Nha Trang is a lovely beach town with great food, welcoming people, and a relaxing atmosphere. Despite being quite the tourist spot, we were glad to have stopped here to see another city in Vietnam.
Because traveling one month through Vietnam requires choosing which cities to visit, we had to pick between two beach towns, Nha Trang and Mui Ne. Some cheap flight tickets we found online were the reason we chose Nha Trang.
There are no regrets here since the city was a pleasure to walk around in and a great place to relax. We mostly recommend it to couples, but every one can easily enjoy it in at least two to three days.
There isn’t an overwhelming list of activities to try here, so we leave you with a simple list of 11 great things to do while in Nha Trang.
11 Great Things To Do In Nha Trang
1. Visit the Po Nagar Cham Tower
Yes, this place will be crowded with tourists, but the temple is lovely. Today it still serves as a place of worship for Buddhists, but it’s also a place of history.
The area is beautiful, and you have great views of the sea and the city. Again, go early to avoid crowds. While there, we also saw a Vietnamese performance where they danced to traditional music.
2. Get a 360 View of the city at Long Son Poda
This Buddhist temple is in the heart of Nha Trang. We enjoyed our visit here because we had a 360-degree view of the city, and it was nice to feel like we got away from the traffic, cars, and semi-busy city.
At Long Son Poda, you’ll find a giant white Buddha centered at the top of the hill, a reclining Buddha near the bottom, an interesting cemetery, and a lovely pagoda.
3. Go Diving or Snorkeling
The snorkeling here may not be as beautiful as in Koh Tao in Thailand, but many people still come to snorkel and dive around Nha Trang. However, you must pay attention to weather conditions because the weather was quite windy during February and not suitable for snorkeling or diving.
4. Swim at the Beach
Nha Trang is mainly a beach destination for those looking to put their feet in the Vietnamese sand. Bai Duong is near all the hotels and is a perfect place to relax.
Nha Trang Beach is long and caters to tourists by having beach chairs by the sand. During the days surrounding Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, the weather was windy and the beach had huge waves. We couldn’t enjoy the water, but we did get to enjoy watching it.
5. Play at Vinpearl
Vinpearl is a resort island connected to Nha Trang by the longest over-water cable car in the world. The Gondola lift is 3320 meters long and passes nine pillars to get there. Once at Vinpearl, you can stay at the resort or pay about 36 USD to enjoy all the attractions at the Vinpearl Land Amusement Park, which includes the price of the Gondola to and from Nha Trang. Perhaps we try this if we find ourselves here again.
6. Visit The Markets
Markets are always one of the things we enjoy about places we visit. You’ll find delicious Vietnamese food at very low prices, or you can shop around for souvenirs to take back home.
7. Get Lost Walking the City
I always find the best things when I ignore the GPS and walk without a destination in mind. The truth is the city isn’t too culturally rich considering it’s a city catered for tourists, but we managed to run into culturally rich activities by wandering the streets. We managed to find a Lunar New Year’s flower art exhibition where all the locals happily posed with the beautiful art. It was nice to see their excitement for the upcoming celebration, Tet.
8. Take a Mud Bath and Relax in a Hot Spring
There is no better way to relax than doing something therapeutic! You’ll see mud baths and hot springs promoted around the city. Since Nha Trang is a place to relax, this is a great place to try. We skipped out because we got a massage instead.
9. Get a Massage
We got a relaxing one-hour foot massage. The options are endless when it comes to choosing one, but if you stay away from the big fancy ones along the main streets and walk into alleyways instead, you’ll be saving at least one-third to half your money.
10. See the Nha Trang Cathedral
Somewhere along the way, we ran into the Nha Trang Cathedral. It’s quite the contrast from the rest of the city with its Gothic architecture and stained-glass windows. It’s a short walk from Long Son Pogoda and a great place to sit at the benches for a snack break.
11. Explore the Ba Ho Waterfall
Only a short scooter ride away, you can visit waterfalls if you’re looking to have an adventure instead of relaxing. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a chance to make it there, but it’s a recommended place for people to visit while in Nha Trang.
How To Get Around
The best way to get around is definitely by foot. We recommend staying near the central area so you can have the beach and stores nearby. The following best way is a bicycle.
The traffic here is not as wild as Ho Chi Minh, so it should be easier to get around on the bike, and you can even rent a scooter for about 5 USD. We used Uber to go to the temples, and each ride was under 2 USD.
Where To Stay
Thien Truc Guesthouse: This accommodation was perfect. It is in a quiet alley, walking distance to the beach, low price, has all the basics, and excellent customer service.
If you are looking for a luxury stay, Vietnam is a great place to splurge a bit more. Perhaps you can stay at Tri Giao Hotel.
How To Get To Nha Trang
There are various ways to get to Nha Trang, but the best three are train, bus, and airplane. We flew from Ho Chi Minh to Nha Trang for under 17 USD each. The ride was an hour instead of bus and train, but with delays and transports, it took longer.
The second best way is by sleeper train, but you must book it early because the soft beds sell out early. The ride is longer, but you can fit in some sleep. Finally, the longest way and cheapest is by bus. We got to try it from Nha Trang to Hoi An.
If you are tall, the sleeper seats will not be comfortable. Since I’m short, my legs fit perfectly into the foot compartment-like area, but Juan didn’t have the best luck, and he’s only 5’10.
We hear many complaints from people who have long legs. Also, the bus ride is long and bumpy, and the driver honks the whole way there(honking is a thing in Vietnam). So definitely train or airplane might be best.
While in Nha Trang, you’ll notice lots of construction because many luxurious hotels are being built. We didn’t think the prices were too high, but it’s a place where resort accommodation is growing as well as tourism.
It almost felt like a mini Cancun that attracts wealthy Chinese, German, and Russian tourists. We have feeling prices are about to go way up in this small city.
We had a great time relaxing and enjoying the small city-big town charm. Consider spending about two days here if you are traveling through Vietnam.
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