Traveling to Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan from Ho Chi Minh City, you will have the opportunity to conquer 3 impressive coastal roads, including Bau Trang, Ca Na – Phan Rang, and Vinh Hy – Binh Hung. The landscape is diverse from mountains and sand dunes to the sea and bay. Each place has its unique features, leaving a lot of unforgettable impressions.
The Central Coast in Vietnam has pristine fishing villages and clear blue beaches, covered with white sand and enchanting sunshine. Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan provinces are attractive destinations for sea travel believers.
Traveling to the sunshine-and-wind land, many tourists choose to stay at luxurious sea-view resorts, fully enjoying high-class services. Meanwhile, many young people like backpacking stay at homestays. And, you can explore the beauty of these sea regions in your own way.
Except for Mui Ne of Binh Thuan, the rest of Binh Thuan province and the whole province of Ninh Thuan still retain the wild beauty. The number of international tourists coming here every year is relatively small unless Mui Ne. Therefore, these places become perfect for a trip away from Saigon to discover the original beauty of nature and local life.
5 days 4 nights from Ho Chi Minh to Ninh Thuan via Binh Thuan
Phan Thiet city of Binh Thuan province is 190km north of Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, Phan Rang city in Ninh Thuan province is located 385 km north of Ho Chi Minh City.
To get to these destinations, you can choose different vehicles, such as a train, a motorbike (adventurous, not recommended for foreigners), and a private car. In the trip, focus on using a car and driver. Let’s start!
>> You may check another 5-day tour from Ho Chi Minh to Mui Ne.
Day 1: HCMC – Phan Thiet – Ong Dia rock beach in Binh Thuan
We depart from Ho Chi Minh City at 8:30 am and arrive in Phan Thiet around 1:30 – 2:00 pm (see more: HCM to Mui Ne). After checking in to the hotel to rest for a while, find local food to taste. A fish cake soup – a local dish is an option, it can be a bit fishy for you as a foreigner, but nice to taste.
After that, go to Ong Dia rock beach to enjoy the wind and fresh air. This region owns a rocky road with unique basket boats.
After bathing, you can go to watch the sunset. In the evening, you can go for a walk, taste food around the city of Phan Thiet, then return to the hotel to rest.
Day 2: Binh Thuan famous destinations – Mui Dinh in Ninh Thuan
A plan today is to visit Mui Ne – Mui Ne fishing village – Bau Trang – flying sandhill – Co Thach seven – color beach – Mui Dinh.
Early in the morning of day 2, you travel to Mui Ne to enjoy a beautiful sunrise.Please note that only the west coast of Mui Ne can see the sunrise directly. After that, you go to Mui Ne fishing village, where gathers many fishing boats, creating a poetic scene.
The unforgettable experience in the early morning here is walking down the stairs to the fishing village, and feeling the bustling atmosphere in the seafood stores.
After breakfast at a small shop or come back to the hotel to have breakfast. Then check out, starting the journey around 30 km further north of Mui Ne to discover Bau Trang which is an amazing coastal road.
Along the way, we stop at the bright yellow bus to take pictures. Please note that this bus is a private one, so sometimes it is not here.
Continue visiting the sand dunes. Here, you will admire the endless sand deserts that make you feel it changes color continuously according to the time of day.
Leaving Bau Trang, the group continues to move to Co Thach beach. The sea owns clear water, and near here is a strange 7-color pebble beach. We can have lunch here, then move to Mui Dinh.
To reach Mui Dinh, you have to take a jeep through the white sand dunes, then walk a bit more. Here, setting up a tent to camp by the beach. At night, we light a campfire, watch the full moon (on the full moon day) and the starry sky above, and listen to the sound of waves lapping against the sand.
If you are a foreign tourist, you need a local guide to organize camping or come back to the town to stay overnight at the hotel.
The routes on the map of day 1 and day 2:
Day 3: Mui Dinh to Hang Rai in Binh Thuan
Today program will visit Mui Dinh Lighthouse – Wind Power Field – Dam Vua Salt Field – Red Cap – Rai Cave – Vinh Hy
On the morning of day 3, you get up early to go to Mui Dinh lighthouse to watch the sunrise. To get here, you have to go through a steep path, a car cannot go. Climbing to the top, the unspoiled seascape and the M-shaped road winding next to it are captured in full view.
Leaving Mui Dinh, you can go to the wind power field in Dam Nai, where there are giant pinwheels next to the cactus bushes, and the blue sea in the distance. After wandering to take pictures here, you will move to the Dam Vua salt field around 12km far away, where there are white fields of salt that is a special gift of the sea.
After that, continue to explore Hon Do (Red cape). Through the sandy roads, the Hon Do cape appears beautiful with rocks and green moss, where people often gather to fish. Stepping out onto the mossy beach is the color of clear sea water with strange sea creatures. Please pay attention slippy of moss!
After exploring the Red cape, you can move to Rai Cave, watching the sunset gradually fall on the rocks with strange shapes stacked on top of each other. Rai Cave is located in the south of Vinh Hy Bay, about 35km from Phan Rang city, in Thai An village, Vinh Hai commune, Ninh Hai district, Ninh Thuan province. Actually, call this place Hang Rai (Rai Cave in English), but you cannot find any cave here.
At night, it is interesting to stay overnight at a homestay to know more about the local life in Vinh Hy, and have dinner with a local family. After that, you can take a walk around to find peace in the tranquil area.
The route map of day 3:
Day 4: Hang Rai to Vinh Hy and back to Mui Ne
Today itinerary will visit Vinh Hy – Binh Hung island – Hon Chut lighthouse – egg stone beach – Mui Ne
On the 4th day of the journey, you can choose to start early again to catch a brilliant sunrise on the sea. After that, you begin to conquer the most beautiful sea route in the journey, from Vinh Hy to Binh Hung Island.
Riding along the sea route, you will admire the majestic and poetic beauty that nature bestowed on this place. Mountains and the sea combine harmoniously to create an impressive natural picture. The winding road in the morning sunlight becomes more and more brilliant.
After getting to Bai Kinh station, you come on a boat to go to Binh Hung Island. Taking a walk around the island, and discovering Hon Chut lighthouse and egg stone beach.
Leaving Binh Hung, go back to Mui Ne. On the way, you can stop at Bau Trang again – that is an optional choice, and go up to the sand dunes to watch the beautiful sunset.
At night, you stay overnight in Mui Ne. Free to go to the fishing village to taste seafood, and enjoy the peaceful night scenery in the sea land.
The route mapo of day 4 and day 5:
Day 5: Mui Ne – Ho Chi Minh City
On the last day of the journey, you can get up early again to the west coast of Mui Ne to watch the sunrise – that is an optional choice.
After that, go swimming, enjoying the beauty of this place before driving back to Ho Chi Minh City, ending an interesting journey.
Here are a few thoughts on the trip from Ho Chi Minh to Phan Rang through Phan Thiet.
The recommended itinerary is based on local experiences. So the reality when you go on some routes can be more or less changed.
The journey to discover the land of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan can go to places where no specialized restaurants are serving foreign guests. You need to pay attention and be ready for a different, possibly surprising, experience at a few local restaurants.
Departure time in Ho Chi Minh for the first day may be a little early or late. However, if it is too late, it may affect the schedule.
Many distances at these destinations may not have electric lights on the roads. So, please pay attention to moving or walking at night. Keep safety in mind, and never go out to a remote village without a local person.
You may consider not coming back to Ho Chi Minh, but you will move to Nha Trang City or Da Lat to extend your holidays in Vietnam. If so, on the day-4 trip, you do not come back to Mui Ne. Plan a drive to the next place you want. To customize the trip, please tell us below! Vietnamdrive’s team is happy to support you.