Best 12 Vietnam Beaches
Although not often considered a mainstream beach holiday destination, Vietnam has long been a favourite amongst locals and travellers attracted to the idyllic tropical beaches. The beach scene here has grown in popularity over the recent years as more tourists discover this hidden gem.
Boasting over 2000 miles of coastline from its southern tip at Mua Bai Bung to the port of Haiphong in the north, Vietnam has all the ingredients for the perfect beach getaway – soft white sands, secluded coves, impressive rock formations and calm waters. Whether it's days spent soaking up the sun, taking in the sunsets or exploring life under the water, beaches in Vietnam offer tourists everything they could wish for.
The best beaches in Vietnam are located in the southern part of the country, as are some of most exciting opportunities for scuba diving, and the beaches here are also easily accessible from some of the large cities too. The best time to visit beaches in the southern Vietnam is between December and May.
Here you'll find the 11km of sand that links Phan Thiet with the fishing port of Mui Ne; watersports are also popular here including sailing, windsurfing and kite surfing. Nha Trang is the most popular here; it's a quintessential tropical beach with six miles of sands backed by lush greenery and mountains. Another popular destination is Hon Chong Beach which has beautiful silky sands and calm tropical waters. In the south there is also the wide expanse of undeveloped beaches on the island of Phu Ouoc, while Con Dao is another idyllic and untouched beach island to the east of the region.
In the centre of Vietnam you'll find Cua Dai beach, it is surprisingly undeveloped with just a few resorts along the miles of soft sands. Although slightly more developed, China beach north of Noi An is regarded as one of the best beach resorts in the country.
The Best Vietnamese Beaches...
-
1. Ninh Van Bay
© Simon Dannhauer The beach at Ninh Van Bay arcs around a small inlet facing the southwest on the South China Sea in south-central Vietnam. Occupying such a beautiful bay it is known for its luxurious hotel escapes. Large rocks with softened edges sit in the shallows at the base of jungle-clad mountainsides running down to the sands as if deliberately placed where they would be most aesthetically pleasing.
While close to Nha Trang,… read more »
-
2. Star Beach // Phu Quoc
© allPhoto Bangkok Great for:- Snorkeling
- Swimming
- Surfing
- Kitesurfing
Star Beach, or Bai Sao in Vietnamese, lies approximately 25 kilometres from Duong Dong, the capital of Phu Quoc island. Managing to unite two contradictory ideas, the beach here is unspoilt, yet also offers plenty of amenities.
Star Beach is one of just a handful of beaches of Phu Quoc that can boast white sand. Matched all the way by warm, clear turquoise waters and palm trees leading towards tropical jungle,… read more »
-
3. Long Beach // Phu Quoc
© Geoff Hopkins / 123RF Great for:- Swimming
The island of Phú Quôc is a tropical paradise of thickly forested mountains fringed with white-sand beaches. Without exception these beaches are stunning with Long beach being the best known.
This doesn't make it any better than the rest, and it possibly isn't quite as pristine with several resorts hidden behind the palm trees and a few sleepy beach bars.
Long beach does live up to its name though, and it should… read more »
-
4. Cua Dai Beach // Hoi An
© Tri Le Great for:- Swimming
Despite its proximity to Hoi An, Cua Dai Beach comes close to being deserted during the week. At other times, the quietest… read more »
-
5. Lăng Cô
© Ruoudevn Located in central Vietnam, Lăng Cô Beach is a stunning sweep of sand set around a small village. It was a favourite of the country's now-lost royal family. The beach is within an hour of the airports at both Hue and Da Nang, and is also close to several of Vietnam's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Its lushly-forest mountains tumble down to the alluring seas, separated only by this ribbon of… read more »
-
-
6. Nha Trang City Beach
Aleksandr Zykov Great for:- Swimming
As its name suggests, Nha Trang City Beach is easily reached on foot from anywhere within the city of Nha Trang. In fact, it's one of the only true city beaches in all of Vietnam, despite 3,200 kilometres of coastline.
Nha Trang City Beach itself stretches for six kilometres, meaning there's plenty of space to lie on the sands during even busy times. For much of its length it is lined… read more »
-
7. My Khe Beach
Christophe95 Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
East facing My Khe Beach runs for around nine kilometres (6 miles), and is wide too, with an average width of 60 metres. Its white sands are just a short bus ride from Da Nang, while My Khe Beach is also reachable from Hoi An without too much time or fuss.
A favourite with the top beach lists of international magazines, its flat sands are great for a game of beach… read more »
-
8. An Bang // Hoi An
Sam Sherratt Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
Relatively untouched by development, unlike many of the beaches around Hoi An, An Bang Beach has a chill vibe even with its plethora of amenities, which includes shops, ATMs, and even pharmacies.
Though it doesn't seem possible given its four-kilometre (3-mile) length, An Bang Beach can get busy with local families towards evening and on the weekends, when locals can outnumbers tourists by two to one.
That said, there's a reason for… read more »
-
9. Doc Let
© Vladyslav Great for:- Swimming
Approximately 50 kilometres (30 miles) north of the city of Nha Trang, Doc Let Beach is definitely worth the journey. Pronounced to sound closer to 'yop lek', the beach stretches for a total of 18 km (13 miles). It has white sands, palm trees offering natural shade, and mesmerizingly blue shallows perfect for younger children as well as the rest of the family.
Roughly divided into three sections, the northern third… read more »
-
10. Minh Chau Beach
© linh vu You'll find Minch Chau Beach on Quan Lan island's northeast coast, in the top corner of Vietnam close to the border with China. If you're exploring the country's far north, you should certainly consider making the ferry journey across the bay, so that you too can take in this one kilometre stretch of paradise.
Although Minh Chau Beach can be busy with the arrival of the weekend crowd, the rest of… read more »
-
11. Cat Co 1
© CreativeFamily Great for:- Swimming
- Surfing
A little confusingly, Cat Co 1 Beach is actually located between Cat Co 2 Beach and Cat Co 3 Beach on Lan Ha Bay's Cat Ba island. But even if it wasn't, all three beaches are a very slow wander from Cat Ba town, and are linked together by a further short cliffside path.
Widely considered to be the most attractive of the three neighbouring beaches, Cat Co 1… read more »
-
-
12. Mui Ne // Phan Thiet
EladeManu Great for:- Swimming
- Kitesurfing
Fifteen kilometres (10 miles) of Mui Ne Beach's off-white sands and gentle waves are what greets anyone who makes the journey north from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Situated on a tiny finger of land jutting out into the South China Sea, Mui Ne Beach is surrounded by verdant mountains and is considered one of the quieter and less developed beach destinations on Vietnam's expansive coastline.
That said, it has a… read more »
