Tran Phu
First-timersThe beach road, close to the sand and restaurants.
Nha Trang city guide
Things To Do In Nha Trang
A long city beach on a sweeping bay, with islands and reefs offshore, Cham temples, mud baths and a resort scene popular with Russian and Asian holidaymakers.
18
Hostels in the city
7.8
Average, from 1,424 reviews
6 km
City beach
8th c.
Po Nagar towers
45 min
From Cam Ranh Airport
The beach city of the south
Nha Trang is Vietnam's biggest beach resort, with a six-kilometre city beach backed by hotels and a bay dotted with islands. Its waters have some of the best diving and snorkelling in the country.
The resort scene is loud and busy, and popular with Russian and Asian tourists, but the Cham towers, mud baths and islands give it more than a beach.
Two or three days is right.
Where to stay
Most hotels and hostels are along or just behind Tran Phu, the beach road, close to the sand and the restaurants. The streets around Hung Vuong and Biet Thu, a few blocks back, have the backpacker bars and cheaper rooms.
Biet Thu and Hung Vuong
BackpackersCheaper rooms and late bars a few blocks back.
Orange labels are neighbourhoods, dots are the 12 top-rated hostels. Map data from OpenStreetMap contributors.
Things to do
Things to do in Nha Trang
Nha Trang's city beach runs for about six kilometres along Tran Phu, with lounge chairs, water sports and a promenade. The sea is calmest from roughly January to August.
The Po Nagar Cham towers, on a hill at the mouth of the Cai River, were built between the eighth and thirteenth centuries and are still an active place of worship; dress modestly. Long Son Pagoda has a large white seated Buddha on the hill above it.
Island-hopping boat trips visit the islands in the bay, with snorkelling and beaches. Hon Mun is a marine protected area and the best place for diving in this part of Vietnam, with dive schools in town offering courses.
Mud baths and hot springs, a short ride out of town, are a Nha Trang classic: soak in warm mineral mud, then in hot pools. VinWonders, a theme park on Hon Tre island, is reached by boat.
Da Lat, in the cool highlands, is about four hours inland.
Free things
Free things to do in Nha Trang
The city beach is free, and the promenade along Tran Phu is a free evening walk.
Po Nagar and Long Son Pagoda charge little or nothing, and the fishing boats in the Cai River estuary, painted blue and red, are free to watch from the bridges.
Food and drink
Eating and drinking in Nha Trang
Nha Trang is a seafood town. Restaurants along the beach and in the streets behind grill fish, squid, scallops and lobster; check prices by weight first.
The local specialities are bun cha ca, a fish cake noodle soup, and nem nuong, grilled pork sausages wrapped in rice paper with herbs. Banh can, small rice pancakes cooked in clay moulds, are a street snack.
A meal is €1.50 to €6, more for seafood.
Nightlife
Going out in Nha Trang
Nha Trang has a lively bar scene for its size, with beach clubs, rooftop bars and backpacker bars around Biet Thu and Hung Vuong streets that run late.
Boat parties on island trips are popular with backpackers.
A beer is €1 to €3.
Getting around
Getting around Nha Trang
Cam Ranh Airport is about 35 to 45 minutes south of the city by Grab, taxi or airport bus.
The centre is walkable along the beach, and Grab is cheap for longer trips. Scooters can be rented for Po Nagar and the mud baths.
Nha Trang station is on the main north–south railway. Buses and sleeper buses run to Da Lat (about four hours), Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City.
Costs
What Nha Trang costs
Nha Trang is cheap to mid-priced. Dorms start around €5 and a careful day is €20 to €30.
Island boat trips are €10 to €25, dives several tens of euros, and the mud baths around €10 to €20. Seafood dinners cost more than street food, so check prices.
The currency is the Vietnamese dong (VND); prices here are euro equivalents, at roughly 30,000 VND to the euro. Cards work in larger places; ATMs are easy to find.
Safety
Staying safe in Nha Trang
Nha Trang is safe, but watch your bag on the beach and at night: bag and phone snatching by thieves on motorbikes happens. Keep phones away from the road.
The sea can be rough from September to December, the rainy season on this coast, with typhoon risk; swim only where it is calm and flagged.
On boat trips, check life jackets are on board.
Emergency: 113 police, 115 ambulance, 114 fire.
Day trips from Nha Trang
Reefs, an island theme park and the cool highlands.
VinWonders
An island theme park and water park on Hon Tre.
Da Lat
The cool highland town.
What's on
What is on while you are there
The Nha Trang Sea Festival is held in some years in summer.
January to August
Beach season
Nha Trang
Calm seas.
January or February
Tet
Nha Trang
The lunar new year.
Hostels
Where to stay in Nha Trang
The top-rated places to stay in Nha Trang right now, live from Hostelworld.
V Hotel Nha Trang
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The Alley
Dorms from €4 a night
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Le Soleil Hotel
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Ivy Hotel Nha Trang
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Canary Nha Trang
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Bondi Backpackers Nha Trang
Dorms from €4 a night
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Senkotel Nha Trang
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Happy Light Central Nha Trang
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Apollo Hotel Nha Trang
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Starlight Hotel Nha Trang
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Mojzo Inn Boutique
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Aaron Hotel
See dates and bookWhen to go
January to August. October to December is the rainy season here.
Jan
Dry
Feb
Tet
Mar
Dry
Apr
Excellent
May
Good
Jun
Good
Jul
Busy
Aug
Busy
Sep
Good
Oct
Rainy
Nov
Wettest
Dec
Rainy
Bar height is temperature. Colour is how busy it gets:
quiet
busy
peak
Average highs.
What your trip will cost
Pick how you travel. Per person per night, in euros.
Prices are in dong locally; these are euro equivalents. Excludes island trips and diving.
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- Beds—
- Food and drink—
- Getting around—
- Doing things—
Nha Trang travel questions
The ones we get asked most.
When is the best time to visit?
January to August, when the sea is calm. September to December is the rainy season on this coast, with typhoon risk.
Is the diving good?
The best in this part of Vietnam, around Hon Mun marine reserve, with courses for beginners.
How far is the airport?
Cam Ranh Airport is 35 to 45 minutes south by Grab, taxi or airport bus.
What are the mud baths?
Spas outside town where you soak in warm mineral mud, then in hot spring pools. A classic half day.
How many days do you need?
Two or three: one for the beach and Po Nagar, one for an island trip, and one for the mud baths or diving.
How do I get to Da Lat?
By bus, about four hours up into the highlands.
Is Nha Trang safe?
Yes, but bag and phone snatching happens; keep valuables away from the road.
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