Phu Quoc Travel Guide

When is the Best Time to Visit Phu Quoc?

The ideal time to visit the Pearl Island is from November to April. This is the dry season in the south, with little rain, calm seas, gentle waves, and warm sunshine—perfect for outdoor tourism activities. This season is great for resort tours but not suitable for backpackers or adventure travelers.

From May to October is the rainy season, sometimes with storms, but Phu Quoc remains busy due to the summer holiday period. If you visit during this season, late April is recommended, as the crowds are not yet overwhelming, the weather is still pleasant, and prices have not peaked. October, the transition month, also experiences less rain.

Getting There

Vietnam Airlines, Bamboo Airways, and Vietjet Air offer direct flights to Phu Quoc from cities like Hanoi, Hai Phong, Thanh Hoa, Vinh, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat, and Buon Ma Thuot. If you’re lucky, you can find round-trip tickets for around one million VND.

Phu Quoc Airport is about 15 minutes from the island’s center. Many upscale hotels and resorts provide free airport transfers—be sure to inquire when booking.

Apart from direct flights, travelers from Ho Chi Minh City have interesting options such as motorbike, car, bus, speedboat, or ferry.

For first-time visitors, speedboats are recommended to avoid seasickness. There are two routes to Phu Quoc:

• From Rach Gia: 120 km, approximately 2.5 hours.

• From Ha Tien: 50 km, approximately 1.5 hours.

Starting from Ha Tien shortens sea travel time and is cheaper. It's advisable to call the pier in advance to book tickets and secure your itinerary.

If driving, consider traveling at night to catch the ferry around 4 a.m. and experience sunrise at sea. The journey from Ho Chi Minh City to the Ha Tien ferry terminal takes about 6 hours. Pack food, drinks, blankets, and pillows, and ideally, have two drivers take turns to ensure a smooth, safe night trip.

For bus travel, departures are available from downtown Ho Chi Minh City. High-quality buses to Ha Tien cost between 150,000 to 230,000 VND per person, depending on the bus company. Reputable bus lines include Phuong Trang, Mai Linh, and Kumho.

The most popular modes of transportation on Phu Quoc Island are taxis and motorbikes. Typically, taxi companies and rental services offer half-day or full-day exploration packages for the northern or southern parts of the island, with prices ranging from 500,000 to 700,000 VND. Drivers take visitors to the island’s most famous attractions.

Additionally, you can rent a motorbike for 100,000 to 150,000 VND per day, excluding fuel. Visitors need to leave their ID card or citizen identification card when renting. Before setting off, you should carefully check the brakes, turn signals, and lights.

Buses operate on most routes and attractions, connecting the airport, Duong Dong town, and An Thoi port, with fares ranging from 10,000 to 40,000 VND. However, many tourist sites are far from the main roads, making bus travel inconvenient.

Hotels and Resorts
On Phu Quoc, travelers can find accommodations ranging from budget guesthouses to high-end international resorts. To save on costs, you can stay at homestays. For families with children or group trips, hotels in Duong Dong town are the best choice due to their proximity to attractions and shopping areas.

Some 5-star hotels like Saigon Phu Quoc Resort and Eden Resort typically cost over 1,500,000 VND per room per night. Three to four-star hotels range from 1,000,000 to 1,500,000 VND. Two-star hotels such as Gold Hotel, Lavita Hotel, Sea Star Resort, and Kim Hoa are priced at 600,000 to 800,000 VND.

Unlike Nha Trang, where beaches are easily accessible from main roads, visitors to Phu Quoc often need to travel farther to reach the beaches. For a peaceful and relaxing experience, consider staying at a resort, villa, or bungalow near the beach.

Beautiful accommodations can be chosen based on location, with prices ranging from 1,800,000 to 7,000,000 VND per night. In the north of the island, there are Vinpearl Phu Quoc Resort, Nam Nghi Coral Peninsula Phu Quoc, and Fusion Resort Phu Quoc. On the eastern side, Rocks Beach Boutique Phu Quoc in Ham Ninh commune, which opened in early 2022, is often described as a “mini Maldives.”

Between the northern part of the island and the center, you can find Movenpick Resort Waverly Phu Quoc and Mango Bay Resort at Ong Lang Beach. In Duong Dong town, popular resorts include Lahana Resort Phu Quoc, L’Azure Resort & Spa Phu Quoc, Anja Beach Resort, Pullman Phu Quoc, and InterContinental Phu Quoc Long Beach Resort. JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay is located on Khem Beach, while Premier Village Phu Quoc is another standout in the southern part of the island.

Where to Go
Tourist attractions on Phu Quoc are divided into four main areas: the central area in Duong Dong town, the southern part of the island, the northern part, and the eastern part. Depending on your itinerary, you should plan at least two days to explore all the attractions on the island.

The Northern Part of Phu Quoc Island: A Lush Beauty with Pristine Nature

The northern part of Phu Quoc Island boasts rich natural beauty with its primeval forests. This area is also home to unspoiled beaches and fishing villages that have not been heavily influenced by commercialization. Below are some key attractions.

Phu Quoc National Park spans over 31,400 hectares and is home to hundreds of species of flora and fauna, offering diverse ecosystems of mountains, forests, seas, waterfalls, and streams. Visitors can explore lush vegetation and admire pristine streams like Tranh Stream, Da Ban Stream, and Da Ngon Stream. A 4-hour tour allows guests to conquer the summit of Chua Mountain, which stands at 565 meters, offering panoramic and colorful views of the park.

Rach Vem Fishing Village, known as the “Kingdom of Starfish,” is a popular photo spot located about 15 km from Duong Dong Town. In addition to its clear blue waters, the village is famous for its abundance of starfish. From December to April, the calm sea and clear waters provide the best conditions to spot starfish. However, during the rainy season, the road to Rach Vem becomes challenging, and the water turns murky.

Floating restaurants and wooden bridges stretching out to sea are key highlights of Rach Vem. Visitors can also enjoy a variety of fresh seafood at lower prices compared to the central areas. Most floating restaurants are family-run and focus more on the food than elaborate décor.

Vinpearl Safari is one of the most famous attractions in the northern part of the island, home to over 3,000 birds, mammals, and reptiles across 175 species. The safari is divided into two zones: an open zoo where visitors can walk around and a semi-wild area that is explored by specialized vehicles.

Visitors can learn about different animal species in their natural habitats, making this an ideal spot for families and friends. Nearby, the VinWonders Entertainment Complex offers fun and thrilling games, an aquarium, and activities suitable for both children and adults.

Ganh Dau Cape is a land protruding into the sea, located in the northwest of the island. Due to its remote location and limited number of visitors, Ganh Dau maintains its wild beauty, featuring unique rock formations and clear blue beaches.

During their exploration of the northern part of the island, visitors can stop by pepper gardens to purchase local specialties as souvenirs. Suggested locations include Khu Tuong, known for its extensive pepper farms along the route to Bai Thom Commune. Additionally, pepper gardens along the road to Ganh Dau offer opportunities for sightseeing and photography.

Southern Phu Quoc Attractions

Sao Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches on Phu Quoc Island, located in An Thoi Town, about 28 km from Duong Dong Town. Its crystal-clear waters contrast with fine white sand stretching over 7 km. Visitors can stroll along the shore, listen to the gentle waves at sunrise, swim, and capture stunning photos.

Additionally, the water here is calm, and the waves are gentle, allowing for various water sports, with kayaking being the highlight. Kayak rentals range from 100,000 to 150,000 VND.
Bai Truong Beach stretches about 20 km and is one of the best spots to watch the sunset on the Pearl Island. Here, visitors can visit the Sunset Sanato Beach Club, decorated with bamboo and wooden installations such as bridges leading to the sea, water elephants, shell houses, swings... perfect for capturing beautiful photos during the golden sunset hours.

Dinh Ba and Dinh Cau are the two most sacred sites in Phu Quoc, located in Duong Dong town. Associated with legends of Cau Quy, Cau Tai, the Jade Goddess, and Thuy Long Holy Mother, these places are where fishermen pray for peace, good weather, and abundant fishing seasons. Every year, on the 15th day of the first lunar month, major festivals are held here.

Dinh Cau Cape is the best place to watch the sunset, with rocky formations shaped like mountains extending into the sea. The sunsets at Dinh Cau Cape are most beautiful from May to September when the sky and the sea merge into a soothing blue.

Phu Quoc Prison is located in Cay Dua Hamlet, An Thoi Commune. This historical site attracts many visitors and has been partially restored to recreate its history. It is open daily from 7 AM to 5 PM with free admission.

Phu Quoc Night Market is on Bach Dang Street, about 1 km from Dinh Cau. It operates from 5 PM to 11 PM on weekends, featuring numerous stalls selling fresh seafood, local specialties such as fish sauce, sim wine, pepper, and handicrafts. Besides shopping and sightseeing, visitors can enjoy delicious seafood prepared and sold at the market. Other suggested dishes include rolled ice cream, egg cake, and palm sugar sponge cake.

Apart from the above attractions, the southern part of the island offers visits to fish sauce factories, pearl farms, and sim wine facilities.

Island Tours
One of the most exciting experiences in Phu Quoc is visiting the islands, such as Hon Thom, Mong Tay, Gam Ghi, and May Rut.

Hon Thom is the most developed island for tourism, with beautiful beaches, coral diving, fishing, squid fishing, kayaking, and jet skiing. Notably, there is a water park with 20 thrilling rides – Aquatopia Water Park – for visitors to enjoy with their families.

For those who love diving, ECO Beach on the island offers a 950,000 VND package per person for a 20-minute experience with a full helmet. If you prefer diving with an oxygen tank like a professional diver, the service costs 650,000 VND per person. Additional services include underwater video recording (600,000 VND) and photography (300,000 VND).

To reach the island, visitors depart from the cable car station. The station, designed in an ancient Roman style, is a popular photo spot for young travelers. From there, you’ll ride the world's longest three-wire cable car, with a total length of 7,899 meters. From the cabin, visitors can enjoy views of the blue sea, peaceful islands, and passing boats.

In addition to booking tickets in advance, visitors can purchase them at the road leading to the cable car station. The package for the cable car, water park, and buffet lunch costs 600,000 VND for adults and children over 1.4 meters tall. Children between 1 meter and 1.4 meters tall can purchase tickets for 400,000 VND.

Visitors can also book island tours to explore Hon Thom and the surrounding islands. The popular 4-island tour includes Hon May Rut Trong, May Rut Ngoai, Gam Ghi, and Hon Mong Tay, part of the An Thoi archipelago.

Guests will be picked up at hotels in Duong Dong town and taken to An Thoi port to explore by speedboat and snorkel at Gam Ghi island. The service includes underwater photography and videography. The tour, including lunch, costs about 1,000,000 VND per person. However, the 4-island tour often involves a lot of traveling. Guests prone to seasickness or with health concerns can opt for a 2 or 3-island tour with fewer activities.

For a more adventurous experience, you can explore Hon Dam, known as the Robinson Island of Phu Quoc. Hon Dam has no internet, and electricity is generated by solar power. The island has only a few bungalows made of bamboo and wood, facing the sea.

Phu Quoc Specialties

If you are a food lover, you should visit Phu Quoc between May and November. This is the local fishing season, so there will be plenty of fresh seafood at more affordable prices.

• Herring Salad: The first dish you must try in Phu Quoc is herring salad. This dish is available at restaurants and eateries ranging from high-end to local spots. The herring is prepared and rolled with vegetables and rice paper, dipped in fish sauce, and has no fishy smell.

• Ham Ninh Crabs: The crabs here are not large but are praised for being sweet, delicious, and fresh. Depending on the season, prices range from 200,000 to 500,000 VND per kilogram. It’s recommended to choose crabs with 6 to 7 pieces per kilogram. For crab roe, select female crabs; for meat, choose male crabs. The best way to enjoy them is boiled and dipped in salt, pepper, and lime.

• Grilled Biên Mai Clams: Food enthusiasts often enjoy grilled biên mai clams with salt and chili. The combination of salty, spicy, and sweet flavors creates a unique taste. Compared to stir-fried or boiled versions, grilled biên mai clams retain their crunchiness and chewiness, making them a local favorite.

• Sea Cucumber: One of Phu Quoc’s famous delicacies, sea cucumber is prized for its high nutritional value and is considered a premium food. Fresh sea cucumber is often stir-fried with bitter melon or sweet peppers or stewed with goat or pork. Some people also cook sea cucumber porridge for health benefits. As a luxury item, sea cucumber is expensive, often costing around one million VND per kilogram.

• Bún Kèn: Bún Kèn is not commonly found elsewhere, and both its name and flavor are unique. This dish uses thin rice noodles served with herbs, mint, cucumber, and shredded papaya. A recommended spot is Bún Kèn Út Lượm on 30/4 Street.

• Tràm Mushrooms: These mushrooms grow after the first rains of the season in Phu Quoc’s tràm forests. The season lasts just over a month, so not all visitors have the chance to try them. Popular dishes include boiled chicken soup with mushrooms or fish cake soup.

• Sea Urchin: In Central Vietnam, sea urchin meat and roe are often seasoned and stir-fried before being added to porridge. In Phu Quoc, freshly caught sea urchins are de-spined, halved, cleaned, and grilled over charcoal with scallion oil. Sea urchins can also be eaten raw with lime, grilled, or cooked into porridge.

• Abalone: Phu Quoc abalone is famous for its nutritional value and is considered a traditional medicine in Eastern medicine. Fresh abalone can be boiled, grilled, stir-fried, or made into porridge.

Additionally, Phu Quoc offers many other specialties like sim fruit, sim wine, pepper, fish sauce, king crab, grilled salt-chili snails, scallops with scallion oil, and grilled squid roe. These dishes can be easily found in restaurants from local eateries to high-end establishments.

Where to Eat
As an island destination, Phu Quoc is famous for its fresh seafood, notably crabs, sea urchins, herring, abalone, and spiny snails. Fishing villages such as Ham Ninh, Cua Can, and Rach Vem are recommended spots to enjoy affordable, fresh seafood in a local style.

One of the most famous seafood restaurants here is Ra Khoi on 30/4 Street, Duong Dong Town, or Xin Chao, known for its sunset view, located at 66 Tran Hung Dao, Duong Dong Town. The average price ranges from 400,000 to 600,000 VND per person. Other recommended places include Com Bac 123 Restaurant on 30/4 Street, Quoc Anh on Bach Dang Street, and Phung Fish Cake Noodle Soup near Dinh Cau.

Visitors should also try Kien Xay Bun Quay near Dinh Cau. This dish features fresh rice noodles served with squid, fish cake, and shrimp cake. A highlight of Bun Quay Phu Quoc is the self-serve dipping sauce made from seasoning powder, sugar, MSG, calamansi (kumquat), and ground chili. Each bowl costs around 35,000 VND.

Other local favorites include Ho Ky Goat Restaurant on 30/4 Street, Bo To 100 on Tran Hung Dao Street, and Nha Xua Clay Pot Rice Restaurant at 68 Ly Thuong Kiet Street.

What to Buy as Gifts
Phu Quoc offers several specialties that make great gifts, such as pearls, fish sauce, pepper, and sim wine (a local fruit wine).

Phu Quoc pearls are quite expensive, depending on quality, color, and size. Reputable pearl shopping addresses include Ngoc Hien Pearl Farm and Quoc An.

Phu Quoc fish sauce is famous for its rich, pure flavor. Reliable producers include Phung Hung Fish Sauce, Khai Hoan, Thinh Phat, and Hung Thinh.

Phu Quoc pepper is known for its spicy, aromatic flavor and firm seeds. You can buy pepper directly from well-known pepper farms like Khu Tuong and Suoi Da.

Sim wine is traditionally made by fermenting rose myrtle berries with white sugar. It aids digestion and relieves aches. Popular places to buy sim wine include Sim Son and Bay Giao Sim Wine.

Sea cucumbers, squid, and dried fish are popular seafood gifts. Dinh Cau Night Market has many shops selling these items, with prices varying by season and size.

Tips for traveler

• Avoid visiting Phu Quoc during the stormy rainy season.

• Hotels and guesthouses are often fully booked during peak seasons, so it’s advisable to reserve at least a month in advance.

• Some areas on Phu Quoc are restricted to visitors. Always comply and avoid entering prohibited zones.

• Ferries and speedboats to and from the island operate on fixed schedules. Confirm departure times to avoid missing your ride.

• If you are prone to seasickness, bring medication, as sea travel is frequent.

• If riding a motorbike through the forest, carry a map of Phu Quoc to avoid getting lost.