Nature · the waters opposite the city
Original name: Vịnh Nha Trang
A bay of about 400 square kilometres with nearly twenty islands — the reason people come to Nha Trang for more than lying on a beach. Part of the bay is a marine protected area with special rules.
The provincial tourism portal calls it the second-largest bay in Khánh Hòa after Vân Phong and counts 19 islands in it: Hòn Tre, Hòn Miễu, Hòn Tằm, Hòn Một, Hòn Mun and others. The largest, Hòn Tre, shelters the city from wind and waves. In June 2003 the bay was admitted to the Club of the Most Beautiful Bays in the World. Since 2001 Vietnam's first marine protected area has operated here, managed by Ban Quản lý Vịnh Nha Trang.
The bay is seen from the water. Options: a group trip around several islands, a day on the resort island of Hòn Tằm, snorkelling at Hòn Mun in the permitted zone, VinWonders on Hòn Tre by cable car. Boats leave the city from the tourist pier, which is run by the same bay management board. The dry season, January to August, brings a calmer sea; in autumn trips are cancelled more often. Details are in the islands guide.
The status of swimming and diving zones has changed: in 2022 they were closed at Hòn Mun to let the reef recover. Before your trip, read the bay management board's news and ask the operator exactly where you are going. Don't touch coral, don't feed fish, take your rubbish with you.
Access, opening hours and prices can change. Confirm the conditions right before you pay or leave.
Beaches and sea →islands · sea · snorkelling
Editorial navigation, not a paid recommendation.
21 September 2026
Before your visit
A bay of about 400 square kilometres with nearly twenty islands — the reason people come to Nha Trang for more than lying on a beach. Part of the bay is a marine protected area with special rules.
Plan for roughly “half a day or a full day”. Add time for the road, weather, queues and an unhurried break.
It belongs to the “the waters opposite the city” area. Open the map before leaving and check the actual entrance or meeting point.
Don't buy tomorrow's boat trip on the street in the evening without checking the wave forecast and the cancellation terms. Opening hours, prices, access and weather can change, so confirm them right before you leave or pay.