All Must-See Attractions in Nha Trang
The coastal city of Nha Trang in Vietnam has been attracting both local and international tourists for years. While Nha Trang is best known for its scuba diving and long stretches of beach, the city also boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage that’s worth discovering.
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For those seeking natural attractions, Nha Trang’s beaches offer a stunning backdrop of towering rock cliffs. The Long Son Pagoda, with its intricate dragon mosaics, is a great stop for combining a temple visit with a panoramic view over the city.
For more ideas on the best places to visit in this vibrant city, check out our list of top tourist attractions in Nha Trang:
1. Nha Trang Beaches
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Nha Trang is home to several stunning white sand beaches, perfect for sunbathing and recreational activities. The city’s most popular beach, Tran Phu Beach, attracts many tourists, making it lively and full of amenities, including great restaurants and water sports equipment rentals.
For a quieter experience, Bai Dai Beach is a better option. It’s frequented by locals, meaning it’s less developed but still offers soft sand and clear blue waters.
Hon Tre Beach is one of the largest in Nha Trang and hosts some of the city’s biggest festivals, including the colorful February festival Ba Chua Xuch, which honors a Vietnamese prosperity goddess.
For ultimate luxury, the privately-owned Nhu Tien Beach is unbeatable. It features a golf course with stunning views, yoga, snorkeling, and many other activities.
2. Ponagar Tower
The Po Nagar temple complex, built around the 7th century, is dedicated to several deities, especially Lady Po Nagar, the Goddess who created and nurtures the Earth. The temple’s soft stone towers and columns beautifully blend Cham architecture and Hindu influences.
Of the eight original sandstone towers, only four remain, with the 28-meter-tall North Tower being the most impressive. It features a terraced roof, chiseled inscriptions, and a 10-arm black statue of the goddess Uma inside. Other towers are dedicated to Hindu deities Cri Cambhu, Shiva, and Ganesh.
Set on a hill by the River Cai, the complex also includes a small museum showcasing stonework and sculptures. Visitors are expected to remove their shoes and dress respectfully (covering shoulders and legs) as the site is still an active religious shrine.
3. Long Son Pagoda
Founded long ago, Long Son Pagoda was relocated to its current site at the foot of Trai Thuy mountain after being partially destroyed by a cyclone in 1900. Today, it’s one of the most visited pagodas in Nha Trang, beloved by both locals and tourists. The temple’s entrance and part of the roof and altar are adorned with beautiful dragon mosaics and intricately decorated ceramic tiles.
The 24-meter-tall white Buddha statue, although not technically part of Long Son Pagoda, is a famous sight in Nha Trang. It sits higher up the hill on the grounds of Hai Duc Pagoda.
4. Vinpearl Cable Car
A ride on the Vinpearl Cable Car is a must-do in Nha Trang. Connecting the city with Vinpearl Island, this gondola ride spans over 3,000 meters and takes 15 minutes to reach its destination. Built to be earthquake-resistant and withstand strong winds and monsoon rains, it took over a year to complete.
As the longest overwater cable car in the world, it offers breathtaking views of the sea and the Disney-like Vinpearl park on the island. The towers supporting the cables resemble miniature Eiffel Towers and are beautifully illuminated at night.
5. Vinpearl Land
Vietnam’s version of Disneyland is located on Vinpearl Island. This amusement and water park offers rides and thrills for all ages, along with opportunities to meet unique cartoon characters and see some wild animals.
The water park features lazy rivers, adrenaline-pumping slides, a water obstacle course, and a beach with sun loungers for relaxation. The amusement park includes a massive arcade, rides, Disney-like castles, a 3D movie theater, and live performances by dancers and acrobats.
Next to the ocean, you’ll find the Vinpearl Sky Wheel, one of the tallest Ferris wheels in the world at 120 meters. A full circle on the wheel takes about 15 minutes and offers stunning views of the bay, especially at night.
6. Hon Mun
Among the islands around Nha Trang, Hon Mun stands out for its beauty and variety of attractions. The limestone cliffs, caves, and striking black rocks along the coastline provide excellent photo opportunities, as well as climbing and hiking spots. A leisurely stroll on the beach reveals ebony-black caves hidden in the rock.
Hon Mun’s main attractions, however, are underwater. The island’s coral reefs attract scuba divers and snorkelers from around the world, eager to explore the colorful marine life, including fish, sea turtles, and crabs.
The water around the island is so clear that even those who prefer to stay dry can enjoy the marine life through boats with clear bottoms. Island-hopping tours are also available, allowing you to visit Hon Mun and other nearby islands.
7. XQ Historical Village
Founded by a pair of artists in the 1990s, the XQ Historical Village is a large complex designed to look older than it is. The village was created to showcase the Vietnamese arts of silk painting and embroidery and to empower women to continue these traditional crafts.
Today, over 3,500 women, dressed in Áo Dài (Vietnamese traditional dress), work and sell their products at this village and others like it across the country.
XQ is a unique blend of working space, art galleries, and shops. Visitors can admire works in progress, purchase impressive wall hangings or small scarves, or relax in the gardens with a cup of tea while listening to soft music.
8. Dam Market
Among the many markets in Nha Trang, Dam Market stands out as the most authentic, bustling, and diverse. Located in a circular two-story building, the market opens at 4 am, attracting locals for their daily shopping.
Despite its apparent chaos, the market is organized into sections for food, clothing, handbags, handicrafts, souvenirs, designer knockoffs, and a large area for fresh seafood and produce at the back.
Other notable markets in Nha Trang include the food-focused Xoi Moi Market and the Nha Trang Night Market for souvenirs. However, Dam Market offers a unique experience. Walking through its vast open space is an adventure for the senses, and you can enhance it by trying street food from stalls around the indoor fountain.
9. Street Food
Nha Trang offers a variety of street food that you must try. These dishes are easily available from street vendors, providing an authentic taste of Vietnamese cuisine.
Two popular street food items are nurong la lot (grilled beef wrapped in leaves) and banh can, a local delicacy made of mini rice flour pancakes topped with meat and eggs, cooked over coals.
Nha Trang’s seafood culture is prominent, with many local markets, especially Xoi Moi Market, selling seafood by the bucket. For those interested in cooking, Nha Trang offers cooking classes through hotels, private companies, or as part of city tours.
10. National Oceanographic Museum of Vietnam
Dating back to the early 20th century, the Nha Trang Oceanography Institute is one of Vietnam’s oldest scientific research institutes and the largest center focused on marine biodiversity and ecology.
Housed in a beautiful French-colonial building, the museum section features thousands of marine and bird specimens, along with displays and exhibits on marine conservation and aquatic life.
Highlights include the 18-meter-long skeleton of a humpback whale, glass tanks with puffers and turtles, and examples of local boats. The museum offers exhibits in English explaining sacred sea-related legends, the power of tsunamis, and the country’s fishing culture.
11. Ba Ho Waterfalls
The Ba Ho Waterfalls are a picturesque 40-minute ride from the city, accessible after a drive along turquoise coastal waters and paddy fields.
Of the three waterfalls, the bottom one is the most crowded but easiest to reach, requiring a half-hour trek through the jungle. Waterfalls 2 and 3 involve a more challenging climb using stone steps and large boulders through thicker forest. Proper hiking shoes are recommended, as the rocks can be slippery, especially during the rainy season. Painted arrows guide the way, or you can follow other climbers.
All three waterfalls are popular for cliff-jumping, with jumps as high as 11 meters into the refreshing pools below.
12. Alexandre Yersin Museum
A museum dedicated to the French-Swiss bacteriologist who co-discovered the bacteria causing bubonic plague might seem out of place in Nha Trang, but Yersin had strong ties to Vietnam and did much of his groundbreaking work here.
Housed in Yersin’s former home, the museum features a large collection of his original equipment and furniture, including his desk and bed, letters, and documents. There’s also a significant collection of photographs Yersin took of Vietnam’s ethnic groups during his travels.
While Yersin is best known for his contributions to science and technology, he also worked in other fields in Vietnam. He was responsible for importing and cultivating rubber trees in Southeast Asia and starting a project to acclimatize the quinine tree, used to treat malaria, to Vietnam. The exhibits, in both English and Vietnamese, also include short films.
13. Traditional Fishing Villages
With over 3,000 kilometers of coastline, Vietnam has a deep connection with the sea. Fishing villages have been part of the country’s cultural heritage for centuries. Here, people not only fish for a living but have shaped their lives around the water.
Nha Trang has five notable fishing villages. Bich Dam is one of the quietest and most remote, offering idyllic beauty, traditional basket boats, and beach time. Van Gia, the most famous due to its proximity to Nha Trang city center, has a nearby beach with soft golden sands, places to try local dishes, and opportunities for fishing lessons from locals.
Other villages include Dam Mon, home to the Dang Ha ethnic minority; the remote Khai Luong; and Ninh Thuy, over 200 years old with homes built using coral-pressed mortar.
14. Yang Bay Waterfalls
About 45 minutes from Nha Trang, the tiered 80-meter-high Yang Bay Waterfalls are surrounded by dense, primitive forests and unspoiled wilderness. The waterfalls end in a 10-meter plunge into a fresh lake, perfect for cooling off and watching colorful fish.
For those up for a climb, mountain trails run alongside the waterfall. Though slippery and tricky, they lead to the top for beautiful views of the surrounding jungle.
The 570-hectare valley around the waterfalls offers various activities, including a fairy garden, a small zoo, ethnic music performances, and hot springs accessible for a fee. You can also visit the nearby “Wishing Tree,” a 500-year-old tree considered a spiritual symbol by the local Raglai people.
