safe sun cream, a rash vest for snorkelling if you burn easily, and sandals for the boats. Children do well on this trip; the boat day can be shortened for small ones.
Not for everyone
Who this does not suit
If you want a quiet, characterful beach town, skip Nha Trang for Quy Nhon, Con Dao or the north of Phu Quoc. On a first two-week trip through Vietnam, Hoi An gives you a beach and a great deal more, and we would usually put these days there.
Do not come from October to December expecting boat days. The sea may simply not allow them.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Is Nha Trang good for snorkelling?
It is the best on the mainland coast, especially inside the protected area. It is not Con Dao, but the water is clear from February to August.
Can we stay somewhere quieter than the city front?
Yes. There are resorts on the bays north and south of the city. They cost more and add a drive to each outing.
Can we arrive by road from Da Lat?
Yes, about three and a half hours on the mountain road. Our six-day Saigon, Da Lat and Nha Trang route does this.
Related
Read next
Southern Vietnam
Nha Trang
The resort city: beaches, islands and a frank assessment.
View this journey
Southern Vietnam
Southern Vietnam
Saigon, the delta, the southern coast and the islands.
View this journey
Example journey
Saigon, Da Lat and Nha Trang
City, highlands and sea in six days, with the mountain road down.
View this journey
Example journey
Phu Quoc, four days
Three nights on the west coast, the forest north and a fishing village.
View this journey
Tours
Tours
Day trips, regional routes and full-length itineraries.
View this journey
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