Nha Trang is a beach city that has made a name for itself as one of the most popular destinations in Asia. The city offers a 6 km stretch of beautiful coastline as well as 19 untouched islands with white sandy beaches and clear waters. All are wonderful sights.
With an abundance of marine life and thriving reefs, Nha Trang is a heaven for those who want to take in a plethora of underwater delights. The natural hot springs, salt fields, and splendid waterfalls are Nha Trang's treasures.
Champa relics, Buddhist temples, and gothic-style Catholic churches are also worth a visit. The recreational cultural activities and its great nightlife also contribute to its fame, which makes for one of the best spots to enjoy your holiday.
Overview Nha Trang Beach
Nha Trang has a monsoon climate influenced by oceanic climate, which gives it pleasant mild weather. It is not too harsh like in the North and not too erratic like in the South. Winter in Nha Trang is less cold; summer is usually long, but the heat is not too intense.
Nha Trang is divided into rainy and sunny seasons. Thanks to being located in an area less affected by storms, Nha Trang is a promising destination for tourists all year round.
+ From January to August: The dry season dominates the city of Nha Trang. The weather is pretty pleasant, dry, and airy.
+ From September to December: In the last months of the year, Nha Trang starts to welcome the rains with a little chilly. It will sometimes interfere with your sightseeing plans. Therefore, if you travel at this time, you should pack an umbrella or raincoat to avoid getting wet from sudden rains.
Nha Trang is a beautiful coastal city that was granted with everything that makes it one of the most attractive seaside places in Vietnam. Long beaches with fine sand and warm clear water, there is no other place like Nha Trang.
The beach stretches for miles making for great sunbathe. You can hire a deck chair and chill out in the sun to top up your tan. This is the No. 1 thing you should do when coming here.
A trip to Nha Trang is not complete without going diving or snorkeling. This is by far the most popular thing to do in this coastal city and there are various options for you to choose from.
The stunning coastline is a haven for swimming and water playing. For a more adventurous feeling, you can go diving in some of the idyllic islands to see the amazing sea life.
Another way to experience underwater but not scuba diving is underwater walking. A 33kg helmet with oxygen keeps you down to the ocean floor, you get to walk under the sea for about 20 minutes. This new kind of sea sport allows you to see and touch marine plants, corals, starfish, and tropical fishes.
Po Nagar Towers was built by the Cham people between the 8th and 11th centuries. The Cham people, who once ruled central Vietnam, are famous for their skills in sculpture and architecture. They left behind a large number of invaluable artifacts and temple settlements.
The Po Nagar complex is on Cu Lao Mountain by the bank of the Cai River. There are only 4 of the 10 buildings left until today, the tallest of which is 25 meters high. The tower is remarkable for its pyramidal terraced roof, vaulted ceiling, and grand foyer.
Explore Po Nagar Cham Towers
Ba Ho Falls is made up of three natural waterfalls ending with a lake surrounded by rainforest. This spot makes for a great opportunity to get out and about and go hiking, swimming, picnics, and fishing. Expect an entrance fee of 50,000 VND.
From the entrance, a 30-minute walk through the foliage takes you to the first waterfall. It then becomes a bit challenging when you need to climb over large rocks to reach the other waterfalls. Make sure to wear proper shoes before making your way here.
Ba Ho is situated about 20 kilometers north of Nha Trang City a 40-minute drive. The picturesque coastlines and paddy fields along the road give the journey a bonus. By the roadside are some stalls where you can buy soft drinks and local snacks.
Nha Trang is granted some of the most beautiful offshore islands on earth. A one-day trip to four islands is the best way to discover Nha Trang seascapes for nature and beach lovers!
The tour gives you a chance to immerse yourself in the natural beauty and go snorkeling on the stunning coral reefs. A lunch with many delicious kinds of seafood is also a highlight of the tour. Not to mention a great photo hunt opportunity for you as well!
The tour starts at around 8:30 AM with a pick-up from your hotel in the city center. You get to visit Hon Mun Island, Hon Mot Island, Hon Tam Island, and Tri Nguyen Aquarium. Your own swimsuits, towels, sunscreen, and extra clothes are highly recommended to bring.
When the sun goes down, Nha Trang's relaxing atmosphere is replaced by a festive vibe under the lights. Every casual venue in the city is filled up with crowds of light-hearted travelers.
Nha Trang nightlife appears as a fine combination of old and new. Those who enjoy chilling can check out some rustic neighborhood bars or rooftop nightclubs. If you are looking for something glitzy, five-star hotel lounges are your choice. No matter which style you like, you will find it here in Nha Trang.
These spots are amazing for the fun-loving meeting until the early hours of the morning. They offer a varied choice of drinks, and pub grub together with live performances in different music genres.
Nha Trang also has nightly traditional puppet shows, light displays, and traditional tunes. Those who are traveling with kids should go to Vinpearl Amusement Park. Your family must like the water slides, the giant aquarium, the wave pool, the shopping mall, and a variety of rides here.
Long Son Pagoda is one of the oldest and biggest pagodas in Nha Trang which is located on the foot of Trai Thuy Hill. This is a good place to immerse yourself in a refreshing atmosphere and take in the views of Nha Trang City from the top of the platform.
Visit the Buddha in Long Son Pagoda
Long Son Pagoda is home to the largest statue of Buddha in Vietnam, also one of the main landmarks in the city. It is an impressive 14-meter statue of a white Buddha sitting on a lotus flower. The statue is so large that you can see it from all over the city. The pagoda also features fine-looking mosaics of dragons made of glass and pottery tiles.
Nha Trang is probably the most popular beach town in Vietnam; hence, the main activities here take place on the water. Once coming here, the boat trip will be part of your itinerary.
You can sign up for a trip with Catamaran VN, a leading sailing catamaran operator in Nha Trang. They organize sailing tours with catering, and water activities for large groups and individuals. You can experience water activities, sailing photography, and live music performances.
There are also a huge number of other boating companies in Nha Trang for you to choose from. Many of them offer diving or snorkeling activities off the boat and serve a buffet lunch. You can opt to go for a simple boat trip off the coast or sail to some of the neighboring islands.
One of the great reasons to come to Nha Trang is for the things you can buy here. For luxury items, you can shop at a high-end mall.
If you want to shop like a local or choose something a little more authentic, then head for Dam Market. Here you will find sorts of handicrafts and Nha Trang specialties like dried seafood and local products.
Vietnamese textiles and clothes are sold here at reasonable prices. A range of street food is found in the stalls set up in the market.
After active days, let's pause your itinerary and enjoy a relaxation time at Thap Ba Hot Springs.
Thap Ba offers baths with 2 choices of hot and cold water. You can also try mud baths with high mineral content to de-stress your mind and rejuvenate your skin.
If you want to share this experience with your gang, use public pools and mud baths. If you prefer to have some alone time, private facilities are available as well!
Another ideal spot for a mud bath experience is Egg Mud Baths. The pools here are in egg shapes set up along hillsides, surrounded by natural scenery. Many colorful plants and flowers give you a feeling of being in paradise.
You can also check out I-Resort, an oasis hidden among majestic mountains and greenwood. Features rustic yet luxurious design, this is such a perfect place to escape from the hustles of city life. Both of them offer a variety of services from hot mud, herbal baths, mineral pools, and hot steam to a beauty spa.
Thap Ba Hot Spring Centre
Around 10 kilometers to the south of Nha Trang lie several floating villages. The inhabitants make their living by fishing and fish farming. Here you have a chance to see a more traditional way of life in Nha Trang.
The easiest way to get there is to take a boat tour whose itinerary includes a stop at a floating fishing village. This will be an interesting excursion and great support for local communities.
There is no doubt that Vietnam is a heaven of food. Every region or even village has a specialty of its own. Nha Trang is a place like that. The delicious, authentic street food here will make your trip complete.
Seafood
Seafood is a must-try when visiting a coastal place and Nha Trang is no exception. Its cuisine offers a variety of seafood dishes such as stir-fried crab with tamarind sauce or grilled squid. All ingredients are fresh-caught every day by the local fishermen, which promises to satisfy your seafood craving.
Besides famous dishes, you can customize the dish by choosing the herb or spicy level. The cooks will combine all the elements and bring you the tasty final cuisine art. Lobsters, oysters, king crab, jellyfish, and more await you to enjoy!
Grilled Pork Roll
The smell and succulent taste of a grilled pork roll is something that no one can resist. Each grilled pork slice is eaten with raw vegetables and fish sauce, creating a heavenly delicious bite.
Nha Trang Rice Vermicelli with Fish
This is a famous version of vermicelli in Nha Trang. In just a small bowl of broth of steamed sailfish, you can taste a wonderful mixture of vermicelli, fresh fish, fried fish cake, and raw herbs.
Nha Trang Rice Vermicelli with Fish
This rice vermicelli with fish is so special that it has its name Nha Trang Rice Vermicelli with Fish. Every bite brings you an authentic taste of Nha Trang's sea breeze.
Crispy Pancake
Crispy pancake is a dish that you can easily find in almost every part of Vietnam. A crispy pancake is often made with pork and shrimp. However, Nha Trang's crispy pancake is different with squid as the main ingredient. Served with raw herbs and tasty fish sauce, this dish is an appetizing delicacy.
Nha Trang is not a city of museums, but the National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam is a recommendation for you. This is a great choice if your group has kids.
The museum offers interesting exhibits of local marine life, including over 20,000 live species. Some of them are rare indigenous underwater creatures.
Since its opening in 1922, the institute has sponsored many research and community projects. Some can be named are captive-breeding programs and the preservation, and regeneration of local coral reefs.
Check out the National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam
The collection of this museum is displayed on two floors within a French colonial building. The ground floor houses glass tanks, home to a wide variety of marine life. Each tank is labeled with a full description of the species in Vietnamese and English.
The upper floor is an exhibition of thousands of preserved specimens, marine skeletons, boats, and fishing artifacts. The most noteworthy is the skeleton of a humpback whale excavated in Ha Nam Province in 1994. It measures 18 meters long and 18,000kg in weight. You will also find a skeleton of a dugong excavated in 1997 in Con Dao.
Prepare an entrance fee of VND 30,000/ adult and VND 12,000/ child below 12 to visit The National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam.
If you are a photography fan, you should not miss the spectacular Long Thanh Gallery. The small gallery is not far from Nha Trang's Dam Market.
The owner, Long Thanh, is one of the most illustrious monochrome photographers in Vietnam. He started working when he was a teenager in 1964 and many of his works focus on simple portraits of daily life in Vietnam.
About 45 km from Nha Trang, Yang Bay is located in the middle of an expansive valley with an area of 570ha.
The falls attract tourists to the wild beauty of the vast primeval forest and fresh and cool air. According to the locals, Yang Bay means "sky waterfall".
Yang Bay Tourist Park includes 3 waterfall areas: Yang Bay, Yang Khang, and Hocho. Yang Bay is the main waterfall, 80m high and 2,000m long. The other waterfalls of Yang Khang and Hocho are smaller.
Especially, at Hocho waterfall, visitors can enjoy the natural hot spring water with two streams of hot and cold flowing in parallel.
The park has an amusement and entertainment area with many new, unique, and fun games. Some of them are the pig race, crossbow shooting, javelin throws, and crocodile fishing.
Besides exciting games, visitors can visit the orchid garden with thousands of blooming. The wild bear and the new technology freshwater crocodile farm are also very interesting.
The park also holds ethnic instrument displays with hundreds of traditional instruments.
Dien Khanh Citadel is a famous monument, where many important events took place in the past. Although not much of the citadel remains, you can still see the ancient architecture and historical value of the Nguyen dynasty.
Dien Khanh Citadel is 10 km west of Nha Trang city. The citadel dates back to the 17th century at the time of the Trinh Dynasty. It was then rebuilt again in 1793 by Prince Nguyen Anh after repelling the Tay Son insurgents.
Covering about 36,000 m², Dien Khanh citadel brings French military architecture style. The walls of the citadel are about 3.5 m in height, hexagonal but uneven, with a circumference of 2,693 m. The exterior is almost upright; the interior is covered in two steps, creating convenient transportation.
This is a good spot for those who want to see a more traditional side of Nha Trang.
Visit the historical Dien Khanh Citadel
Looking for a bit of adventure in Nha Trang? Want to take some midair images of the city? Head to Hon Tam Island and take a scenic hot-air balloon ride!
The hot air balloon ride center was established in Hon Tam Island in 2010. With a long-term operation and standardized safety equipment, your safety is ensured.
The giant colorful balloon carries you to ~ 150-meter height above the ground for 20 minutes. You are up above the sky, feel the purest breeze, and capture all the beautiful corners of the coastal city.
The price for a ride is 100,000 VND/person in the morning and 120,000 VND/person in the evening. There are further discounts for children.
Alexandre Yersin Museum is dedicated to Dr. Alexandre Yersin (1863 - 1943) who was a popular scientist in Vietnam. He was the one who brought rubber and quinine trees to Vietnam. He also discovered the bacteria that causes bubonic plague.
The museum, founded in 1990, is home to extensive exhibits of his laboratory equipment and personal belongings. Here you can also see original letters and photographs from his travels around Vietnam. A film shown at the museum will give you a deeper insight into his life.
Read until here, you have the answer to the question: There are many beautiful beaches in Vietnam, why do people still love Nha Trang? It is because there is a bustling city of Nha Trang with many exciting entertainment activities; beautiful beaches and islands gathered here; many cultural-historical attractions; and also indispensable delicious typical dishes of the sea. All of them are waiting for you to discover!