Vung Tau
Discover Vung Tau
Vung Tau (Vũng Tàu) is a city in Southern Vietnam, about 125 km from Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). Its nearness to Saigon and its beauty and fresh air makes it a very popular destination for weekends. Vung Tau is the economic centre of Bà Rịa - Vũng Tàu, a province in southeastern Vietnam. The city centre, located on the southern tip of the peninsula, has been long known as a tourist haven for businesspeople from Ho Chi Minh City.
What to Experience in Vung Tau
Taste of Vung Tau...
You will also be able to find Bò Kho, Bánh Xèo, or just Phở. Meals in Vung Tau are generally more expensive than in the rest of the country — you won't find many meals below 40,000 dong (as of 2023). This is also due to the city being a petroleum center and due to focus on seafood dishes. Inexpensive, local and authentic eateries can be found along 10.34033107.081471 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm going north for not more than a kilometer, along 10.34377107.082622 Trần Đồng going west, and along 10.34527107.079843 Lê Lai going north. Many busy hot pot (Lẩu) restaurants can be found all along 10.3444107.079774 Nguyễn Trường Tộ heading south and then turning left into 10.34082107.079065 Hoàng Hoa Thám and heading southeast. Come here to enjoy the Vietnamese hot pot in different styles. Beer is encouraged. Cheap guesthouses and hotels on Thùy Vân St, in front of Bãi Sau (Back Beach). Lowest room prices from 140,000 dong (weekdays) and 200,000 dong (weekends). Sand flies on beach can be a problem and cause allergic reaction on your legs. If you experience this, just use anti-mosquito spray all over your legs before you enter the beach, it will minimize amount of bites you will have. Note that you might not immediately notice the sand flies at the beach, but you will definitely wonder where you got all those "mosquito" bites from the next day — so be prepared. Blue-Bottle Jellyfish (a.k.a.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Vung Tau into what it is today.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, European trading ships regularly visited the waters of this area for shelter because of its calm waters, which inspired the name "Vũng Tàu" (literally "anchorage"). During the Nguyễn Dynasty, Vũng Tàu was officially Tam Thắng (literally "Three Boats"). The Portuguese named the then-small fishing town after the Catholic Saint Jacques. With the onset of French colonisation, Vung Tau was a battleground where the Nguyễn Dynasty fired at French battleships with cannons from mountaintop fortresses; the cannons still exist on the hiking trails today. After the French invaded Vietnam in the 19th century, Vung Tau was known as Cape Saint-Jacques, shortened to Cape. The Vietnamese then colloquially called the city "Ô Cấp", based on the French pronunciation of "au Cape" (literally "to the Cape", used by French people in Saigon referring to their weekend getaways in Vung Tau). Under French rule, Vung Tau became a popular seaside getaway for officials and the elites. The last Emperor of the Nguyễn Dynasty, Bảo Đại, often retreated to the hillside French colonial mansion Bạch Dinh (Villa Blanche, literally "White Palace", now a popular tourist destination) while on holiday. The French built many public buildings, a Catholic church, and tree-lined avenues; all are well preserved and still intact to this day. During the American War (called the Vietnam War outside the country), Vung Tau was home to the Australian Army and American support units....
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsVũng Tàu is connected to the mainland by Hwy 51 (Quốc lộ 51), which runs from Biên Hòa City. The shortest route from Ho Chi Minh city is through HCMC–Long Thành–Dầu Giây Highway, exit at Long Thành and join Highway 51. At least hourly buses run between Vung Tau and HCMC throughout the day 04:00–19:30; 110–200,000 dong, ca. 2 hr. Otherwise, Vung Tau is well connected to Southern Vietnam and the Mekong Delta by bus, with 60-80 bus connections daily in addition to HCMC. There exist 4 daily connection with Phan Thiet (for Mui Ne) in each direction. The full list of bus schedules and prices can be found next to the bus station administration desk. From HCMC, the best route is similar to coach/bus mentioned above. Use HCMC–Long Thành–Dầu Giây Highway, turn right at Long Thành exit and go straight on Highway 51 to reach Vũng Tàu. It takes roughly 2 hours from District 1, HCMC, to Vũng Tàu, depends on drivers and/or traffic. On public holidays or weekends, the roads usually become busier....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
As an ordinary Vietnam urban area, Vũng Tàu has plenty of taxis and xe ôm (taxi motorbike) drivers who are professional. The taxis fare is similar to Hồ Chí Minh city. Remember to always agree on a price before setting off. Also your accommodation can help you organise a ride. But for foreigners, the best option is to use Grab due to the language barrier and to avoid "misunderstandings" about price, etc. Motorbike rental service can be found in most of hotels or hostels, especially at back beach. Expect around 120,000 dong for manual and 200,000 dong for automatic. Make sure you have valid driving license and helmets. Vũng Tàu should be one of the best places in Việt Nam where you can enjoy riding a bike, thanks to low traffic density and picturesque coastal roads. Bicycle rental service is not too abundant but can be found in some hostel at Back Beach. The best cycling route is along the coast, through Thùy Vân st, Hạ Long st, Quang Trung st and Trần Phú st.
Where to Stay
Cheap guesthouses and hotels on Thùy Vân St, in front of Bãi Sau (Back Beach). Lowest room prices from 140,000 dong (weekdays) and 200,000 dong (weekends). Sand flies on beach can be a problem and cause allergic reaction on your legs. If you experience this, just use anti-mosquito spray all over your legs before you enter the beach, it will minimize amount of bites you will have. Note that you might not immediately notice the sand flies at the beach, but you will definitely wonder where you got all those "mosquito" bites from the next day — so be prepared. Blue-Bottle Jellyfish (a.k.a. Portuguese Man-of-War) at certain times of year can infest the beach (both in the water, riding on waves as they wash onto shore, & scattered all up & down the beach on sand). These jellyfish are small but have medium to long blue stringy tentacles that can sting if touched (instantly upon skin contact) & the stings are extremely painful (the intense pain can last for hours).
Money & Budget
ATMs are plentiful in Vung Tau. Most of them are located on commercial streets such as Lê Hồng Phong, Ba Cu and Trưng Vương Square. At least one 10.34084107.078541 ACB ATM and one 10.34749107.075612 EXIM Bank ATM can be found near the center — see Vietnam#ATMs. Also, several Circle Ks and WinMarts can be found around the city. You will also be able to find Bò Kho, Bánh Xèo, or just Phở. Meals in Vung Tau are generally more expensive than in the rest of the country — you won't find many meals below 40,000 dong (as of 2023). This is also due to the city being a petroleum center and due to focus on seafood dishes. Inexpensive, local and authentic eateries can be found along 10.34033107.081471 Nguyễn Bỉnh Khiêm going north for not more than a kilometer, along 10.34377107.
Safety Information
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Vung Tau
Hometown
a group of people riding bikes down a street next to the ocean
people on beach during daytime
Vung Tau Beach
a view of a city from a hill
a group of people standing on top of a beach
blue and red boat on sea during daytime
a small boat floating on top of a large body of water
a body of water filled with lots of boats
A man riding a bike down a street next to tall buildings
Hometown
a group of people riding bikes down a street next to the ocean
people on beach during daytime