With 3,200km of coastline, Vietnam is an amazing place to beach hop. Travelling from South to North, or vice versa, each town and region offers new beaches, new foods and new experiences. You can make the journey by bus or train, or you can even venture off on your own set of two wheels, to find your own slice of sandy paradise.
At Lily’s Travel agency, we’ve been helping people to organise their Vietnam itineraries, transportation tickets and onward accommodation for decades. Here is just some of our wisdom for a Vietnam beach hopping adventure. Come and see us in store or send us a message to start planning your own trip today.
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Lily’s Vietnam Beach Hopping Guide
With plenty of international flight routes, Ho Chi Minh city is a great starting point for a Vietnam beach hopping adventure. Spend some time in the city, acclimatising to the heat and learning about the history and people of Vietnam.
Head next to Mu Nei, a chilled out beach town known for its shellfish and sand dunes! It is also a top destination for wind based water sports with favourable conditions throughout the year.
Next up on most bus itineraries is Nha Trang, a bustling beachside city with a beautiful stretch of beach. But, just before you hit Nha Trang is a much quieter stretch of sand around Cam Ranh, which is also home to the regional airport. There are a few enterprising guesthouses here but you’ll probably have the place to yourself most of the time.
Nha Trang is a worthy stop too, despite the crowds. The offshore islands and diving sites make for some excellent boat trips. The Ba Ho Waterfalls, Cham towers, Fairy Springs and That Ba mud baths are also worthy day trips.
The next major stop on the coast is Quy Nhon. South from here you can beach hop around Binh Dinh province to find hidden coves and clear blue waters. You’ll find fewer people here and just a handful of accommodation options.
After Nha Trang, Da Nang and neighbouring Hoi An, are the most popular coastal areas of the country. Da Nang is a relatively new city and has become popular with expats thanks to its unusually empty beaches and delicious central Vietnamese cuisine.
While Hoi An is further inland it is close enough to Da Nang, and the beaches of Cua Dai and An Bang, to be a good base for beach bums also looking for a dose of culture. The undeniably charming old town is a lovely place to wander, shop and eat.
Check out our new Hoi An tours here.
Whether you’ve been on a bike already or not, you are going to want one for the next stretch of coastline. One of the most popular activities in all of Vietnam is riding the Hai Van Pass between Hoi An and Hue, for unbeatable ocean views and easy riding.
Check out our new Hue tours here.
The final stop before you hit Hanoi is the coastal town of Dong Hoi and a long quiet stretch of beach. This area is just 40km from Phong Nha National Park and the largest caves in the world, so it makes a great base if you aren’t ready to move too far away from the ocean.
Saving the best for last, it’s time to hop on a traditional wooden junk boat to explore UNESCO World Heritage Halong Bay. We recommend you leave room to take a 2 night, 3 day cruise to truly make the most of this magnificent area. With an extra night on board your boat you can head further out among the limestone islands, away from the crowds.
Read more about the various cruises available here.
That ends our beach hopping itinerary but there’s still Hanoi and the mountain valleys of Sapa to explore!
You can book all your beach hopping transport at Lily’s and we guarantee honest service and great value, always. Contact us today.
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