Vung Tau has long been considered an attractive tourist destination, because of its natural beauty. Wherever you go in your Vung Tau tour, visitors will be fascinated by the scenery of this place.
Along the 20km coastline It has many beautiful beaches such as Truoc (Front), Sau (Back), Vong Nguyet, Dua (Pineapple), etc. All are ideal for sunbathing, swimming and leisure. Situated in Vung Tau Peninsula, Vung Tau City is one of a few places on the mainland where can admire sunrise and sunset on the sea beautifully.
In addition, Vung Tau city also has many unique relics such as Vung Tau Lighthouse, Jesus Statue, Niet Ban Tinh Xa Pagoda, Thich Ca Phat Dai Pagoda, Long Son Large House, etc.
All the attractions of the city thank to the harmonious combination between natural landscape, urban architecture and cultural works.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Vung Tau?
Being in the tropical climate zone therefore visitor can visit this coastline city all year round. It has two separate seasons
The rainy season is from May to October and the dry season is from November to April. The temperature is around 27 degrees, while lowest is 24 degrees and highest is 29 degrees.
How To Get To Vung Tau?
+ By bus
The bus is the common transportation to Vung Tau by local people. Therefore, there are many bus daily to this city. They are Phuong Trang, Kumho Samco, Hoa Mai, Toan Thang, ect bus companies for choice to travel. It takes around 1.5 – 2 hours to reach Vung Tau. Each 30 minutes has 1 bus leave the bus station depend on each bus company
Price: around 4 usd to 13 usd/ticket
+ By motorbike
Motorbike is one of common transportation to Vung Tau for young people. It takes around 3 hours to reach Vung Tau beach city.
+ By speedboat
Speedboat is available daily between Ho Chi Minh city and Vung Tau city. It takes around 1.5 hour to reach the city. Some speedboat companies are Vina Express, Petro Pacific Express and Green lines. Address is in Nha Rong Wharf in Ho Chi Minh city. Price is from 7 usd to 12 usd/ticket.
Travel to Vietnam quite easy but to select the best place to visit while visiting Vietnam it’s not easy for everyone. After more than 10 years working in travel line. we would like to suggest some famous site should visit while tour to Vung Tau. If it’s still hard for you so let us know how is your travel plan?
Tops Attractions & Things To Do In Vung Tau
1. Statue Of Christ
The Statue of Christ, also known as the Statue of God with Open Arms. It is one of the famous Vung Tau attractions that many tourists visit. Located on the top of Small mountain, Vung Tau city, the statue was built in 1974. Christ statue has a height of 32m, an arm span of 18.3m standing on a height of 170m, with a beautiful sea view, inside is 133 steps up to 2 hands of the statue. Standing here, visitors can zoom into the distance, admire the vast landscape.
The statue of Christ can be considered as a version with a similarity to the 2m tall Christ Statue in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro – one of the largest statues in Asia.
How Statue of Christ is unique?
On the top of Little Mountain, the statue of Christ stands tall and steady with arms outstretched as if supporting man. The surface of the statue facing the sea is full of gentleness and tolerance as if protecting and enveloping sentient beings.
Although it is just a statue built from reinforced concrete. The aesthetic and artistic details such as standing posture, facial expressions, charisma, costumes … are all shown vividly and softly and full of creativity.
To reach the top to admire the statue of Christ in this tourist destination. Visitors must pass nearly 800 steps, both sides full of flowers and tree-shaded. This is considered a sweet challenge for devout tourists and wants to explore the beautiful scenery.
Stepping to the top of this tourist destination, visitors will admire a unique architecture. The statue of God stands on a 10-meter-high, bow-shaped concrete pedestal, with reliefs “The Last Supper” in front and “God giving the key to Peter” on the back.
Step up to 133 spiral stairs inside the Vung Tau sightseeing spot. Standing on the Lord’s shoulder, close your eyes, sincerely pray for peace and good things. Legend has it that all of your wishes will come true. Then, slowly open your eyes to admire the beautiful nature of the coastal city, enjoy the wind blowing in a splendid breeze.
2. Vung Tau Lighthouse
Admiring the beautiful natural scenery, you can also conquer Vung Tau Lighthouse – one of the interesting sightseeing places chosen by many tourists.
After turning right from Ha Long sea road, the near opposite section of Canh Ngam pier began to widen. Visitors can ride straight to the lighthouse, but walking along the mountain is still chosen by many visitors to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the coastal city from above. Located at an altitude of 170m, the lighthouse has a circular tower shape, 18m high, covered with delicate white paint, prominent against the blue sky. This place is surrounded by beautiful green trees, attracting many tourists to visit.
Vung Tau Lighthouse is considered the oldest among 79 lighthouses in Vietnam and is a symbol of Vung Tau city. France built this site in 1862 to signal and guide ships passing.
The best time for visitors to visit Vung Tau lighthouse is in the afternoon at about 14:00 to 17:00. Because the sun is light, the light is just right combined to create sparkling and magical pictures for young people.
Watch the coastal city at night on Vung Tau lighthouse: tourists often choose to go up to the lighthouse to see the whole city of Vung Tau in the sparkling night to enjoy a cup of coffee.
Thus, no matter what time it comes, Vung Tau lighthouse always has very own beauty. Standing from the balcony of the lighthouse can both feel the cool breeze from the sea and see Vung Tau from all sides, has just had beautiful photos.
3. Linh Son Co Tu Pagoda
Vung Tau is not only a coastal city with many attractive entertainment areas but also a famous spiritual place with large and unique architectural temples. In which, Linh Son Co Tu is the pagoda chosen by tourists from all over the world to visit.
Located at 104 Hoang Hoa Tham, Vung Tau. Since 1919, the temple was built on Nui Nho but occupied by the French to build a pilot. Therefore, another temple was built on this site and exists to this day.
As soon as you step into the temple, you will see a majestic and delicate carved statue of the Buddha.
Linh Son Co Tu is located on a quiet and well-ventilated street. Although the temple does not have massive architecture, it preserves the traditional traces of Buddhism in ancient times. Linh Son Co Tu is one of the famous Vung Tau tourist destinations because the pagoda was voted in the Top 100 typical spiritual tourist destinations of Vietnam and the State has recognized Linh Son Co Tu as a Cultural Monument. – The national level of history.
Linh Son Co Tu is divided into many different spaces. However the common point is ancient architecture with delicate dragon carvings, the path is covered with large old trees. The main hall of Long Son Pagoda in Vung Tau tourist destination is quite simple, worshipping Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The main highlights are the Buddha Shakyamuni statue with a gentle and kind face, made of stone 1.2m high, coated with gold and skillfully sculpted. This is a Buddha statue in ancient Cham architecture and is estimated by archaeologists about 1,600 years ago. Vung Tau tourists always feel excited and curious about this ancient statue.
4. Minh Dam Mountain
Minh Dam mountain is over 8km long and 355m high. The mountain has 3 sides bordering the sea. From Minh Dam mountain, visitors can look straight to the sea, watch the ships go fishing on the sea of Long Hai, Vung Tau. Inside Minh Dam mountain, there are many small caves hidden under forests, cliffs, freshwater streams groping down from the mountains … and many rare species of flora and fauna.
Minh Dam mountain is also the place where Minh Dam military base was built.
Most visitors come to Minh Dam mountain to conquer the mountain peak located at an altitude of 200m above sea level. However, the journey to conquer the top of Minh Dam mountain is not a small challenge for many tourists because the way to the mountain is quite steep and dangerous. Although 2/3 of the way to the top of the mountain has been paved to make it easier to move. To conquer the remaining 1/3 of the mountain road, visitors need to have extraordinary health and a great effort.
On the Vung Tau tour Vietnam journey to conquer the top of Minh Dam mountain, visitors will pass through shelters located under rock ravines or dense foliage. Inside these tunnels, there are still some artefacts such as bowls, bowls, forest axes, personal living equipment … that the soldiers used when they were still here.
Passing 2/3 of the road to Minh Dam mountain, visitors will see Long Hai beach. The closer you climb to the top of the mountain, the more the beauty of Long Hai beach becomes clearer in front of visitors. The cool mountain air and the chirping of birds all over Minh Dam mountain make visitors feel extremely comfortable.
5. Dinh Co Temple
Dinh Co Temple is located in Long Hai town, Long Dien District, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. This is a temple area with monumental architecture with traditional architecture bold colours of folk culture.
The temple has Chinh Dien in the centre.
Entering Chinh Dien, visitors will see the centre of Chinh Dien, an altar of Mrs Le Thi Hong, 0.5m high, wearing a red robe, glittering, and a jade hat. The two sides of the altar of Ba Co are the altars of Dieu Tri, the Mother Buddha, the Lord Master, the Ngu Hanh Nuong Nuong, the Four Dharma Nuong Nuongs … The altars are decorated with flowers and candles, with a sacred atmosphere of the worship.
Inside Dinh Co, in addition to the central space of Chanh Dien, which is a place of worship. There is also an area to display gifts that Long Hai people offer to Ba Co on Dinh Co. The offerings on display in the Palace include flower lamps, candles, model wooden boats, but most still are crowns and hats.
After paying a visit to Dinh Co. Visitors can go to the back of the Palace, stand to enjoy the breeze blowing in from the sea, take a walk and admire the wild and romantic Dinh Co beach. Dinh Co Beach is also a tourist destination near Vung Tau that owns the most pristine beautiful beach in Vung Tau city.
Most visitors visit Dinh Co on Dinh Co holidays (February 10th, 11th and 12th every lunar year). This is one of the biggest festivals in the Vung Tau attracts many tourists to visit and worship.
6. Long Hai Beach
About 15km from the centre of Vung Tau city. Long Hai beach is located in Long Hai town, Long Dien district and is a pristine and fresh beach than other beaches in Vung Tau. On the way here, you will pass a beautifully romantic and dreamy sea road with cherry blossom trees. Especially when the New Year comes again in full bloom in the sky.
Due to not being exploited for tourism much, Long Hai beach still retains its original calm and original features. The sea is extremely clean with clear blue water, the waves gently hit the stretch of soft golden sand. Along the coast are small rocks that add a lively part to the seascape here. The sea scene here is like a wonderful, harmonious natural picture.
When you come to Long Hai beach, you can freely swim in the sea, immerse in the cool water, enjoy the splendid sea breeze with the salty taste of the sea. The long sandy beach is also suitable for you to lie down and relax on the sea or walk along the beach and watch the romantic sea. All will bring you a feeling of relaxation, refreshment, forgetting how tired of daily life.
Near the beach, you can also go to a few popular eateries to enjoy delicious seafood dishes, such as shrimp, crab, grilled squid, … with extremely reasonable prices or buy fresh seafood for relatives and friends.
7. Ho Tram Beach
Ho Tram – an interesting destination in Vung Tau tourism itinerary. Here is not noisy, the sea is very blue, the sand is smooth. Along with Bai Dai – Phu Quoc (Kien Giang), Ho Tram is one of the most beautiful and pristine beaches in the world voted by a famous American TV channel. With a gentle and wild beauty, Ho Tram has always captivated people.
Ho Tram has 2 distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. Along with that thanks to the sea breeze, Ho Tram is cool all year round. So you can travel to Ho Tram at any time of the year, each season Ho Tram has its beauty for visitors to explore.
Ho Tram is considered a picture that is in harmony with the colours of the sea, forests and wild features of nature. Coming to Ho Tram beach, visitors will enjoy a completely different space from Long Hai beach of Vung Tau sea.
The gentle Ho Tram beach with the long stretch of sand, fine white and turquoise water basking in the brilliant golden sunlight. It makes the natural landscape more brilliant, enchanting many tourists. The sand in Ho Tram is also very special, it is not as yellow as the sand in Vung Tau beach but slightly turns pink, adding a little light under the golden sunlight and stands out in the blue sky.
Along the coast is a windy poplar forest all year round. Sitting and listening to the waves lapping on the golden sandy beach. You will quickly forget the worries and immerse yourself in the wild nature here.
It would be a pity to ignore the sunrise at Ho Tram as beautiful as a picture. With colourful clouds printed on the seawater still standing on the sand, creating a magical beauty.
8. Hon Ba Island
The road to the top of Hon Ba is zigzag with steeply raised slopes. The higher it goes, the fresh and cool the air. Here, the landscape is unspoiled and very peaceful, only the sound of the wind, wild birds, floating in the deposition space. Every higher than 100m, there is a signboard of altitude and to the signboard recording, 1,500m is the road directly towards the front of the house of Dr Yersin.
Hon Ba is a small island in Vung Tau City, Ba Ria – Vung Tau province. It also is known as Ba Vien Dan island or Archinard island. Along the Ha Long road around Nho mountain, from Front Beach, across Bai Dua to Nghinh Phong cape overlooking the sea. Visitors see Hon Ba island lying alone in the middle of the sea, at the foot of the island, white foam waves are very romantic. During low tide, this place reveals a jagged stone path. If adventurous visitors can go out to explore. From the foot of the island up to the temple, there is a winding, winding road, built with solid steps. The whole island is covered with green coconut trees, poplar trees, areca and porcelain flowers.
Unlike other natural landscapes restored and modernized by humans. Hon Ba still retains its wild beauty and romantic nature.
The seawater here is clear, cool, reflected in the distance, are rocks of all sizes with fancy shapes, small pebbles scattered all over the coast. The perfect combination of rock and sea creates the characteristic of Hon Ba. Especially at dawn or sunset, Hon Ba gives her even more brilliant beauty due to the light reflecting and shimmering sunlight.
9. Vung Tau White Palace
White Palace is the name of the Villa Blanche building. The resort for the French governor-general in Indochina, Paul Doumer, and the senior French-American officials.
There are 2 ways to Bach Dinh. If you go by car, there is a winding road that runs under a wooded wood leading up to the lobby. There is a pedestrian walk through 146 ancient steps, hidden between two rows of old porcelain.
Because of bold French architecture upstairs. There are many windows, each window has a different view, enjoying the surrounding scenery. Standing from where the wind blows through the cool window. The airy floor is suitable for resting.
White palace not only attracts tourists by its architecture but also attracts visitors by its romantic scenery. When arriving here, visitors cannot help but be surprised as if they are lost in an ancient castle in the middle of a mysterious forest. In the rainy season, the forest surrounding it is green, with leafy branches spread out umbrellas to cover the path. In the fall foliage season, everywhere, you can see porcelain flowers. The whole road to Bach Dinh is filled with red, white, and pink colours on the road and the garden.
With a prime location. From here overlooking Front Beach, with sweeping views of the sea, visitors can feel the breath of Vung Tau city.
Currently, the white palace is used as a museum to display the collection of rare and precious ceramics from the Khang Hy period recovered from ancient ships crashed in the area of Hon Cau – Con Dao, cannons and many other valuable artefacts.
10. Con Dao Island
Con Dao is the name of an offshore archipelago in Ba Ria-Vung Tau province. About 97 nautical miles from Vung Tau and 45 nautical miles from Hau river. Con Dao or Con Son is also used for the name of the largest island in this archipelago.
The time from Tet to the end of summer, from March to the end of September is the best time to travel to Con Dao. From October to February. Although the waters of Con Dao often have big waves, since this time is the dry season. There is always a fair amount of sunshine and it is also worth visiting Con Dao.
Con Dao is 97 nautical miles from Vung Tau (180km). There are two ways to get to Con Dao by land + water or by air.
Big Festivals And Event In Vung Tau
Vung Tau holds many festivals every year. It attracts a lot of tourists all over the world. Once planning to Vung Tau and wish to join festival here, you can have schedule and reach here as time of each festival.
• Dinh Co Festival: 10th – 12th February (Lunar Calendar)
• Thang Tam Temple Festival: 17th – 20th February (Lunar Calendar)
• Nghinh Ong Festival: 16th – 18th August (Lunar Calendar)
• Tran Hung Dao’s Death Memorial: 20th August (Lunar Calendar)
• Wu Xing Goddess’s Temple Festival: 16th -18th Oct (Lunar Calendar)
There are many more famous sights in Vung Tau that you may not have discovered yet. So why are you waiting for without planning and going? Wish you will have many memorable memories.
What to eat in Vung Tau?
1. Gỏi Cá Mai ( Mai fish salad)
Goi ca mai is one of the specialties considered as the top of most attractive dishes in Nha Trang. Mai fish is quite like anchovies, white body, small less fishy so that people often use it to make salad. For locals, the best goi ca mai is when selecting the freshest alive Mai fish – the fresher it is, the more delicious the salad will be.
After being caught, Mai fish will be shaved off all flakes. It need to be boneless to be very absorptive marinated. The ingredients to marinate are quite simple such as vinegar, garlic, lemon and chili. When fish is medium-rare, it will be mixed with some “bột thính” (a kind of brown rice flavor), peanuts to raise the smell. This salad is served with fresh vegetables and rice papers. The sauce of this dish includes garlic, minced chili, sugar, lemon, vinegar, fish sauce, crushed peanuts, soda or shrimp sauce. Although the ingredients seem simple, making a delicious sauce or not is all about the art.
2. Lẩu cá đuối (Sawfish hot pot)
Sawfish hot pot is one of must-try food once you visit here. As boneless fish and only soft cartilage, sawfish is quite popular and cooked in many different ways like grill, stir-fry, or hot pot, yet hot pot is still the best. Sawfish is prepared carefully, and its intestines rinsed thoroughly and then soaked in salt water or alcohol to remove fishiness.
Fish will be chopped into medium pieces, cartilage chopped into small pieces as well, then we stew them with low heat in order to have the sweet broth. After that, add some spices to be well-seasoned: some tamarind juice, sour bamboo shoots, cilantro and coriander finely chopped. The hot pot is often served with fresh bun (a kind of Vietnamese noodle), green banana, flowers of banana tree, and a small bowl of fish sauce with some slices of chili. Sawfish hot pot has its unique taste: sourness and lightness of tamarind and young bamboo shoots, sweetness from pieces of chewy saw fish and crispiness from cartilage. All these taste will absolutely please diners when trying this dish.
3. Banh Khot (Khot cake)
Banh Khot is one of the most favorite dishes in Vung Tau. The locals can eat banh Khot as their daily meals. Especially, the brand “Banh Khot Goc Cay Vu Sua” is very popular to not only locals but also tourists. This restaurant is always crowded with diners. These round small Khot cakes with its white surface, red layer made from shrimp roe, green topping of chopped onions. Banh Khot Vung Tau is similiar to Banh Can of the Central. Yet, Banh Khot is crispy, not tender like Banh Can. A combo of Banh Khot has 8 – 10 units which are well-cooked, hot, arranged in pairs and served with some fried minced shrimp and onions. Every time you take a plate of Banh Khot, it's hard to stop eating.
4. Banh Xeo Vung Tau (Vung Tau pancakes)
Pancakes in Vung Tau are also famous for its taste which cannot be found in anywhere. Ingredients include rice flour, shrimp, pork, bean sprouts but its taste is more significant thanks to the crust made from fresh chicken eggs, and the filling full of onions and mushrooms. Taste of pancakes in Vung Tau makes diners always impressed by many reasons, from the fragrant crispy crust, the smell of eggs to the fillings full of shrimp and pork. The sauce of this dish also has its special way to make. At first glance, the sauce might not be complicated, but once you try it, it will definitely make you feel full of spices from the lightness of fish sauce to the sourness of fermented vegetables.
5. Tiet Canh Tom Hum (Lobster blood)
Lobster blood sounds quite strange but it is a tremendously attractive dish only in Vung Tau. It is very difficult to cook lobsters. Hence, lobster blood is a quite fussy dish.
In Vung Tau lobster blood is often made from dragon lobster. With black stripes on the back, blue legs, shiny head, blood of dragon lobster is considered the most delicious. To make the food, people have to select a 1kg lobster in a good living condition. Lobsters are cleaned off sand, then tightly folded, and cut into the nape of lobsters until its blood burst out. It is milky white, not brick-red as most people think. When the blood is solid, we can make the lobsters blood. In this dish, except from the dragon lobster blood, there is more and more meat from lobster pincers which are made and well-seasoned and added some minced vegetables including perilla, coriander. After that, adding some cilantro and roasted peanuts.
Lobster blood is served with baked rice paper, lettuce, green banana and slices of star fruits.
6. Chao Hau (Oyster Porridge)
Oyster Porridge is an extremely popular food in Vung Tau. It’s difficult to find a bowl of delicious dish when all the shops serve it.The food seems to be easy to cook; however, it's hard to make a mouth-watering oyster porridge. You need to put a reasonable amount of seasoning to balance the taste of the porridge.
Porridge cooked from aromatic good rice with natural sweetness of fresh oysters, sprinkling a little cilantro, a little pepper. Served with the porridge is a prime bowl of fish sauce withvegetables, herbs and banana flowers. That’s all we need for this dish but delicious oyster porridge brings to us a very strangely good taste. A bowl of oyster porridge brings you a fragrant taste like sea, which make diners find it hard to resist the appeal of this simple dish. It’s not only nutritious but also tasty and deserved to be the most impressive food to all travellers.
7. Water Lily Hot Pot
Been for more than ten years, water Lily hot pot has become a familiar dish to all local people. This elegant food is made by Phuoc Hai villagers in a significant way. Unlike other fish hot pot, this one is served with water lily, so people call it “Water Lily Hot Pot”
Fish used to make this dish is carefully selected. The best parts of giant sea catfish are head and organs which are used to be main ingredients of hot pot. Nowadays, the giant sea catfish isnot widely available as it was before. Thus, people use other species of fish to replace such as dua fish, cobia, gray mullet. Spices for this food are quite various including tamarind juice, soyabean milled, sugar, fish sauce, chopped lemon grass and stir-fried finely, crushed lemon grass roots, tung ho, coriander, rice paddy leaves, basil and thin slices of peppers.
The taste of the soup with the sourness of tamarind, smell of lemongrass, sweetness of fresh fish and crunchiness of water lily create the unique taste of hot pot.
8. Banh Canh
On the way from Sai gon to Vung tau, tourists often stop by Ba Ria to have snacks and a bowl of banh canh Long Huong. No need to be fussy with many ingredients, this longstanding vendor has conquered several foodies by its simplicity and purity. Banh Canh is made from rice and tapioca flour, light broth, tender and greasy pig legs, pork. After a long ride, all you need is a bowl of banh canh and suagarcane juice which will wipe off your tiredness to continue your journey with many other activities awaiting in Vung Tau
9. Mut Hat Bang ( Terminalia Catappa Jam)
Hat Bang jam is a kind of specialty gift of this land. When terminalia catappa is riped in July and August, they fell on the road. Terminalia catappa is dried and split to take out their seeds. Then, people roast those seeds ingeniously to sell good products to both locals and tourists.
10. Salt egg pound cakes
Not everyone knows, Vung Tau is home to the salt egg pound cakes. And if you are not too familiar with the tours of Vung Tau, it would be difficult to know where to buy this special cakes as a gift. Unlike other normal cakes, salt egg pound cakes stored longer than other cakes you usually buy in bakeries. For many people, making pound cakes might not be hard but you need to be a skillful cook to make the best quality dish. A special feature of this cake is that the cake is often baked in iron mold on a charcoal.