Quy Nhon, Vietnam: Beaches, Things to Do and Where to Stay

Quy Nhon is a mid-sized beach city on Vietnam's south central coast, about 300 km south of Hoi An, with a free 3.6 km city beach, two Cham towers in town and the Ky Co and Eo Gio coves 20 to 25 km north. Two or three days covers it. Fly into Phu Cat, 30 km away, or take the train to Dieu Tri, 10 km out. Prices checked October 2026.

Most people arrive with a list of photo spots on the peninsula and end up liking the city itself more than they expected. It is a working port with a long beach in front of it, cheap seafood, and far fewer foreign visitors than Da Nang or Nha Trang.

This page is about the city: where to base yourself, what is within walking or Grab distance, what to eat and how long to stay. For the wider province, the towers inland, Cu Lao Xanh island and the sand dunes at Xuan Dai, our Binh Dinh travel guide covers the routes out of town.

Where is Quy Nhon, and which province is it in now?

Quy Nhon sits roughly halfway between Hoi An and Nha Trang. Until July 2025 it was the capital of Binh Dinh province. Since the provincial merger on 1 July 2025 it belongs to Gia Lai province and is that province's capital, although nearly every map, bus company and hotel listing still says Binh Dinh. Both names refer to the same place, so do not let a booking site confuse you.

The city is a long strip. The beach runs along the east side, the port and the old centre sit at the north end, and the road climbs over Ghenh Rang headland at the south end toward Bai Xep and the resort belt. The peninsula across the bay, Phuong Mai, is where Ky Co, Eo Gio and the fishing villages are.

How to get to Quy Nhon

There is no train station called Quy Nhon on the main north to south line. Trains stop at Dieu Tri, about 10 km west of the centre, and from there it is a taxi or a local bus. That one fact catches out a lot of people who book a ticket expecting to step off by the sea.

For most people coming down from Hoi An, the train is the better ride. The line runs close to the coast for long stretches and a soft seat in the day is more comfortable than a sleeper bus berth built for someone 20 cm shorter than you.

Where to stay in Quy Nhon

The choice comes down to how much you want to walk and how much you want quiet.

City rooms run about 400,000 to 900,000 dong a night, roughly 15 to 34 dollars. Guesthouses at Bai Xep start around 200,000 dong. If you have only two nights, stay on the beachfront. The whole point of Quy Nhon is that the beach is in town, and staying out at Bai Xep means a scooter ride every time you want dinner.

Things to do in Quy Nhon city

Everything in this section is within 3 km of the beach and can be done on foot or by Grab, without hiring a scooter.

The city beach

The beach is about 3.6 km long, free, and backed by a promenade that fills up at dawn with people swimming, jogging and doing group exercise before the heat arrives. Swim at the marked zones in front of the main square, where there are seasonal lifeguards. The water here is calmer than on the peninsula, which matters more than the photos suggest.

Thap Doi, the Twin Towers

Two 12th century Cham brick towers, about 20 metres tall, stand in a small walled park on Tran Hung Dao Street, about 1.5 km from the beach. Entry is free to about 30,000 dong depending on which source you read, and fees change, so bring small notes. Hours are about 07:00 to 11:30 and 13:00 to 18:00, closed over lunch. Twenty minutes is enough, and before 8am the light on the brick is at its best.

The towers sit in a city park, five minutes by Grab from the beach. Photo: Ân Trần / Google Maps.

Ghenh Rang and Queen's Beach

Ghenh Rang is the headland at the south end of the beach, about 3 km from the centre. A single ticket of about 25,000 dong covers the grave of the poet Han Mac Tu, a small museum and Queen's Beach, a cove of round grey boulders below the road. The view back over the city from the hill is the best one you will get without a drone.

Long Khanh Pagoda

The city's main pagoda is at 141 Tran Cao Van, a ten minute walk from the centre, free, and open roughly 05:00 to 20:00. Cover shoulders and knees, and take your shoes off in the main hall.

Queen's Beach is for sitting on the rocks, not for swimming. Photo: Đặng Tấn Kha / Google Maps.

Day trips to Ky Co, Eo Gio and the peninsula

The famous photographs of Quy Nhon are almost all taken on the Phuong Mai peninsula, 20 to 25 km north, across the bridge. Grab coverage thins out quickly there, so either hire a scooter (you need a Vietnamese licence or a 1968 Convention international permit to be insured), or take a car with driver for the day at about 1,200,000 to 1,800,000 dong.

Peninsula fees were argued over during 2026. Eo Gio moved to raise its ticket from about 22,000 to 50,000 dong and the province ordered a review after complaints, so expect anything in that range and treat every figure here as a guide and carry cash. Agree any boat fare and the return pickup time before you get in.

The usual loop is Eo Gio at sunrise, Ky Co mid-morning, lunch in Nhon Ly, back in town by mid-afternoon. On summer weekends, tour buses reach Ky Co from about 9am and the sand is full by 11. Go on a weekday. Neither Ky Co nor Eo Gio has lifeguards, and both get rip currents.

Ky Co is clearest and calmest from about March to August. Photo: Lê Hồ Bắc, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One more warning: the Trung Luong glamping area north of Eo Gio still shows up in older lists of things to do. It closed after storm damage, so do not plan a day around it.

The Eo Gio path is short, exposed and has almost no shade after 9am. Photo: Tuấn Anh Nguyễn / Google Maps.

What to eat in Quy Nhon

Quy Nhon eats fish. The cheapest good meal in the city is breakfast.

Seafood is sold by weight. Ask the price per kilo, watch it being weighed, and agree the total before it goes to the kitchen. This is the single most common complaint visitors post about the city, and it is easy to avoid. Market stalls and most seafood places take cash only.

The peninsula villages still live off the boats, and lunch there is whatever came in that morning.

How many days in Quy Nhon?

Two days is the minimum: one for the city, one for the peninsula. Three lets you add Hon Kho, a lazy morning at Bai Xep, or Phu Quy if you are heading south. A budget traveller spends about 700,000 to 1,200,000 dong a day, roughly 28 to 48 dollars, and mid-range about double.

1. Day 1. Swim at dawn, bun cha ca, Thap Doi, Long Khanh Pagoda, sunset from Ghenh Rang.
2. Day 2. Eo Gio at sunrise, Ky Co, lunch at Nhon Ly, back for a seafood dinner on Xuan Dieu.
3. Day 3. Hon Kho by boat from Nhon Hai, or Bai Xep and a slow afternoon.

Heading further south, Phu Quy Island is a quieter island trip for people who liked the fishing villages, and Mui Ne beach is the next long stretch of sand on the way to Saigon.

When to go, and the rainy season

February to August is the dry season. April and May are very hot, with a UV index that makes midday on the beach a bad idea. September to December brings the rain and the typhoon risk, and some Hon Kho boats stop running. Lonely Planet calls September to November the quietest and cheapest time to visit, which is true, provided you keep a day spare for weather. Our page on the Vietnam rainy season explains how the central coast differs from Hanoi and Saigon, and the best time to visit Vietnam compares the regions month by month.

Is Quy Nhon safe?

Yes, by any normal measure. The real risks are the sea and the road, not crime. Swim only in the marked city zones, stay off the peninsula cliffs in strong wind, and be careful on the coastal road to Eo Gio, which has blind corners and heavy trucks. ATMs on the peninsula are scarce, so take out cash in town. The nearest proper hospital is the provincial general hospital in the city.

Adding Quy Nhon to a central Vietnam route

Quy Nhon fits best on a north to south trip after Hoi An. A common route is Hue, Phong Nha and Hoi An, then the train south to Quy Nhon before Nha Trang or Dalat. Our central Vietnam five day itinerary covers the northern half, and things to do in Hoi An is the stop before the train south.

Phong Nha is the other half of the same coast: a day north of Hoi An by train, with caves instead of coves. Trains on the same line stop at Dong Hoi, 45 minutes from the park, and our Phong Nha travel guide explains what to do once you are there. Beach days in Quy Nhon and two days underground in Phong Nha make a good pair on one trip.