Three days in Nha Trang covers the city, the bay and the hot springs without rushing. Day 1 is the Cham towers of Po Nagar at opening, Long Son pagoda, the cathedral and an afternoon on the beach. Day 2 is a boat trip around the bay's islands, or VinWonders on Hon Tre for families. Day 3 is a hot mud bath north of town and the rocks at Hon Chong. It works best from January to August; October to December is the rainy season, when boat trips can be cancelled.
The plan assumes you base on the central Tran Phu beach strip or the Western Quarter behind it, as our where to stay in Nha Trang guide recommends, and get around by Grab. Since the 2025 reforms, Nha Trang is the capital of Khanh Hoa province, which absorbed Ninh Thuan.
Day 1: Po Nagar, the pagoda and the beach
07:00: Po Nagar Cham towers. Start at Po Nagar, on a hill about 2 km north of the centre, where Cham towers built between the 8th and 13th centuries are still an active place of worship. Entry is 30,000 VND, and robes are lent free if your shoulders or knees are uncovered. Go early, before the heat and the tour groups.
09:00: Long Son pagoda. Head to Long Son pagoda, about 400 m west of the station, and climb about 200 steps to the 24 m white Buddha on the hill, passing a reclining Buddha halfway up. Entry is free; ignore anyone asking for an "entrance fee" and the touts on the steps.
10:30: the cathedral and breakfast noodles. Stop at Nha Trang's stone cathedral, built in 1933 on a small hill, free to visit outside services, then have a late breakfast of bun cha ca, fish-cake noodle soup. Our Nha Trang food guide lists where to find it.
Afternoon: the beach. Spend the afternoon on the 6 km city beach, swimming in the morning's calmer water or under an umbrella. If you prefer a museum, the Alexandre Yersin museum on Tran Phu street, dedicated to the scientist who founded the city's Pasteur Institute, costs 20,000 VND but closes on Saturday afternoons and Sundays.
Evening: seafood. Eat seafood near Tran Phu Bridge or on Thap Ba street, and only where prices are posted.
Day 2: the bay's islands, or VinWonders
Option A: an island boat day. Group island tours cost about 450,000 to 600,000 VND per person as of 2026, with some operators listing their four-island tours at 750,000 VND or more. Since 25 September 2025, the bay also charges a sightseeing fee, 6,000 to 10,000 VND per island or 40,000 VND for the combined route, bought online or included by operators. Typical stops include Hon Mot, Bai Tranh beach and the fishing village and aquarium at Tri Nguyen.
One important change: snorkelling and diving at Hon Mun, long the bay's headline stop, have been suspended since June 2022 to let the coral recover, and we found no decision to reopen. Tours still pass Hon Mun and stop to swim elsewhere, so ask exactly where you will get in the water. Many cheap tours are party boats with a floating bar; our island boat tour page explains the options.
Option B: VinWonders. For families, the theme park and water park on Hon Tre island is reached by a sea-crossing cable car of about 2.6 km, with speedboats when the weather is bad. The official 2026 adult ticket, including the return cable car, costs 1,050,000 VND, with 800,000 VND for children 1 to 1.4 m and seniors, and 700,000 VND after 16:00. The park is open from 8:30 to 20:00.
Day 3: mud baths and Hon Chong
Morning: a mud bath. Nha Trang's hot springs are a local institution. Thap Ba hot springs, about 4 km north of the centre, open daily from 7:00 to 18:00; a 2026 price list from a travel agency puts a shared mud bath at about 220,000 VND, a private mud tub at about 260,000 to 350,000 VND a person, and the hot-spring pool alone at about 120,000 VND. I-Resort, further west, and the 100 Egg mud bath, about 8 km south, are larger and pricier, with mud baths from about 350,000 VND. Prices differ between sources, so check at the counter.
Late morning: Hon Chong. Continue to Hon Chong, a headland of stacked granite boulders about 3 km north-east of the centre, with views across the bay. Entry is 30,000 VND.
Afternoon: free time. Rest at the hotel, return to the beach, or book a massage. Our day trips from Nha Trang guide ranks the options if you want one more outing.
What three days costs
These are per-person estimates for the plan above, as of mid-2026, at about 26,000 VND to the dollar, excluding flights.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
| Three nights | $12-25 a night, $36-75 | $25-60 a night shared by two, $38-90 |
| Po Nagar, Long Son, Hon Chong | 60,000 VND ($2) | 60,000 VND ($2) |
| Island tour and bay fee | about 490,000 VND ($19) | about 790,000 VND ($30) |
| Mud bath | about 220,000 VND ($8) | about 350,000 VND ($13) |
| Grab around town | $10-15 | $15-25 |
| Food and drinks | $30-50 | $60-100 |
| Total | roughly $105-170 | roughly $160-260 |
Swap the island tour for VinWonders and add about $20-40 per adult.
Where to base
For three days, stay on or just behind the central Tran Phu beach strip, in the Western Quarter around Biet Thu, Nguyen Thien Thuat and Hung Vuong streets, where the restaurants and bars are. Choose the quieter north around Hon Chong for a local feel, or the Bai Dai coast near the airport for a resort stay.
Weather and getting there
Nha Trang is dry from January to August, with the peak from April to June. September brings occasional rain, and October to December is the rainy season, when rough seas can cancel boat trips; in November 2025, historic floods left parts of the city under water for several days. Our Nha Trang weather guide has the month-by-month figures.
Cam Ranh airport is about 35 km south of the centre, 45 to 60 minutes by car. Airport bus 18 costs about 50,000 to 65,000 VND, a Grab about 250,000 to 350,000 VND and a taxi about 300,000 to 400,000 VND. From Nha Trang, our Nha Trang to Da Lat and Nha Trang to Mui Ne guides cover the next legs.
Limitations
Prices come from official sites where available, such as VinWonders and the Po Nagar fee decision, and otherwise from travel agencies and VnExpress in 2025-26, which disagree on mud bath and transfer prices. The Hon Mun suspension could be lifted, and island tours change with the weather. The cost totals are estimates built from the line items above, not quotes.
Workaround: confirm the swimming stops before booking an island tour, check mud bath prices at the counter, and keep a spare day in the rainy season.