Phu Quoc: top things to do, hidden gems and key tips

Give Phu Quoc three days and fly in: arrivals from abroad get 30 days visa-free on the island, but only if you land at Phu Quoc airport or transit through an international airport on the mainland.1Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel Leave for the mainland and you need a visa or e-visa. Come between November and April, when the sea is calm.

How long have you got?

• One day: the Hon Thom cable car in the morning, then Sao beach.
• Two days: add an island snorkelling tour from An Thoi and the prison museum.
• Three days: add the national park and a fish sauce barrel house.

When are you going?

• November to April: the dry season, with calm seas, clear skies and the best beach weather.2Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
• May to October: the rainy season, with rougher seas and short, heavy showers.3Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel Boats can stop: on 20 November 2025, winds and 1.5 to 2.5 m waves halted the Ha Tien and Rach Gia ferries in both directions.4VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net

Top things to do

• Hon Thom cable car: a sea-crossing of nearly 8 km from An Thoi to Hon Thom island. A round trip costs 850,000 VND for an adult and 700,000 VND for a child of 1 m to 1.4 m, and runs 09:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 17:00.5Sun World (opens in a new tab)sunworld.vnTip Queues peak at 09:30 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 16:00; buy online or at the An Thoi station.6Sun World (opens in a new tab)sunworld.vn
• Sao beach: over 7 km of white sand about 25 km from the centre, with free entry and parking.Tip Go early on a weekday for a quieter swim.7Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
• Snorkelling around An Thoi: day boat tours stop at Mong Tay, May Rut and Dam Ngang islands.8Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel A four-islet snorkelling combo cost 1,000,000 VND.Tip Skip it if you get seasick.9VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
• Night markets: the Bach Dang night market in Duong Dong lost its lease at the end of 2025, traders could stay only until 28 February 2026,10VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net and authorities were preparing to dismantle it in March.11Dan Tri (opens in a new tab)dtinews.dantri.com.vnTip Use Grand World, Sonasea Bai Truong or Vuifest instead.12VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
• Phu Quoc National Park: forest trails, streams and viewpoints in the north, set up in 2001.13Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)en.wikipedia.orgTip It suits a half-day trek or a motorbike ride.14Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
• Phu Quoc Prison (Coconut Tree Prison): built by the French in 1949 to 1950, it held prisoners of war until 1975 and is now a museum.15Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)en.wikipedia.orgTip The displays carry English descriptions and narration.16VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
• Fish sauce barrel houses: islanders have made fish sauce from anchovies, salt and giant wooden barrels for over 200 years.Tip You can tour a barrel house and buy bottles to take home.17Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel

Hidden gems

• Rach Vem fishing village: stilt houses, floating wooden bridges and red starfish, about 20 km north of Duong Dong.Tip Don’t touch the starfish.18Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel

Getting there and around

• By air: direct flights run from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.19Vietnam Tourism (opens in a new tab)vietnam.travel
• By sea: ferries run from Rach Gia and Ha Tien, and speedboats take about two hours.20VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net
• Getting around: taxis and motorbikes are the most popular transport, and a motorbike costs 100,000 to 150,000 VND a day.21VnExpress (opens in a new tab)e.vnexpress.net

If it doesn’t go to plan

• Ferry cancelled? Fly out; the boats stop in high waves.
• Cable car queue too long? Come back outside the 09:30 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 16:00 peaks.