Vung Tau

A seaside peninsula city southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, with the Christ statue and lighthouse on its two hills, Front and Back beaches, seafood and a French-era White Palace — Saigon's weekend beach escape.

Vung Tau is in southern Vietnam, about 95 km southeast of Ho Chi Minh City, on a peninsula jutting into the South China Sea. Before the 2025 provincial mergers it was the main city of Ba Ria–Vung Tau Province; it is now part of Ho Chi Minh City. At either end of the peninsula stand Big Mountain (Núi Lớn) and Small Mountain (Núi Nhỏ); to the east is the long Back Beach (Thuy Van Beach), and to the west is the Front Beach bay, where the city center lies. Being so close to Saigon, it is the go-to weekend beach for Ho Chi Minh City residents. The climate is tropical monsoon: the December–April dry season is sunny and dry with the best sea conditions, while the May–November rainy season brings frequent afternoon showers and rougher seas. The main sights fall into three areas: along Small Mountain are the Christ of Vung Tau, the lighthouse, Niet Ban Tinh Xa pagoda, Nghinh Phong Cape, Pig Hill and Hon Ba islet, reachable at low tide; along Big Mountain are the White Palace, Thich Ca Phat Dai, Our Lady of Bai Dau and Ho May Park, reached by cable car; and Back Beach and Front Beach are for swimming, sunsets and seafood. With more time, head east to Dinh Co Temple in Long Hai and Minh Dam Mountain, or drive to Ho Coc Beach and Binh Chau Hot Springs. Getting there: high-speed ferries from Ho Chi Minh City take about 2 hours, as do buses or private cars via the expressway. Sights in town are close together, and taxis, motorbike taxis and motorbike rentals are all convenient. Plan 1–2 days: one day in town, plus an extra day for the eastern beaches and hot springs. Weekends and Vietnamese public holidays are crowded and pricey, so go on a weekday if you can; clothing covering the knees is required to climb the Christ statue, and ask about prices before ordering seafood.

Top sights

Christ of Vung Tau – A 32-meter statue of Christ with outstretched arms stands on a small hilltop. Climb about 800 steps to reach his shoulders for views over V…
Vung Tau Lighthouse – A white lighthouse from the French colonial period on the hilltop, offering the best panoramic view over Vung Tau's town, Front Beach and B…
Back Beach (Bai Sau) – Vung Tau's longest and most popular beach, a fine-sand stretch of roughly 8 km facing the South China Sea, lined with hotels and restaurant…
Front Beach (Bai Truoc) – A curved bay west of the city center, with a palm-lined seaside park and dotted fishing boats. It is a good place for an evening stroll, wa…
White Palace (Bach Dinh) – A French-style white villa at the foot of Big Mountain, facing the sea. It was once the seaside residence of the French Governor-General of…
Ho May Park & Cable Car – Ride a cable car up Big Mountain to a hilltop park with temples, lakes, rides and citywide views. It makes a good half-day outing for famil…
Thich Ca Phat Dai Pagoda – A large Buddhist garden on the north slope of Big Mountain, with a white seated Shakyamuni statue and sculptures of the Buddha's life set i…
Niet Ban Tinh Xa (Nirvana Vihara) – A seaside Buddhist temple on the western slope of Little Mountain, with a 12-meter reclining Buddha, a dragon boat carved with Buddha figur…
Hon Ba Island – A small rocky island just off the southern end of Back Beach, home to a temple dedicated to a sea goddess. At low tide a rocky path emerges…
Nghinh Phong Cape – A cape at the southernmost tip of the Vung Tau peninsula that juts into the sea. A stone arch on the rocky shore, known as “Heaven's Gate,”…
Pig Hill (Doi Con Heo) – A grassy hillside on the eastern side of Little Mountain overlooking Back Beach, with a newly built viewing trail and the remains of a rada…
Our Lady of Bai Dau – A Catholic pilgrimage site near Dau Beach on the northern foot of Big Mountain. Stations of the Cross climb the slope to a giant statue of…
Pineapple Beach (Bai Dua) – A small rocky cove at the foot of Little Mountain, with clear water and few visitors. It's good for quiet swimming, snorkeling and escaping…
Thang Tam Temple & Whale Temple – A cluster of traditional shrines for Vung Tau's fishing community. The Whale Temple preserves several huge whale skeletons and reflects the…
Xom Luoi Seafood Market – A long-established seafood market in Vung Tau with crabs, shrimp, shellfish and dried squid in great variety. You can buy your catch and ha…
Dinh Co Temple, Long Hai – A fishermen's temple on a rocky hill by the sea in Long Hai, honoring the goddess who protects those at sea, with wide ocean views and a po…
Minh Dam Base – A granite mountain behind Long Hai, with cave bases used in the wars against the French and the Americans. It now has a martyrs' shrine, ca…
Ho Coc Beach – A natural beach northeast of Vung Tau beside a primeval forest reserve. Golden sand alternates with rocks, and it has few crowds and fine s…
Binh Chau Hot Springs – A natural hot spring area in the forest, with dozens of springs reaching over 80°C, where you can boil eggs. Pools, mud baths and foot mass…
Long Son Great House – A century-old wooden temple complex on Long Son Island, built by a local leader known as “Father Tran.” It is a national-level historic sit…

Where to eat

Bánh Khọt Cô Xuân (Under the Star Apple Tree) – One of Vũng Tàu's oldest and most popular bánh khọt shops, a family business named after an old star apple tree outside…
Gành Hào Seafood Restaurant (No. 1 Branch) – Vũng Tàu's best-known beachfront seafood restaurant, operating for over twenty years, where you can eat seafood on the…
Ốc Tự Nhiên (Lê Quý Đôn Main Branch) – Vũng Tàu's best-known budget snail and shellfish restaurant, with dozens of shellfish varieties cooked steamed, stir-fr…
Lẩu Cá Đuối Út Mười – One of Vũng Tàu's oldest stingray hotpot restaurants, operating for nearly 30 years, with a family-recipe sour and spic…

Itineraries

Ho Chi Minh City and Surroundings – Classic city sights plus the Cao Dai Holy See and Cu Chi Tunnels, an overnight at Vung Tau beach, and a Mekong Delta da…