This is a Mui Ne + Phan Thiet travel guide featuring the tourist attractions in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet, things to do, must-try food, and Mui Ne itinerary + expenses.
Visiting the red and white sand dunes of Vietnam? You’ve landed in the right place. This is our Mui Ne + Phan Thiet Travel Guide Blog featuring the tourist attractions in Mui Ne and Phan Thiet.
How to Get to Mui Ne / Phan Thiet from Ho Chi Minh City
Mui Ne is about 4-5 hours away from Ho Chi Minh City. There are three ways you can travel between these two places in Southern Vietnam: by bus, train, and taxi or private car. The bus fare is around Php450 (USD9).
How to Get to Mui Ne from Nha Trang
You can take a semi-sleeper bus from Nha Trang to Mui Ne. The travel time is around 5 hours and the fare is Php441 (USD9).
How to Get Around Mui Ne / Phan Thiet
There are no uber or grab in Mui Ne so your option is to hail a taxi or rent a bike. If you don’t want to drive a bike, you can hire one with a driver. Make sure you haggle as they tend to raise the price based on experience.
Top Tourist Attractions in Mui Ne / Phan Thiet
There is not much to do in Mui Ne so it’s a good place to just chill and read some books. If you avail a half-day Mui Ne tour then you’ll be able to see most of the town’s tourist attractions listed below.
White Sand Dunes
You can visit the White Sand Dunes on a DIY but it is highly recommended to just join a group tour for a more convenient experience. I availed of a day tour from the hostel and we left around 4:00 AM. I was in a group with other three travelers. The White Sand Dunes was the first on our itinerary where we waited for the sunrise. You have an option to walk or take an ATV. I chose the latter and paid VND200,000 (Php440) on top of the tour cost of VND165,000 (Php360). It was worth it. The view was amazing and the sand dunes were picturesque.
Red Sand Dunes
After spending an hour in the white sand dunes, we visited the red sand dunes. It looked prettier and better in the photo than the white sand dunes. I would love to stay longer there but since its a group tour, I had to leave after just about 30 minutes. There was no entrance fee so you can visit and stay there for as long as you want if you go there on your own.
Mui Ne Fishing Village
The third place we visited was Mui Ne Fishing Village. This fishing village is best visited in the morning so you can see the fishermen’s fresh catch of the day. You’ll see different types of fish and seashells. There are plenty of fishing boats when we visited it and it was really interesting.
Fairy Stream
The last place we visited during our Mui Ne tour was the Fairy Stream. There is an entrance fee of VND15,000 (Php33) to explore this attraction. You will literally get wet as you have to walk in the water. You can leave your shoes and pay a very small amount or you can carry it with you. The Fairy Stream is a picturesque place so make sure you take a lot of photos and selfies.
Where to Stay in Mui Ne / Phan Thiet
There are plenty of places you can stay in Mui Ne depending on your budget and preference. If you are a backpacker and would like to party or mingle with other travelers then Vietnam Backpacker Hostel is probably the perfect place for you. It has a super cheap bed in a dorm room, a comfortable bed with lockers, a restaurant, and a swimming pool.
Must-Try Restaurant in Mui Ne / Phan Thiet
There are a lot of interesting restaurants to try in Mui Ne, but if you like seafood, you should try Bo Ke Mr Crab just a walking distance from Vietnam Backpacker Hostel. It’s a seafood restaurant with a nice view of the ocean. Food is relatively pricey but it’s fresh so it’s worth the price.
Mui Ne + Phan Thiet Itinerary & Expenses
I only stayed a night in Mui Ne and below was my itinerary and expenses.
Day 1: Mui Ne Itinerary and Expenses
8:00 AM – Departed from Nha Trang to Mui Ne; Bus fare VND165,000
1:00 PM – Arrived in Mui Ne, check-in at Vietnam Backpacker Hostel VND160,305
2:30 PM – Late lunch at Bo Ke Mr Crab Restaurant VND325,000
7:30 PM – Dinner VND50,000
Day 2: Mui Ne Itinerary and Expenses
4:00 AM – Sand dunes tour VND165,000
5:30 AM – Sunrise at White Sand Dunes; ATV ride VND200,000
7:00 AM – Visited Red Sand Dunes
8:00 AM – Explores Mui Ne Fishing Village
8:30 AM – Visited the Fairy Stream; entrance VND15,000
9:30 AM – Breakfast at the hostel
1:00 PM – Departed Mui Ne to Ho Chi Minh City
VIETNAM BLOG SERIES
Hanoi + Halong Bay Travel Guide
Da Nang + Hoi An Travel Guide
Nha Trang Travel Guide