The most beautiful beaches of Vietnam: our selection
In Vietnam, the sea is never very far from the journey. After the rice fields of the north, the lively alleys of Hanoi, the imperial tombs of Hué or the lanterns of Hội An, the coastline offers a welcome breathing space. A fishing boat emerges at dawn, the first restaurants set up their tables facing the ocean and, a few hours later, the sun slowly descends on a beach lined with tropical vegetation.
But what are the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam? The answer is less obvious than it seems. The country has an immense coastline, with very different atmospheres and especially seasons between the Center and the South. An ideal beach in February will not necessarily be our first choice in October.
We must also look beyond the sand. Some travelers dream of a peaceful island to complete their tour, others wish to alternate heritage and swimming, while a family will favor ease of access and comfort.
From Côn Đảo to the shores of Phú Quốc, passing through Hội An and Quy Nhơn, we have selected the beaches of Vietnam that particularly deserve your attention. Not to create an artificial ranking, but to help you find the one that really fits your trip.
Where to find the most beautiful beaches of Vietnam?
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Côn Đảo, for a wild break
Off the coast of southern Vietnam, Côn Đảo has a special atmosphere. The archipelago does not only seduce with its beaches: mountains covered in vegetation, coastal roads and natural spaces give here the impression that the sea belongs to a much larger landscape.
Some beaches reveal a remarkably well-preserved setting, with dense vegetation reaching almost to the shore. This natural dimension makes Côn Đảo one of our favorite destinations for travelers who seek a serene break, far from the energy of large seaside resorts.
The archipelago also has a deep history, notably linked to its former prison complex. This memory brings an unexpected dimension to a destination that could, at first glance, be reduced to its tropical landscapes.
Côn Đảo is particularly suitable for an end of a couple circuit, a honeymoon or a few days spent slowing down. People come here less to multiply activities than to find space, observe nature and savor the feeling of having arrived elsewhere.
Our choice for: nature, tranquility, couples and travelers seeking a more exclusive experience.
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Phú Quốc, the tropical island not to be missed
Better known and much more developed, Phú Quốc offers another face of the seaside stay in Vietnam. Located in the Gulf of Thailand, the island has become one of the main destinations to finish a tour feet in the sand.
Its real strength lies in diversity. Phú Quốc does not correspond to a single beach: depending on the chosen sector, the experience can be very different. Some areas concentrate hotels, restaurants and entertainment, while others still allow to seek a more peaceful atmosphere.
The western beaches also have a particularly pleasant advantage: sunsets on the sea. In the late afternoon, when the light turns golden and the heat softens, the coastline reveals one of its most beautiful faces.
However, we recommend that you carefully choose your accommodation and area. The tourist development of the island has profoundly transformed some landscapes; presenting the whole of Phú Quốc as a wild island would be misleading today. This development does not diminish its interest, but makes the choice of beach and hotel much more important.
For a family or couple looking for several days of rest with an extensive hotel offer, Phú Quốc remains a particularly comfortable option. It also fits very well at the end of a route in the South.
Our choice for: seaside holidays, beautiful hotels, families, couples and the end of the tour.
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An Bàng, between the lanterns of Hội An and the sea
An Bàng does not seek to compete with a remote tropical island. Its charm lies elsewhere: the beach is only a few kilometers from Hội An, one of the most attractive cultural stages in Vietnam.
This proximity allows you to compose wonderfully balanced days. The morning can start with a walk on the sand when the light is still soft. After a few hours of swimming and lunch facing the sea, we reach Hội An in the late afternoon. The yellow facades appear, the lanterns light up and the atmosphere changes completely.
It is precisely this complementarity that we value. Choosing An Bàng allows you to integrate the beach into your trip without necessarily booking several exclusively seaside days.
The coastline has restaurants, accommodation and landscaped areas, but retains a more relaxed atmosphere than that of a large resort. For a first trip to Vietnam, this combination between heritage, gastronomy and sea is particularly harmonious.
An Bàng is thus an excellent answer for those who wonder where to go to the beach in Vietnam without giving up on the great cultural discoveries of the Centre.
Our choice for: Hội An + beach, first trip, couples and families.
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Quy Nhơn, for a more confidential coastline
On the central coast of Vietnam, Quy Nhơn is an interesting alternative to the well-known seaside destinations. The city opens directly onto a large bay, but it is by exploring its surroundings that the coastline reveals its most spectacular landscapes.
Among them, Kỳ Co has become one of the emblematic excursions of the region. Between rocky reliefs and blue shades of the sea, the decor has an almost mineral dimension which contrasts with the long beaches bordered by southern coconut palms.
Quy Nhơn is no longer a secret destination and we prefer not to present it as such. Its tourist development is very real. However, it remains less present in the classic itineraries of French-speaking travelers than Hội An, Nha Trang or Phú Quốc.
We particularly appreciate it when a traveler wants to slow down and discover another side of the Centre. The fishing villages and coastal landscapes add to the experience an identity that goes far beyond a simple day of swimming.
Our choice for: curious travelers, couples and itineraries departing from the most classic stages.
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My Khe in Da Nang, the beach easy to integrate into a trip
In Da Nang, the beach of My Khe unfolds its sand facing a modern and dynamic city. Here, there is no feeling of isolation: hotels, restaurants and services are nearby. That’s precisely what makes it interesting.
My Khe is perfect for travelers who want to enjoy the sea without having a separate beach break. The location of Da Nang also makes it easy to reach Hội An and several major sites in the Centre.
Early in the morning, the beach reveals a different face. The inhabitants come to walk, swim or practice their exercises in front of the sea before the city regains all its energy. These moments give the coastline a local dimension that we do not necessarily perceive at midday.
Our choice for: families, comfort, ease of access and combination with the discoveries of the Center.
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Nha Trang, for a lively seaside atmosphere
Nha Trang fully assumes its identity as a seaside resort. Its long urban beach, numerous hotels and entertainment make it a very different destination from Côn Đảo.
And that is precisely why she deserves her place in this selection. Not all of Vietnam’s most beautiful beaches should be wild or secluded.
Nha Trang will be more suitable for those who like to alternate swimming, restaurants, outings and excursions at sea. The surrounding islands and maritime landscapes also make it possible to occasionally leave the urban atmosphere.
On the other hand, if your dream is to walk alone on an almost deserted beach, we will gladly prefer another destination. Choosing a successful beach also means knowing the atmosphere you really want to find.
Our choice for: travelers seeking entertainment, activities and tourist infrastructure.
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Our choice for: travelers looking for entertainment, activities and tourist facilities.
In Mũi Né, the landscape is not just about the shore. The destination is distinguished by an amazing association between sea, dunes and land with warm colors.
This visual personality makes it an interesting step for those who wish to alternate moments at the water’s edge and exploration of the surroundings. The region is also known for its favorable conditions for some nautical activities, especially when the wind rises.
Mũi Né has experienced significant tourism development and the state of the coastline varies according to the sectors. We therefore choose it less to seek “the perfect beach” than for the diversity of the experience offered.
Observing the dunes in the morning light before returning to the sea a few hours later makes for a very different day from that experienced on the southern islands.
Our choice for: landscapes, nautical activities and travelers wishing to vary experiences.
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The small islands south of Phú Quốc, for a tropical escape
Finally, some images of paradisiacal beaches in Vietnam are found off the coast of Phú Quốc. The archipelago of An Thới, south of the main island, includes several small islands accessible during sea excursions.
Places like Hòn Mây Rút offer, when the conditions are favorable, this tropical atmosphere that many imagine before their departure: generous vegetation, sea with luminous shades and beaches of a more intimate size.
However, we must distinguish an ideal beach to stay several nights from a beach discovered during an excursion. On these small islands, the interest often lies in the day at sea, swimming and exploring several sites rather than in an extended stay.
This getaway completes perfectly a few days in Phú Quốc and brings a more insular touch to the end of your trip.
Our choice for: sea excursion, swimming and tropical landscapes.
Which beach to choose in Vietnam according to your desires?
The most beautiful beach in Vietnam is not necessarily the same for a couple on their honeymoon, a family or travelers who simply want to add two days of rest to a cultural tour.
For a romantic and nature-oriented parenthesis, Côn Đảo has a particularly seductive atmosphere. If you are looking for more choice of accommodation and an easy destination to consider for several days off, Phú Quốc will often be more suitable.
As a family, An Bàng, Đà Nplates or Phú Quốc offer an interesting balance between beach, services and activities, provided of course that the season matches. To combine heritage and swimming without adding an extra step, An Bang is one of our favorite choices thanks to its proximity to Hội An.
Finally, travelers who want to go a bit outside the more traditional routes can look at Quy Nhơn, while Nha Trang will be more suitable for those who appreciate a lively seaside resort.
The ideal destination therefore depends less on a ranking than on your way of traveling.
When to go and enjoy the beaches of Vietnam?
This is probably the most important criterion for choosing where to go to the beach in Vietnam. Due to the elongated shape of the country and regional climatic influences, the coastline does not experience the same conditions at the same time.
A destination can offer bright days while another region experiences a much wetter period. You should therefore always put the beauty of a beach in perspective with the specific dates of the trip.
How to integrate a beach stage into a tour in Vietnam?
We often like to place the seaside stay at the end of an itinerary. After visits, travel and days full of discoveries, a few nights facing the sea create a harmonious transition before returning home.
A journey through Hanoi, the Center and then the South can for example end at Phú Quốc or, for a different atmosphere, in Côn Đảo.
But finishing your tour on an island is not the only possibility. In Hội An, the beach can become a breath of life at the very heart of travel. A morning in An Bàng allows you to slow down before continuing the cultural discoveries. This work-study program sometimes gives more rhythm to an itinerary than a long seaside stay focused on the last days.
At Senteurs du Vietnam, we therefore prefer to choose a beach according to the tour, and not build the route around a famous name. Travel times, season, number of available nights and passenger profile must all be taken into account.
Two or three well-placed days in a trip can provide more pleasure than a longer seaside stage chosen only because it is among the must-see destinations.
What is the most beautiful beach in Vietnam?
After traveling along the coast, we could choose a winner. Yet that would be forgetting what precisely makes the richness of the most beautiful beaches in Vietnam: they do not all offer the same trip.
Côn Đảo has the charm of nature and a more contemplative atmosphere. Phú Quốc offers a comfortable seaside break and a wide variety of accommodations. An Bàng creates an almost perfect balance between the pleasures of the sea and the magic of Hội An.Quy Nhơn seduces those who wish to take a less obvious route.
The most beautiful beach will ultimately be the one that matches your desires, your season and the pace of your trip.
At Senteurs du Vietnam, we design our itineraries in this way: not by adding up must-haves, but by seeking a succession of coherent experiences. If you dream of finishing your discovery of Vietnam by the sea, we can imagine with you the seaside resort that will naturally find its place in your trip.
