Overview
This itinerary trades the mountains for salt water—three coastal regions across seven days, each with its own rhythm. You'll spend time on actual sand, eat fresh seafood at lunch, and still have room for a historical detour in Hoi An. Budget around 25–35 million VND ($1,050–1,470 USD) per person for accommodation, meals, and inter-city transport.
Day 1 — Arrival in Da Nang & Acclimatization
Fly into Da Nang (the easier central entry point). Most international flights land mid-afternoon. Collect your luggage and grab a taxi (around 200,000 VND to the beach hotels) or book a Grab in advance—prices roughly the same.
Walk My Khe Beach immediately. It's wide, clean, and crowded enough to feel safe, but not Bangkok-tier packed. Swim for an hour, watch the sunset.
For dinner, eat at a mid-range seafood place along Vo Nguyen Giap Street (the beachfront drag). Order grilled fish (150–200k VND), fresh prawns (180k), and a beer. Total around 400–500k VND for two people. Skip the tourist-marked restaurants with English menus; ask your hotel staff where they eat.
Stay: Any 3-star hotel on My Khe will run 800k–1.2 million VND per night. Booking.com or Agoda are fine here.
Transport: Grab car or taxi; motorcycle taxis are cheaper (60–80k) but only if you're comfortable.
Day 2 — Da Nang Beach Days + Son Tra Peninsula
Breakfast on "banh mi" and "ca phe sua da" (iced milk coffee) at a street stall near your hotel (30–40k VND per person).
Spend the morning swimming at My Khe or Non Nuoc Beach (quieter, south of the city). Rent a motorbike for the day (150–200k VND) and ride north to Son Tra Peninsula—a forested headland with spotty beaches and temples. The road is decent; driving is straightforward if you're comfortable. Stop at Linh Ung Pagoda (free entry, views of the coastline and back beaches). Don't stay long; these temples are popular with domestic tourists at midday.
Return to the city before sunset. Lunch at a "com tam" (broken-rice) joint inland: order the combo with grilled pork, fried egg, and pickled vegetables (50–70k VND). Evening: repeat yesterday's beach walk or catch a movie at a local mall.
Dinner at a local pho or [bun cha](/posts/bun-cha-hanoi (하노이 / 河内 / ハノイ)-grilled-pork-noodles) spot (60–100k VND).
Transport: Motorbike rental via hotel or Grab Bike (book a driver if unsure of roads). Petrol is cheap (around 25k per liter).
Photo by Trần Long on Pexels
Day 3 — Da Nang to Hoi An (30 km, 50 mins)
Take a morning Grab car or motorbike to Hoi An (호이안 / 会安 / ホイアン) (around 200k VND). The highway is modern and straightforward.
Arrive by 10 am, check into a riverside hotel in the Old Town. Spend the afternoon wandering the lantern-lit streets. These are crowded with tourists, yes, but the architecture is genuine—Chinese shop-houses, French colonial villas, a Japanese bridge. Swim at nearby Cua Dai Beach (4 km east, 15 mins by motorbike; quieter than My Khe, with fewer vendors).
Dinner on the riverside: order fresh fish cooked with "ca tru" (a turmeric-salt crust), spring rolls ("goi cuon (고이꾸온 / 越南春卷 / ゴイクオン)"), or "cao lau" (the local noodle specialty, crispy rice crackers in a meat broth—unique to Hoi An, around 50–70k). Eat at a casual stall rather than a tourist restaurant; quality is better and prices half as much.
Stay: Hoi An Old Town hotels range from 600k (budget) to 2+ million VND (mid-range). Ancient House Resort or Hoi An Historic are mid-market and well-reviewed.
Day 4 — Hoi An Beach & Cooking Class
Morning swim at Cua Dai Beach again, or rent a bicycle and explore the rice paddies west of town.
Midday: book a half-day "banh mi" or cooking class at a local school. Classes are 2–3 hours, teach you to make spring rolls, stir-fries, or "banh xeo (반세오 / 越南煎饼 / バインセオ)" (sizzling shrimp pancakes), and cost around 400–500k VND per person including ingredients and lunch. Two popular options are Hoi An Cooking Class (reliable, central) and Phuong's cooking class (smaller, in a family home). These fill up; book the day before via Airbnb Experiences or direct email.
Evening: stroll the Old Town again, watch the lantern ceremony (sunset, around 6 pm—the whole town is lit with paper lanterns, touristy but real).
Dinner: sticky rice with mango, or a light pho (쌀국수 / 越南河粉 / フォー) (50–80k).
Cost: Cooking class + all meals around 600k VND per person.
Day 5 — Hoi An to Phu Quoc (Flight or Bus)
Early morning flight from Da Nang to Phu Quoc (푸꾸옥 / 富国岛 / フーコック) (1 hour, around 1.5–2 million VND for a cheap carrier like Vietjet or Bamboo) or overnight bus from Hoi An via Da Nang (12–13 hours, around 600–800k VND; sleeper buses have beds, tolerable). Fly if your budget allows. Buses are cramped and save little.
Arrive Phu Quoc by early afternoon. Rent a motorbike (150k) or book a Grab transfer to your beach hotel in Duong Dong town or on Long Beach (the main tourist strip).
Swim at Long Beach (2 km of golden sand, backed by resorts and seafood stalls). The water is warmer and clearer than the central coast; the beach is less developed than My Khe.
Dinner at a beachfront seafood stall: grilled squid, crab claws, fresh catch of the day (prawns, snapper, grouper). Costs: 150–250k VND per dish; a two-person feast with beer around 600–800k VND.
Stay: Phu Quoc mid-range hotels (Memories Sunset, Phu Quoc Island Beach Resort) run 1–1.5 million VND per night.
Transport: Budget airlines or sleeper bus. Book flights 3–7 days ahead to avoid peak pricing.
Photo by Fernando B M on Pexels
Day 6 — Phu Quoc Island Exploration
Rent a motorbike and explore the north of the island. Start at Ong Lang Beach (white sand, peaceful, 25 km north, 45 mins ride). Swim and grab lunch at a beach stall.
Continue to Vung Bau (or Rach Vem) in the northwest corner—a fishing village with a protected mangrove area. The roads are decent but winding; riders comfortable on hills should go. The views of fishing boats and limestone cliffs are quieter than the tourist beaches.
Return to Duong Dong by late afternoon. Evening: visit the night market near Duong Dong pier (fresh seafood, snacks, "banh canh (반깐 / 粗米粉汤 / バインカイン)" stalls, very local). Prices are 30–60k per dish.
Cost: Motorbike 150k, fuel 40k, meals and stalls 200–300k total.
Day 7 — Beach Day + Departure
Morning swim and leisurely breakfast on Long Beach. If you have time before a late-afternoon flight or evening bus, book a massage (100–150k VND for 60 mins at a local spa, not a resort).
Afternoon: transfer to Phu Quoc Airport or hop a bus back to Ho Chi Minh City or Da Nang (if flying out from there). Budget 2 hours for airport transfers.
If you're staying another night, Book a second evening in a coastal town; the beaches don't demand constant activity—sitting with a beer and watching fishing boats is the point.
Practical Notes
Money: ATMs are everywhere in Da Nang, Hoi An, and Duong Dong town. Meals at local stalls are 40–100k VND; mid-range restaurants 200–400k. Hotels with pool and aircon run 800k–2 million VND per night in peak season (Nov–Feb). Budget transport (motorbike, local buses, shared taxis) keeps ground costs low.
Visas: Most nationalities can get a 90-day e-visa on arrival or apply online. Do this before you leave home—it takes 1–3 days and costs around 25 USD.
When to go: Nov–Feb is dry, sunny, 25–28°C. Mar–May is hot and humid. June–Oct is rainy but cheap; beaches are empty. Avoid late Sept/early Oct (typhoon season, though direct hits on central coast are rare).
Last updated · May 21, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.
