10 Days in Vietnam for Beach Lovers: Phu Quoc, Nha Trang & Muine

Overview

Most Vietnam itineraries cram cities and temples. This one is different: it's built for people who came for the coast. You'll spend 10 days on three major beach destinations — Phu Quoc, Nha Trang (냐짱 / 芽庄 / ニャチャン), and Mui Ne — with realistic travel days and time to actually swim, eat, and breathe.

Total cost: $850–$1,200 USD per person (accommodation, food, transport, activities).

Day 1 — Arrive Phu Quoc

Fly into Phu Quoc (푸꾸옥 / 富国岛 / フーコック) International Airport (from Hanoi or Saigon; allow 1.5–2 hours each). Phu Quoc is an island 40 km off the south coast, and it's the easiest entry point for a beach-focused trip.

Once you land, take a taxi or Grab to your hotel in Duong Dong town (the main beach strip). Budget 150,000–200,000 VND ($6–$8 USD) for the ride. Check in and spend the afternoon swimming at Ong Lang Beach, the quieter northern stretch. Avoid the crowded Long Beach waterfront unless you want to people-watch.

Dinner: Head to An Thoi Fishing Village around 5 p.m. to watch the boats come in. Sit at a seafood restaurant along the dock — grilled squid, steamed clams, and fresh snapper run 80,000–150,000 VND per dish. Good value and zero tourist markup.

Hotel tip: Mango Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン) or Phu Quoc Cassia Resort (both 600,000–900,000 VND/night, $25–$35). Mid-range comfort, clean pools, and staff who speak English.

Day 2 — Phu Quoc Beach Day

No agenda. Rent a scooter (50,000 VND/day, $2) and ride the ring road. Stop at Khem Beach (south side, cleaner than Duong Dong), Sao Beach (fine sand, families, calm water), and Ganh Dau Beach (northern tip, rocky, good snorkeling if you bring your own gear).

Lunch at a beach shack in Sao (seafood noodle soup, about 40,000 VND). Return to Duong Dong in late afternoon.

Evening: Visit Phu Quoc Night Market (opens 5 p.m. near the harbor). Eat "banh mi", grilled fish cakes, and local fruit. Total meal cost: 60,000–80,000 VND for two people.

Day 3 — Phu Quoc to Nha Trang

Morning flight or afternoon ferry. The flight (VietJet, Bamboo Airways) is 1 hour, costs 200,000–400,000 VND ($8–$16), and leaves early (6–7 a.m.). Book the night before.

Alternatively, take the Superdong ferry (Phu Quoc → Rach Gia, then bus to Nha Trang) — 8+ hours total, cheaper (~300,000 VND), but tiring. Fly if you can.

Arrive in Nha Trang by early afternoon. Grab a taxi to your hotel on Tran Phu Beach (the main strip). Cost: 150,000–200,000 VND from the airport (25 km).

Spend the late afternoon swimming and walking Tran Phu Beach. It's crowded but clean. Skip the hawkers; go to the Nha Trang Harbor Amusement Park area if you want a snack.

Dinner: Eat "com tam" (broken-rice) at a hole-in-the-wall joint on Hoang Van Thu street (locals eat here). Broken rice with grilled pork, egg, and tomato: 35,000–50,000 VND. Hunt for the place with plastic stools and zero English signage.

Hotel tip: Ana Mandara, Vinpearl Nha Trang, or Miru House (600,000–1,200,000 VND/night). Vinpearl is pricier but includes cable car to Vinpearl Island; Miru House is cheap and clean.

Photo by Nguyên Đoàn on Pexels

Day 4 — Nha Trang Island & Diving

Join a boat tour to Mun Island or Hon Tam. Tours leave from Tran Phu Beach around 8 a.m. (300,000–500,000 VND per person, includes lunch and snorkeling gear). You'll swim, snorkel, and eat fresh seafood on a small beach or floating platform.

Alternatively, if you're certified and want to dive: Nha Trang Rainbow Divers or Kabira Dive run 2–3 dive trips (1,800,000–2,200,000 VND/day all-in). Water temperature: 24–26°C year-round.

Return to shore by 4 p.m. Evening: Walk Tran Phu Beach at sunset, grab "ca phe sua da (연유커피 / 越南冰咖啡 / ベトナムアイスコーヒー)" (iced Vietnamese coffee) at a corner café (12,000 VND), and eat "banh hoai" (shrimp-and-pork crispy pancakes) on the beachfront.

Day 5 — Nha Trang to Mui Ne

Van or bus south to Mui Ne (무이네 / 美奈 / ムイネー) (4–5 hours, 150,000–250,000 VND). Book a Phuong Trang or Khanh Hung bus the night before via Baolau.com. Morning departure, arrive early afternoon.

Mui Ne is smaller and quieter than Nha Trang — a fishing town that's been slowly gentrified. Hotels cluster along Nguyen Dinh Chieu beach road.

Check in, rest, and walk the beach at dusk. Mui Ne's coast is rockier than Phu Quoc but less crowded.

Dinner: Eat fresh fish at a beachfront restaurant near your hotel. The catch-of-the-day runs 120,000–200,000 VND. Ask for "grilled fish" and point to the catch; restaurants here know tourists and English is common.

Hotel tip: Full Moon Village Beach Resort, Randevu Beachside or Mui Ne Backpackers (400,000–900,000 VND/night). Full Moon has good food; Backpackers is social and cheap.

Day 6 — Mui Ne Beach & Sand Dunes

Rent a scooter or hire a driver (200,000 VND half-day). Visit the Red Sand Dunes (10 km northeast) in late afternoon — less crowded than the White Dunes, and the light is better. Hike, watch the sunset, maybe sandboard (rents available on-site, 50,000 VND).

Return for sunset dinner at a beach bar. Try "[banh chung](/posts/banh-chung-tet (뗏 (베트남 설날) / 越南春节 / テト (ベトナム旧正月))-sticky-rice-cake)" (sticky rice cake) if it's Tet season, or grilled seafood skewers (50,000–70,000 VND for four sticks).

Day 7 — Mui Ne Seafood & Fishing Village

Wake early and visit the Mui Ne Fishing Village (5 km west). Boats return around 6–7 a.m. with the night's catch. Sit at a waterfront stall, order fresh squid or shrimp, and eat "pho" or "banh mi (반미 / 越式法包 / バインミー)" for breakfast (25,000–40,000 VND).

Spend the rest of the day beaching, swimming, and eating fresh fruit from roadside stands (coconut, mango, pineapple: 10,000–20,000 VND each).

Evening: Relax at your hotel or grab "bia hoi" (draught beer, 5,000–8,000 VND per glass) and snacks at the casual beach bars along Nguyen Dinh Chieu.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels

Day 8 — Mui Ne to Da Nang (via Nha Trang)

This is a buffer/transition day. You can either:

Option A: Stay another beach day in Mui Ne, skip Da Nang, and fly home from Saigon on Day 10.

Option B: Take a bus or flight to Da Nang (via Nha Trang, 8–10 hours by road; 1 hour by flight). Da Nang has My Khe Beach, one of Vietnam's best — long, sandy, and cleaner than Nha Trang or Mui Ne. Book a flight (200,000–500,000 VND, 1 hour) if you want to maximize beach time.

If flying: depart Mui Ne 10 a.m., arrive Da Nang by noon. Check in, swim immediately.

Hotel tip: Furama Da Nang Resort, Sandy Beach Club, or Sunlight Hotel (700,000–1,400,000 VND/night). Furama has the best beach access; Sunlight is budget.

Day 9 — Da Nang Beaches & Linh Ung Pagoda

Swim My Khe Beach (4 km of clean sand, fewer vendors than Nha Trang). Walk the Danang Beach Promenade in the afternoon.

Optional: Take a short taxi ride to Linh Ung Pagoda (Tay Pagoda, on a clifftop overlooking the coast, 50,000 VND entry). It's 20 minutes from the beach and worth a quick visit for the views.

Dinner: Eat seafood on the beachfront. Da Nang's restaurants are pricier than Mui Ne but still reasonable (grilled fish, 120,000–180,000 VND).

Day 10 — Depart

Morning swim or relax at the hotel. Grab airport transfer (200,000 VND taxi from central Da Nang) or book a hotel car in advance. Da Nang International Airport is 3 km south.

Fly home or onward (Hanoi, Bangkok, etc.).

Practical Notes

Transport summary: Fly Phu Quoc → Nha Trang, bus Nha Trang → Mui Ne, fly or bus Mui Ne → Da Nang. Domestic flights are cheap and save 4–8 hours of driving. Book 1–2 days ahead via Baolau.com or directly with VietJet/Bamboo Airways.

Best time to visit: November–April (dry, 24–28°C). May–October is hot, humid, and typhoon-prone (especially September–October).

Money: Bring a mix of cash and a Visa/Mastercard. ATMs are everywhere in towns; restaurants and hotels take cards. 1 USD ≈ 24,000–25,000 VND (exchange rate shifts daily).

Eating: Beach towns are tourist-savvy. Eat at roadside stalls for local prices (30,000–80,000 VND meals) or beachfront restaurants for more comfort and English menus (100,000–300,000 VND). Seafood is cheap and fresh year-round.