Private Vung Tau Beach Day Tour from Ho Chi Minh City

4.00

(1 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The drive out of Saigon starts early—by 8am, we’re already weaving through morning traffic, the city’s motorbikes buzzing past as we head for Vung Tau. It’s a couple of hours by car, but honestly, the road slips by quicker than you’d think. Our guide, Minh, kept us entertained with stories about the area and pointed out roadside stalls selling fresh coconuts. If you’re lucky with the weather (we had a bit of haze but plenty of sun), you’ll spot fishing boats bobbing along the river as you get closer to the coast.

By 10:30am, we hit Thuy Van beach—locals call it Back Beach. The sand here is soft and stretches for what feels like forever; I kicked off my shoes and just let my toes sink in. There’s this salty breeze that sticks to your skin and the sound of waves mixing with vendors calling out about grilled corn or iced tea. You get some free time to swim or just wander—honestly, I spent most of it people-watching under a striped umbrella.

Lunch came next at a small spot our guide picked—not fancy, but the fish was fresh and there was this tangy dipping sauce I still think about. After eating, we tackled the Jesus Christ Statue. It’s 847 steps up (I counted… sort of), and yeah, it’s a climb. But reaching the top? Worth it. The statue itself is massive—32 meters tall—and if you squeeze inside and make it up into one of the arms, you’ll catch this wild view over all of Vung Tau and out to sea.

We cooled off at Thang Tam Temple—the Whale Temple—which is tucked away behind some trees near town. Minh explained how fishermen bring whale bones here when they wash ashore; there’s something oddly peaceful about seeing those old bones laid out as a kind of guardian for everyone who heads out on the water.

Bach Dinh was next—a colonial mansion built for a French governor ages ago. The place has these faded yellow walls and tiled floors that creak when you walk on them. You can almost picture old parties happening here back in the day.

Before heading back to Saigon, we made one last stop at Cape Nghinh Phong—the wind really picks up here and there’s nothing blocking your view across Vung Tau or out toward the East Sea. On the drive home, we took a quick break at Long Thanh Cow Milk Rest-stop (the yogurt drinks are surprisingly good). We rolled back into Ho Chi Minh City around 7:30pm—tired but happy.