Islands and sea
Nha Trang's islands: how to go out into the bay without harming yourself or the reef
Nha Trang Bay has about twenty islands, and since 2001 part of its waters has been Vietnam's first marine protected area. In 2022 swimming and diving around its core, Hòn Mun island, were suspended because the coral was dying; by summer 2026 the reef is recovering and visitors are admitted to designated zones. So a good island day here starts not with the tour price but with three questions: where exactly are we going, what is allowed there, and on what boat.
Reef and mask
Hòn Mun is the core of the reserve: about 350 coral species according to the provincial portal. People swim in a buoyed zone set aside for visitors, with a guide. Touching coral and chasing turtles is prohibited.
Read more →A day on a resort island
Hòn Tằm — a beach, restaurants and the VinWonders island mud complex. One pier, one operator, a clear ticket. A calm format for families and for those who dislike switching boats.
Read more →Quiet water for toddlers
Nha Phu Bay north of the city is a sheltered lagoon with a short crossing to Monkey Island and the Hoa Lan area. No coral, but no rolling either.
Read more →Where boats go: islands by purpose
The provincial portal counts 19 islands in the bay. In practice six or seven destinations are open to visitors, and each has its own role.
Hòn Mun — the underwater world
An outer island of the bay with the black rocks that gave it its name. The protected area around it covers about 38 square kilometres of land and 122 of water. The format is snorkelling or diving with a licensed operator at a permitted spot; there is no beach for lounging.
Open details →Hòn Tằm — beach and mud baths
As of 21.09.2026 (re-checked on 22.09.2026) the VinWonders website lists mud complex hours of 08:00–16:40 and packages from 450,000 VND per adult. Check the departure pier and what the ticket includes: the operator's page gives Hòn Tre as the address.
Open details →Hòn Tre — the park and the evening
The bay's largest island, with the VinWonders park and the Vinpearl Harbour waterfront. You don't sail here, you fly: the 3320-metre cable car is included in the park ticket, with a boat as the fallback in wind.
Open details →Hòn Miễu — a short stop
The inhabited island closest to the city, often the first stop of group trips. The provincial portal links it to the Trí Nguyên aquarium, but there is no recent official confirmation of its opening hours — ask the operator.
Open details →Nha Phu Bay — monkeys and orchids
A separate body of water north of the city with its own Long Phú pier about 15 kilometres from the centre. The Long Phú operator sells a day tour to Monkey Island and the Hoa Lan area; the price as of 21.09.2026 (re-checked on 22.09.2026) is 670,000 VND per adult including transfer and lunch.
Open details →Hòn Nội — Swallow Island
A distant rocky island with swiftlet colonies and a double beach described by the national tourism portal. Access only on an organised tour in the calm season; the operator's official website would not open on the day of our check, so we don't publish details.
Open details →The marine reserve's rules
The protected area and the piers are managed by a state body, Ban Quản lý Vịnh Nha Trang, with its office at 15A Trần Phú. Its announcements are the only reliable source on what is currently allowed.
What happened in 2022
From 27 June 2022 the board suspended swimming and diving at Hòn Mun until further notice; glass-bottom boats were stopped too. The reasons given were the effects of the 2017 and 2021 typhoons, climate change, illegal fishing, pollution from tourism and management shortcomings.
What now
A survey in May 2026 showed growth in the share of live coral and in the density and area of the reef. In June 2026 the board described a group of tourists snorkelling with a guide in the swimmers' buoyed zone at Hòn Mun. So access exists, but only in designated places.
How to behave in the water
Don't stand on coral or touch it with your fins, don't pick anything up from the bottom, don't feed the fish. If you meet a turtle, keep your distance, don't follow it and don't surround it — these are direct requirements that the board's guides give visitors.
The visitor fee
The board's website has a section on the fee for visiting the Hòn Mun protected area, but the document itself would not open on the day of our check, so we don't state an amount. Ask the operator whether the fee is included in the tour price and ask for a receipt.
Where to find updates
The board publishes news on the reef's condition and visiting rules on vinhnhatrang.net. Open the feed before your trip: if the zone closes again, the notice will appear there before it reaches travel agents.
Open details →Piers and logistics
The city has no single sea terminal: each destination has its own departure point. Mixing them up is the most common way to miss a boat.
Nha Trang tourist pier
The main departure point into the bay, in the south of the city, run by the bay management board. Its piers department is responsible for safe operation and for publicly posting passenger fares. The Institute of Oceanography and the cable car station are nearby.
Open details →Phú Quý pier
The board's second pier — the Phú Quý inland waterway landing in the Vĩnh Trường area in the south of the city. If an operator names it as the meeting point, check the address on the map in advance: it is not the same as the main tourist pier.
Long Phú pier
The Long Phú company's private pier for Nha Phu Bay, about 15 kilometres north of the centre. The taxi ride takes a while, so the operator's tours include a morning pick-up from hotels.
Open details →Cable car station
Access to Hòn Tre is from the station at the southern end of Trần Phú street. In strong wind the service is stopped and guests are carried by speedboat, so on windy days allow extra time for the way back.
Open details →How to choose an operator for safety
Prices of group bay trips differ little, quality a lot. Ask these questions before paying, not on board.
Who is the carrier
Ask for the name of the company and the vessel. The provincial portal has a section on chartering boats to visit the islands, listing companies and their price registration documents; the tourist information centre can tell you whether an operator is on the official lists.
Life jackets and load
There must be a life jacket for every passenger, including children's sizes, within reach rather than in a locked box. If the boat is visibly overloaded or there aren't enough jackets, don't board — the money is worth less.
Where, and what is allowed
Ask for the stops on the route and whether swimming is permitted there on your date. The answer “at Hòn Mun, in the buoyed zone” is more honest than a promise of a secluded reef: in the protected area visitors are admitted only to marked places, and it is worth asking the bay management board for the full text of the rules.
Weather and cancellation
During storm warnings tourist vessel departures are restricted, and there is no point arguing. Agree in writing beforehand what happens on cancellation: rescheduling or a full refund. From September to December this is the key clause.
Open details →Alcohol and jumping
A party on the water with drinks and jumping from the deck is a genre of its own that combines poorly with children, the reef and safety. If you want a calm day with a mask, ask about the programme directly and choose small groups.
Before you leave
Quick checklist
- 01Open the vinhnhatrang.net feed and check for new restrictions at Hòn Mun.
- 02Write down the company, vessel and departure pier.
- 03Make sure there are life jackets for everyone, including children.
- 04Ask whether the protected-area fee is included and what happens if the weather cancels the trip.
- 05Bring oxybenzone-free sunscreen, a rash guard and a dry bag; don't touch the coral.
- 06In autumn keep a spare day: sea trips are often cancelled.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
Can I swim at Hòn Mun now?+
According to the bay management board's reports for June 2026, yes — in the buoyed zone set aside for swimmers, with a guide. The zone was closed in 2022, so check the latest news on vinhnhatrang.net before your trip and ask the operator about the specific spot.
Which island should I choose with children?+
Hòn Tằm with its developed beach, or Nha Phu Bay with a short crossing and calm water. VinWonders on Hòn Tre is a separate day at the amusement park. Group trips around several islands are usually hard on toddlers.
What is the best season for the islands?+
February to August: according to WMO normals there is little rain and the sea is calm. From mid-September to mid-December the rainy season runs, trips are often cancelled and underwater visibility drops.
Where do the boats leave from?+
Into the bay — from the Nha Trang tourist pier in the south of the city, sometimes from the Phú Quý pier. To Nha Phu Bay — from the Long Phú pier 15 kilometres north. The cable car goes to Hòn Tre.
How much does a boat trip cost?+
There is no single price. Individual operators' fares are officially published: for example, the Long Phú day tour costs 670,000 VND and Hòn Tằm packages start at 450,000 (both re-checked on 22.09.2026). For group bay trips, see the board at the pier, where prices must be posted.
Why don't you name bay trip operators?+
We name only companies with a verified official website: VinWonders and Long Phú. For the rest we give a way to check — the official boat charter section of the provincial portal and the fare board at the pier.
Do I need a diving certificate?+
For independent dives, yes; for a try dive with an instructor, usually not. The specific requirements and permitted spots depend on the operator and the reserve's current rules; we did not check dive centres with official websites in this phase.