Best Beaches Near Ho Chi Minh City — Ho Tram, Vung Tau & Mui Ne Compared (2026)

Three beaches within driving distance of Saigon, three completely different experiences. Here’s which one to pick — and what you’re actually getting at each.

Saigon is not a beach city. The nearest coastline is about an hour and a half away — and there are three main options. They’re very different. This is the guide I wish I’d had when I first moved here and kept picking the wrong one.

At a Glance

	Ho Tram	Vung Tau	Mui Ne / Phan Thiet
Distance	120km	100km	200km
Drive time	2-2.5 hrs	1.5-2 hrs	3-4 hrs
Beach	Clean, calm, wide	OK, can be murky	Good, sand dunes backdrop
Resort level	Luxury (5-star)	Mid-range (3-4 star)	Mixed (budget to luxury)
Best for	Resort stays, families, golf	Quick getaway, food, local vibe	Kitesurfing, sand dunes, longer stays
Crowds	Quiet (resort guests only)	Busy weekends	Depends on season
Food scene	Resort restaurants	Excellent local seafood	Good, mix of local + tourist
Unique feature	Casino + world-class golf	Jesus Statue, seafood street	Red/white sand dunes, fairy stream

Ho Tram — The Quality Pick

Best beach of the three. Cleanest water. Proper luxury resorts. Melia, Angsana, The Grand — all five-star, all with their own stretch of sand. About 2 hours from the airport, and getting faster once the new highway is done.

This is where you go when you want a resort experience — pool, beach, cocktail, repeat. Great for families. Enough to do if you get restless. But you come here for the resort, not the town.

Vung Tau — The Quick Getaway

Closest to Saigon. Cheapest. Most local. The beach isn’t great by international standards — the water can be murky, and weekends are crowded. But the seafood is excellent, the Jesus Statue is worth the climb, and it’s the easiest option if you just want to see the ocean for a day.

We compared Ho Tram vs Vung Tau in detail — the short version is Vung Tau is for the experience (food, local culture), Ho Tram is for the beach and resort.

Mui Ne / Phan Thiet — The Adventure Pick

The furthest option — 3 to 4 hours by car, so not a day trip. But Mui Ne has something neither Ho Tram nor Vung Tau has: landscape. The red and white sand dunes look like a desert next to the ocean. There’s a fairy stream you can wade through. And it’s one of the best kitesurfing spots in Southeast Asia.

The beach itself is long and sandy, but the water can be wavy — not ideal for small kids. Resort quality varies wildly from cheap guesthouses to luxury properties. It’s a more international backpacker/expat scene than the other two.

The Short Version

• Best beach + resort: Ho Tram.
• Best for a quick cheap trip: Vung Tau.
• Best for adventure and kitesurfing: Mui Ne.

All three need a private car — we handle airport transfers to Ho Tram and can arrange drivers to Vung Tau and Mui Ne. Contact us or WhatsApp +84 70 6666 520.