Nha Trang

January to August is the best time. It is mostly sunny, and the sea is good for swimming and diving. The wet season brings heavy rain and storms, mostly from October to December. Seas can be rough then, and boat tours may be cancelled.

Plan around the weather more than events. Tours to the islands need calm seas, so book boat trips early in your stay.

• The city beach is a long, curved strip of sand along the main road. It is the heart of the resort.
• Tháp Po Nagar is a group of Cham towers from about the 8th century, still used as a temple. It stands on a hill above the river.
• Chua Long Son is a pagoda with a large white Buddha on the hill above it. The view over the city is good.
• Reclining Buddha lies on the same hill, a short climb above the pagoda.
• Nhà Thờ Chánh Tòa Nha Trang is a stone church from the 1930s in the centre of town.
• Museum of Yersin is the former home of the doctor Alexandre Yersin, who founded a medical institute here in 1895.
• The islands of Nha Trang Bay are the main day-out: Nha Trang Bay has snorkelling, diving and beach stops.

• Island-hopping: A full-day boat tour with snorkelling and a floating lunch is the classic outing.
• Diving or snorkelling: Nha Trang is one of Vietnam's main diving centres, with courses for beginners.
• Mud bath: Soak in a mud pool and hot spring pool, then rinse in mineral water.
• Sunrise on the beach: Walk the promenade early, when the beach is cooler and quiet.
• Cable car to the island: A cable car crosses the sea to an island with a theme park and resort.

• Nha Trang Bay islands: boat tours of 30 to 60 min each way. Most include snorkelling and a beach lunch.
• Mud baths and hot springs: a short taxi ride from the centre. Many people go for a relaxing half day.
• Doc Let Beach: about 1 hour north by car. A quiet, long beach.
• Cam Ranh: about 45 min south, near the airport. Beaches and resorts.
• Da Lat: about 4 hours by road. A cool mountain town, best as an overnight stay.

• In the bay: Nha Trang Bay holds the islands used for boat tours and diving.
• South: Cam Ranh has the airport and quieter beaches.
• Inland: Da Lat is a cool highland town and a popular next stop.

• By air: Cam Ranh International Airport (CXR) is about 30 km south. A taxi or Grab takes 40 to 50 min, and airport buses also run into town. Flights connect to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and other cities.
• By train: Nha Trang is a stop on the main north–south railway. Vietnam Railways
• By bus: Buses and sleeper coaches run from Ho Chi Minh City, Da Lat, Hoi An and other cities.

• On foot: The seafront and the central beach area are easy to walk.
• Taxi and Grab: The simplest way to reach the Cham towers, the pagoda, the mud baths and the ferry pier.
• Boats: Island tours leave from piers north and south of the centre. Book through your hotel or a licensed operator.
• Cycling: Possible along the seafront, but traffic is busy in the rest of the city.

• Is a car worth it? No, for the beach town. Use taxis or Grab. A car with a driver helps for the trip to Da Nang or Da Lat.
• Parking: Hotels have parking. Paid lots and street spaces exist near the seafront.
• Restrictions: Traffic is busy on the seafront road, especially in the evening.

Seafood is the main reason to eat out here. Look for grilled fish, squid, crab and lobster. Local dishes include nem nuong, grilled pork rolls, and fish noodle soups.

Eat at the seafood restaurants on the side streets behind the seafront and at the local markets. Prices on menus are not always clear at seafood places, so check the price per kilo before you order.

Nha Trang is generally safe for visitors. Petty theft happens on the beach and on busy streets.

• Do not leave bags unattended on the sand.
• Check prices before ordering seafood, taxis or tours.
• Use licensed boat operators and wear a life jacket on all boat trips.
• Sun and heat are strong. Use sun cream and drink water.
• Swim in marked areas. Currents and waves can be strong in the wet season.

The Cham people ruled this coast for many centuries. They built Tháp Po Nagar as a temple, and people still pray there today. Later the area became part of the Vietnamese state.

In the French period, the doctor Alexandre Yersin settled in Nha Trang and founded a medical institute in 1895. His house is now Museum of Yersin. The French also built Nhà Thờ Chánh Tòa Nha Trang in the 1930s. Over the last decades, the town has grown into a major beach resort.

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