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Southern Vietnam · travel guide

Southern Vietnam, beyond Saigon.

Eight places worth leaving Ho Chi Minh City for: a river delta, a tunnel network, two coasts, a holy mountain, a mangrove forest and two islands. For each one you get the same four things: the facts, the local specialties, the reasons to go and what to do there. Distances, prices and rules were checked in October 2026.

Compare all eightPlan a route
8destinations, all reached from Saigon
5of them work as a day trip
3UNESCO biosphere reserves
Checked10 October 2026
Map of southern Vietnam showing the eight destinations in this guideCAMBODIAGulf of ThailandEast Sea100 kmChau DocHa TienCa MauSaigon1Mekong Delta2Cu Chi Tunnels3Vung Tau4Phu Quoc5Mui Ne6Tay Ninh7Can Gio8Con Dao
The numbers match the sections below: tap one to jump there. The star is Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon), where every trip in this guide starts and where we run our rides.
Overview

Eight places at a glance

Everything here starts from Ho Chi Minh City, which almost everyone still calls Saigon. Five of the eight places are close enough for a day trip. The other three need a flight, a ferry or a night away. Pick by how much time you have, then by season.

Place names changed in 2025

On 1 July 2025 Vietnam merged its 63 provinces and cities into 34 and abolished districts. Most places in this guide changed address. Vung Tau and Con Dao, formerly in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province, are now part of Ho Chi Minh City. Cu Chi and Can Gio are still in the city but are no longer districts. Phu Quoc moved from Kien Giang to An Giang province, Mui Ne and Phan Thiet from Binh Thuan to Lam Dong, and the thirteen provinces of the Mekong Delta became five, with Long An joining Tay Ninh. Bus tickets, road signs and Google Maps still mostly use the old names, so we give both.

Number on the mapDestinationFrom SaigonStayBest months
1 Mekong DeltaRiver life, orchards and floating markets 70–235 km1.5–5 h 1–4 days Dec–Apr, Sep–Nov
2 Cu Chi TunnelsWar history you can crawl through 45–60 km1.5–2 h Half a day Dec–Apr
3 Vung TauBeach, seafood and hilltop views 95 km1.5–2 h 1–2 days Nov–Apr
4 Phu QuocBeach holiday with resorts and theme parks By airabout 1 h 3–5 days Nov–Apr
5 Mui Ne – Phan ThietSand dunes, kitesurfing and a fishing village 185 km3–3.5 h 2–3 days All year
6 Tay Ninh – Black Virgin MountainCao Dai temple and a cable car to the summit 95 km2–2.5 h 1 day Dec–Mar
7 Can GioMangrove forest, monkeys and seafood 60 km1.5–2 h 1 day Dec–Apr
8 Con DaoEmpty beaches, sea turtles and prison history By air45–60 min 3–4 days Mar–Sep

When to go: month by month

The south has two seasons, dry and wet, and it is warm all year. Rain rarely ruins a day, but the sea matters: Phu Quoc and Con Dao have opposite calm seasons, so check the row for the place you have in mind.

Month by month
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Best timeGoodVery hotRainy: a shower most afternoonsWindy, rough sea
Dec – Mar

Dry season

About 22–33 °C in Saigon, with blue skies and lower humidity. The best months almost everywhere, and the busiest. Around Tet (Lunar New Year, 6 February in 2027) transport is packed and many places close for a few days.

Apr – May

The hot months

35 °C and more inland, with the first storms in May. The sea is calm on every coast: the best time for Con Dao, and still good for Phu Quoc.

Jun – Oct

Rainy season

Not all-day rain: usually one heavy shower of 30–90 minutes in the afternoon. Everything is green and prices are lower, and typhoons almost never come this far south. Phu Quoc's west coast is rough from July to September.

Sep – Nov

Floating season

The rain eases, and the upper Mekong Delta floods gently: flooded forests, water lilies and fish. By late November it is dry again in Saigon, while the north-east wind starts to blow at Con Dao and Mui Ne.

Starting in Saigon?

Our Ho Chi Minh City guide covers money, food, photo spots and two mapped routes. The same kind of guide exists for the rest of the country.

Ho Chi Minh City guideCentral Vietnam guideNorthern Vietnam guide
Day trip, or 2–4 daysUNESCO-listed festival, 2024

Mekong Delta

Miền Tây · Đồng bằng sông Cửu Longsay “myen tay”

Vietnam's rice bowl: palm-lined canals, river markets and Khmer pagodas. The quiet version starts where the day-trip buses turn around.

  • From Saigon70–235 km1.5 h to My Tho, 3 h to Can Tho, 5 h to Chau Doc
  • Best timeDec–Apr, Sep–Novdry season, then the floating season
  • Stay1–4 daysone day for a taste, three for the quiet parts
  • Good forSlow travelfood, river life, cycling, photography

The facts about Mekong Delta

Where
The far south-west of Vietnam, from the edge of Ho Chi Minh City to the Gulf of Thailand and the Cambodian border. Vietnamese call it Miền Tây, 'the West', or Cửu Long, 'Nine Dragons', after the nine mouths through which the river used to reach the sea. Two have silted up or been dammed, so seven are left.
Size
About 40,000 km², roughly 12% of Vietnam, and home to around 17 million people. Most of the land lies less than two metres above sea level.
The river
The Mekong rises on the Tibetan Plateau and crosses China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand and Cambodia before it reaches Vietnam, more than 4,300 km later. Here it splits into two main branches, the Tien and the Hau, and thousands of canals.
Farming
About half of Vietnam's rice and nearly all of the rice the country exports, around 70% of its fruit and about 65% of its fish and shrimp.
People
Four cultures share the delta: Vietnamese (Kinh), Khmer, Chinese (Hoa) and Cham. That is why you find gilded Khmer pagodas in Tra Vinh and Soc Trang, mosques around Chau Doc and Chinese temples in every market town.
New names
Since 1 July 2025 the delta's twelve provinces and one city have been merged into five: Can Tho (with Soc Trang and Hau Giang), Vinh Long (with Ben Tre and Tra Vinh), Dong Thap (with Tien Giang), An Giang (with Kien Giang) and Ca Mau (with Bac Lieu). Long An joined Tay Ninh. Everyone still uses the old names, and so does this guide.
Getting there
By road. Expressways now run from Saigon to Can Tho (about 170 km, 3 hours) and, since January 2026, on to Ca Mau. The Rach Mieu 2 bridge, opened in August 2025, removed the worst traffic jam on the way to Ben Tre. Limousine vans and sleeper buses leave all day, and the Mien Tay bus station serves the whole region. Can Tho also has an airport, with flights from Hanoi and Da Nang.
Best time
December to April is dry and easiest. May to August is fruit season, with a shower most afternoons. From September to November the upper delta floods gently. Locals call this mùa nước nổi, the floating season, and it is the most photogenic time around Chau Doc and Dong Thap.
How long
One day from Saigon gives you a taste of My Tho and Ben Tre. Two or three nights gets you to the parts with no tour buses.
Honest note
The floating markets are shrinking as roads replace boats. Cai Rang in Can Tho is still a real wholesale market, but it is much smaller than ten years ago and is over by 8 am. Be on the water at 5:30, or skip it.

Local specialties of Mekong Delta

  • Hủ tiếu Mỹ ThoMy Tho noodle soup

    The delta's breakfast: thin, chewy rice noodles in a clear pork-bone broth with prawns, sliced pork and garlic chives. Sa Dec has its own version, with softer, whiter noodles.

  • Cá tai tượng chiên xùDeep-fried elephant ear fish

    A whole giant gourami fried until its scales stand up, and served upright on a stand. You pull off the flesh and roll it in rice paper with herbs, pineapple and rice noodles, then dip it in sweet-and-sour fish sauce.

  • Lẩu mắmFermented fish hotpot

    The dish that defines the delta: a broth made from mắm (fermented fish), with pork, prawns, eel and a basket of up to twenty wild vegetables and flowers. Strong smell, deep flavour. Chau Doc and Can Tho do it best.

  • Bún nước lèoKhmer-style fish noodle soup

    From Soc Trang and Tra Vinh: rice noodles in a light broth of fermented fish and lemongrass, topped with snakehead fish, prawns and roast pork.

  • Cá lóc nướng truiSnakehead fish grilled in straw

    A whole fish is skewered on a stick, buried in rice straw and set alight. The burnt skin is scraped off and the white flesh is wrapped in young lotus or mustard leaves.

  • Lẩu cá linh bông điên điểnFloating-season hotpot

    Only from about September to November: tiny linh fish that arrive with the flood, cooked with yellow sesbania flowers. If you see it on a menu, order it.

  • Bánh xèo miền TâyDelta-style sizzling pancake

    A plate-sized crepe of rice flour, turmeric and coconut milk, filled with pork, prawns and bean sprouts. Bigger and crispier than the pancakes of central Vietnam.

  • Trái cây miệt vườnOrchard fruit

    The delta is one big orchard. Durian, mangosteen and rambutan peak from May to August, mango from March to May, and the green-skinned pomelo of Ben Tre (bưởi da xanh) is good most of the year.

  • Chuột đồng nướngGrilled rice-field rat

    Not city rats: these live in the paddies and eat rice. Grilled with lemongrass and chilli, the meat is lean and tastes like quail. Common in Dong Thap and An Giang, and one for adventurous eaters.

To take home: coconut candy (kẹo dừa) from Ben Tre, bánh pía from Soc Trang (flaky pastries filled with mung bean, durian and salted egg yolk) and palm sugar (đường thốt nốt) from An Giang.

Reasons to go to Mekong Delta

  1. It is the Vietnam people picturePalm-lined canals, wooden sampans, conical hats and rice to the horizon. It begins ninety minutes from downtown Saigon.
  2. You can still have it to yourselfAlmost every day tour goes to the same four islets off My Tho. One province further on, you may be the only foreigner on the ferry.
  3. The food is a cuisine of its ownSweeter than the north, full of herbs, river fish and fermented flavours. Many of these dishes never reach menus in Saigon.
  4. It is slow, cheap and variedHomestays in orchards, bicycles on shaded lanes, river ferries for a few thousand dong, and a Khmer pagoda, a Cham mosque and a Cao Dai temple within a few kilometres of each other.

Things to do in Mekong Delta

Fourteen places where the day-trip buses do not go, sorted by how far they are from Saigon. Each one has a note on how busy it gets.

Close to Saigon: one day, or one night

85–135 km. The alternatives to the standard My Tho bus tour.
  1. Ben Tre's back canalsQuiet on weekdaysBến Tre

    Coconut country. Beyond the busy islets near My Tho, small canals run under water-coconut palms to family workshops that make coconut candy, rice paper and woven mats. Go by small boat and bicycle, on a weekday, and start before 8 am. 85 km, about 2 hours. Map

  2. Cho Lach orchards and nurseriesVery quietChợ Lách · Cái Mơn

    Further up the same island, the village of Cai Mon raises many of Vietnam's durian and mangosteen seedlings, and whole lanes are lined with bonsai and ornamental plants. Best from May to July for fruit, or in December and January, when the flowers for Tet are grown. Map

  3. An Binh islet homestaysQuietCù lao An Bình

    A river island opposite Vinh Long town, reached by a five-minute ferry. Families rent rooms among rambutan and longan orchards and cook dinner for their guests. Cycle the lanes in the late afternoon. 135 km, about 2.5 hours. Map

  4. Tan Lap floating villageQuiet on weekdaysLàng nổi Tân Lập

    A 5 km raised walkway and rowing-boat channels through a flooded cajuput forest in the former Long An province. It is the closest wetland to Saigon: about 100 km, but 2.5–3 hours on a slow road. Greenest from September to December. Map

The middle delta: one or two nights

135–170 km. Can Tho is the hub, and the interesting stops are around it.
  1. Sa Dec flower villageBusy only before TetLàng hoa Sa Đéc

    More than 2,000 families grow flowers on raised racks above flooded fields and tend them from small boats. At its best in December and January, before Tet. In town, the old house of Huynh Thuy Le is the setting of Marguerite Duras's novel The Lover. 145 km, about 3 hours. Map

  2. Mang Thit brick kilnsVery quietLò gạch Mang Thít

    Hundreds of beehive-shaped brick kilns, many now abandoned, line the Thay Cai canal in Vinh Long like a red-brick temple city. Locals call it the 'kingdom of bricks'. See it by boat or bicycle in the late afternoon light. Map

  3. Cai Rang at dawn, then Son isletBusy at dawn, then quietChợ nổi Cái Răng · Cồn Sơn

    Be on the water in Can Tho by 5:30 for the wholesale boats, each with a sample of its goods tied to a pole. Then cross to Son islet, where a dozen families run a small community tourism project: orchard walks, traditional cakes and lunch in a garden house. Map

  4. Tram Chim National ParkQuietVườn quốc gia Tràm Chim

    About 7,300 hectares of flooded grassland and cajuput forest in Dong Thap, a Ramsar wetland with more than 200 kinds of birds. A boat takes you through lotus and water lilies to the stork colonies. The park's famous sarus cranes are now very rare here, and a breeding programme with birds from Thailand began in 2025. Map

The far delta: two to four nights

130–330 km. Longer drives, and places most visitors never reach.
  1. Tra Vinh's Khmer pagodasVery quietTrà Vinh

    A small, shady town with about 140 Khmer pagodas in the countryside around it. Start with Ang pagoda and the square Ba Om pond beside it, under centuries-old trees, then Hang pagoda, known for its woodcarving workshop and its storks. 130 km, about 3 hours. Map

  2. Soc Trang and Nga Nam floating marketVery quietSóc Trăng · Chợ nổi Ngã Năm

    Soc Trang has the Bat Pagoda, where a colony of large fruit bats hangs in the garden trees, and the Clay Pagoda, where one man spent 42 years sculpting every statue. Sixty kilometres on, Nga Nam is a floating market at the meeting point of five canals, used by locals, not tour boats. On the full moon of the 10th lunar month (late November in 2026), Khmer long boats race in Soc Trang for the Ooc Om Bok festival. Map

  3. Tra Su cajuput forestBusy at weekendsRừng tràm Trà Sư

    A flooded forest 25 km from Chau Doc. A motorboat, then a rowing boat, carry you over a carpet of green duckweed under the trees, past storks, herons and cormorants. The water is highest and the colour best from September to November. About 200,000 VND (US$8) with entry and both boats. Map

  4. Chau Doc and Sam MountainQuiet outside the festivalChâu Đốc · Núi Sam

    A border town where Vietnamese, Khmer, Cham and Chinese cultures meet. See the Ba Chua Xu temple at the foot of Sam Mountain, whose festival UNESCO listed as Intangible Cultural Heritage in December 2024, the Cham villages and mosques across the river, and a market that sells dozens of kinds of fermented fish. 235 km, about 5 hours by car. Map

  5. Ca Mau CapeQuietMũi Cà Mau

    The southern tip of mainland Vietnam, inside a mangrove national park that is also part of a UNESCO biosphere reserve. There is a marker to stand on and very little else, which is the point. With the new expressway, Ca Mau city (300 km) is about 5 hours from Saigon, and the cape is another 100 km. Map

  6. Ha TienQuietHà Tiên

    A sleepy seaside town on the Cambodian border, with limestone hills, the cave pagoda of Thach Dong and Mui Nai beach. Fast ferries leave from here for Phu Quoc (1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45), which makes it a good last stop on a delta trip. 330 km, about 7 hours. Map

Half-day tripOn Vietnam's UNESCO Tentative List

Cu Chi Tunnels

Địa đạo Củ Chisay “koo chee”

About 250 km of tunnels dug by hand under the countryside north-west of Saigon. The clearest window onto the war years anywhere in the south.

  • From Saigon45–60 km1.5–2 hours by road
  • Open7:00–17:00every day of the year
  • Ticket135,000 VNDforeign visitors, from 1 Feb 2026
  • StayHalf a day5–6 hours door to door

The facts about Cu Chi

Where
In the north-west of Ho Chi Minh City, in what was Cu Chi District until districts were abolished in July 2025. There are two visitor sites on the same network: Ben Dinh, about 45 km from the city centre, and Ben Duoc, about 60 km.
Size
About 250 km of tunnels, according to the site's management, spreading under the villages like a spider's web. All of it was dug by hand, with hoes and bamboo baskets, in a hard red clay that sets almost like concrete.
When
The first short tunnels were dug in the late 1940s, during the war against France, to hide people and documents. Villages then joined them together. Between 1961 and 1965 the network was extended and deepened for the war against the United States and the Saigon government.
How it worked
Three levels, roughly 3, 6 and 8–10 metres below ground, joined by trapdoors. Inside were sleeping bunkers, kitchens, wells, clinics, weapons workshops and meeting rooms. Air came in through vents disguised as termite mounds, and kitchen smoke was led away through long channels so that it came out thin and far from the stove.
How small
The original passages were about 80 cm high and 60 cm wide. The sections open to visitors have been widened and reinforced, and they still feel tight.
Why here
Cu Chi lies between Saigon and the wartime supply routes from Cambodia. In 1966 the US 25th Infantry Division built its main base at Dong Du, partly on top of the tunnels, and the area became one of the most heavily bombed and sprayed of the war. The network was never fully destroyed.
Status
A Special National Monument since 2015. Vietnam has also placed the tunnels on its Tentative List for UNESCO World Heritage, the first step towards a nomination.
Tickets
Open every day from 7:00 to 17:00. From 1 February 2026 foreign visitors pay 135,000 VND (about US$5): a 35,000 VND entrance fee plus a 100,000 VND service and guide ticket. The shooting range and the re-created wartime village are extra.
Getting there
Most people come on a tour or by private car. A ride app will take you there, but finding a car back is hard, so book the return. By public bus, take number 13 from the centre to Cu Chi bus station, then number 79 to Ben Duoc: cheap, but about 2.5 hours each way. Speedboats also run up the Saigon River from Bach Dang pier.
Best time
Arrive at opening time, or after 2 pm. Tour coaches fill both sites from about 9:30 to 11:30. December to April is drier. In the rainy season the forest is greener and the paths are muddy.

Local specialties of Cu Chi

  • Khoai mì hấpSteamed cassava with sesame salt

    What the tunnel fighters ate when the rice ran out. A plate of it, with a dip of crushed peanuts, sesame, sugar and salt and a cup of pandan tea, is served at the end of the visit.

  • Bò tơ Củ ChiCu Chi young beef

    The area's signature dish: veal from locally raised calves, steamed or grilled, sliced thin and rolled in rice paper with green banana, star fruit and herbs, then dipped in fermented anchovy sauce. Restaurants line Highway 22 on the way back to town.

  • Bánh tráng Phú Hòa ĐôngPhu Hoa Dong rice paper

    The village next to the tunnels has made rice paper for generations, and you still see the thin white sheets drying on bamboo racks in front yards. This is the rice paper used for fresh spring rolls all over the south.

  • Nước mía sầu riêngSugarcane juice with durian

    Fresh-pressed sugarcane juice with a spoonful of durian blended in. A Cu Chi roadside invention, sold at stalls along the road to the tunnels.

  • Rau rừngForest leaves

    A basket of a dozen wild leaves, some sour, some bitter, some peppery, served with grilled meat and rice paper. Typical of the dry forest country of Cu Chi and Tay Ninh.

  • Trái cây Trung AnRiverside orchard fruit

    The orchards of Trung An, on the Saigon River a few kilometres from the tunnels, open to visitors from about May to August for rambutan, mangosteen and durian.

To take home: a pack of Phu Hoa Dong rice paper and a jar of Tay Ninh shrimp salt, both sold at stalls outside the gates.

Reasons to go to Cu Chi

  1. It makes the war physicalYou can read about guerrilla warfare for hours. Ten metres of crouching through a dark, hot tunnel explains it faster.
  2. It fits in half a dayLeave Saigon at 7 am and you are back for a late lunch.
  3. You choose how far to goMost of the visit is above ground: trapdoors, bunkers, workshops and a film. Going down into a tunnel is optional, and there are exits every few metres.
  4. The countryside is part of itRubber plantations, rice paper villages and the Saigon River make the drive more than a transfer.

Things to do in Cu Chi

  1. Go down a tunnel

    Sections of 20 to 100 metres are open, with exits along the way. You move in a crouch or on your knees, and it is dark, hot and airless. Do not go in if you have a heart or breathing condition, bad knees or claustrophobia, and ask the guide to let you out at the first exit if you change your mind. Map

  2. Try the hidden entrance

    The famous photo: a leaf-covered trapdoor barely wider than a sheet of paper. A guide shows you how to lower yourself in with your arms above your head. Larger visitors can use the widened entrance beside it.

  3. Walk the surface exhibits

    Fighting bunkers, a field kitchen with its smoke channel, a clinic, a workshop where unexploded bombs were sawn open for their explosive, bamboo-spike traps and a destroyed M41 tank.

  4. Watch the wartime film

    A black-and-white documentary from the 1960s, shown at the start of the visit. It is propaganda, and worth watching as exactly that: this is how the story was told at the time.

  5. Ben Duoc Memorial TempleĐền tưởng niệm Bến Dược

    A temple complex beside the Ben Duoc tunnels. Its granite walls carry the names of more than 44,000 people from the Saigon area who died in the two wars. Quiet, shaded and free to enter. Map

  6. Re-created wartime villageKhu tái hiện vùng giải phóng

    Beside Ben Duoc: a reconstruction of village life in the tunnel area in the early 1960s, with houses, a school, a market and workshops. Separate ticket.

  7. 'Moon over the War Zone' eveningTrăng Chiến Khu

    One evening a month, around the full moon, the site runs a night programme from 18:00 to 20:30 that re-enacts village life in the liberated zone. 399,000 VND per person. The next one is on Saturday 24 October 2026, and dates are posted on the official site, diadaocuchi.com.vn.

  8. Shooting range

    Optional and loud. You can fire wartime rifles such as the AK-47 and M16 at targets, paying per bullet, with ear protection provided. Skip it if you came for the history.

  9. Arrive by river

    Speedboats from Bach Dang pier in the city centre run up the Saigon River, past water palms and old brick kilns, and avoid the traffic. More expensive than the road, and more pleasant.

  10. Add Tay Ninh

    The Cao Dai Holy See is about 50 km further north-west. Leave Saigon by 6:30, see Ben Duoc first, and you can reach the temple in time for the noon service. See Tay Ninh, further down this page.

Day trip or weekendPart of Ho Chi Minh City since 2025

Vung Tau

Vũng Tàusay “voong tao”

The closest sea to Saigon: a hilltop Christ statue, a French lighthouse, seafood by the kilo and the best bánh khọt (crispy mini pancakes) in Vietnam.

  • From Saigon95 km1.5–2 hours by road
  • Best timeNov–Aprdry, with a calmer sea
  • Stay1–2 daysa day trip, or one night
  • Good forA beach breakseafood, views, families

The facts about Vung Tau

Where
On a peninsula that reaches into the East Sea, south-east of Saigon. Until July 2025 it was a city in Ba Ria–Vung Tau province. The province has since been merged into Ho Chi Minh City, so Vung Tau is now, officially, a seaside ward of Saigon.
The name
Vung Tau means 'bay of boats'. Portuguese sailors named the cape after Saint James, and under French rule it became Cap Saint-Jacques, a hill-and-sea resort for colonial officials.
Statue
Christ the King stands on Nho Mountain, 170 m above the sea. The figure is 32 m tall on a 4 m base, with arms 18.3 m across: two metres taller than Rio de Janeiro's Christ the Redeemer, not counting the pedestals. Work began in 1974 and was finished in 1993.
Lighthouse
First built by the French in 1862 and moved to the top of Nho Mountain in 1913. It is one of the oldest lighthouses in Vietnam, and it still works.
Oil town
Vietnam's offshore oil and gas industry is run from here. Vietsovpetro, a Vietnamese–Russian joint venture, has been based in Vung Tau since 1981, which is why you still see Russian on some menus and shop signs.
The sea
An honest warning: the water is green-brown, not turquoise, because the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers reach the sea next door. People come for the breeze, the views and the food. Back Beach also has rip currents, so swim between the flags.
Getting there
Limousine vans leave Saigon all day and take 1.5–2 hours. The Bien Hoa–Vung Tau expressway opened along its full length in May 2026 and has shortened the drive. A fast ferry runs from Bach Dang pier in about 2 hours, with few departures outside weekends, so check the timetable first. From Can Gio there is a 30-minute ferry.
Best time
November to April is dry. From May to October expect a shower most afternoons and a rougher sea. Whatever the month, come on a weekday: on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays half of Saigon is here.
How long
A day trip works. One night is better: you get the sunrise climb to the statue and a slow seafood dinner.

Local specialties of Vung Tau

  • Bánh khọtCrispy mini pancakes

    Vung Tau's own dish. Small rice-flour cakes are fried in round moulds until crisp, topped with a fresh prawn, and eaten wrapped in lettuce and herbs with sweet fish sauce and shredded green papaya. Goc Vu Sua, on Nguyen Truong To street, is the shop everyone names.

  • Lẩu cá đuốiStingray hotpot

    Chunks of stingray, soft and slightly gelatinous, in a sour broth with pickled bamboo shoots and herbs. A row of hotpot shops serves it around Truong Cong Dinh and Nguyen Truong To streets.

  • Hàu Long SơnLong Son oysters

    Farmed on floating rafts around Long Son island, 20 km from town. Eaten raw with mustard, grilled with spring-onion oil, or in rice porridge.

  • Gỏi cá maiRaw mai fish salad

    Small, clear-fleshed fish, filleted and tossed with roasted rice powder, then wrapped in rice paper with herbs and dipped in a thick peanut sauce.

  • ỐcSnails and shellfish

    At Xom Luoi seafood market, near Front Beach, you pick live clams, snails, crabs and mantis prawns from the basins, and stalls cook them for a small fee.

  • Bánh bông lan trứng muốiSalted-egg sponge cake

    A soft sponge topped with salted egg yolk, pork floss and cheese sauce. Goc Cot Dien bakery made it famous, and people queue to carry boxes back to Saigon.

To take home: boxes of salted-egg sponge cake, and dried seafood from Xom Luoi market.

Reasons to go to Vung Tau

  1. It is the nearest beachUnder two hours from downtown Saigon, with vans leaving all day. No flight and no planning.
  2. Two hills, two viewsSunrise from the shoulder of the Christ statue and sunset from the lighthouse are both worth the climb.
  3. Seafood at local pricesThe catch is landed here, and a seafood dinner costs noticeably less than in Saigon.
  4. It is easy with children and grandparentsShort distances, a flat seafront, a cable car and plenty of shade.

Things to do in Vung Tau

  1. Climb to Christ the KingTượng Chúa Kitô Vua

    More than 800 steps from the foot of Nho Mountain, about 30 minutes at an easy pace. Inside the statue, 133 more steps lead to two small balconies on the shoulders. Free. The grounds open at about 7:00 and close by 17:00. To go inside you must cover your shoulders and knees and leave shoes and bags at the door. Go early, before the heat. Map

  2. Sunset at the lighthouseHải đăng Vũng Tàu

    A winding road, or a steep footpath, leads to the white lighthouse on top of Nho Mountain, with a view over both beaches and the fishing fleet. Map

  3. White PalaceBạch Dinh

    A summer villa built from 1898 to 1902 for the French governor-general, on a hill of frangipani trees above Front Beach. Inside is a collection of porcelain recovered from a shipwreck of the late 17th century. Small entrance fee. Map

  4. Walk to Hon Ba at low tideHòn Bà

    A tiny temple island off the southern end of Back Beach. On a few days around the new and full moon, the tide drops far enough to uncover a path of rocks. Ask locally for the time, wear shoes with grip, and turn back as soon as the water starts to return. Map

  5. Back Beach and Front BeachBãi Sau · Bãi Trước

    Back Beach is the long, sandy swimming beach, with waves and lifeguard flags. Front Beach faces west, with fishing boats and the sunset, and is for strolling, not swimming.

  6. Cable car to Ho MayHồ Mây

    A gondola from the seafront up Lon Mountain to a hilltop park with gardens, a small water park and a wide view of the bay. Good with children.

  7. Whale templeLăng Cá Ông

    Fishermen along this coast worship whales as Cá Ông, 'Lord Fish', protector of sailors. The temple at the Thang Tam communal house keeps a whale skeleton, and the Nghinh Ong festival is held here on the 16th to 18th days of the 8th lunar month, usually in September.

  8. Shakyamuni Buddha parkThích Ca Phật Đài

    A Buddhist park built up the side of Lon Mountain in the early 1960s, with a large white seated Buddha and a path of statues that tells his life story. Free.

  9. Long Son islandĐảo Long Sơn

    Twenty kilometres north: oyster rafts where you eat on the water, and the Big House, a century-old wooden temple compound built by a local religious leader. Map

  10. Quieter beaches up the coastLong Hải · Hồ Tràm · Hồ Cốc

    Long Hai is 30 km away. Ho Tram and Ho Coc, 55–65 km, have long, clean, nearly empty beaches backed by forest, with a handful of large resorts. The Binh Chau hot springs are a little further on. Map

30 days visa-freeUNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 2006

Phu Quoc

Phú Quốcsay “foo kwok”

Vietnam's largest island: white-sand beaches, sunsets over the sea, the world's longest three-rope cable car and the country's most famous fish sauce.

  • From Saigon1 h by airabout 300 km to the west
  • Best timeNov–Aprdry, calm, clear water
  • Stay3–5 dayslonger for a beach holiday
  • Good forBeach timefamilies, snorkelling, sunsets

The facts about Phu Quoc

Where
In the Gulf of Thailand, 45 km off the mainland town of Ha Tien and closer to Cambodia than to the rest of Vietnam. Until July 2025 it was a city in Kien Giang province. It is now the Phu Quoc Special Zone of An Giang province.
Size
The largest island in Vietnam: about 50 km from north to south and 574 km², roughly four-fifths the size of Singapore. The An Thoi archipelago, 18 small islands, lies off its southern tip.
Nature
More than half of the island is national park (31,422 hectares of forest), and the whole area lies inside the Kien Giang Biosphere Reserve, recognised by UNESCO in 2006.
Visa
Phu Quoc has its own rule: visitors of any nationality can stay 30 days without a visa if they arrive directly from abroad, stay only on the island and leave directly. If your trip also includes mainland Vietnam, you need a normal visa or visa exemption. Since 1 June 2026 arriving passengers also fill in a free online arrival declaration.
Cable car
The Hon Thom line runs 7,899.9 m from An Thoi across three islands. Guinness World Records lists it as the longest three-rope cable car in the world. The ride takes 15–20 minutes.
Fish sauce
Phu Quoc has made fish sauce for more than 200 years, from fresh anchovies and sea salt left to ferment in giant wooden barrels for about a year. In 2012 it became the first product from Southeast Asia to receive the European Union's Protected Designation of Origin.
History
During the Vietnam War the island held the south's largest prisoner-of-war camp, known as the Coconut Tree Prison, with more than 30,000 inmates at its peak. It is now a museum.
Changing
Phu Quoc will host the APEC leaders' week in 2027, so the airport, roads and a convention centre are being built or enlarged. Expect construction sites in the south and around the airport through 2026 and 2027.
Getting there
Fly. Phu Quoc International Airport has dozens of flights a day from Ho Chi Minh City (1 hour) and Hanoi (just over 2 hours), and direct flights from cities such as Seoul, Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and Taipei. By land and sea, fast ferries cross from Ha Tien (1 hour 15 to 1 hour 45) and Rach Gia (about 2.5 hours).
Best time
November to April: dry, calm and clear. May to October is the green season, with lower prices, heavy showers and a rough sea on the west coast, worst from July to September. In those months the east coast is calmer.
How long
Three days covers the south and the main beaches. Five lets you add the quiet north and a day on a boat.

Local specialties of Phu Quoc

  • Gỏi cá tríchRaw herring salad

    Fresh herring fillets tossed with grated coconut, onion and herbs, rolled in rice paper and dipped in a peanut and fish-sauce dressing. The island's best-known dish.

  • Bún quậy'Stir-it-yourself' noodles

    Fresh rice noodles pressed to order, with prawn and fish paste that cooks in the hot broth. The fun part is the dipping sauce, which you mix yourself from chilli, kumquat, sugar and salt. Kien Xay is the original shop.

  • Ghẹ Hàm NinhHam Ninh flower crab

    Small, sweet blue crabs from the fishing village of Ham Ninh on the east coast, simply steamed and eaten with salt, pepper and lime.

  • Nhum nướng mỡ hànhGrilled sea urchin

    Sea urchins cut open and grilled over charcoal with spring-onion oil and roasted peanuts. You eat them with a spoon.

  • Còi biên mai nướngGrilled pen-shell scallops

    The round muscle of the pen shell, a large fan-shaped clam, threaded on skewers and grilled with chilli salt. Chewy and sweet, and a night-market favourite.

  • Nấm tràmMelaleuca mushroom soup

    A slightly bitter wild mushroom that appears under the cajuput trees after the first rains, around May and June, cooked in a soup with prawns and squid.

  • Rượu simRose myrtle wine

    A sweet, purple fruit wine made from the berries of the sim bush, which grows wild on the island's hills.

To take home: fish sauce, black pepper and sim wine. Airlines do not allow fish sauce in cabin bags and restrict it in checked bags, so buy the sealed, boxed bottles made for flights, or ask the shop to ship it.

Reasons to go to Phu Quoc

  1. The easiest beach holiday in VietnamDirect international flights, a 30-day visa exemption and hotels for every budget, from hostels to five-star resorts.
  2. Sun when the rest of Vietnam is cold or wetFrom November to March, when Hanoi is grey and the central coast is stormy, Phu Quoc is dry and around 30 °C.
  3. Sunsets over the seaMost of Vietnam's coast faces east. Phu Quoc's long west coast looks straight at the sunset.
  4. Two islands in oneThe south and west are resorts, theme parks and night shows. The north-east is still forest, dirt roads and fishing villages.

Things to do in Phu Quoc

  1. Ride the Hon Thom cable carCáp treo Hòn Thơm

    From An Thoi, over fishing boats and turquoise water, to Hon Thom island, where the ticket includes a water park and a beach. About 850,000 VND (US$33) for adults in 2026. The line closes for maintenance on a few days each year, so check before you go. Map

  2. Snorkel the An Thoi islandsQuần đảo An Thới

    A half-day trip by boat or speedboat to islets such as Hon Mong Tay, Hon Gam Ghi and Hon May Rut, where the water is the clearest around Phu Quoc. Dry season only. Do not stand on the coral or touch it.

  3. Sao BeachBãi Sao

    The island's postcard beach: fine white sand and shallow, pale-blue water on the south-east coast. Best from November to April. It fills with day-trippers from 10 am to 3 pm, so come early or late. Map

  4. Sunset on the west coastBãi Trường · Dinh Cậu

    Long Beach runs for 20 km and has beach bars for every budget. In Duong Dong town, the small Dinh Cau temple, on a rock at the river mouth, is where locals watch the sun go down.

  5. Sunset Town and the Kiss BridgeThị trấn Hoàng Hôn · Cầu Hôn

    A Mediterranean-style resort town at An Thoi, with a bridge whose two halves almost touch. A fireworks and water show plays on most evenings. Staged, but photogenic.

  6. Phu Quoc PrisonNhà tù Phú Quốc

    The former prisoner-of-war camp at An Thoi, with rebuilt barracks and life-size figures showing how inmates were treated. Hard to look at in places. Free entry, and closed over lunch. Map

  7. Fish sauce, pepper and sim wineNhà thùng nước mắm · Vườn tiêu

    Barrel houses such as Khai Hoan let you walk between the giant wooden vats. The pepper farms around Khu Tuong and the sim wine makers nearby are free to visit and sell at the door.

  8. Duong Dong night marketChợ đêm Phú Quốc

    Seafood on ice grilled to order, rolled ice cream, and stalls handing out roasted peanuts to taste. Busy, touristy and still fun for one evening. Map

  9. Starfish Beach and the far northRạch Vẹm · Gành Dầu

    At Rach Vem, red starfish lie in the shallow water in the dry season. Look, but do not lift them out: they die quickly in the air. Further on, Ganh Dau cape looks across to Cambodia. The roads are rough, which keeps the crowds away. Map

  10. Ham Ninh fishing villageLàng chài Hàm Ninh

    Stilt restaurants over the water on the east coast. Come at high tide for steamed flower crab, or at sunrise. Map

  11. National park and Tranh streamVườn quốc gia Phú Quốc · Suối Tranh

    Short forest walks in the north, and a stream with small waterfalls that runs only in the rainy season, from about May to October.

  12. With childrenVinWonders · Vinpearl Safari · Grand World

    The north-west has Vietnam's largest theme park, an open-range safari park and a canal town with free evening shows.

2–3 daysLam Dong province since 2025

Mui Ne – Phan Thiet

Mũi Né – Phan Thiếtsay “mooy neh, fan tyet”

Red and white sand dunes beside the sea, a fishing fleet of round basket boats, and the steadiest wind in Vietnam.

  • From Saigon185 km3–3.5 hours by expressway
  • Best timeAny monththe driest corner of Vietnam
  • Stay2–3 daysone sunrise, one sunset
  • Good forDunes and windkitesurfing, photography

The facts about Mui Ne

Where
On the south-central coast, about 185 km east of Saigon. Phan Thiet is the town. Mui Ne is the cape and fishing village 22 km further on. What travellers call 'Mui Ne' is the 15 km strip of hotels along the beach between the two.
New province
Until July 2025 this was Binh Thuan province. It has been merged, together with Dak Nong, into Lam Dong, the province of the hill town of Da Lat, which is now the largest province in Vietnam.
The name
Mui means cape, and né means to dodge: fishermen sheltered behind the headland to dodge storms.
Climate
One of the driest places in Vietnam, with roughly half the rain that Saigon gets. The same dry wind that built the dunes makes this the country's kitesurfing centre from November to March.
Dunes
There are two fields. The red dunes are small, orange-red and right beside the village. The white dunes, about 30 km to the north-east at Bau Trang, are far larger and wrap around two lotus lakes. The wind reshapes both every day.
Fish sauce
Phan Thiet has made fish sauce for about 300 years and is, with Phu Quoc, one of Vietnam's two great fish sauce towns. You will smell it before you see it.
Cham
This coast was part of the kingdom of Champa. The Po Sah Inu towers above Phan Thiet date from around the late 8th century, and Cham communities still live in the region.
Tourism
On 24 October 1995 a total solar eclipse passed over Mui Ne. Thousands of people came to watch, saw the beach and the dunes, and the first resorts opened soon afterwards.
In 2026
Booking.com put Mui Ne at the top of its list of trending destinations in the world for 2026.
Getting there
Limousine vans and sleeper buses take 3.5–4.5 hours on the expressway and drop you at your hotel on the strip. A morning train runs from Saigon to Phan Thiet in about 4 hours, and from the station it is a 30–40 minute taxi ride. There is no airport.
Best time
It hardly rains, so any month works. November to March is windy: perfect for kites, choppy for swimming. April to August has a calmer sea. What rain there is falls between May and October, in short showers.
How long
Two nights is enough for both dune fields, the fishing village and a seafood dinner. Kitesurfers stay a week.

Local specialties of Mui Ne

  • Bánh cănClay-pot mini pancakes

    Small, round rice-flour cakes cooked without oil in clay moulds over charcoal, topped with egg, prawn or squid. They come with bowls of fish sauce, braised fish and pork meatballs for dipping.

  • Bánh xèo Phan ThiếtPhan Thiet pancakes

    Palm-sized, thicker and crunchier than the southern kind, filled with prawn and squid. You do not wrap them: you dunk them whole in a bowl of sweet-and-sour fish sauce.

  • Lẩu thả'Drop' hotpot

    A fishermen's dish from Mui Ne. Raw mai fish, pork, omelette, herbs and noodles are arranged like the petals of a banana flower. You put a little of each in your bowl and pour the hot broth over it.

  • Bánh canh chả cáFish-cake noodle soup

    Thick, soft noodles in a light fish broth with steamed and fried fish cakes. The local breakfast.

  • Mực một nắngOne-sun squid

    Squid dried for a single day in the strong Phan Thiet sun, so that it stays soft inside, then grilled over charcoal.

  • Răng mực'Squid teeth'

    The round muscle around the squid's beak, grilled or stir-fried with butter and garlic. A crunchy beer snack that few other places serve.

  • Dông nướngGrilled sand lizard

    A lizard that lives in burrows in the dunes, grilled with chilli salt. The white meat tastes like chicken. A local speciality for the adventurous.

To take home: Phan Thiet fish sauce, dried squid and dragon fruit. The fields of cactus-like plants you pass on the way are lit at night to make them flower out of season.

Reasons to go to Mui Ne

  1. Dunes next to the seaA small desert, twenty minutes from a beach hotel. Nothing else in Southeast Asia looks like it.
  2. The windFrom November to March it blows almost every afternoon, and the bay fills with kites. Schools teach beginners in two or three days.
  3. Dry when Saigon is wetIn the southern rainy season, this is the safest bet for sunshine within driving distance.
  4. It links the south to the highlandsDa Lat is about 180 km and four hours away up a mountain road, so Mui Ne fits neatly between Saigon and the hills.

Things to do in Mui Ne

  1. White dunes at sunriseBàu Trắng

    Leave by 4:30 am to be on top for first light, before the heat and the crowds. Entry is about 15,000 VND. You can walk, or hire a quad bike or a jeep seat to the top: agree the price and the time before you get on. Map

  2. Red dunes at sunsetĐồi Hồng

    Five minutes from the fishing village, and free. Children rent out plastic sheets for sand-sledging. Agree the price first and keep an eye on your bag. Map

  3. Fairy StreamSuối Tiên

    A 30–60 minute barefoot walk up an ankle-deep stream between red and white sand cliffs sculpted by the rain. About 15,000 VND. Go early or late for the colours, and skip the animal photo stalls at the entrance. Map

  4. Fishing village at dawnLàng chài Mũi Né

    Hundreds of blue boats and round basket boats fill the bay. Between 6 and 8 am the catch is landed and sold on the sand.

  5. Learn to kitesurf

    The strip has a dozen schools with certified instructors. A beginner course is usually 6–10 hours of lessons over two or three days. The main season runs from November to March. From May to September lighter winds suit beginners.

  6. Po Sah Inu towersTháp Po Sah Inư

    Three brick Cham towers on a hill above Phan Thiet, built around the late 8th century and still used for worship. Small entrance fee. Best at the end of the afternoon, for the view along the coast. Map

  7. Van Thuy Tu whale templeDinh Vạn Thủy Tú

    A fishermen's temple founded in 1762 in Phan Thiet. It holds the skeleton of a whale about 22 m long, the largest on display in Vietnam. Map

  8. Old Fishing Village museumLàng Chài Xưa

    A small, well-designed museum on 300 years of fish sauce making in Phan Thiet. It ends with a tasting. Map

  9. Jeep tour

    The standard way to see both dune fields, the stream and the fishing village in four or five hours, at sunrise or sunset. It is priced per jeep, so it is cheap for a group of four or five.

  10. Ke Ga lighthouseHải đăng Kê Gà

    A granite lighthouse finished in 1899 on a rocky islet, about 55 km south-west of Mui Ne. It is the tallest lighthouse in Vietnam. Boats cross from the beach when the sea allows. Map

  11. Ta Cu mountainNúi Tà Cú

    A cable car, then a short climb, to a 49 m reclining Buddha in the forest, about 50 km south-west of Mui Ne.

Day trip from SaigonHighest peak in the south: 986 m

Tay Ninh – Black Virgin Mountain

Tây Ninh – Núi Bà Đensay “tay ning, noo-ee bah den”

The highest mountain in southern Vietnam, and the vividly painted headquarters of Cao Dai, a religion born here a century ago.

  • From Saigon95 km2–2.5 hours by road
  • Best timeDec–Marclear views from the top
  • Stay1 daya long day trip
  • Good forCulture and viewsphotography, pilgrims, families

The facts about Tay Ninh

Where
North-west of Saigon, on the Cambodian border. The Cao Dai Holy See is about 95 km from the centre of Saigon, and the mountain is 10 km beyond it. Since July 2025 Tay Ninh province also includes the former Long An.
Mountain
Ba Den, the Black Virgin Mountain, is 986 m high: the highest point in southern Vietnam. It stands completely alone on a flat plain, so you can see it from 50 km away.
The name
Bà Đen means 'Black Lady'. In the best-known legend she was a young woman who died on the mountain rather than be dishonoured, and has protected the people here ever since. Pilgrims have climbed to her shrine since the 18th century. American soldiers translated the name as 'Black Virgin Mountain'.
Records
The cable car, opened in 2020, starts from a building that Guinness World Records lists as the largest cable-car station in the world. On the summit is a 72 m bronze statue of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, cast from 170 tonnes of copper and described by its builders as the tallest bronze Buddhist statue on a mountaintop in Asia.
In the war
From 1964 an American radio relay station sat on the summit, supplied by helicopter, while the caves and slopes below were held by the other side. Soldiers said the Americans owned the top and the bottom, and the Viet Cong owned the middle.
Cao Dai
A religion founded in Tay Ninh in 1926. It combines Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Christianity and Islam, and worships one God, shown as a single left eye. Its saints include the French writer Victor Hugo and the Chinese statesman Sun Yat-sen. It has a few million followers, nearly all of them in southern Vietnam.
Holy See
The Great Temple was built between 1933 and 1955 and is the headquarters of the faith. Services are held four times a day, at 6:00, noon, 18:00 and midnight, and visitors may watch from the balcony.
Getting there
By private car or tour, in 2–2.5 hours. Buses run from An Suong station to Tay Ninh city, where you need a taxi for the temple and the mountain. Ride apps rarely find a car for the way back.
Best time
December to March, for clear views. In the rainy season the summit is often inside the clouds by early afternoon. During the first lunar month, usually February, well over a million pilgrims climb the mountain, and queues for the cable car can last hours.
Tickets
The Holy See is free. In 2026 the cable car costs about 450,000 VND (US$17) return to the summit and about 250,000 VND (US$10) return to the pagoda halfway up. Combined tickets are sold too.

Local specialties of Tay Ninh

  • Bánh tráng phơi sươngDew-softened rice paper

    The pride of Trang Bang. Rice paper is dried in the sun, toasted over a fire, then left outside overnight so that the dew makes it soft and stretchy. You wrap boiled pork, pickles and up to a dozen wild leaves in it. The craft is listed as National Intangible Cultural Heritage.

  • Bánh canh Trảng BàngTrang Bang noodle soup

    Thick, soft rice noodles in a clear pork broth with sliced pork knuckle, eaten alongside the rice paper rolls. The restaurants are on the highway in Trang Bang, halfway from Saigon.

  • Muối tôm Tây NinhTay Ninh shrimp salt

    A red-orange salt pounded with dried shrimp, chilli, garlic and lemongrass. Vietnamese dip green mango, guava and pineapple in it. Light, cheap and the best souvenir in the province.

  • Bánh tráng trộnRice paper salad

    Vietnam's favourite street snack started here: shredded rice paper tossed with shrimp salt, chilli oil, green mango, dried beef, peanuts and quail eggs.

  • Bò tơ Tây NinhTay Ninh veal

    Young beef, grilled over charcoal or steamed, and rolled in rice paper with herbs. Restaurants cluster around Tay Ninh city and Trang Bang.

  • Mãng cầu Bà ĐenBa Den custard apple

    Sweet, creamy custard apples grown in the orchards at the foot of the mountain and sold at roadside stalls for much of the year.

  • Ốc xu núiMountain snails

    Small land snails that feed on forest leaves on Ba Den, steamed with lemongrass. In season during the rainy months.

  • Món chayVegetarian food

    Cao Dai followers eat vegetarian food for at least ten days of every lunar month, so Tay Ninh has some of the best and cheapest vegetarian cooking in Vietnam. Try the food stalls at Long Hoa market, near the temple.

To take home: shrimp salt, dew-softened rice paper and custard apples.

Reasons to go to Tay Ninh

  1. Two things you will see nowhere elseThe Cao Dai Great Temple exists only here. And no other mountain in the south gives you a view like Ba Den's.
  2. The noon serviceHundreds of worshippers in white, with priests in red, blue and yellow, under a ceiling painted as the sky. Few religious ceremonies are this open to visitors.
  3. It pairs with Cu ChiThe tunnels are on the way, 50 km before Tay Ninh. One long day covers both.
  4. Cool air and a big skyThe summit is several degrees cooler than the plain, and on a clear day you can see the Dau Tieng reservoir and into Cambodia.

Things to do in Tay Ninh

  1. Watch the noon service at the Holy SeeTòa Thánh Tây Ninh

    Arrive by 11:30. Leave your shoes at the door. Women enter on the left, men on the right, and you watch from the upstairs balcony. Dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, keep quiet and do not use flash. The service lasts about 40 minutes and is free. Map

  2. Look closely at the temple

    Pink dragon columns, a sky-blue ceiling of stars and clouds, the great globe with the Divine Eye, and at the entrance a painting of the faith's three saints writing a covenant between God and humanity. Outside prayer times you may walk the side aisles.

  3. Cable car to the summitCáp treo Núi Bà Đen

    Eight minutes to the top. Walk the terraces around the bronze statue, visit the Buddhist exhibition beneath it, and stay for the clouds, which often lie below you in the early morning. Map

  4. Ba pagodaChùa Bà · Linh Sơn Tiên Thạch

    The shrine of the Black Lady, about a third of the way up, is the reason pilgrims come. Reach it on the second cable-car line, or climb the stone stairway in 45–60 minutes. Monkeys along the path steal food. Map

  5. Hike to the top

    Fit walkers can climb the 'power-pole trail' to the summit in 2.5–4 hours and ride the cable car down. It is steep and rocky. Start before 6 am, carry two litres of water and do not go alone.

  6. Lunch in Trang BangTrảng Bàng

    Stop on the way out or back for bánh canh and dew-softened rice paper rolls. The best-known restaurants stand side by side on Highway 22. Map

  7. Long Hoa marketChợ Long Hoa

    The biggest market in the province, built by the Cao Dai church a short walk from the temple. Buy shrimp salt and rice paper here, and eat at the vegetarian stalls. Map

  8. Dau Tieng lakeHồ Dầu Tiếng

    One of the largest reservoirs in Vietnam, about 25 km east of the mountain. Come at sunset, when fishermen set their nets.

Day trip from SaigonUNESCO Biosphere Reserve, 2000

Can Gio

Cần Giờsay “kun yuh”

A UNESCO mangrove forest with wild monkeys, salt fields and seafood shacks, 60 km from the skyscrapers and still inside the city limits.

  • From Saigon60 km1.5–2 hours, with a short ferry
  • Best timeDec–Aprdry, with less mud
  • Stay1 dayor one quiet night
  • Good forNature near townseafood, scooter rides, birds

The facts about Can Gio

Where
The south-eastern end of Ho Chi Minh City, where the Saigon and Dong Nai rivers reach the East Sea. Until the 2025 merger it was the city's only stretch of coast, and it is still reached by a short ferry crossing.
UNESCO
On 21 January 2000 the Can Gio mangrove forest became Vietnam's first UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. It covers 75,740 hectares, more than a third of the area of Ho Chi Minh City as it was before the merger, and is often called the city's green lungs.
Replanted
Between 1965 and 1970 the forest was sprayed with defoliants, and more than half of it died. From 1978 the city replanted it by hand, seedling by seedling. It is now one of the best-known mangrove restoration projects in the world.
In the war
Deep in the swamp was the base of the Rung Sac commandos, who from 1966 to 1975 attacked ships on the Long Tau channel, the deep-water route to the port of Saigon.
Wildlife
More than a thousand long-tailed macaques, fruit bats, otters, monitor lizards and around 130 kinds of birds, plus saltwater crocodiles kept in fenced lagoons.
The beach
An honest warning: Can Gio's beach is hard, dark sand, and the sea is brown with river silt. Nobody comes to swim. They come for the forest, the seafood and the wind.
Changing
A bridge to replace the ferry was started in January 2026 and a high-speed rail line from the city centre in December 2025. Both are due around 2028–2029, and a new city is being built on reclaimed land along the coast. If you want to see Can Gio while it is quiet, go soon.
Getting there
Drive or ride south through District 7 and Nha Be to the Binh Khanh ferry, a ten-minute crossing, then follow the Rung Sac road for 35 km through the mangroves. Bus 75 runs from the city centre to Can Thanh town in about two hours. From Vung Tau there is a 30-minute ferry to Tac Suat pier.
Best time
December to April is dry. The bird sanctuary at Vam Sat is busiest from May to October, in the nesting season. Avoid Sunday afternoons, when the queue for the ferry back can last an hour.
How long
One full day. Stay a night if you want the forest at dawn and a slow seafood dinner.

Local specialties of Can Gio

  • Khô cá dứaSun-dried 'pineapple fish'

    Can Gio's signature: a brackish-water catfish, salted and dried for one day in the sun, then grilled or fried. Often served as a salad with green mango.

  • Hàu Cần GiờCan Gio oysters

    Farmed in the tidal creeks around Long Hoa and Thanh An island. Grilled with spring-onion oil or cheese, or cooked in rice porridge.

  • Ốc len xào dừaMud creepers in coconut milk

    Long, pointed mangrove snails stir-fried in sweet coconut cream with Vietnamese coriander. You suck them out of the shell.

  • Sò huyết · tôm tích · cuaBlood cockles, mantis prawns, mud crab

    At Hang Duong market, beside the beach, you buy live seafood by the kilo from the basins and pay a stall a small fee to steam or grill it.

  • Xoài cát Cần GiờCan Gio mango

    A small, fragrant, very sweet mango grown in the sandy soil near the coast. In season from about March to May.

  • Yến sàoEdible bird's nest

    The tall grey windowless buildings with loudspeakers playing birdsong are swiftlet houses. The nests, made of hardened saliva, are sold as a tonic and cooked in a sweet soup.

To take home: dried pineapple fish, sea salt from the Thieng Lieng salt fields, and mangoes in season.

Reasons to go to Can Gio

  1. Real nature, without leaving the cityBoats through mangrove creeks, monkeys and bats, two hours from your hotel.
  2. Almost no tour groupsOn a weekday you share the forest mostly with school trips and a few Saigon families.
  3. A great roadThe Rung Sac road runs dead straight through 35 km of mangrove. On the back of a motorbike it is one of the best rides near Saigon.
  4. See it before it changesWith a bridge, a rail line and a new city on the way, Can Gio will not stay this quiet.

Things to do in Can Gio

  1. Monkey IslandĐảo Khỉ · Lâm Viên Cần Giờ

    The main stop: a forest park where macaques roam free. Keep bags zipped, and carry no food, drinks or sunglasses in your hands, because they grab. A walkway crosses a crocodile lagoon. About 35,000 VND. Map

  2. Rung Sac guerrilla baseCăn cứ Rừng Sác

    From Monkey Island a speedboat runs through narrow creeks to the rebuilt commando base: huts on stilts, water filters made from jars, and displays on how the fighters lived among crocodiles and tides.

  3. Vam Sat eco-parkVàm Sát

    The wilder alternative. A rowing boat takes you into the bat lagoon, where flying foxes hang in the trees, then to a bird sanctuary and the Tang Bong tower for a view over the canopy. About 60,000 VND, with boats extra. Map

  4. Hang Duong seafood marketChợ Hàng Dương

    Lunch. Choose from the basins, bargain a little, and have it cooked at the stalls behind. The beach in front is for walking and kite-flying. Map

  5. Thieng Lieng salt villageThiềng Liềng

    A hamlet of salt makers in the island commune of Thanh An, about 45 minutes by boat from Can Thanh pier. Families run a small community tourism project: you rake salt (December to April), cycle the dykes and can stay the night. Very few visitors come. Map

  6. Whale templeLăng Ông Thủy Tướng

    In Can Thanh town, a fishermen's temple that keeps a whale skeleton about 12 m long. The Nghinh Ong festival fills the town with decorated boats on the 15th to 17th days of the 8th lunar month, usually in September. Map

  7. Ride the Rung Sac roadĐường Rừng Sác

    Stop at the Dan Xay bridge for the view over the river, and at the salt fields near Ly Nhon in the dry season.

  8. Make it a loop

    Take the 30-minute ferry from Tac Suat pier to Vung Tau, spend the night there, and return to Saigon by road or by fast ferry. Map

3–4 daysRamsar wetland, 2013

Con Dao

Côn Đảosay “kohn dow”

Sixteen quiet islands with Vietnam's most important sea turtle beaches, clear water and the prison that the whole country remembers.

  • From Saigon45–60 min by air230 km south, across the sea
  • Best timeMar–Sepcalm sea, turtle season
  • Stay3–4 daysnothing here is rushed
  • Good forQuiet and historydiving, turtles, empty beaches

The facts about Con Dao

Where
An archipelago in the East Sea, about 230 km south of Saigon and 180 km from Vung Tau. Until July 2025 it belonged to Ba Ria–Vung Tau province. It is now the Con Dao Special Zone of Ho Chi Minh City.
Size
Sixteen islands with a total area of about 76 km². Nearly everyone lives in one small town on the main island, Con Son.
Protected
About 80% of the land and 14,000 hectares of sea are national park. In 2013 it was named a Ramsar wetland of international importance, the first marine one in Vietnam.
Turtles
Con Dao is the most important sea turtle nesting site in Vietnam. More than 600 green turtles come ashore each year, about 90% of all those that nest in the country, and rangers release over 150,000 hatchlings. Nesting runs from April to November and peaks from June to September.
Dugongs
A small group of dugongs, the shy 'sea cows', feeds on the seagrass beds around the islands. This is one of the last places in Vietnam where they survive.
Prison
The French opened a prison here in 1862. It was used for 113 years, first by the colonial government and then by South Vietnam, above all for political prisoners. About 20,000 people died here, and Vietnamese called the islands 'hell on earth'.
Tiger cages
The harshest cells were pits with iron bars for a roof, from which guards beat prisoners and threw lime on them. They were kept secret until July 1970, when a visiting delegation from the US Congress found and photographed them.
Quiet, why
The runway is only 1,830 m long, so only small turboprop planes can land, and only in daylight. Seats are limited and fares are high. That is exactly what has kept the mass market away.
Getting there
Turboprop planes of Vietnam Airlines fly from Ho Chi Minh City several times a day in 45–60 minutes, and there are flights from Can Tho. Fast ferries run from Tran De, in the Mekong Delta (2–2.5 hours), and from Vung Tau (about 3.5–4 hours, not every day). Boats are cancelled in rough weather.
Best time
March to September: calm sea, clear water and turtles. From October to February strong north-east winds make the sea rough, and flights and ferries are sometimes cancelled, so keep a spare day before any international flight.
How long
Three or four days. Flights and rooms sell out at weekends and on Vietnamese holidays, so book weeks ahead.

Local specialties of Con Dao

  • Hạt bàngSea almond kernels

    The town's streets are shaded by century-old sea almond trees. Their kernels are roasted with salt or sugar and sold in every shop: Con Dao's own snack and souvenir.

  • Ốc vú nàng'Maiden's breast' limpets

    A cone-shaped shellfish found on the rocks, steamed, or grilled with spring-onion oil and peanuts. Chewy and sweet.

  • Cua mặt trăngMoon crab

    A crab with dark red spots like moons on its shell, steamed and eaten with salt, pepper and lime. Firm, sweet meat.

  • Tôm hùm đỏRed lobster

    Caught around the islands and usually grilled or steamed. Not cheap, but cheaper than on the mainland.

  • Cháo hàuOyster porridge

    Rice porridge with small rock oysters, sold at the night market. The same oysters are made into mắm hàu, a salty fermented sauce.

  • Cá thu một nắngOne-sun mackerel

    Thick mackerel steaks dried for one day in the sun, then pan-fried.

To take home: roasted sea almonds and one-sun mackerel. Do not buy shells, coral or anything made from turtle: it is illegal to take them off the islands. And do not order cua xe tăng, the 'tank crab', a protected land crab.

Reasons to go to Con Dao

  1. It is the opposite of Phu QuocNo high-rises, no theme parks, no nightlife. Empty coast roads, forest down to the sea, and beaches where the only footprints are yours.
  2. Sea turtles, with rangersWatching a green turtle lay her eggs at night, legally and with park staff, is possible in very few places in Southeast Asia.
  3. A history Vietnam has not forgottenFor Vietnamese visitors Con Dao is a pilgrimage. Going with that in mind changes how you see the prisons and the cemetery.
  4. The clearest water in the countryHealthy coral, good visibility and few boats: Vietnam's best snorkelling and diving, from March to September.

Things to do in Con Dao

  1. The prison complexHệ thống nhà tù Côn Đảo

    Three sites tell most of the story: Phu Hai, the oldest camp (1862); Phu Tuong, with the French tiger cages; and Phu Binh, the American-era cells. One ticket of about 50,000 VND covers the prisons and the Con Dao Museum. Open roughly 7:30–11:30 and 13:30–17:00. Map

  2. Hang Duong Cemetery at nightNghĩa trang Hàng Dương

    About 2,000 graves, most of them without names, under casuarina trees. Vietnamese visitors come after dark, and especially towards midnight, to burn incense at the grave of Vo Thi Sau, a teenage resistance fighter executed here in 1952. Wear long trousers and cover your shoulders, and stay quiet. Map

  3. A night with the turtlesHòn Bảy Cạnh

    From June to September the national park takes small groups to sleep at the ranger station on Bay Canh island and wait for a turtle to come ashore. Places are limited to about two dozen people a night, so book weeks ahead through the park office or a licensed operator. No white lights, no flash, and no guarantee. Map

  4. Snorkel or dive

    Day boats go to Bay Canh, Hon Tai and Hon Tre for coral gardens, reef fish and, with luck, a turtle. The season is March to September. Dive centres in town run courses and fun dives.

  5. Dam Trau BeachBãi Đầm Trầu

    A curve of golden sand at the end of the runway. Planes come in to land low over your head. Map

  6. Nhat Beach at low tideBãi Nhát

    A beach that appears only when the tide is out, on the road to Ben Dam port. In the windy months this sheltered side of the island has the calmest water, and the sun sets between two peaks. Map

  7. Walk in the national parkVườn quốc gia Côn Đảo

    Easy trails lead to Ong Dung beach (about 45 minutes, with snorkelling off the rocks) and to the old So Ray plantation, where black giant squirrels and macaques live. Buy a permit, about 60,000 VND, at the park headquarters first. Map

  8. Ride the coast road

    One road runs the length of the island, about 25 km from the airport to Ben Dam port, with almost no traffic. Rent a scooter or an electric cart, and stop at Shark Cape for sunrise.

  9. The town at duskThị trấn Côn Sơn

    Walk the seafront under the almond trees, past the old French customs house and Pier 914, named for the number of prisoners said to have died building it. Then eat at the night market.

Plan your route

How to put them together

Five routes that work, with honest travel times. All of them start in Saigon.

3days

Saigon and the two classics

  1. Saigon
  2. Cu Chi
  3. Saigon
  4. Mekong Delta
  5. Saigon

One day in the city, a half-day at the Cu Chi Tunnels and a full day in My Tho and Ben Tre. Go early on both trips to stay ahead of the coaches. No hotel changes.

1long day

Tunnels and the holy mountain

  1. Saigon
  2. Cu Chi
  3. Tay Ninh
  4. Saigon

Leave by 6:30. See the Ben Duoc tunnels first, drive 50 km to the Cao Dai Holy See for the noon service, ride the cable car up Ba Den in the afternoon and be back in Saigon by about 7 pm.

2days

The coast loop

  1. Saigon
  2. Can Gio
  3. Vung Tau
  4. Saigon

Ride through the mangroves of Can Gio, take the 30-minute ferry from Tac Suat to Vung Tau, sleep by the sea and return by expressway or fast ferry. With two more days, carry on up the coast road to Mui Ne (176 km).

5–6days

The delta without the crowds

  1. Saigon
  2. Ben Tre or Vinh Long
  3. Can Tho
  4. Chau Doc
  5. Ha Tien
  6. Phu Quoc

A night in an orchard homestay, a dawn at Cai Rang, the flooded forest of Tra Su, then the border road to Ha Tien and the ferry to Phu Quoc. Fly back to Saigon from the island. Best from September to March.

4–5days

An island to finish

  1. Saigon
  2. Con Dao or Phu Quoc
  3. Saigon

Fly out and back. Choose Con Dao from March to September for turtles, clear water and quiet, and Phu Quoc from November to April for beaches and easy family days.

How far apart they are

Distances are by road, measured on OpenStreetMap data. Times are what a car or bus really takes, not what a map app promises.

FromToDistanceTimeHow
Cu Chi (Ben Duoc)Tay Ninh Holy See50 kmabout 1.5 hCar. The mountain is 10 km beyond the temple.
Can Gio (Tac Suat)Vung Tau15 km by sea30 minPassenger and vehicle ferry, from early morning to evening.
Vung TauMui Ne176 km4–4.5 hCar or bus on the coast road through Ho Tram and La Gi.
Mui NeDa Lat184 kmabout 4 hBus or car on a winding mountain road.
Can ThoChau Doc120 kmabout 3 hBus or car along the Hau river.
Chau DocHa Tien93 kmabout 2.5 hBus or car along the border canal.
Ha TienPhu Quoc45 km by sea1 h 15 – 1 h 45Fast ferry, several a day. Fewer in rough weather.
Can ThoTran De pier78 kmabout 2 hCar or shuttle bus, for the fast ferry to Con Dao (2–2.5 h).
Can ThoCa Mau134 kmabout 1.5 hExpressway, open since January 2026.

From Saigon by road: My Tho 72 km, Ben Tre 85 km, Can Tho 171 km, Chau Doc 235 km, Ca Mau 300 km and Ha Tien 327 km.

Getting around

Limousine vans and sleeper buses

The standard way to travel in the south. "Limousine" means a 9–11 seat van with reclining seats and hotel pickup in central Saigon. Sleeper buses cover the long delta and coast routes. Book through your hotel or a booking app a day or two ahead, and earlier for weekends and holidays.

Private car with driver

Worth it for two or more people, and the only comfortable way to do Cu Chi, Tay Ninh or Can Gio in a day. Ride apps will take you out to these places, but they rarely find a car for the way back, so agree a return trip and the waiting time in advance.

Flights and airports

Phu Quoc and Con Dao are about an hour from Saigon by air. In October 2026 every flight still uses Tan Son Nhat airport (SGN), 8 km from the centre. The new Long Thanh airport, 40 km to the east, is due to start commercial flights on 1 December 2026, beginning with some routes only, so check which airport is printed on your ticket.

Ferries and boats

Fast ferries link Saigon with Vung Tau, Can Gio with Vung Tau, Ha Tien and Rach Gia with Phu Quoc, and Tran De and Vung Tau with Con Dao. All of them stop in rough weather, mostly from June to September on the Gulf of Thailand side and from October to February on the East Sea side. Never plan a tight connection after a boat.

Riding a motorbike yourself

  • LicenceTo ride a scooter you need a licence from home that covers motorcycles, plus an International Driving Permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention. A car licence is not enough.
  • Not validPermits issued under the 1949 convention, which is what the USA, Canada and Australia issue. With one of those you are riding unlicensed.
  • Engine sizeUnder the rules in force since 2025, the basic A1 class covers bikes up to 125 cc. Anything bigger needs the full motorcycle class.
  • FinesRiding without a valid licence costs 2–4 million VND for bikes up to 125 cc and 6–8 million above that, and the bike can be impounded. Police check foreign riders most often in Mui Ne and on Phu Quoc.
  • InsuranceTravel insurers refuse claims from unlicensed riders. That, more than the fine, is the real risk.
  • The easy waySit behind a local rider. You see more from the back seat, and nobody asks for your licence.

No licence? Sit on the back.

On every one of our Saigon tours you ride behind a local guide: helmet on, hands free for the camera, nothing to sign at a rental shop. For the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta we run private day trips.

See our Saigon ridesAsk on WhatsApp

Quick answers

December to April, the dry season: sunny, less humid and around 22–34 °C. May to November is the rainy season, but that usually means one heavy shower in the afternoon, not rain all day. There are two exceptions. Con Dao is best from March to September, when the sea is calm, and Mui Ne is dry enough to visit in any month.

Five of the eight. The Cu Chi Tunnels take half a day. My Tho and Ben Tre in the Mekong Delta, Vung Tau, Tay Ninh and Can Gio each take a full day. Mui Ne is too far for a comfortable day trip, the floating market in Can Tho needs a night because it happens at dawn, and Phu Quoc and Con Dao are islands you fly to.

Three days covers Ho Chi Minh City, the Cu Chi Tunnels and a day in the Mekong Delta. With a week you can add two nights deeper in the delta or in Mui Ne. With ten days you can finish with three or four nights on Phu Quoc or Con Dao.

Choose Phu Quoc for an easy beach holiday: direct international flights, a 30-day visa exemption, hundreds of hotels, theme parks and sunsets, best from November to April. Choose Con Dao for quiet: empty beaches, sea turtles, good diving and a moving prison history, best from March to September. Con Dao is smaller, costs more to reach and has almost no nightlife.

Not if Phu Quoc is the only place you visit. Travellers of any nationality can stay on the island for up to 30 days without a visa when they arrive directly from abroad and leave directly. If you also visit mainland Vietnam, the normal rules apply: citizens of 24 countries, including the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan and South Korea, get 45 days visa-free, and everyone else can apply online for a 90-day e-visa (US$25 single entry, US$50 multiple entry).

Yes, if you know what you are booking. The cheap group tours all follow the same crowded route near My Tho, with several sales stops. A private trip that leaves early and uses the smaller canals of Ben Tre is a different and much calmer day. If you can spare two or three days, go further, to Vinh Long, Can Tho or Chau Doc, where few day-trippers reach.

Ben Duoc, if you have the time. It is about 60 km from the city centre, larger, greener and much quieter, with longer tunnel sections and a memorial temple. Ben Dinh is about 45 km away, so most coach tours stop there and it gets crowded from 9:30 to 11:30. Both are open from 7:00 to 17:00, and since 1 February 2026 the ticket for foreign visitors is 135,000 VND at either site.

On 1 July 2025 Vietnam merged its 63 provinces and cities into 34 and abolished districts. Vung Tau and Con Dao are now part of Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc belongs to An Giang province, Mui Ne and Phan Thiet belong to Lam Dong, and the Mekong Delta's thirteen provinces became five. The places themselves have not changed, and the old names are still used on tickets, signs and maps.

In October 2026, Tan Son Nhat (SGN) for every flight. The new Long Thanh International Airport, about 40 km east of the city, is due to open for commercial flights on 1 December 2026, starting with a limited number of routes, and more international flights are expected to move there during 2027. Check the airport on your ticket before you book a transfer.

Only with a motorcycle licence from home plus an International Driving Permit issued under the 1968 Vienna Convention. Permits from the USA, Canada and Australia are not recognised in Vietnam, and travel insurance does not cover unlicensed riding. Most visitors ride as a passenger behind a local guide, or hire a car with a driver.

Facts were checked on 10 October 2026 against official sources and the Vietnamese press: the Cu Chi Tunnels historic site (ticket notice of 1 February 2026), UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention, National Assembly Resolution 202/2025 on the provincial mergers, Con Dao National Park, Sun World, Vietcombank, Vietnam News, Tuoi Tre and VnExpress. Road distances are measured from Ben Thanh Market on OpenStreetMap data. Map outline: Natural Earth. Prices, timetables and rules change: confirm before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.

Vietnam Crazy Tour runs small-group motorbike tours in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang and Hoi An, and private day trips from Saigon to the Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta. We put this guide together for travellers deciding where to go next.

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