Nha Trang is a coastal town in Vietnam – one of the most picturesque and pristine. With a clean coastline to an emerald blue sea, hosting some of the most beautiful islands of Vietnam. Nha Trang is just perfect! We initially didn’t know about Nha Trang. As most of the Vietnam trip itinerary from India tend to skip it. But when I saw it’s pictures while browsing through places to visit in Vietnam, I had to put Nha Trang on my Vietnam Trip itinerary. And the couple of days that I spent in Nha Trang were nothing less than dreamy and wonderful.
Our 2 days Nha Trang Trip itinerary
Day 1 of 2 days Nha Trang trip itinerary
From Dalat to Nha Trang road trip
We tried to make the most of the 2 days Nha Trang trip itinerary that we made for ourselves. On the first day of our 2 days Nha Trang trip itinerary, we took a road trip from Dalat to Nha Trang. Starting early, around 7:00am from Dalat. We reached our airbnb apartment in Nha Trang by 11:30am. After checking in and dumping our luggage, we headed for our lunch. The coastline of Nha Trang town is dotted with numerous cute cafes and ambient restaurants. We chose for an open air sitting at one of the restaurants just across the beach.
Checking into our Nha Trang Airbnb
After lunch we strolled along the beach. The beaches in Nha Trang are one of the cleanest, well maintained and beautiful. With some of them even having changing rooms and washrooms. There are several spots along the pavement on the beachside where karaokes happen at night. Food stalls are hosted. And several events take place, making the whole coastline come live by nighttime. Anyways, today, we just strolled and spent sometime on the beach before returning to our apartment.
Exploring Hon Tre Island and Vinwonders from Nha Trang
After taking a little rest, towards the evening, we decided to hop onto the cable car from Nha Trang port to Vinwonders resort on Hon Tre Island. The cable car price round trip is VND 2,00,000 (~INR 600) per head. And the charges remain the same for even kids 2+ years old. But, the 10 minutes cable car ride over the sea is totally worth it. The cable car ride operates from 7:00am in the morning to around 12:00am midnight. We reached the cable car station using a Grab taxi ride in about 30 minutes from our apartment.
Luckily , there was no rush at the cable car station around 5:00pm as we reached here. We took our tickets from the ticket counter at the entry. And headed inside. Soon we boarded the cable car to the Hon Tre Island.
Although, I have heard that at times the queues can be very long – both at the ticket counter and for boarding the cable car. So, in case you want to skip the line, you can buy this round trip cable car ticket to Hon Tre Island as well. In case, you would like to enjoy the Vinwonders resort and theme park at Hon Tre Island, you should dedicate a complete day and book this kind of trip to Hon Tre Island. At the theme park, you can enjoy several rides.
Since, we escaped the theme park visit, we explored around it. In the evening, the whole area around the port lits up wonderfully. With several restaurants, souvenir shops and roadside street stalls with a plethora of food options. We roamed around, took some beautiful pictures, had our dinner here and then headed back to the mainland around 11:00pm.
Other things to do at Hon Tre Island
Since, Hòn Tre Island (Đảo Hòn Tre), just off the coast of Nha Trang, is one of the largest and most exciting islands in Vietnam. It’s known for VinWonders Nha Trang, luxurious resorts, beautiful beaches, and scenic nature. It’s perfect for couples, families, and thrill-seekers alike. If you can dedicate a day to your trip to Hon Tre Island, you will be able to enjoy –
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Adventure rides, roller coasters, water park, aquarium, 5D cinema, VR games, and live shows. Which include sky view that gives you panoramic view of the Nha Trang Bay. And water world that offers giant slides and lazy river. Or, the large marine aquarium at underwater world. Even the fairy tale themed castles give the kids a memorable experience.
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Visit Bai Tru Beach – a beach with soft white sand and calm waters that is Ideal for swimming, beach volleyball, or relaxing under palm trees. It is counted amongst the most beautiful beaches in the world
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Stay overnight in a world class resort at the ultra luxury beachfront Vinpearl Resort or Marriott Hon Tre Island.
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Trails through Hòn Tre’s forested hills and watch beautiful sunsets
Day 2 of 2 days Nha Trang trip itinerary
On the second day of our 2 days Nha Trang trip itinerary, we spent the day exploring the different places to see in Nha Trang. Starting with some of the historical places.
Po Nagar Cham Towers
These are ancient Hindu temples dating back to the 7th–12th centuries overlooking the Cai river that flows through the heart of Nha Trang. The Po Nagar Cham Towers can be easily reached using a Grab Taxi. These temples were built by the Cham civilization, dedicated to Goddess Yan Po Nagar. The temple premises consist of two floors with stoned steps to access the top level where there are three main temple towers to visit. The whole premises are beautifully landscaped and provide for stunning bird eye views across the horizon all the way to the sea.
Check this guided trip to Po Nagar Towers along with other attractions in Nha Trang.
Long Son Pagoda
A pagoda famous for it’s 72-foot (24 m) tall white Buddha statue as well as intricate dragon and mosaic artwork. Here you can visit the monastery at the base. And then climb 150+ steps for panoramic city views from the foot of the Buddha Statue. There is no entry ticket to the Long Son Pagoda. Built in French Gothic style (1928), also called Christ the King Cathedral, the Long Son Pagoda boasts of stained glasses, Gothic arches and over and above everything else, peaceful vibe.
Nha Trang Beach
It is the main public beach of Nha Trang. It is clean, palm-lined, and active. The Nha Trang Beach also offers adventure activities like Jet skiing, parasailing, and beach lounging. As the night approaches, it turns into a lively promenade with cafes and nightlights. Visiting the Nha Trang beach was definitely a highlight of our 2 days Nha Trang trip itinerary.
These were the main places that we visited on our second day in Nha Trang. But, you can also add some of the below ones to your list of things to do in Nha Trang if you have more time at hand –
More things to do in Nha Trang beyond 2 days Nha Trang trip itinerary
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Include a day of island hopping to some of the most famous and exciting islands of Nha Trang like Hon Tam Island, Hon Tre Island and Hon Mun Island.
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Enjoy mud bathing, hot mineral pools, massages, and saunas.
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View some of the majestic waterfalls of Vietnam like Ba Ho Waterfall and Yang Bay Waterfall on a day trip from Nha Trang
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Visit the Nha Trang Cathedral also known as the Stone Church.
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Explore more scenic and less crowded beaches along the coast of Nha Trang.
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Enjoy a slow paced life at Nha Trang by cafe hopping or just sitting with a Vietnamese coffee blend and observing the world go by.
- Take this instagram spots half day tour across Nha Trang to get some of the most memorable pictures.
Nha Trang is my new favourite!
PS: Of all the places that I visited in Vietnam, Nha Trang remains close to heart. Although I can’t pinpoint what it is that makes me feel so. It could be that Nha Trang is neither too small and too remote, nor too big a city like Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Although it has beaches as beautiful as the beaches of Thailand or Andaman in India, but still it is not so crowded yet. Also, it has a tranquil vibe to it, slow paced life, European town like charm, roadside cafes and eateries, the emerald blue waters of the sea which I absolutely love and a strong presence of wifi, which doesn’t disrupt my daily work. It is neither too crowded, nor devoid of tourists. So, it is touristy without being overly touristy .. if you understand what I mean. So, I would highly recommend, if you are visiting Vietnam, do visit Nha Trang. If I ever take a second trip to Vietnam, I am surely going to spend much more time in Nha Trang, just chilling and soaking into the vibes of the town, eating good food and watching the waves come and go.