Getting around
Getting around Nha Trang: by land, by water and by cable
Nha Trang stretches along the sea, and its tourist part is compact: you can walk the seafront and the centre, and taxis and a few useful bus routes cover the rest. The city's peculiarity is a third kind of transport: boats from the official pier and the cable car to Hòn Tre island. We collected only what primary sources confirm as of 21 September 2026.
Taxis by app
The Xanh SM electric taxi has operated in the city since 1 June 2023: book in the app, via the 1900 2088 hotline or hail one in the street. The app shows the price before you get in — which removes the main reason for disputes.
Read more →Bus to the airport
Route no. 18 links the 19/8 stadium and the tourist streets of the centre with Cam Ranh airport: 50,000 VND and 50–60 minutes according to the international terminal's website. The cheapest way to cover the 35 kilometres.
Read more →To the islands — from the pier
Boats and speedboats into the bay leave from the tourist pier managed by the state bay management board. Operators there are required to post their fares publicly — look for the notice board, not a tout.
Read more →Taxis and apps
Distances in the city are short, so taxis are a visitor's main transport. The most important thing is to know the price before the ride.
Xanh SM — electric taxis
The operator GSM launched the service in Nha Trang on 1 June 2023 with a fleet of VinFast electric cars. Three official ways to book: the app, the 1900 2088 hotline and hailing in the street. Airport rides are available; the international terminal's website publishes a fixed price for them.
Classic taxis
Metered cars wait at hotels, shopping centres, Đầm market and the pier. Get into cars with the company name, number and phone on the side, ask for the meter or name a fixed sum straight away. Show your address in Vietnamese on your phone screen.
Other apps
We have not confirmed other ride-hailing apps in Nha Trang from official sources, so we don't list them. It's easy to check: open your usual app on the spot and see whether cars and motorbike taxis are available at your address.
A taxi for the day
For trips to Ba Hồ, Yang Bay, Am Chúa temple or Dốc Lết beach it is easier to agree on a car that waits: public transport to these places is not confirmed. Put the route, waiting time and total including tolls in writing.
Open details →Buses
We found no consolidated official list of city routes with timetables, so we describe only the three confirmed lines useful to visitors.
No. 18: city — Cam Ranh airport
According to the international terminal's website, the route is run by Đất Mới and Vinbus, a ticket costs 50,000 VND and the trip takes 50–60 minutes. In the city the bus runs from the 19/8 stadium via Trần Hưng Đạo, Nguyễn Thiện Thuật and Trần Quang Khải. Check departure times with the operator.
Open details →No. 25 and 26: open-top buses
Since April 2026 two tourist loops have run from the Louisiane car park on Trần Phú: the daytime no. 25 from 8:30 to 16:30 roughly every half hour and the evening no. 26 from 19:00 to 21:45 roughly every quarter of an hour. The fare is set by the operator and is not given in the official announcement.
Open details →No. 105: Nha Trang — Phan Rang
An intercity route of 116 kilometres from Nha Trang's northern bus station to the bus station of the former Ninh Thuận province, opened in June 2025 after the provinces merged. It runs via 2/4, Thái Nguyên and 23/10 streets and the Cam Ranh town bus station. The timetable and fare are not given in the announcement.
Open details →How to use them
Stops are marked with signs showing route numbers. You usually pay in cash on board, so keep small notes. If a route matters for your plan, photograph the timetable at the stop or ask at the province's tourist information centre.
On your own: on foot, by motorbike, by train
The flat seaside centre invites walking, while trips out of town call for a sober look at your licence and experience.
On foot along the seafront
From Nha Trang Center at the north end of the seafront to the clubs and hotels in the middle is a pleasant walk along the beach. The cathedral, the station and Xóm Mới market are also within walking distance of the sea. Cross roads slowly and predictably: the flow of motorbikes goes around a pedestrian who doesn't dart about.
Open details →Motorbike rental
There are many rental shops, but no primary source on their terms, and the rules on licences and insurance are the same nationwide — check what your licence allows before you ride. The local specifics: highway QL1A to the north and the avenue to the airport carry heavy truck traffic, and the road up Hòn Bà is wet and foggy.
Open details →Train
Nha Trang is on the country's main railway line; the national tourism portal names the train as one of three ways to get here. The station is in the centre, on Thái Nguyên street near the cathedral. Tickets are sold on the official railway website dsvn.vn.
Addresses after the reform
Since 1 July 2025 the city of Nha Trang no longer exists as an administrative unit: its territory is divided into the wards of Nha Trang, Bắc Nha Trang, Tây Nha Trang and Nam Nha Trang. Navigation apps and websites show both old and new addresses — go by street and house number.
Open details →Water and cable
The islands are part of the city's transport picture. Each direction has its own pier and its own operator.
Nha Trang tourist pier
The main departure point into the bay, in the south of the city. The pier is managed by Ban Quản lý Vịnh Nha Trang; its piers department is responsible for safety and for publicly posting passenger fares. The Phú Quý pier in the Vĩnh Trường area reports to the same board.
Open details →Long Phú pier
From here, about 15 kilometres north of the centre, Long Phú company boats cross Nha Phu Bay to Monkey Island and the Hoa Lan area. You reach the pier by taxi or by the operator's transfer, which is included in the day tour.
Open details →Cable car to Hòn Tre
The 3320-metre line starts at the southern end of Trần Phú street; the ride takes 8–10 minutes and is included in the VinWonders ticket. Opening hours differ between official publications, and in strong wind the cable car is replaced by boat — check vinwonders.com on the day.
Open details →Operator boats
To Hòn Tằm, visitors travel on the island operator's boat, and to the evening Vinpearl Harbour waterfront a speedboat ferry runs after the cable car closes, according to the provincial tourism centre. In both cases, the time of the last boat back is the first thing to find out.
Open details →Before you leave
Quick checklist
- 01Install the taxi app before you land and link a card or have cash ready.
- 02Keep your accommodation address in Vietnamese: ward names in addresses changed after the 2025 reform.
- 03Have small notes for buses no. 18, 25 and 26.
- 04At the pier, look for the board with official fares and photograph it.
- 05Before going to Hòn Tre, check the cable car hours on the operator's website.
- 06Don't ride a motorbike without a licence valid in Vietnam and insurance.
Straight answers
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a motorbike in Nha Trang?+
Not for a holiday in the centre: the seafront, markets, cathedral and cafés are walkable, and taxis cover the rest. A motorbike gives freedom out of town but requires a valid licence, experience and readiness for truck traffic on the highway.
Which taxi is more reliable?+
The one where you know the price in advance. With the Xanh SM electric taxi it is shown in the app; for airport cars it is published on the terminal website. In a street taxi ask for the meter and check that it is on from the start.
Are there city buses?+
Yes, but we found no official consolidated timetable. Confirmed are route no. 18 to the airport, the open-top tourist loops no. 25 and 26 and intercity no. 105 to the south of the province. Check other lines on the signs at stops.
Where do boats to the islands leave from?+
From the city, the tourist pier in the south, managed by the bay management board. To Nha Phu Bay and Monkey Island, the Long Phú pier 15 kilometres north. The cable car goes to Hòn Tre.
How do I get to Ba Hồ or Yang Bay without a tour?+
By a taxi that waits or a car with a driver. We could not confirm public transport to the gates of these parks from official sources. Yang Bay has its own package with a transfer from the city.
Why don't addresses show the city of Nha Trang any more?+
After the 2025 administrative reform the district level was abolished and the former city's territory divided into four wards. Official addresses now read, for example, phường Nha Trang, tỉnh Khánh Hòa. Taxi drivers understand both versions.