The old lighthouse on Nui Nho (Small Mountain) in Vung Tau has been guiding ships since the French colonial era. It's not a major tourist attraction in the theme-park sense — there's no ticket booth circus or souvenir gauntlet. That's exactly why it works. You climb a hill, you reach a 19th-century lighthouse, and the coast spreads out below you in a way that makes the trip from Saigon feel worthwhile.
What it is
"Ngon Hai Dang" simply means lighthouse in Vietnamese, and the one on Nui Nho has been operational since 1862, making it one of the oldest in the country. The French built it to mark the entrance to the Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン) River shipping channel. The structure itself is modest — a white-painted tower about 18 meters tall sitting at roughly 170 meters elevation on the hilltop. The combination of the tower height and the hill means it commands a serious sightline over the East Sea, Back Beach, Front Beach, and the container ships queuing offshore.
The lighthouse still functions as a navigational aid. You're visiting a working piece of maritime infrastructure, not a museum replica.
Why travelers go
Three reasons. First, the walk up Nui Nho is one of the better short hikes near Saigon — forested trail, not paved over, roughly 30 minutes at a comfortable pace. Second, the view from the top covers nearly 360 degrees of coastline, city rooftops, and open water. Third, it's an easy half-day escape that pairs well with a beach afternoon or seafood dinner in Vung Tau (붕따우 / 头顿 / ブンタウ). Most people visiting Vung Tau skip Nui Nho entirely and sit on Back Beach. Their loss.
Best time to visit
November through April is the dry season in Vung Tau, and mornings — before 9 AM — are the sweet spot for the hike. The trail has partial shade but the final approach to the lighthouse is exposed. In the wet season (May through October), afternoon storms roll in fast, and the stone steps get slippery. If you're going between June and August, aim for an early start and watch the sky.
Weekdays are noticeably quieter than weekends. Vung Tau is Saigon's default beach getaway, and Saturday mornings the trail gets foot traffic from domestic visitors.
How to get there from Saigon
Vung Tau is roughly 100 km southeast of central Saigon. You have three practical options:
Hydrofoil (Greenlines or Vina Express)
The fastest and most enjoyable route. Boats leave from Bach Dang Wharf in District 1 and reach Vung Tau in about 90 minutes. Tickets run 250,000–350,000 VND one way depending on the operator and seat class. Book a day ahead on weekends — they sell out.
Bus
Coaches depart from Mien Dong bus station roughly every 30 minutes. The ride takes two to two and a half hours depending on traffic. Expect to pay around 80,000–120,000 VND. Phuong Trang (Futa) and Kumho Samco are reliable operators.
Motorbike
If you're comfortable riding in Vietnamese traffic, the highway via Long Thanh and Ba Ria takes about two hours. Expressway tolls total around 50,000 VND.
Once in Vung Tau, Nui Nho is at the southern tip of the peninsula. From the town center, it's a 10-minute taxi or Grab ride (about 30,000–50,000 VND) to the trailhead near Hai Dang street. You can also walk from Back Beach in roughly 20 minutes.
Photo by Costa Karabelas on Pexels
What to do
Hike up Nui Nho. The main trail starts near the end of Ha Long street (yes, same name as Ha Long Bay, no relation). It winds through low coastal forest — frangipani, banyan roots across the path, the occasional monitor lizard. The ascent takes 20–30 minutes. There's a steeper shortcut via concrete steps from the Christ statue side if you want to combine both sites.
Visit the lighthouse interior. When the caretaker is around (usually mornings), you can sometimes enter the base of the tower. There's no formal ticket — a polite ask and a small tip of 20,000–50,000 VND is the convention. The spiral staircase inside is narrow and original.
Walk to the Jesus Christ statue. Vung Tau's 32-meter Christ statue (Tuong Dai Chua Kito Vua) sits on the same mountain, a short walk from the lighthouse. You can climb inside the statue's arms for another elevated vantage point. Free entry, but expect a queue on weekends.
Catch sunset from the hilltop. If you time the hike for late afternoon, the western side of Nui Nho faces the city and the sun drops behind the mainland hills. Bring water — there's no vendor at the top.
Combine with Front Beach. After descending, Front Beach (Bai Truoc) is a five-minute walk away. It's calmer and less commercialized than Back Beach, good for a cool-down swim.
Where to eat nearby
Vung Tau's signature dish is "banh khot" — small crispy turmeric pancakes with shrimp, served with fresh herbs and fish sauce. Banh Khot Goc Vu Sua on Nguyen Truong To street is the local benchmark; a plate of 10–14 pieces costs around 60,000–80,000 VND.
For something more substantial, the seafood strip along Ha Long street (at the base of Nui Nho) has dozens of open-air restaurants serving crab, grilled squid, and clams. Prices are posted per kilogram — budget 200,000–400,000 VND per person for a proper spread. "Banh mi" carts are everywhere if you just need a quick 25,000 VND sandwich before the hike.
Where to stay
Vung Tau has accommodation at every price point. Budget guesthouses near Back Beach start around 250,000–400,000 VND per night. Mid-range hotels with sea views (Corvin Hotel, Muong Thanh) run 600,000–1,200,000 VND. If you're spending, the Imperial Hotel or Melia Vung Tau sit in the 1,500,000–3,000,000 VND range. Most travelers doing a day trip skip the hotel entirely and catch an evening hydrofoil back to Saigon.
Photo by Uyên Mai on Pexels
Practical tips locals would tell you
- Wear shoes with grip. The trail's stone steps get mossy in humid months, and flip-flops are a recipe for a bruised tailbone.
- Bring your own water. At least one liter per person. There's nothing at the summit.
- If you're combining the lighthouse with the Christ statue, go lighthouse first — it's quieter in the early morning, while the statue area doesn't open until 7:30 AM.
- The hydrofoil back to Saigon has limited evening departures. Last boats usually leave around 4–5 PM. Check the schedule before you commit to a sunset hike, or plan to stay overnight.
- Vietnamese coffee in Vung Tau is good and cheap. Stop at any "ca phe" shop on Tran Phu street for an iced "ca phe sua da (연유커피 / 越南冰咖啡 / ベトナムアイスコーヒー)" at 18,000–25,000 VND before the climb.
Common mistakes to avoid
Going at midday. The exposed hilltop between 11 AM and 2 PM is genuinely brutal from March to September. Heatstroke territory.
Skipping the lighthouse for just the Christ statue. The statue gets all the attention, but the lighthouse viewpoint is better — less crowded, wider angle, and you're looking at the ocean instead of a parking lot.
Not checking hydrofoil availability. Weekend boats from Saigon sell out, especially on Sunday returns. Book round-trip in advance or have a bus backup plan.
Practical notes
Ngon Hai Dang on Nui Nho is a two-hour trip from Saigon that delivers more than most full-day tours. Pair it with a "banh khot" lunch and a swim at Front Beach, and you've got one of the better day trips in southern Vietnam without any of the organized-tour overhead.
Last updated · May 17, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.
