Things to Do in Nha Trang: 12 Best Sights From City to Islands

The public beach runs about 5 km along Tran Phu street, as far as the Thanh Nien football ground. Locals swim at sunrise, the sand empties out under the midday sun, and the promenade fills up again for the late-afternoon stroll. Our route through the things to do in Nha Trang starts right here.

Swim only inside the eight buoy-marked zones watched by lifeguards. Before you grab a towel, glance at our live tool is the Nha Trang sea nice today to see how rough the water is.

Head inland from the beach toward the train station and you reach a stone Gothic-style cathedral on a small hill, an unexpected and rather lovely sight in a Vietnamese beach town. It is still a working church, so dress modestly, keep your voice down and check the mass times posted at the gate before walking in.

Long Son (chùa Long Sơn) is one of the city's best-known pagodas, with a huge white Buddha on the hill behind it. Climb a few hundred steps and the rooftops spread out below you. Entry is free. Incense sellers near the gate can be persistent at times; a polite no and a steady pace are all you need.

Of the 12 things to do in Nha Trang on this list, Po Nagar is the oldest building. The Cham brick towers went up between the 8th and 13th centuries, dedicated to the goddess Po Nagar (Tháp Bà Po Nagar), Mother of the Land. In January 2025 the site was ranked a Special National Monument by the prime minister's decision.

Entry is VND30,000. From the top of the hill you look down on the mouth of the Cai River, where the river meets the sea and boats come in to moor along the bank. It is at its best early, before the tour buses arrive. One to two hours is plenty.

A little farther toward the sea is Hon Chong (Hòn Chồng), a natural stack of granite boulders at the water's edge. Waves slap at their base, and the whole bay opens up in front of you. Entry is VND30,000, the rate since January 1, 2023.

Late afternoon, when the low sun warms the color of the rock, is the time for photos. The site is small, so 30-45 minutes is enough, and it pairs naturally with Po Nagar in the same outing.

Lying in warm mineral mud is a gentle way to finish a day of walking or boating. I-Resort sits about 4 km from downtown on 12 hectares and opens 8 am-5:30 pm, with the last tickets sold at 4:30 pm (September 2026). The long-running Thap Ba mud bath center at 438 Ngo Den street is the other name people mention.

Package prices change with the season, so we are not printing numbers; check the price board at the counter or on each place's own site. Weekday mornings are quieter than weekends.

The museum belongs to the Institute of Oceanography, whose roots go back to 1922. It has 5,000 square meters of displays, more than 20,000 specimens and tanks holding over 300 marine species. When it rains or the heat gets intense, it is one of the few things to do in Nha Trang that keeps you under a roof.

Some halls feel dated. Do not expect a slick theme-park aquarium; treat it as a science museum and you will enjoy it a lot more.

Few things to do in Nha Trang fill a whole day with young kids as easily as VinWonders. The theme park is spread across Hon Tre (Hòn Tre) Island and open 8:30 am-8 pm.

A day ticket is VND1,050,000 for adults and VND800,000 for children 100-140 cm tall and visitors over 60. Under 100 cm goes free. After 4 pm it drops to VND700,000/550,000 (September 2026).

The ticket includes the 3,320 m cable car there and back, which held the world record for the longest over-sea cable car from 2007 to 2018. For about nine minutes the bay slides by beneath the cabin while the seafront skyline shrinks behind you. Couples who do not care for rides may be happier with a slow day on a quieter island.

For a first trip out on the bay, the morning four-island boat tour is an easy pick. Know this before you book: diving at Hon Mun (Hòn Mun) was suspended in June 2022 for coral recovery and has not reopened. In June 2024 the province piloted diving at four other zones in the bay instead.

Fire jellyfish also showed up around Hon Mun and Hon Bac in July-August 2026, so let your guide decide where you get in the water. We compare the tour types in our island hopping review, or try the island quiz if you cannot decide.

The newest spot on this list is Hon En (Hòn Én), a peak over 600 m high west of the city. On the right morning, you stand at the top and watch Nha Trang disappear under a sea of clouds at sunrise. Go at 4-6 am in September or October. The last 2 km are steep, so ride a manual bike and skip it in the rain.

Up Highway 1 to the north is Doc Let (Dốc Lết), a long, gently sloping white-sand beach, shallow and clear. It works as a day trip by rented motorbike or car. What you get for the ride is space: even at weekends there is a quiet stretch to be found.

Farther north again, in Van Ninh, Diep Son (Điệp Sơn) is known for its "water path", a sandbar about 800 m long that links three islets and only appears at low tide. Walk it with water on both sides and it feels like crossing the sea on foot.

You need a boat from the mainland and good tide timing, so fix the pickup time with your boatman before you step off.