Nha Trang Sights and POI

Aside from the beaches, there's plenty to do in Nha Trang if you feel you're missing a bit of culture, or you've got sunburn.

Alexandre Yersin Museum

This museum is all about the famous Swiss-French scientist, a long-time resident of Nha Trang who discovered the cause of the bubonic plague. Yersin also cemented his place as a local hero amongst the Vietnamese through his ability to predict typhoons! The museum is located at 8-10 Tran Phu with entry costing VND26,000. Open 7.30am– 11am and 2pm–4.30pm (Monday–Friday) and 8am–11am on Saturday.

Long Thanh Gallery

Home to the excellent collection of work by internationally celebrated photographer, Long Thanh. He sometimes even makes an appearance in this gallery, so a great opportunity to discuss his work. 126 Hoang Van Thu; Free entry.

Po Nagar Cham Towers

This spectacular Cham sight is located approximately 1.5km north of Nha Trang and can be reached by cyclo for around VND30,000 or you can take bus number 4. The towers all date from between 7th–10th century, with four of the original six towers surviving. The largest remaining tower is 23m tall and was built in 817. At 1,200 years old, it's understandably taken a bit of a battering but you can still see the stunning architecture and understand the craftsmanship that went into its creation all those years ago. You can buy a ticket at the site for VND22,000.

Islands

One of Nha Trang’s biggest attractions is the city's proximity to the nearby islands, many of which offer excellent diving. Hon Mieu is the closest and is where the Tri Nguyen Aquarium is found, a few minutes walk from the quaint fishing village where the boat docks. There is an aquarium inside with outdoor salt-water ponds for breeding and research. Entrance is around VND 90,000.

Hon Tam and Hon Mot are both popular islands for snorkelling and diving whilst beach-lovers head to Hon Tre, the largest island, and home to the white sands of Bai Tre (viewed by many locals as the best beach in the area!).

National Oceanographic Museum

More of an aquarium than a museum, this impressive French colonial building displays life from the local reefs as well as turtles and sharks. Easy to reach at 1 Cau Da, entrance costs VND30,000 for adults and VND12,000 for children, open from 6am–6pm.

Bao Dai Villa

Sitting atop a hill, this is the place to visit to catch the best view in Nha Trang. Gaze out over the bay, enjoying the cool breeze and relax for a while before heading back into the city streets. This was formerly the holiday home of Emperor Bao Dai, the museum and house are currently being renovated but you can still go there for the view.

Long Son Pagoda

Located on Thai Nguyen and home to an impressive 24m tall Buddha. There is also an excellent vegetarian restaurant alongside the pagoda which makes the site a very peaceful spot to spend an hour or two to escape the afternoon sun. Free entry.

100 egg mud bath

There are many spas around Nha Trang, but this is one of the most unusual. Visit to enjoy a relaxing mid bath with a difference, here you'll be inside a giant egg. The mud bath supposedly prolongs youth, just the thing to treat your skin with after hours spent sunbathing. The spa is located on Nguyen Tat Thanh, 6km from the centre of Nha Trang so you’ll need to hire a taxi to get here. Full packages are price around VND500,000, opening hours are 8am–7pm.

Thanh Dien Khanh Fortress

This fortress is located in the nearby town of Dien Khanh. Built in 1793 with 3.5m high walls, this is one of the oldest citadels in south Vietnam and remains in pretty good condition. There were originally 6 gates, now only 4 remain but many other similar citadels didn't mange to survive the war.