I had wonderful 2 nights and 1 days in Quy Nhon recently, so in this article, I will share with you my experience about how many days in Quy Nhon is enough and my itinerary for 1 to 2 days in Quy Nhon.
Quy Nhon is a beautiful beach city in south central Vietnam, located along the coastline between Nha Trang and Da Nang. It is a very popular tourist destination for local Vietnamese but still a lesser known destination for many foreign tourists.
The city is known for its beaches, colorful fishing village, and authentic local life. If you are traveling between Nha Trang and Da Nang, you can stay overnight here to see the city.
Quy Nhon is easily reachable by airplane and by road. It has a domestic airport called Phu Cat, situated about 30 kms northwest of Quy Nhon city center. You can take flights from major cities in Vietnam such as HaNoi or Ho Chi Minh city. From the airport, you can catch a taxi to get to your hotel.
Quy Nhon has a train station, connecting with other cities in Vietnam. It is located in Dieu Tri, 10km away from the city center. From Dieu Tri Train Station, you can use a taxi to get to your accommodation.
You can also use buses to get to other cities like Nha Trang (4 hours), Da Nang, and Hoi An (9 hours). But in my experience, the best way to travel to Da Nang and Hoi An from Quy Nhon is by train as it is a safer and nicer ride for a long journey.
The best way to explore Quy Nhon is by renting a motorbike. If you don’t drive, you can use guided tours, having a private driver (either car or motorbike), or Grab Taxi/Bike. Grab in Quy Nhon is not always available like other big cities in Vietnam. You can find it easily in the city center, but it is hard to get one outside of that zone.
How many days in Quy Nhon is enough?
I personally think 1 to 2 days in Quy Nhon is enough to see some famous cultural attractions, explore the authentic fishing villages, and enjoy the beaches. You can try some local food and enjoy the relaxed nightlife atmosphere.
Basically, with 1 full day in Quy Nhon, you can visit Thap Doi Twin Cham Towers, Linh Phong – Ong Nui Temple, Eo Gio, Nhon Ly Fishing Village, and Ky Co. You can take a stroll around the city center where you can observe local life, visit the beach, and explore Quy Nhon Square. You can head to Bai Xep for more peaceful beaches, a fishing village, and local fresh seafood.
If you have extra days in Quy Nhon, there is nothing much you can do here, you can just relax on the beach or at your resort’s swimming pool.
To make the most of your visit to Quy Nhon within 1 to 2 days, I recommend staying either in the city center or Bai Xep area. They both offer authentic local life and easy access to the beaches. The city center has more choices in terms of accommodations and restaurants.
Bai Xep, located 10 km away, has fewer choices of hotels and restaurants compared to the city center but has some good ones. You can find backpacker hostels, mid-range hotels, and luxury beachfront resorts in this authentic fishing village. I recommend staying in Bai Xep if you are all about the beach life and don’t mind a bit far away from major tourist amenities.
I stayed in Quy Nhon City at the L’amor Boutique Hotel and I highly recommend it. It is only a few minutes walk away from the main beach. Lots of restaurants and cafes can be found nearby. The hotel itself is beautiful. I have a clean and comfortable room on the 12th floor. It has nice views of the mountain, the city, and the sea.
It is a central and popular location making it easy to get Grab to get around. If you don’t drive, it will be difficult to get a Grab if you stay in a more remote area like Bai Xep (you can choose a guided tour).
There are also many popular hostels in resorts in Bai Xep for foreign tourists such as Haven Vietnam, Mira Bãi Xếp, Life’s A Beach, or Anantara.
How to Spend 1 to 2 days in Quy Nhon Itinerary
Day 1: Thap Doi Cham Towers, Ong Nui Temple, Eo Gio, Nhon Ly Fishing Village, and Ky Co Beach.
After you check in the hotel, you can wander around your neighborhood, either in the city center or Bai Xep. In the city center, you can walk to the city’s main square and main beach. In Bai Xep, you can explore its fishing village, the secluded Bai Xep Beach, and local seafood restaurants.
In the central and part of south Vietnam, you can see some ruins of the Champa Kingdom in Vietnam. You can see My Son sanctuary near Hoi An/ Da Nang, Po Nagar Towers in Nha Trang, or Po Sah Inu Towers in Mui Ne.
You can also see some remnants of the Champa Kingdom in Quy Nhon including Thap Doi Towers. These towers weren’t as impressive as other sites, so if you have visited one of the above locations, you can skip the ruins in Quy Nhon. You can buy a ticket at the entrance and spend around 30 minutes exploring.
Another cultural attraction in Quy Nhon is Linh Phong – Ong Nui Temple. It is located quite far from the city center, 30km away. You can easily get a Grab taxi/bike from Quy Nhon city but it can be hard to get a transport back to the city. If you are in this case, you can negotiate with your driver and ask if he can wait for you, you can pay him some extra.
In many cities in Vietnam like Nha Trang or Da Nang, when I got A Grab bike/taxi to a far distance, drivers often ask me if I want them to wait for me to take me back to the city. They don’t charge for waiting and only get the same amount as it states in the Grab App. Sometimes they become my private driver for the whole day. It is probably a popular thing to do for Grab drivers in more touristy cities.
On the way to Linh Phong temple, you will pass Thi Nai Bridge and Phuong Mai sand dunes. Linh Phong Temple is a nice complex with a huge White Buddha Statue on its top. It requires climbs via 600 steps to reach the top.
I visited the temple midday when it was extremely hot and humid, so I decided to use motorbike services at the bottom of the complex. At the top, I spend around 30 minutes here wandering around, climb to the top of the buddha and enjoy news of the sea and the city.
You can also visit Ong Nui Temple, which is an ancient temple, located nearby. This is an old, peaceful temple. The road to the top is a bit windy though.
Next, you can head to Nhon Ly where you can see Eo Gio, the fishing village, and Ky Co Beach. Eo Gio is a nice rocky beach and one of the most beautiful places to see the sunset in Vietnam. You can have some good photos here.
In its surroundings, you can visit the Ngoc Hoa Pagoda and take a stroll around the colorful fishing village. There are numerous cafes in the village where you can sit and relax.
Next, my driver took me to Ky Co Beach, one of the most famous beaches in Quy Nhon. You need to buy a ticket at the entrance and drive for 3km to get to their transfer location. From here, the driver will wait for me and I get in an electric car to get to the beach.
The beach is beautiful with clean water and white sand. I visited during big waves, so wasn’t able to swim or do any water sport activities. The beach has many sunbeds and chairs that you can use. There are several restaurants, cafes where you can have meals/drinks and enjoy the ocean views. You can take a nice walk along the coastal bridge.
I got back to my hotel in Quy Nhon City in the afternoon, and found some laundry shops nearby to do my laundry. I walked to the beach, the Nguyen Tat Thanh Square, and had dinner from a local restaurant.
Day 2: Relaxing on the beach or at your resort’s facilities
As I mentioned, there is nothing much to do in Quy Nhon besides relaxing on the beach, swimming, sunbathing, or doing some island hopping. If you stay in a nice resort, you can just use their facilities such as swimming pools and spas.
If you spend most of your time on a nice peaceful beach area, maybe consider staying in Bai Xep? You can have a look at many other beaches on Quy Nhon to see if you want to check out. They include Hon Kho Beach, Nhon Hai Beach, Trung Luong beach, or Queen’s Beach.
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You can watch my youtube video here about how long should you spend in Quy Nhon:
In my opinion, 1 to 2 days is generally enough to see major attractions in Quy Nhon. With one full day, you can see the Twin Cham towers, Linh Phong – Ong Nui Temple, Ky Co, Eo Gio, Quy Nhon Beach, Bai Xep Beach, and an authentic fishing village. You can take a stroll around the city center, observe local life, try fresh seafood, and enjoy relaxing nightlife.
The city is known for its beaches, so if you come here for a relaxing beach vacation, you can spend as much time as you want.