Scenic Journeys — Southern Vietnam: trains, boats & the world's longest sea cable car

TL;DR: For a first Vietnam trip, make the transport part of the holiday. Take the daytime Saigon→Phan Thiet train for the dragon-fruit-and-coast run [5], the overnight soft-sleeper to Nha Trang to save a hotel night and wake to Cam Ranh Bay [4], a sunrise sampan at Cai Rang floating market in the Mekong [22], and the Hon Thom cable car on Phu Quoc — a 7.9 km Guinness-record ride over the sea [16]. Fly the long Phu Quoc hop (~€23–65, 55 min) unless you actively want the boat [12]. Prices EUR, ~27,500 VND/€, June 2026.

Inter-hub matrix — pick your leg

Scenic-first choices are bolded. Touristy ↔ offbeat flag in the last column.

Sources per row: train fares & times [1] [5]; sleeper bus [9] [10] [11]; speedboat [21]; Phu Quoc air/ferry [12] [14]; Vietage [7] [8].

Reunification Express — the southern coast by rail

The mainline south of Saigon is the country’s most underrated scenic asset. Two distinct experiences:

Saigon → Phan Thiet (for Mui Ne). Direct daytime trains SPT2 (dep ~06:45) / SPT4 (dep 08:00), ~4 h over ~190 km, hugging the coastline through green dragon-fruit fields [5]. Fares from 132,000 VND (~€5) soft seat to 219,000 VND (~€8) 4-berth sleeper [5]. At Phan Thiet station, Mui Né is 24 km / ~25–30 min by bus (≈6,000 VND) or taxi (~€10) [1] [6].

Saigon → Nha Trang (overnight). Mainline trains SE1–SE8, ~430 km in 11–12 h overnight [4]. Book a soft-sleeper to do it as a moving hotel: ~869,000 VND lower berth (~€32), hard sleeper ~763,000 VND (~€28), soft seat ~404,000 VND (~€15) [1]. Private operators (Livitrans, Golden Trains) run 4-berth cabins on SNT services at ~$38 (~€35)/bed [2]. The scenic payoff is the final approach: the line glides past Cam Ranh Bay and palm-lined beaches into Nha Trang [4] [3]. For best light, ride in the dry season (Nov–Apr) and sit on the seaward (right when northbound) side [3].

Splurge option — The Vietage by Anantara. A single luxury carriage (12 seats, 6 booths) running Da Nang↔Quy Nhon↔Nha Trang with a 3-course meal, free-flow drinks and a head/shoulder treatment; ~$420 (~€388) one-way [7] [8]. It only reaches as far south as Nha Trang, so it’s a tack-on if you continue north — not a southern-loop ride.

Mekong Delta — the journey is the destination

Water is the road here, so the boat is the point.

Cai Rang floating market, Can Tho (do this at dawn). The market runs ~05:00–09:00; the most photogenic window is 05:30–06:30, before the tour boats arrive [23]. Hire a small private sampan (~200,000–400,000 VND, ~€7–15) rather than a shared boat for 90 minutes among the wholesale barges and their pole-hung produce signs [23] [22]. Weekdays (Mon–Wed) are quieter and more authentic [23].

Day trip from HCMC. My Tho / Ben Tre full-day tours include a Mekong cruise, hand-rowed sampan through coconut-palm canals, and lunch, from ~$31 (~€29) [18]. Honest take: a day trip is a sampler — the canals are pretty but the format is touristy.

Overnight on the river (recommended for the scenery). Multi-day sampan/cruise routes between Cai Be and Can Tho turn the delta into a slow, offbeat journey [19]. Victoria Mekong runs refined 3D2N / 4D3N cruises (Can Tho–Tan Chau) from ~$580 (~€537) [20]; private Song Xanh-style sampans cover Cai Be↔Can Tho for couples [19].

Coastal & sea trips

Saigon → Vung Tau by speedboat. The Greenlines DP high-speed ferry takes ~2 h, gliding down the Saigon River past the skyline before opening onto the sea — a genuinely different view of the city; ~$13–17 (~€12–16) [21]. A scenic, offbeat alternative to the traffic-choked road.

Nha Trang island-hopping. Boat tours of Nha Trang Bay’s islands (Hon Mun, Hon Tam, Mieu) for snorkelling, fishing villages and a floating bar. Group/VIP 3-island tours ~770,000 VND (~€28); Hon Mun trips 400,000–600,000 VND (~€15–22); private speedboat day ~$118 (~€109) [26] [27].

Vinh Hy Bay coast road (offbeat gem). Between Nha Trang and Phan Rang, route DT/TL702 through Nui Chua National Park is rated among Vietnam’s most beautiful drives — cliffs, crescent bays and cactus desert on one side, ocean on the other; ~40 km of near-empty new road [24] [25]. Best by hired car or guided motorbike on a Cam Ranh→Vinh Hy→Phan Rang day [24].

Getting to & around Phu Quoc

Fly it. Direct HCMC→Phu Quoc flights (Vietnam Airlines, VietJet, Bamboo, Vietravel) take ~55 min, from ~625,000 VND (~€23) and typically €32–65 [12] [13]. For a first trip this is the obvious move.

Or make a journey of it. Bus to the coast then ferry: HCMC→Ha Tien (~7–8 h) or →Rach Gia (~6–7 h), then Superdong / Phu Quoc Express ferry — Ha Tien ~1.5 h (€8–17), Rach Gia ~2.5 h (€12–24); total 9–12 h, €17–28 [14] [15] [12]. Ferries run ~07:00–14:00; book ahead and check weather — crossings cancel in rough seas [14]. ⚠ There’s no direct Nha Trang↔Phu Quoc ferry — connect by air.

The headline ride — Hon Thom cable car. From An Thoi / Sunset Town in southern Phu Quoc, this is the world’s longest 3-wire over-sea cable car: 7,899.9 m, a Guinness record since 2018, ~15 min each way at up to 174 m above the sea over island-dotted water [16]. Round-trip adult ~850,000 VND (~€31), including the Kiss Bridge and a drink; combos with the mango buffet from ~1,150,000 VND (~€42) [16]. Open daily ~09:00–17:00 (extended in peak season) [16]. Reviewers price the park-inclusive ticket at roughly €30 [17]. Even non-park-goers ride it for the view alone.

Booking notes

• Buy train and ferry tickets via Baolau, 12Go.Asia or Vexere (official Vietnam Railways resale) — for sleepers, book days ahead in the Nov–Apr high season [1] [2].
• FUTA (Phương Trang) is the default sleeper-bus operator across the south — punctual, own terminals, not street pickups [9].
• Speedboat/ferry schedules are weather-dependent; build a buffer day before flights out [14].