Phan Thiet Travel Guide

As a decent destination in South Vietnam, Phan Thiet posseses picture-perfect beaches, big sand dunes, and gorgeous sunshine. It is also well-known as a gateway to Mui Ne Town which has been a hidden paradise for beach holidays. In this ultimate Phan Thiet Travel Guide, Vietnam Travel would like to provide you essential information about this destination to plan and enjoy your trip completely.

1. General Information

Phan Thiet is the capital of Binh Thuan Province, located in the southeast of Vietnam, about 215km from Ho Chi Minh City (or Saigon). It is home to nearly 250,000 inhabitants spreading across 4 wards and a vibrant city center. Phan Thiet has long been famous for fishery and fish product manufacturing but thanks to its beautiful beaches and resorts, it is transforming into Vietnam’s latest tourist attraction.

The center of Phan Thiet City is around the public Doi Duong Beach in Hung Long and Phu Thuy Wards. You can find shopping malls, lots of restaurants serving local specialty foods and seafood dishes, some hotels in this area. However, Mui Ne, about 10km from Phan Thiet City, is well-known as a tourist town in Phan Thiet with many tourist attractions. There is also full of hundreds of resorts, hotels, homestays, restaurants, shops, and stores.

2. Weather in Phan Thiet & Best time to visit

Phan Thiet weather is influenced by oceanic climate and tropical monsoon with 2 distinct seasons: dry season and rainy season. The rainy season lasts from May until October. The truth is, even during the rainy season, it doesn’t rain all day long, just 1 or 2 hours so you can still enjoy the good and sunny weather when coming here at this time. However, it is best to avoid visiting Phan Thiet in July and August – the 2 wettest months of the year. From November to April is the dry season in Phan Thiet when it is sunny and windy and rains do not chance to interrupt your trip.

Thanks to the mild weather with the average annual temperature of 26-27°C and little thunderstorms, Phan Thiet is a perfect destination to travel all year round. However, the ideal time to visit Phan Thiet is from January to May when the beaches are the most beautiful with clear sky, vast blue water, yellow sand.

3. How to get to Phan Thiet

From Hanoi and other big cities

There is no airport in Phan Thiet so the best and fastest way is to take a flight to Ho Chi Minh City then transfer to Phan Thiet.

From Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet

Phan Thiet is far about 215km from Ho Chi Minh City and it takes about 4 hours driving. Depending on your trip plan and budget, you can choose private car, train or sleeper bus.

• By train

Every day from Saigon Train Station, there are 2 train trips per day, departing at 6:10 am (SPT2) and 7:15 am (SPT4), arriving Phan Thiet Train Station, located in the northwest corner of the city, at 10:30 am and 11:10 am, respectively. One-way train ticket price is from 7-12 USD, depending on seat types. You will be served free mineral water and cold towel on the train.

• By sleeper bus

Currently, many companies use high-quality sleeper buses to run the route from Ho Chi Minh City to Phan Thiet. Compared to train, sleeper buses will be more convenient and cheaper since there are many trips in day for you to choose from. They also provide pick-up and drop-off services at tourist areas, hotels, and homestays in the main road in Mui Ne. Some recommended buses are Phuong Trang (Futa), Hanh Café, Tam Hanh, Kumho Samco… The price is about 5-7 USD/one-way ticket.

• By private car

For those who are seeking for the privacy and comfort or traveling with kids, booking a private car with a local travel agency is the best option though it may cost you more. There is no train/ bus schedule you have to follow. The private driver will pick up at your hotel in Saigon anytime you want and transfer you to Phan Thiet. Along the way, you can stop for short break for photo opt.

4. Where to stay in Phan Thiet

Beach resorts, hotels, homestays and guesthouses are mainly located in Mui Ne area (10km from Phan Thiet center) since it is nearby many tourist attractions in Phan Thiet. There is a wide range of accommodation from friendly budget to high-end that satisfy any customers’ needs. You can also choose to stay in the center of Phan Thiet City with many standard accommodation options.

Below are some suggested hotels in Mui Ne for your consideration:

– Novela Mũi Né Resort & Spa – 3 star, from 56 USD
– Blue Ocean Resort Mui Ne – 4 star, from 70 USD
– Unique Muine Resort Beach & Spa – 4 star, from 70 USD
– Pandanus Resort – 4 star, from 76 USD
– Anantara Mui Ne Resort – 5 star, from 180 USD.

5. Tourist attractions in Phan Thiet

Mui Ne Beach

Mui Ne in Phan Thiet is a paradise for kitesurfing lovers

Mui Ne Beach features 15km of sandy beaches, gentle waves and luxurious beachfront resorts. The northern end of Mui Ne Beach is home to a traditional fishing village while the southern caters to recreational activities, including swimming, kitesurfing, kayaking, and surfing. The period between November and March is ideal to enjoy these activities since the weather is sunny with strong winds. The area of Mui Ne Beach is filled with hundreds of resorts, hotels, guest houses, restaurants, and shops along Nguyen Dinh Chieu and Huynh Thuc Khang streets and always full of tourists.

Mui Ne Fishing Village

The peaceful beauty of Mui Ne Fishing Village seen from above

Mui Ne Fishing Village boasts a splendid view of an expansive coastline lined with swaying palm trees and colorful fishing boats anchored on the water. It is very busy and bustling in the early mornings when the local fishermen sort out their catch of the day such as fresh scallops, stingrays, crabs and groupers. This will be a great chance for you to explore the daily life of locals here. Walking further into the village, you can give your eyes a great feast with the picture of locals meticulously making fish sauce or drying fish.

Ta Cu Mountain

The big reclining Buddha in Ta Cu Mountain

Located about 50km from center of Phan Thiet City, Ta Cu Mountain has an area of over 250,000 sq.m of lush rainforest, limestone caves, rare wildlife, and ornate Buddhist structures. To reach the top of the mountain, tourists can take a 10-minute cable car ride, offering offers some beautiful views of the surrounding lowlands, crisscrossed with rice fields and dragon fruit tree plantations, or spend 2 hours hiking through the jungle instead, but make sure that you wear a comfortable shoes and bring a plenty of water. The main attraction in Ta Cu Mountain is one of the biggest reclining Buddhas in Vietnam, standing at 49m long.

Sand Dunes

The very famous Red and White Sand Dunes in Mui Ne – Phan Thiet

No trip to Phan Thiet would be complete without an adventure to the sand dunes. The Red Sand Dunes are around 11km out of Mui Ne and are best seen at sunset when the orange sand burns a fiery red. Sunrise may be even more beautiful and a little less busy if you can make it up in time. A farther 23km and you will come across the White Sand Dunes which stand taller and wider than their colorful neighbors. Sand-sledding, squad biking are interesting and fun activities you should not miss here. In addition, there are numerous tour operators organizing Mui Ne day tour to these sand dunes such as sunset/ sunrise tour, Jeep car tour…

Rom Island (Hon Rom)

Rom Island boasts for its beautifully pristine beach

About 28km from Phan Thiet City, Rom Island is considered as a beautiful island near the shore in Mui Ne, connected to the mainland by a narrow strip of sand. Hon Rom manifests its beauty in the pristine seashores in the southwest coast and stones with various shapes lying peacefully in the east coast. Gazing westward from the island, you can see sand dunes hidden behind bushes and cactuses. They all highlight the charm of nature on the island and entirely contribute to the magnificence of Phan Thiet.