Vung Tau sits 125 km southeast of Saigon — close enough to escape on a Friday evening, far enough to feel like you've actually left. Most people come for the beach. You should come for the food.
Getting There
The high-speed ferry from Bach Dang Wharf (District 1, Saigon) takes about 80 minutes and costs around 250,000–300,000 VND one way. Boats run several times daily from roughly 7:00 to 16:00. It's the obvious choice — no traffic, no bus terminal, and you arrive directly at the Vung Tau (붕따우 / 头顿 / ブンタウ) port on Front Beach. Grab a seat on the upper deck.
If you're traveling in a group with luggage, the bus from Mien Dong station works fine at around 100,000 VND, but budget two hours minimum.
Day 1 — Banh Khot and the Seafood Markets
Morning: The Only Breakfast That Matters
"Banh khot" — small, crispy rice-flour cups filled with shrimp and topped with coconut cream and mung bean — is the dish Vung Tau is known for, and for good reason. The version here tastes different from what you'll find in Saigon (사이공 / 西贡 / サイゴン): the batter is thinner, the shrimp are fresher, and the cups have a proper char on the bottom from cast-iron pans.
The cluster of banh khot stalls on Nguyen Truong To Street (near the roundabout in Ward 2) is where locals go. Look for places where the pans are already smoking by 7:30 AM. A full serving with fresh herbs, rice paper, and nuoc cham runs 50,000–70,000 VND. Eat two portions.
While you're in the area, grab a "ca phe sua da" from any sidewalk stall. Vung Tau has a dense cafe culture — the city was a French resort town, and the coffee habit stuck.
Afternoon: Back Beach Seafood Strip
Back Beach (Bai Sau) is where the seafood restaurants concentrate. Walk the stretch of Thuy Van Street between roughly km 2 and km 5 and you'll find dozens of open-air restaurants with tanks of live crabs, mantis shrimp, clams, and sea snails out front. Pricing varies — always confirm before ordering.
For lunch, go simple: steamed "goi cuon" with crab, stir-fried clams with lemongrass and chili (ngheu xao sa ot), and a plate of grilled squid (muc nuong). Two people eating well here spend 300,000–450,000 VND without drinks.
If you want a specific address: Ganh Hao on Tran Phu Street (Front Beach side) has been packing in locals and day-trippers for years. The fish cakes (cha ca) and steamed rice paper rolls with shrimp are worth ordering alongside whatever's in the tank.
Evening: Nem Nuong and Street Snacks
As the sun drops, the street food carts come out along Quang Trung and around the Ba Ria market area. "Nem chua" — fermented pork rolls wrapped in banana leaf — is a Vung Tau specialty you won't see pushed as hard anywhere else in the south. Buy a pack from a cart vendor, 30,000–40,000 VND for six pieces, and eat them with the provided garlic and chili.
For dinner, try "banh canh" — thick udon-like rice noodles in a rich broth with crab or pork. The version with whole crab claws (banh canh cua) is the local preference. Stalls open from around 17:00 near the market on Le Loi Street.
Photo by Tuan Vy on Pexels
Day 2 — Morning Market, Ca Phe, and the Ferry Home
Early Morning: Vung Tau Market
Get up early enough to walk through Vung Tau Central Market (Cho Vung Tau, on Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street) before the heat builds. The wet market section is operating at full speed by 6:00 AM — dried seafood, fresh herbs, live shellfish, and vendors selling bowls of "hu tieu (후띠우 / 粿条 / フーティウ)" from rolling carts. A bowl of hu tieu Nam Vang (Phnom Penh-style pork and shrimp noodle soup) eaten here, standing at a folding table, costs about 40,000 VND and is an ideal second morning in Vietnam.
Mid-Morning: One More Coffee, Then the Beach Path
The path along Front Beach (Bai Truoc) is pleasant before 9:00 AM — quiet, shaded in sections, with older residents doing tai chi near the giant Christ statue base. Stop at one of the cafe kiosks along Tran Phu for an "egg coffee (에그커피 / 蛋咖啡 / エッグコーヒー)" if you missed it in Hanoi, or stick with standard drip. Then walk north toward the lighthouse area — there's a small cluster of banh mi carts near the cable car junction that do a decent sandwich with housemade pate for 25,000 VND.
Before You Leave: Dried Seafood to Bring Back
Vung Tau's dried and preserved seafood makes a practical souvenir. Dried squid (muc kho), shrimp paste (mam ruoc), and salted fish are all sold vacuum-packed at the market and along Hoang Hoa Tham Street. Prices are fair and the quality is consistently better than what you'll find at Saigon supermarkets.
Catch the early afternoon ferry back — the 13:00 or 14:00 departures put you in Saigon before rush hour.
Photo by Vika Glitter on Pexels
Practical Notes
Book ferry tickets in advance on weekends (Greenlines DP and Phu Quoc (푸꾸옥 / 富国岛 / フーコック) Express both operate the route) — boats sell out on Saturday mornings. Most seafood restaurants on Back Beach don't accept cards; bring cash. Vung Tau is compact and mostly flat, so walking or renting a motorbike for 100,000–150,000 VND per day covers everything comfortably.
Last updated · May 26, 2026 · independently researched, never sponsored.
