Vung Tau
Vung Tau - Largest City in Vietnam
32 m High Statue of Jesus on Nho Mount
White Palace - Built as Retreat for French Colonial
Vung Tau Light House - Located on Top of the Hill

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Bai Truoc Museum Building
Whale Festival - Celebrated in Coastal Region of Vung Tau.
Sea View from Mountains in Vung Tau
Vung Tau Ferry Port
Aerial View of Vung Tau
Coastal Line View of Vung Tau City

Vung Tau

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Vietnam
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Vung Tau Travel Essentials

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Weather:

Ideal duration: 2 - 3 Days

Best Time: March to May Read More

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9 Days / 8 Nights

Vietnam and Cambodia Cultural Tour

Siem Reap(2N) → Phnom Penh (2N) → Ho Chi Minh(2N) → Vung Tau(2N)

$ 553
8% off
$505/person
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Vung Tau Tourism

Vung Tau translates into 'The bay of boats'. Sitting on a hilly strip of land that juts into the Ocean, Vung tau is one of the best beach towns located around 100 Km from Ho Chi Minh City. It primarily serves as a weekend getaway from Saigon and other cities in the nearby region. The two main beaches are Back Beach and Front beach. The wide boulevards and colonial buildings in this town are major highlights. 

Back Beach is a three-kilometre stretch of sand and sea catering to all the tourists – sun loungers, umbrellas, jet skis, tube rentals, seafood, beach toys and beer, you name it you get it! The Front beach is more low-key and is a harbour to many riverboats. The French style promenade connects the two beaches and makes for a relaxing sunset stroll.

The city gets painfully crowded during the weekends owing to its reputation as a great place for singles to mingle. Prices often triple and if you want to avoid crowds and/or are on a budget visiting during the week is a good idea. You can choose to visit the Jesus Christ statue or the Lighthouse and catch some spectacular views of the city or choose to visit one of the numerous pagodas scattered across the city. A must visit is the Worldwide Arms Museum that showcases ancient weaponry. Vung tau is thin on substantial things to do, but it has this festive, cheerful yet calming vibe to it and that is precisely why you should visit Vung Tau.

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Things To Do In Vung Tau

Christ of Vung Tau

Christ of Vung Tau
White Palace

White Palace
Vung Tau Lighthouse

Vung Tau Lighthouse
Worldwide Arms Museum

Worldwide Arms Museum
Thich Ca Phat Dai Pagoda

Thich Ca Phat Dai Pagoda
Upside Down House

Upside Down House
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Top Hotels In Vung Tau

9.5
V Boutique Hotel - Complimentary refreshments
Ward 2 (Phuong 2)

$ 54 onwards

9.5
Xoài Xanh Hostel & Villa
Chi Linh Area

$ 21 onwards

9.4
La Casa Boutique Hotel
Ward 2 (Phuong 2)

$ 35 onwards

9.3
Phúc Đạt Hotel
Chi Linh Area

$ 30 onwards

9.2
Sun Hill Hotel
Ward 2 (Phuong 2)

$ 31 onwards

9.2
PLUS VUNG TAU HOTEL
Ward 2 (Phuong 2)

$ 19 onwards

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View All Hotels In Vung Tau

More on Vung Tau Travel

Dog Races in Vung Tau

Dog racing is a popular gambling practice in Vung Tau. Every Saturday night, the Lam Son stadium features live greyhound races. The races are a once in a lifetime experience and the only legal form of gambling in Vietnam. The stadium fee is VND 60,000 per person. The stadium has a very family-friendly vibe to it and looks more like a carnival than a gambling arena. The stadium even has stalls, games, toys, cotton candy and a miniature petting arena with baby greyhounds. The minimum bets you can place is VND 20,000. Dog racing is a rare activity and if you do visit Vung Tau, you should definitely not miss it.

Shopping in Vung Tau

Lotte Market and Imperial Plaza are the two shopping area in Vung tau. However there is nothing of particular importance available to shop.

Nightlife in Vung Tau

Vung Tau seems to be filled with new vigor and vitality as the sun sets and it transforms into a raging beachside party. Nightclubs and Pubs open up and cater to singles and couples. Some of the nightclubs that you can visit if you are into the party scene include - Queen 101 Beer Club (Best Beer and Chill place in town) , Black Pearl Bar (stylish uptown bar with great cocktails) , Gazebo Beachfront Lounge (Beachside bar with great ambience and lighting) , TGT Disco club (Perfect for those who enjoy dancing) and Amadeus Bar Pub Bistro (Posh and relaxed club to enjoy some drinks and dance). Vung tau also has a reputation for having a number of call girls who cater to the singles.

History of Vung Tau

The first mention of the area known as Vung tau was in the 14th century when Portuguese ships used this area for anchorage. The ships anchoring here inspired the name 'Vung Tau' which literally translates into anchorage. Vung tau has had its name changed numerous times, but the most prominent one was after the French invasion when the French names it Cape Saint Jacques. But before it acquired any of these names, it was called Tam Thang, in honour of the three villages it encompassed. On 10th February 1859, the Nguyen's army fired at the French invaders from a fort located 100 meters from Vung Tau's Front Beach. This event marked at important role in the war against French colonialists. After the war, the Frecn took over and Vung tau was under the French rule for a very long time. During the Vietnam Ware, Vung Tau served as a base camp for Australian and American troops.

Language of Vung Tau

Vietnamese is the most commonly spoken language in Vung Tau.

Vung Tau Customs

A special community resides in Vung Tau that worships whales. The Lang Ong Nam Hai Whale Temple hosts a skeleton of a whale. This is said to be the representative skeleton of Nam Hai General, a whale god who is said to govern the ocean and protect people from evils, monsters, and disasters. An annual festival is held in honour of the god.

Religion of Vung Tau

The prominent religion in this region is Mahayana Buddhism. The Khmer people in this region practice Theravada Buddhism. There a small minority of Catholic Christians and Russian Orthodox Christians in this region.

Vung Tau Seafood Market

Vung Tau is on the coast as well as has the river running through it. This ensures that the fish, crab, lobster and other sea animals caught by the fishermen are always fresh and juicy. Vung Tau’s seafood market sells the best of these freshly caught produce. Open only from 5:00 PM - 10:30 PM in the evening, this market is bustling with activity, from the fishermen bringing in their fresh catch to shop owners arranging their freshly bought seafood. The most unique part of this market is that you can choose the way you wish to have your fresh seafood cooked and you can choose the sauces to add to it. A visit to this market indeed makes for a unique experience and gives you a sharp insight into the lives of the locals.

Best Time to Visit Vung Tau

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How to Reach Vung Tau

How to Reach Overview

Vung tau is quite close to Ho Chi Minh City and can be easily reached from the latter. The closest airport to Vung Tau is at Ho Chi Minh City. Vung tau can also be reached by hydrofoil. Apart from that, Vung tau has great roads leading up to it and also has good bus connectivity from the surrounding provinces.

How to reach Vung Tau by flight

The closest airport to Vung Tau is at Ho Chi Minh City. This airport is both a domestic and international airport. Vung tau is located 100 kilometers from Ho Chi Minh City and this takes about 2.5 hours to cover. There are a number of buses and taxis available from the airport. Taxis can be booked on spot but Buses will have to be booked in advance.

How to reach Vung Tau by road

Ho Chi Minh City is located around 100 kilometers away and takes 2.5 hours to travel. If you are travelling through an agency, the travel agency will send a car and a driver to pick you up. The roads from Ho Chi Minh City to Vung Tau are well constructed. Renting a car to Ho Chi Minh city can be quite expensive (starting from VND 2,500,000 for a car and driver per day) but can be a great idea as it gives you the liberty to travel as you please.

How to reach Vung Tau by train

Vung tau cannot be reached by rail.

How to reach Vung Tau by bus

Vung tau has great Bus connectivity. There are a number of buses from Ho Chi Ming City and a few from Nha Trang. Ho Chi Minh City is located around 3 hours away by bus and Nha Trang around 4 hours away. Some of the tourist bus operators from Ho Chi Minh City include Mai Linh, Thien Phu, Hoa Mai and Kumho Sanco. The buses cost between VND 90,000 - VND 95,000 and can be either sleeper or seater buses.

How to reach Vung Tau by waterways

Vung tau can be reached from Ho Chi Minh City by hydrofoil. The hydrofoil takes the Saigon river route. This is a great way to explore the maritime traffic and ships on the Saigon River. The journey is about one and half hour and offers you with a breathtaking view of the Vung tau peninsula. This a comfortable way to travel to Ho Chi Minh City, but is somewhat pricey with prices ranging from VND 200,000 to VND 250,000 per person. Greenline is the best Hydrofoil operator.

Local transport in Vung Tau

Taxis in Vung tau are rather pricey (30% more than Ho Chi Minh City) and the drivers tend to fiddle with the meters and overcharge. Xe Om services are readily available and Xe Om drivers tend to be more professional. Vung tau is relatively small and can be easily navigated on foot.

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Ho Chi Minh City

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Vung Tau Photos

Vung Tau
Vung Tau - Largest City in Vietnam
32 m High Statue of Jesus on Nho Mount
White Palace - Built as Retreat for French Colonial

+ 8
photos

FAQs on Vung Tau

What is not so good about Vung tau?

Not many tourist attractions

What are the places near Vung tau?

The top places near to Vung tau are Ho chi minh city which is 71 km from Vung tau, Nha trang which is located 303 km from Vung tau, Ben tre which is located 85 km from Vung tau, Bien hoa which is located 68 km from Vung tau, My tho which is located 86 km from Vung tau

What are the top hotels in Vung tau?

There are 1145 in Vung tau which can be booked through Holidify. The most popular hotels in Vung tau are Son Thinh Three Bedroom Apartment, M & M Villa, Mina house, Blue Sea Apartment, Melody Vung Tau Apartment_2BRs, Premium Beach Condotel 5. You can see all the hotels in Vung tau here

What is the best way to reach Vung tau?

Vung tau is quite close to Ho Chi Minh City and can be easily reached from the latter. The closest airport to Vung Tau is at Ho Chi Minh City. Vung tau can also be reached by hydrofoil. Apart from that, Vung tau has great roads leading up to it and also has good bus connectivity from the surrounding provinces.
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What is the local food in Vung tau?

Vung Tau's cuisine is the epitome of a Southern-Vietnamese, rice-based cuisine. The exquisite flavours bust in your mouth and provide you with a sensory overload. Some of the dishes you absolutely cannot miss include – Lau Ca Duoi (hot pot with stingray, some pickled bamboo, slices of chilies, vermicelli, rice cracker and a plate of herbs), Banh Khot Vung Tau (little round pancake made from mixed flour, curry powder, and filled with seafood such as shrimp and squid, and topped with green onion and shrimp powder), Banh Bong Lan Trung Muoi (sponge cake with salted egg yolk and cheese), banh Uot Chong Dia (thin rice pancakes with pork and/or chicken, pickles and sour mango to wrap with and fish sauce or fermented anchovy sauce to dip in). Vung Tau also has one of the best fresh seafood. Dishes such as boiled crab/shrimp, grilled octopus/squid/shrimp seasoned with dried satay chili and grilled oyster with or without cheese and BBQ amberjack fish seasoned with dried satay chilies or green onion and oil are an absolute savory delight.
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What is the best time to visit Vung tau?

March - May: The best time to visit Vung Tau is just before the onset of torrential rain, when the dry winter is coming to an end. The weather is pleasant – not too hot. The rain is restricted and not yet on full onset. The seawater is warm and ideal to bathe in. Tourists do not flock till late May and you will find most sites vacant.
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What is famous about Vung tau?

Great scenery, Cheerful Locals, Relaxing atmosphere

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