Traveling to Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan from Ho Chi Minh City, you can conquer three impressive coastal roads: 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 stay at luxurious sea-view resorts, enjoying high-class services. Meanwhile, many young people like backpacking stay at homestays. You can also 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 is relatively small. Therefore, these places are 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, the capital of Binh Thuan province, is 190km north of Ho Chi Minh City. Meanwhile, Phan Rang, the capital of Ninh Thuan province, is 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!
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. 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 it is nice to taste.
After that, go to Ong Dia Rock Beach to enjoy the wind and fresh air. This region has 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 the food around Phan Thiet City, and then return to the hotel to rest.
Day 2: Binh Thuan’s famous destinations – Mui Dinh in Ninh Thuan
Today, we plan to visit Mui Ne, the fishing village of Mui Ne, Bau Trang, Flying Sandhill, Co Thach, Color Beach, and 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 many fishing boats gather, creating a poetic scene.
Walking down the stairs to the fishing village in the early morning is unforgettable. The bustling atmosphere in the seafood stores is palpable.
After breakfast, you can go to a small shop or come back to the hotel to have breakfast. Then check out, and you can start the journey around 30 km north of Mui Ne to discover Bau Trang, a fantastic coastal road.
Along the way, we stop at the bright yellow bus to take pictures. Please note that this bus is private, so sometimes it is not here.
Continue visiting the dunes. Here, you will admire the endless sand deserts that make you feel the color changes continuously according to the time of day.
Leaving Bau Trang, the group continues to move to Co Thach Beach. The sea has clear water, and a strange 7-color pebble beach is near here. We can have lunch here, then move to Mui Dinh.
To reach Mui Dinh, take a jeep through the white dunes, then walk 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 return 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
The program will include Mui Dinh Lighthouse, Wind Power Field, Dam Vua Salt Field, Red Cap, Rai Cave, and 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 on a steep path, and 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 giant pinwheels are next to the cactus bushes, and the blue sea is in the distance. After wandering to take pictures here, you will move to the Dam Vua salt field around 12km away, where white salt fields are 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 to the slippy of moss!
After exploring the Red Cape, you can move to Rai Cave and watch the sunset gradually fall on the rocks, which have strange shapes stacked on top of each other.
Rai Cave is located 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, this place is called 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 learn more about the local life in Vinh Hy and have dinner with a local family. After that, you can 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’s itinerary will visit Vinh Hy, Binh Hung Island, Hon Chut Lighthouse, Egg Stone Beach, and back to 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 bestows on this place. Mountains and the sea combine harmoniously to create an impressive natural picture. The winding road becomes more and more brilliant in the morning sunlight.
After getting to Bai Kinh station, you come on a boat to go to Binh Hung Island. You can take a walk around the island and discover Hon Chut lighthouse and egg stone beach.
After leaving Binh Hung, return to Mui Ne. On the way, you can stop at Bau Trang again, an optional choice, and climb the dunes to watch the beautiful sunset.
You stay overnight in Mui Ne. At night, you are free to go to the fishing village to taste seafood and enjoy the peaceful night scenery on the seashore.
The route map 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 go to the west coast of Mui Ne to watch the sunrise – that is an optional choice.
After that, go swimming and enjoy 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. When you travel some routes, reality can change slightly.
On the journey to discover the land of Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, you can go to places where no specialized restaurants serve foreign guests. You need to pay attention and be ready for a different, possibly surprising, experience at a few local restaurants.
The first day’s departure time in Ho Chi Minh 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 only go out to a remote village with 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.
