Nha Trang Guide

Nha Trang in 2 days

For a weekend, or two days bolted onto a work trip. No island day: a boat trip needs most of a day and you are driving to the airport on the second afternoon.

  1. Day 1

    The centre, on foot

    On the move
    3.2 km
    Cost
    from 90k (added from 2 of 4 stops that quote a rate)

    Note: The only whole day you have. Don't rent anything; all of this walks. If you flew in this morning, add 40–50 minutes for the airport run; the airport bus goes straight through and costs least.

    • Morning

      Fish noodles, as early as you can

      If you landed last night, this is your first real meal here. The good fish noodle shops sell out by 9 or 10, and you only get one morning.

      Bun Ca Co BaDetails →

    • Midday

      +0.7 km

      Tram Huong Tower and the square

      A few hundred metres from the sand and right in the middle of town, so it costs you no travel time. If midday is fierce, circle it and duck into a café opposite.

      Tram Huong TowerDetails →

    • Afternoon

      +0.5 km

      Tran Phu beach, after 16:00

      Before four it is harsh and empty. After that the whole city comes down, which is the point of going. The sand sits below most central hotels.

      Tran Phu BeachDetails →

    • Evening

      +2 km

      Nem nướng, then Cho Dam seafood if you can

      Nem nướng rolled at the table is the thing to eat here. Still hungry, walk on to Cho Dam for seafood. About 2 km apart, walkable in the dry.

      Nem Nuong Dang Van QuyenDetails →

  2. Day 2

    Po Nagar, a mud bath, then the airport

    On the move
    26.7 km
    Cost
    from 115k (added from 3 of 5 stops that quote a rate)

    Note: Cam Ranh airport is 35 km out. Reckon 45 to 60 minutes. This fits an afternoon flight; before 14:00, drop the mud bath.

    • Morning

      Po Nagar while it is still cool

      It opens early and there is no shade up there. Before nine you get the cool air and none of the tour groups.

      Po Nagar Cham TowersDetails →

    • Midday

      +2 km

      A mud bath right next door

      The Thap Ba mud baths are about 200 m from the towers. Close enough that it is not really a separate trip. Which is why these two belong in the same morning rather than on different days.

      Thap Ba Mud BathDetails →

    • Afternoon

      Bánh căn before you go

      Bánh căn only appears in the afternoon, so this is your one window across two days. Afterwards, the dried-goods aisles at Cho Dam for fish sauce and semi-dried squid. Cheaper than the specialty shops on the beachfront.

      Banh CanDetails →

    • Evening

      +24.7 km

      To the airport, via Bai Dai if you are early

      The road to Cam Ranh runs the length of Bai Dai, so with an hour to spare, stop and look. It is nothing like Tran Phu: long, empty, no hawkers.

      Bai Dai BeachDetails →

Where to sleep for this plan

With one night, location decides almost everything, so all three of these are central. Including the expensive one. A Bai Dai resort for a single night means spending most of the time you have in a car.

These three are the writer's picks for the plan above, not a commission list. For the real price on your dates, ask from the hotel's own page.

Got a fourth day?

Spend it on Bai Dai to the south — it's near the airport, so it pairs well with your departure day — or push further out to Ninh Van Bay.

Bãi Dài →Ninh Vân Bay →