Nha Trang is a beach town with a surprisingly long list: boat trips, temples, viewpoints and mud baths. That does not all fit into the two days most backpackers have here, and it does not need to, because mostly you come here to do nothing for a bit.
A few things really belong on it: a day on the water, a morning on a beach where nobody else is lying, and one proper meal a few streets back from the sea. Other things come with any resort town and fill a spare half day nicely.
So where do your Nha Trang days go, and what do you save for next time?
Still planning? How many days you need, where to sleep and how to get here is all on our Nha Trang page.
A day on the water among the islands
There are nineteen islands in the bay off the city, and they are the reason you are here. You go from snorkel stop to snorkel stop, see tropical fish in water that stays clear from February well into June, and in between there is a barbecue on board. For a lot of backpackers this is the highlight of their time in Nha Trang, and we think rightly so.
There are two flavours. The half-day snorkelling trip with a barbecue on board is the most popular and keeps your afternoon free. Want to be out all day and see a few island beaches too? Then an island tour has you out for about seven hours, from around €15 including lunch. The boats leave in the morning from the harbour south of the centre.
When you book, ask whether snorkel gear, drinks and entrance fees are included. That is where the price differences between operators hide, and otherwise you pay for them afterwards anyway.
Our verdict: absolutely, and plan it for your first full day
Bai Tien Beach, early in the morning
This is our own favourite in Nha Trang, and hardly anyone rides out to it. North of the city lies Bai Tien Beach, a quiet bay tucked under the hills that feels a lot more real than the busy promenade. No loungers, no sellers, and usually barely any other travellers.
You need a scooter for it, and you can rent one from about €4 a day. Go early, because that is when the local fishermen come back from sea and there is a good chance you have the beach almost to yourself. Keep riding and you can tag Doc Let or the mud baths onto the same half day.
Helmet on, always. They check for it strictly here, and the police actively watch for alcohol too, so no beer on the beach before you ride back.
Our verdict: a must, this is why you rent that scooter
Po Nagar Cham Towers
The Cham towers have stood here since the eighth century and are still in use: this is not a ruin but a working temple. After a day on the boat it is a nice change of pace, and it is also the best slice of history the city has to offer. From the grounds you look out over the city as well.
Entry is about €1 and it is open daily from 6.00 to 18.00. You get there by Grab or on the scooter. Cover your shoulders and knees, because people really do come here to pray.
Allow an hour. Combine it with the mud baths outside town, since they are in the same corner and after a day at sea you have earned it.
Our verdict: an hour, and pair it with the mud baths, they are the same way
Sunset at Hon Chong
Everyone watches the sunset from the promenade here, and that is fine: it is free, it happens around six, and that barely shifts all year. But four kilometres north of the centre is Hon Chong, a rock formation above the sea with one of the best views over the bay. It is quieter there and the light is better.
Entry is about €1 and it is open daily. On a scooter you are there in no time, by Grab too. Take your time scrambling over the rocks until you find a spot where you are sitting on your own.
Go late in the afternoon, so you see the coast change colour and still have the whole evening ahead of you.
Our verdict: the best sunset in the city, and it costs you a euro
Bun ca and grilled fish behind the promenade
Nha Trang is a fishing town that became a tourist town, and you taste it right on the border between the two. On the waterfront you pay promenade prices, but a few streets inland you sit among locals eating that same morning’s catch. The local speciality is bun ca: noodle soup with fish cakes.
Beyond that, this is the place for grilled squid, shellfish by the kilo and nem nuong that you roll yourself at the table. A meal here costs around €1.80 and a beer about €0.50, so you can easily do two places in one evening.
With seafood, always ask the price per kilo before the plate lands on the table. It is the classic way to pay far too much in Nha Trang, and it does not only happen on the waterfront.
Our verdict: absolutely, and not on the promenade
The mud baths outside town
Yes, it is touristy. No, that does not matter one bit here. After a day of sun and salt water you sink into a tub of warm mud, rinse off, and then sit there for an hour doing absolutely nothing. It feels like your trip starts over afterwards.
The baths are outside town, so take a Grab or fit them in on the scooter, for example on the same ride as the coast road north. Plan it for the day after your boat trip, not before.
Our verdict: great if you are not packing your days full
Long Son Pagoda and the 152 steps
The best known temple in the city sits on a hill in the centre, with a big white Buddha at the top that you can see from the street. You climb 152 steps to get there and get a panoramic view over Nha Trang in return.
It costs nothing and you can go during daylight hours. From the promenade it is about ten minutes by scooter or Grab. Do it at the start of the day, because those steps are a lot harder in the full midday sun.
Our verdict: half an hour is just right
Got time to spare in Nha Trang?
A boat trip in the right season
The rainy season here comes later than in the rest of Vietnam, from September to December. The sea gets rough, boats do not always go out, and visibility under water is often under five metres. Coming in those months? Keep Nha Trang a bit shorter and move your snorkelling plans to another stop on your route. February to August is when you want to be here, and January is mostly dry too.
The city beach at its best
Six kilometres of sand along the promenade, free, with a lounger for about €2. Early in the morning the beach belongs to the locals, and that is also the loveliest time to be there: quiet, cool and full of life at the water’s edge. In autumn, watch the flags, because there is a strong rip current then.
Seafood a few streets inland
The terraces on the water are perfect for your evening stroll and a drink. For the fish itself, walk two streets inland, where it comes off the charcoal grill for a fraction of the price. Do ask the price per kilo before you order, so you know exactly where you stand.
Booking your boat trip through your hostel
On the street people will offer you trips that look a little cheaper than what your hostel charges. Just book through your hostel or online in advance, so you know for sure that snorkel gear, entry and lunch are included. Leave your valuables at the hostel that day, and you have nothing to keep an eye on while you are out.
Our top five in Nha Trang
Only got a few days? These are the five we would do no matter what:
- A day on the water among the islands, with snorkel stops and a barbecue on board
- Bai Tien Beach by scooter, early in the morning when the fishermen come in
- The Po Nagar Cham Towers, an hour between two beach days
- Sunset at Hon Chong instead of on the promenade
- Bun ca and grilled fish a few streets back from the water
Still got time after that? The mud baths are the best way to round off a day at sea. And if you want one more view, climb the 152 steps of Long Son Pagoda before the midday sun is at its fiercest.
So what do you really have to do in Nha Trang?
Everything on this list is worth it, but Nha Trang is above all the place where your trip through Vietnam pauses for a moment. The travellers who got the most out of it simply stayed horizontal after the boat trip. This list is here to help you choose, and to keep your two days relaxed.
If we had to pick just one thing: get out on the water. The islands are the reason this city is a backpacker stop, and a day out with snorkel stops and a barbecue on board costs less than a night out at home. Put it on your first full day, so you still have some slack if the wind has other plans.
And on your last morning, rent a scooter for €4. Ride up the coast to the north, sit on an empty beach while the fishing boats come in, and then have a bowl of bun ca before your bus to Da Lat leaves. That is a better way to say goodbye to Nha Trang than any afternoon on a lounger.
