//
Former provincial city in the former Bình Định province, Vietnam
Photo: Lê Hồ Bắc, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Quy Nhon (Vietnamese: Quy Nhơn), the capital of Bình Định province on the coast of central Vietnam, is a city long dismissed by Vietnamese and foreign travellers alike. But for those in the know, that disregard is precisely what makes Quy Nhon the rarest of gems: a beach city in Southeast Asia unspoiled by the ravages of mass tourism.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
Tháp Bánh Ít / Silver Towers
This is one of the best large sites of Cham ruins still surviving, and certainly the most accessible and best restored in the countryside. A cluster of four towers built in the 10th–11th centuries on a hilltop overlooking the river. The Cham constructed the Bánh Ít site to fit in harmony with the environment, and while not as enormous as ancient sites in Angkor or Borobudur, the site even today is a beautiful medley of rolling countryside hills, river and towers. Although the site had nothing to do with silver, early French colonialists named Champa sites after minerals, and their name of "Silver Towers" stuck and is still used today by many foreign sources. The most common name used for the towers by the Vietnamese, Bánh Ít, is also the name of the local sweet cake specialty.
Approaching from the east, the first tower is the 13-metre (42-foot) gate. Up the hill from the gate are the three larger towers. The biggest is 20 metres (65 feet) high, with intricate carvings of humans, birds, flowers, and the elephant god Ganesa and the monkey god Viyu in dancing pose. The architectural style is unique among Cham ruins for the vertical columns and grooved tiles, the use of sandstone for the roof edges, and false doors topped by soaring arches in the shape of spears. The site held many statues, but sadly, most of them were shipped off to Europe by French colonialists in the late 19th century. The most impressive of the artworks, an intricately-carved 11th-century statue of a three-eyed Shiva seated on a lotus, is held in the Musée Guimet in Paris, while copper statues of Genesha, Uma, and Brahma vanished into private French collectors' hands in the early 20th century.
If you're feeling particularly adventurous, the undeveloped countryside around the main towers is full of small centuries-old ruins. Although only the four complete towers survive, the area had many more buildings, and poorly-funded archaeological surveys haven't had the resources to completely investigate the grounds. Small fragments are hidden in many places in the undergrowth, and, with luck, you can even find complete corner pieces of several buildings overgrown by trees, particularly to the east of the main site. But don't disturb anything: you're allowed to explore the ruins, but it's illegal to take, sell, export, or damage any historical relics in Vietnam.
Tháp Dương Long
Three Cham towers built in the late 12th century, about 50 km (30 mi) outside Quy Nhơn. These impressive towers are the tallest Cham structures still remaining in Vietnam: the centre tower is 24 m (78 ft) high, while the two outside towers each measure 22 m (72 ft). The bodies of the towers are made from bricks, while the bases are built from massive carved boulders. Patterns carved into the bases show a glimpse of ancient Cham culture: flowers, gods, elephants, large human breasts, dragons. The towers were in the middle of a civic area, which now can only be seen in the ruins and artefacts strewn about on the surrounding grounds. The site feels abandoned and wild. Money for preservation and restoration was cut in the late 2000s, and except for the occasional presence of a caretaker, the site is utterly empty and you'll probably be alone as you explore the area. There is no information at the site.
Tháp Đôi / Twin Towers
The Tháp Đôi are the most accessible Cham towers in the country. The Hindu Cham people started construction on the two 20-metre (65 ft) towers in the 11th century after establishing Vijaya as the capital of their empire and the port city of Quy Nhơn as its economic engine. Three towers were planned, but for unknown reasons, only two exist, and the site became known to the Vietnamese as Tháp Đôi ("The Twin Towers"). Unusually for Cham architecture, the Twin Towers eschew the traditional multi-storey square construction in favour of a large rectangular base topped by a carved pyramid structure. The towers were built from brick in the typical Cham style in which pieces were tiled closely together and then baked into a solid block, with the unusual addition of crushed stone for support. The outer structure and external sculptures were made from sandstone. The art and architecture share many characteristics with Angkor sites in present-day Cambodia thanks to the frequent exchange — in both peace and war — between Champa and the Khmer kingdom. This later Cham period is particularly characterized by the intricate and ornate animal statues and carvings which the Cham adopted after moving their capital to Bình Định. The holy bird Garuda rests on top of the vegetation-covered roofs, protecting the towers from evil forces, while below are detailed carvings of giant lotus bases, elephants, lions, monkeys and humans dancing. The towers were restored in the 1980s and 1990s with help from a Polish archaeological team, and the area around them has been developed into a small park, with trees and grass surrounding the archaeological site and shielding it from the traffic outside (ironically, one of the only noisy stretches of road anywhere in the city is Trần Hưng Đạo street directly in front of the towers). The neighbourhood just to the north of the towers is a pleasant and quiet residential area on the banks of the river, with a few local cafes and restaurants. Unlike the Cham towers in the countryside, ticket collectors at Tháp Đôi are always present and awake, so you will definitely be asked to pay.
Tháp Thủ Thiện
Tháp Cánh Tiên
Tháp Phú Lốc
Tháp Bình Lâm
Medium-sized Buddhist temple a 4-min walk from Coopmart just west of Nguyễn Tất Thành Street.
Large and very important Buddhist temple in Quy Nhơn city and Bình Định province. The temple was first constructed in the early 1700s, but nothing of the original structure remains. The current main building was erected in 1956, and the Buddha statue and lotus pond were completed in 1972. The 1.7 m (5.6 ft) high, 700 kg (1,500 lb) bell was believed to have been cast in 1805. Inside is a statue of Avalokiteśvara, the embodiment of infinite compassion of all Buddhas, who uses his thousand arms to reach out to help the suffering masses. To the side of the temple is a 17 m (56 ft) bluestone statue of Amitābha (Vietnamese: A-di-đà), the celestial Buddha, resting upon a 5 m (16 ft) lotus base. Entrance is free every day from early morning until late evening.
Large and active Mahayana Buddhist pagoda complex in the city centre a 10-minute walk west of Coopmart. Founded in 1917 outside the city, it was moved in the 1960s to its current location to make room for the expansion of the airport during the Vietnam-American war. The well-maintained temple, which is surrounded by spacious and peaceful grounds with many colourful statues, is an active and working centre of spiritual studies, community outreach, and charity activities. Visitors are welcome daily from morning to evening.
Impressive and little-visited Buddhist temple of 800 m² (8,600 ft²) set on tranquil riverside grounds of 1,800 m² (19,000 ft²). Work began on the site in 2011. Soon after, five workers were gravely injured in a major accident when the concrete and steel of the third floor collapsed. Construction was suspended, but with the prayers of the monks and the enthusiastic support of the injured workers, the community overcame its grief and the temple was finished in 2013.
Active Mahayana Buddhist temple on a tranquil 2,000 m² (21,000 ft²) site. A small hut on the grounds began serving as a spiritual home for monks in the 1920s but was destroyed during war activities in the 1940s. The temple was restarted under new spiritual advisers in 1955, and the structure was built out very, very slowly. After 40 years of glacial progress, construction on the current temple picked up pace in the 1990s and was finished in 1995. The well-maintained temple boasts a 150-kg (330-lb) bell. Open to visitors daily from morning to evening.
Buddhist temple in the northwest of the city. Nestled amidst the trees and set back against the mountain, the temple's 2,500 m² (27,000 ft²) grounds are a surprisingly peaceful contrast to the bustle of the heavily trafficked street outside. It was built in 1959 and was restored from 1995 to 1999. Open to visitors daily from morning to evening.
Well-maintained six-storey Buddhist temple in the northern end of the city centre. Open to visitors daily from morning to evening.
Towering above the ocean on the Phương Mai Peninsula, this 30-m (100-ft) golden Avalokiteśvara, the embodiment of infinite compassion of all Buddhas, is the tallest Buddha statue in Vietnam. Constructed in 2014, the base is designed to hold the ashes of 8,000 local families.
Nhà thờ chính tòa Quy Nhơn
First built as a local parish in 1892, the church underwent a massive expansion in the 1930s when it became the seat of the regional Catholic Diocese. The 47-m (155-ft) spire houses a 1,800-kg (2-ton) bell donated in 1962 in Catholic outreach efforts by the predominantly Polish congregation of St. Pancratius Church of Chicago. During the war years in the 1960s, the Quy Nhơn Cathedral served as a refuge for displaced locals, and as a place of worship for American soldiers.
Chi Hội Quy Nhơn
Bảo Tàng Bình Định
Located in the east of the centre near the Municipal People's Administrative buildings, this small building has a large collection of Cham artefacts making it more interesting than you'd expect for a small provincial museum. The museum's Cham collection has grown significantly over the last two decades as new expeditions jointly conducted with Belgian and Japanese archaeological teams and Polish restoration experts have excavated and preserved new pieces in the province. The museum, founded in 1980, also houses several American weapons, including a tank and howitzer artillery guns, which were captured in the province by the Vietnamese government in 1975. Oddly, the weapons are haphazardly interspersed amidst Cham artefacts, both inside the museum and in the surrounding outdoor gardens. An additional highlight of the museum, the currency collection, is continuing to expand as scholars work with Chinese experts to survey the artefacts. But unfortunately, the museum itself is underfunded, poorly maintained, and has very little useful information in English.
Imposing and stern complex of several multi-storey buildings housing the city-government offices built in classic communist architectural style. The largest of the buildings towers over the surrounding neighbourhood and is visible from the beach. Its stern architecture is the butt of many popular jokes among the less reverent locals. The complex is lit bright at night with white and red lights. As of 2023, inquiries for visiting the building must be made prior, and it is unclear whether they are granted.
Bảo tàng Quang Trung
Emperor Quang Trung, also known as Nguyễn Huệ, is the most celebrated of the Tây Sơn brothers, rebels who led a peasant uprising in the 18th century which conquered feudal houses in the north and south and created a unified and independent Vietnam. He's a revered national hero who was — and still is — celebrated throughout Vietnam and the diaspora for his military victories and support of the common people. Quang Trung and his two brothers were born in Tây Sơn village, and the town's museum honoring him and his family is very important in national politics, with many past and present leaders having visited since its 1978 construction to pay their respects publicly. For Vietnamese — in Vietnam and in the diaspora — who spent their childhood learning his legends, the museum can be very interesting. But for foreigners who have never heard of him, it's less exciting. The complex houses artefacts from the battles as well as art, costumes, and original documents from the Tây Sơn period. But the collection is poorly displayed, there is little information in English, and the location is far enough from the city centre that it's only worthwhile on its own if you already are deeply interested in Quang Trung. But if you're already in the area exploring Cham ruins or travelling between Quy Nhơn and Pleiku, the grounds are very lovely and there are several martial arts performances each month. Special events are held each year on January 5, the anniversary of the Battle of Ngọc Hồi of 1789, when Quang Trung defeated invading Chinese troops after imploring his peasant troops to "fight to keep our hair long, fight to keep our teeth black."
Renting your own motorbike is the cheapest and most convenient way to reach the museum. A taxi from the city costs 400,000–500,000 dong one-way. There is no bus. The museum can be combined with in a day trip to the Dương Long Cham Towers lying 10 km to the east.
Part of the International Centre for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE) complex, established to further science and research in Vietnam. ExploraScience hosts several exhibitions on Astronomy, Space exploration etc. suitable for children and adults alike.
With deserted beaches, hilly islands close to shore, and round wooden fishing boats bobbing in the water, the tiny village of Bãi Xép 10 km (6 mi) south of the city centre has become a popular destination for international tourists looking for seaside tranquililty. It's part of the city, but the little hamlet is a world of development away from even sleepy Quy Nhơn's decided lack of buzz and feels more like a remote island than a suburb. The access road to the village is a tiny lane running down the hill from Highway 1D. At the bottom, the lane splits into two one-metre wide passages between the villagers' houses: the left leads to the cove used by the fishermen, while the right takes you to a secluded beach and two guesthouses run by and for foreigners. At the south end of the Bãi Xép cove past a fence is the only luxury hotel in the region, the Avani Beach Resort; it shares the same tranquil waters and postcard view of the nearby islands, but its end of the beach is private and off-limits to non-guests.
Running over the mountains and high above the shore, the road between Quy Nhơn and Bãi Xép has jaw-dropping views, and there are many points along the highway where you can stop to take panoramic pictures of the city and the coast. North and south of Bãi Xép are many bays below the highway. The most popular are the bucolic hamlets of Bãi Bàng and Bãi Bầu, 5 km (3 mi) south of Bãi Xép, but there are dozens of little coves which you can explore between the jagged rocks along the entire stretch of coast.
The nicely-maintained beach promenade stretches almost without interruption for 5 km (3 mi) along the southeast coast of Quy Nhơn city. Bordered on both sides by layers of mountains receding into the hazy distance, the natural beauty of the city's waterfront setting has inspired poets for centuries. The contrast to more developed beach resorts such as Nha Trang is stark. Much of the Quy Nhơn beach is unused and empty even in peak tourist season. There are no commercial watersports, boat rides, surfing or tours. In the more central areas 1 km on either side of Nguyễn Tất Thành street, locals play football (soccer) and volleyball on the beach, Vietnamese tourists run (often fully clothed) into the water, and families enjoy picnics. The few vendors scattered along the promenade selling food and drinks to local tourists are low-key and don't aggressively tout their wares. In the central beach area, a few hotels and private individuals offer lounge chairs in the summer months. A tiny semi-permanent amusement park in a grassy area next to the beach offers carousel rides primarily for kids.
With grainy sand a dark shade of yellow, slightly murky water, no international food options, no nightlife, a sleepy atmosphere, and a notable lack of tourist infrastructure in general, Quy Nhơn is far from a typical beach paradise... which is precisely the draw of this beautiful setting for those looking to escape the mass tourism of big resorts.
The Phương Mai peninsula (see sidebar) is the easiest — and probably only — place in Vietnam to enjoy kilometres of beach in utter solitude. The beach on the northeast side of the peninsula is almost completely empty for over 10 km. Just leave your motorbike anywhere you like on the side of the highway and scramble over the 300-metre wide sand dunes to reach the coast. Take off your shoes and enjoy: in dry season, the pale-yellow to crystal-white sand squeaks pleasantly underfoot. Small sand hills line the coast; those who manage to scale their slippery heights are rewarded with views of the mountains in the north and of the never-ending coast stretching off to the horizon in the south. There are no stores and no shade, so be sure to take water and lots of sunscreen.
In contrast to the rolling sand dunes of the northern part of the peninsula, the shore at Bãi Kỳ Co in the south-central area is sharply framed by rocky boulders and stunning cliffs. Jump from the 10-metre (30-foot) cliffs into the clear blue ocean, play in pools of fresh water trapped amongst the inland boulders, swim in salt water lakes connected by underwater passageways to the ocean, hop in a wooden boat for a one-hour jaunt with fishermen to explore the islands just off the coast, or scramble up the jagged cliffs closest to the shore for perfect photo opportunities of the ocean and coast. If you're really adventurous, hike the trail through the mountain forests: the three-hour trek from the top down to the beach takes you through spectacular boulder passes and mountain creeks. And anywhere you are, you can't miss the largest Buddha statue in Vietnam, the 30-metre (100-foot) golden statue constructed in 2014 of Avalokiteśvara, the embodiment of infinite compassion of all Buddhas, looking out over the water.
But Bãi Kỳ Co is changing rapidly: after years of plans deferred and broken, luxury development began at the end of 2015. An 18-hole golf course drafted by Jack Nicklaus's design company had a partial opening in February 2016 and is the anchor of Hanoi-based FLC Group's drive to build Vietnam's first seven-star luxury resort in the area around Eo Gió beach. So enjoy the area while it's still in its natural state... and still open to the public.
The mountains on the mainland just to the north of the peninsula have several attractions which are popular with local Bình Định tourists. One kilometre north on Highway 640 past the junction with Highway 19 is the Buddhist Temple Chùa Ông Núi. Founded in 1702, the temple sits on the mountain to the west of the highway and has stunning views of the coast and the ocean. Near the temple closer to the shore is a massive stone and metal sculpture which commemorates the capture of Bình Định by People's Army's forces in March, 1975. Behind the cafe on the road opposite the sculpture, a steep boulder walkway carries an odd mix of selfie-shooting locals and gruff fishermen down to a picturesque cove crammed with round wooden trawlers sandwiched between the water and the cliffs.
The easiest way to explore the peninsula from Quy Nhơn is to rent a motorbike and drive over via the Thị Nại bridge. From the city centre, take Nguyễn Tất Thành to Trần Hưng Đạo. At the large intersection, head north on Võ Nguyên Giáp. You'll cross four small bridges as you pass through industrial parks and agricultural fields on all sides. After 3 km, the road bends east and you'll see the 2.5-kilometre long Thị Nại bridge stretching forlornly across the sea. At least, hopefully you'll see it: the crossing is notorious for being covered in fog and strong winds even when the city is sunny, so take care when on the bridge not to get blown over by the gusts of air, water and sand. After reaching the peninsula and passing a petrol station on the right, you'll reach a confusing series of roundabouts; most head to factories and the not-yet developed areas, so be careful to follow the signs for Highway 19B. Once you're on Highway 19B, it's a straight line north for 20 km (12 mi) to the top of the peninsula.
Tiny amusement park squeezed between the trees lining the beach. Semi-permanent rides include a small carousel and wee-sized autos. Squatting vendors offer Vietnamese snack food and painted presents for children. Very low-key atmosphere with beautiful views on the beach and ocean, although the small area can become crowded with local children during high season. The attractions are open to all kids from ages 2 to 92 but are probably most enjoyed by children 4 to 9.
Bright and cheerful two-storey children's wonderland. Games and fun. Focused on younger children ages 2 to 7.
CGV, the only large movie theatre in the city, is in the Big C complex in the far southwest of the city.
Pick-up and organized games. Teams are informal and welcome newcomers to join in.
Indoor and outdoor billiards club with nightclub music blasting over massive loudspeakers.
Often unused. 100,000 dong for one hour, although you are often allowed to enter and play for free.
Pick-up games most afternoons and evenings. Low-intermediate skill-level. Visitors very welcome to join in and play.
Two nicely-maintained hard-surface courts. Courts are unused on most weekday mornings and afternoons. Official price is 100,000 dong for one hour, but you can usually enter and play for free. Evenings from 17:00 to 20:00, a group of 25 male office workers at low-intermediate level play short doubles matches. If you have your own racket, you can join and play with them for free. The courts are visible from Nguyễn Tất Thành street, but the main entrance is from the parking lot behind the airport office building at the corner of Phạm Hùng and Mai Xuân Thưởng).]
Two nicely-maintained red-and-green tennis hard courts in the north centre of the city. Available most mornings and afternoons, including weekends. The fee is 100,000 dong per hour, but you can usually enter and play for free.
Two nicely-maintained green hard tennis courts for use at the entrance of the sports complex. Available most mornings and afternoons, but usually booked out in the evenings by nearby office workers. 100,000 dong per hour.
Two large billiards clubs directly across street from each other in a leafy upper-class neighbourhood.
Clean and modern yoga centre and wellness spa.
Two-storey restaurant specializing in sizzling steak and eggs (bò neé). Very popular with students and local workers.
Small restaurant offering the famous Quảng Nam specialty of spit-roasted veal. The calf, carefully selected at a young age and at a weight of 30–35 kg (66–77 lb) so as to be not too large and not too small, is roasted whole on a long rod over an open street-side fire of burning charcoal. The blackened skin is then scraped off, and the pink meat is shaved into thin slices and served with salted anchovies, rice paper, chili, garlic, fish-oil dipping sauce, green banana pieces and herbs.
Very good value barbeque/hot-pot restaurant in the centre. Family operation with just six tables. Very popular among students for its low-cost beef and pork barbeque.
Cavernous indoor and outdoor restaurant in the city centre specializing in goat meat. All parts of the goat offered: stomach, intestines, etc. The smell of many goats being grilled simultaneously can be overwhelming if you're not used to it. Private eating rooms available off the main restaurant space.
Large upscale cafe and restaurant in the centre, east of Nguyễn Tất Thành and just north of the central market. Beautiful and atmospheric setting where customers sit inside pagoda structures which are connected by wooden bridges and surrounded by topiary and bonsai trees, all accompanied to the sound of classical music from both Europe and Vietnam. Popular with the upper-classes of both local residents and Vietnamese tourists. Standard Vietnamese food and drink on offer.
Large seafood restaurant set underneath a semi-covered tin roof in a parking lot on a desolate stretch of road in the southwest of the city. Five-minute walk from the beach. Despite the semi-disreputable appearance (of both the restaurant and the customers), it attracts a loyal local crowd of older intellectuals, who while the day and night away in semi-drunken and fully-rehearsed arguments about the last millennium of Vietnamese history. Vietnamese language knowledge is obviously helpful to follow the twists and turns of the intricate debates, but thanks to involvement with American soldiers in the 1960s, several of the older men can happily hold forth in English after a few grilled octopus and beers. Restaurant offers the same shellfish and seafood options of the restaurants on the beach promenade for prices around 20–40% less.
Small shellfish-restaurant two blocks north of the beach in the southeast of the city, close to the People's Municipal Building. Eight types of shells daily: grilled oysters, scallops grilled with peanuts and shallots, snails, clams, mussels. Popular with local residents for its prices half those on the nearby beach promenade.
Large and very popular low-budget restaurant for fish cake noodle soup.
Standard Vietnamese local canteen. Pork, chicken, beef stews with rice or noodles. It's neither particularly good nor particularly bad: there are dozens of identical places throughout the city. However, this particular restaurant has become something of a cult-hit among Western tourists to Quy Nhơn after one foreign customer discovered that the owner speaks fairly proficient English thanks to his five-year stay in San Francisco and Oakland. Several years after that first foreigner's review, this small canteen has improbably amassed by far the most English-language reviews online of any restaurant in the city, much to the bemusement of the owner and the few local residents who are aware of it.
Goat-meat in a small corner-restaurant in the city centre. All parts of the goat prepared. Cheaper than larger goat restaurants.
Goat-meat in a roof-covered, open-air restaurant on the northern riverside shore. Views onto the river, bridge and temple across the water. All parts of the goat prepared.
Very good value shellfish dishes. Offers three daily specials of freshly-caught shells: clams, snails, grilled oysters, mussels, scallops, etc. Cooked with spices, garlic, lemongrass, and coconut milk, served on small appetizer-sized plates. Customers sit inside the small space indoors or in a tarpaulin-covered space on the street corner. Very popular at lunchtime among students and local office workers as a quick and good-value snack.
Traditional local specialties, fresh/dry seafood.
The most famous bánh xèo restaurant in Quy Nhơn has two branches. The largest — and definitely the most touristic — of bánh xèo venues in the city is Gia Vỹ 2, which lies at the northern end of a cluster of four restaurants competing side-by-side on Diên Hồng street. Factory-like in its efficiency and size, circus-like in the bustle of the cooks, waiters, and boys running around trying to corral passing motorcyclists inside, the restaurant offers indoor and outdoor (across the street) seating. The original Gia Vỹ, on Đống Đa in the northern end of the city, is much smaller, more local and massively more tranquil than the second branch. Prices are the same at both branches: 25,000 dong per plate of two pancakes.
Family-style restaurant offering delicious bánh xèo. Good quality at budget price. A 10-minute walk from the beach on a pleasant, tree-lined street in the southwest of city.
The largest of several small street-side bánh xèo restaurants in the little night-food area just off the beach promenade on Ngô Văn Sở and surrounding alleys between Nguyễn Huế and Nguyễn Lạc. The bánh xèo is the same at all the restaurants in the small area. Price is highly variable at Quán An; it's one of the very few restaurants in Quy Nhơn which sometimes charge foreigners different prices than locals pay. A plate of four pancakes costs locals 15,000–20,000 dong; tourists are typically charged 25,000–30,000 dong.
Several vendors offer bánh xèo for breakfast in front of their homes on the small, tree-lined street of Trần Quang Diệu between Nguyễn Công Trứ and Tăng Bạt Hổ. They cook daily on most mornings from 07:00 to 10:00, or until they run out of ingredients.
Numerous bánh xèo vendors rove the streets around the local market Chợ Đầm in the northern end of the city near the riverside. Very local.
Local chain of three sandwich shops. Fixed-location stores but no seating. Offers more variety of options than the typical specialized street-side sandwich stall, as well as choice of warming the baguette.
Hot pot restaurant popular at night with university students. Seating both indoors and at stylish wooden tables on the street.
One of many hot-pot restaurants in a small area near the corner of Diên Hồng and Lê Lai. Offers the option of either grilling your food or the traditional style of boiling it in a pot of simmering stock.
One of the only restaurants in Quy Nhơn — if not the only restaurant — specializing in Western-style food such as pizza and pasta. The restaurant is often recommended by the bigger hotels to Western tourists looking for comfort food similar to home. But it's a small restaurant and Quy Nhơn is not an international city, so the food is suited to local tastes and ends up being more Vietnamese-style than Westerners expect.
The Philippine fast-food chain.
The only Western fast-food chain restaurant in the city, in the southeast corner of the Coopmart shopping centre.
Large and elaborate sushi restaurant. Two storeys: the lower floor seating is at normal tables, while the upper floor has views towards the sea and seating on pillows and a no-shoes-allowed shiny hardwood floor. The quality of the food might not be at the standards of sushi in Tokyo (or Beijing, Moscow or Los Angeles), but it's the best and most modern sushi in the not-so-international-yet Quy Nhơn. It's a two-minute walk from the central beach and a five-minute walk southwest from Coopmart.
Small pizza restaurant in the city centre with the English-language motto "Be Different". Offers hot pot and Western pizzas done Vietnamese style.
Modern gelatto shop in west of city. Popular with young people.
Mid-sized vegetarian just north of the temple. Slightly more upscale setting than most vegetarian restaurants in the city, with tablecloths and flowers on each table. Open hours officially 07:00–21:00, although often closes for long breaks. One of several vegetarian restaurants near the Long Khánh Buddhist temple.
Medium-large vegetarian attached to the Hiển Nam temple just west of Nguyễn Tất Thành street. A four-minute walk from Coopmart. Picturesque views of the temple through the open back gate of the restaurant.
A permanent street stall one block south of Minh Tịnh temple selling vegetarian baguette sandwiches (bánh mì).
Standard mid-size vegetarian restaurant.
Very large vegetarian restaurant on the south side of Long Khánh Buddhist temple. Dependably open long hours from morning until night, including holidays. Slightly more expensive than the many smaller, family-run vegetarian restaurants in the area.
Mid-sized vegetarian one block southeast of the Minh Tịnh temple. A five-minute walk from either the central plaza on the beach or from the Coopmart.
Mid-size vegetarian restaurant next to the Quy Nhơn Evangelical Church in the eastern end of the central city. Both the setting and the food are a slight step above similar vegetarian venues.
Small family-run vegetarian restaurant on the north side of Long Khánh Buddhist temple. Generally offers several vegetable-based dishes, as opposed to the meat-substitute dishes found at typical Vietnamese vegetarian restaurants.
Mid-sized vegetarian restaurant one block south of the Minh Tịnh temple.
Very tiny vegetarian restaurant in a family-home in a small alley off the main street. One of several vegetarian restaurants near the Long Khánh Buddhist temple.
Small family-run vegetarian just north of the Long Khánh temple. One of several vegetarian restaurants near the temple. Extremely kind family owners often invites foreigners to explore their home and culture.
The largest, most elaborate — and commensurately most expensive — bakery in Quy Nhơn. Intricately designed and decorated cakes, for example shaped as animals (frogs, dogs, bunnies, dragons) and human figures (Buddha, princesses). Cake flavors include green tea (matcha), tiramisu, and standard cream cakes. Also offers vegan (pure-veg) baked products. The bakery spans three adjacent stores, with one specializing in cakes, the second in cookies, sweet breads and chocolates, and the third in general baked products. Unusually for Quy Nhơn, the bakery has a website, and the site is even available in English.
Long-standing family operation that bakes the baguettes used for bánh mì sandwiches. Reputed among locals to be the highest quality baguettes in the city.
Small bakery offering big cakes.
Small bakery offering cakes and chocolate pieces. Offers all the standard cakes and decorations, with a specialty in tiramisu cakes and fruit-jelly cakes (including passion-fruit cake). Unusually for Quy Nhơn, sells pieces of cakes in single servings, rather than entire cakes.
Spacious and clean bakery in the southwest of city with the English motto "Good Food — Good Life." Cakes, cupcakes, cream buns, pork floss buns. Prices around 20–40% less than most Quy Nhơn bakeries.
Corner bakery very popular among locals for birthdays, holidays, and family meals.
Very large higher-end cafe with both outdoor and indoor seating. Three minutes by foot southwest from the Coopmart. Extensive lighting in the evening makes it a popular spot for couples at night. Gelatto ice cream available. Somewhat confusingly, the cafe's name is spelled "Bookafe" on internet sites and Facebook, but the logo is designed as "Bookkafe", where the middle "k" is stylized to be both the "k" of "book" and the "K" of "Kafe".
Small and cute cafe in the city centre a 10-minute walk northwest from the beach or seven minutes west from Coopmart. Beloved by teenage girls for its cute drinks, caramel popcorn, and Western pop music. The friendy owner Búp, one of the very few cafe owners in the city completely fluent in English, converted his parents' small clothing store into the eponymous cafe in the summer of 2015 after graduating from graphic design studies in Saigon. The cafe shows off some of his design skills.
Charming cafe built underneath — and hidden amongst — towering trees on a quiet lane a 7-minute walk west from the beach in the southwest of the city.
Pleasant indoor cafe decorated with many tropical plants on the walls and bamboo-mat hanging from the ceilings. It's in the city centre on an idyllic, narrow street packed with bonsai trees, flags and children playing.
Hipster-esque cafe in the northern end of the city. White-brick wall interior. Offers ice coffee blended with tiramisu, cookies or banana.
Cute little cafe near Chùa Trúc Lâm temple. Popular among local teenage girls for its milk tea, bubble tea, iced coffee, and cookies drinks. Seating on pillows on the floor. Walls decorated with bright pink drawings, hipster black-and-white photos, and enormous paintings of Japan and Europe.
All the Hello Kitty drinks, cakes and sweets you could want in a cafe with all the Hello Kitty decorations you could squeeze into a small space. Ignore the trademark violations (shhhh...) and enjoy.
Peaceful indoor cafe with picturesque European-style window boxes and white window frames. A two-minute walk south of the central market on Tôn Đức Thắng street.
Cafe with a young and modern style in the east of the city. With fishbowl windows facing on the street corner giving lots of natural light, white brick walls, gelato bar, and an extensive menu of cookie drinks, frappuccinos, smoothies, and tea with jam, Jolly has attracted a steady crowd of young people since its 2015 opening. Adorning the walls are chalk-scribbled translations of Vietnamese humor such as "Woman are less dangerous when they have gelato". No smoking.
City centre cafe near the central food market. The modern decor and creative drinks makes it popular with Quy Nhơn's (very small) young and fashionable crowd. Large outdoor seating area, plus indoor tables. One of the nicer public bathroom in Quy Nhơn (damning with faint praise, but modern clean toilets aren't one of Quy Nhơn's specialties).
Mid-market, modern-style cafe in the southwest corner of the An Phú Thịnh Plaza building.
Multi-storey cafe in the centre. A two-minute walk east from the airport shuttle bus drop-off. Typical large mid-budget Vietnamese style cafe/restaurant. Nothing to do with Japan other than the name and a painting of Mt. Fuji. Large indoor water-pond display with dozens of small porcelain Buddhas playing under plastic cherry blossoms. Karaoke on upper floors. Big open windows on street. Old but clean toilets.
Hip little cafe in the centre. The decor is a mix between urban industrial and Asian kitsch. Stylish smoothies served in an edible glass made of sweet jelly.
Pleasant two-storey treehouse-cafe a 10-minute walk northwest from the beach.
Industrial-style hipster-esque coffee shop. Complete with intricate latte art and baristas wielding tough attitudes, Reform cafe could (almost) be at home in London, Paris or Brooklyn. Small indoor and outdoor space. Smokey. Offers more varieties of coffee drinks than most cafes in Quy Nhơn.
Very large outdoor cafe set rather unusually amidst dozens of bonsai trees which are for sale. At the entrance waits a human-sized statue of a fisher goddess to greet you.
Tiny and sweet cafe a block north of the Long Khánh temple in the northeast of the city centre. Small outdoor seating. Milk tea and coffee served in artsy jars tied off with burlap rope designs. Specialty drink of red and green Thai sweet tea. The upstairs has a no-shoes pillow-seating area surrounded by massive posters illustrating Vietnamese fantasy stories.
Very pleasant, modern cafe. Wood tables and chairs. Has a glass-enclosed non-smoking room with pillow-seating on a sparkling-clean hardwood floor. Drinks only, no food.
The biggest nightclub in Quy Nhơn. The only one, as well. Lots of blue and green neon lights. Lots of smoke, both from cigarettes and from smoke machines. Mainly Vietnamese music, loud and with the bass cranked up, but some Western pop mixed in.
Clean, low-budget hotel in centre of city. The building's four-storey outside features a prominent green and yellow art-deco motif which contrasts with the wood or solid colour patterns more typical of buildings in the area. Only basic English spoken.
Straddling the border between the low- and mid-budget categories, this hotel directly across the street from the beach in the southwest of the city offers rooms which are clean but small and dark. Near Seagull hotel. One of several hotels on the block which cooperate in offering to foreigners semi-scammy tourist services such as plane tickets, car rental, tours, etc. Some English spoken.
Small low-budget hotel across the road from the city's central waterfront area. Exterior designed like a very narrow German castle. Quirky room decor features lots of floral patterns and garish colours. Rooms not very clean, but adequate for the price. Across the street from Hoàng Yến hotel and a three-minute walk from the up-market Seagull Hotel.
Budget family-run guesthouse set back in a small alley between the Saigon Quy Nhơn hotel and the shopping centre Plaza An Phú Thịnh. A 3-minute walk to beach. Small, dark, slightly moldy rooms, but offset by the low price and convenient location. No English spoken or understood.
Budget hotel offering reasonable value for price. Old, but well-maintained and clean. Friendly, but almost no English spoken.
Low-budget guesthouse in the southwest of city offering good quality for the price. Quiet nondescript neighbourhood, with a 4-minute walk to beach. 25 minutes by foot to Coopmart. Owner manages several hotels, speaks good English after living five years in San Francisco and very good Japanese after studying medicine in Tokyo for 10 years.
Low-budget hotel on pleasant tree-lined street in centre just off main Nguyễn Tất Thành Street promenade. By foot, the beach is 8 minutes away, the Coopmart 4 minutes. Rooms are dark, old, slightly moldy, and need reform, but adequate for a budget stay for a night. On the top floor is a massage room. The friendly hotel owner lived in Germany 30 years before and still speaks surprisingly decent German and basic English.
Most low-budget of three adjacent hotels directly behind (due west) of the Coopmart complex in centre. A 3-minute walk to beach. Reasonably clean. Typical family-operated guesthouse style.
Mid-budget hotel opened at the end of 2015. Directly opposite the beach and offering many rooms with sea views, it's still close to the city centre. The hotel entrance is flanked by open-air seafood restaurants, and a small night-food market is steps away. The Coopmart is a 5-minute walk to the north. Clean, modern rooms with air conditioning, TV, Wi-Fi. Elevator. Basic English understood.
The only mid-budget hotel in the northeast centre of the city. Rooms are small, but comfortable and clean. Six storeys. Elevator. Karaoke in basement, restaurant on top floor. 15-minute walk to Coopmart or the beach. 3-minute walk from the airport shuttle bus drop-off. Street-facing rooms on top floors have impressive panoramic views over the city, sea and mountains. Only basic English spoken.
Standard mid-budget Vietnamese-style family-run hotel. Rooms dark, but clean enough in the southern end of the city centre, a 3-minute walk to the beach and 5 minutes to Coopmart.
Large Vietnamese-style hotel on a small street 20 m (65 ft) off the beach boulevard at the far eastern end of the city. With its 10 storeys towering over the sparsely populated area at the tip of the peninsula, many of the rooms offer unobstructed views in all directions over the bay, the ocean, the city and the mountains. Simple breakfast included. Elevator.
Multi-storey mid-market hotel. Most upmarket of three adjacent hotels directly behind (due west) of the Coopmart complex in centre. A 3-minute walk to beach. Outdated Vietnamese-style decor, small rooms.
Large 3-star hotel directly on the beach in the southwest of the city. Outdated decor, Vietnamese upper-mid business-class style. Two intact, African elephant tusks are displayed proudly in the lobby. Nine-storey building with impressive views of the sea, the mountains and the city from top-floor rooms. Outdoor swimming pool, indoor and outdoor restaurants offering both Vietnamese and Western food, large conference rooms, sauna. Elevator. Good English spoken at the reception desk.
Multi-storey four-star hotel across from beach. Soaring lobby. Outdated, impersonal decor. Higher — and more expensive — rooms have wonderful city and beach views. Elevator. Swimming pool, spa, and small gym on top floor. English understood.
Multi-storey hotel on the beach in the southwest of the city. 170 rooms. Dated decor, small rooms, but it's the only four-star hotel in this section of the beach. Many of the rooms offer sea views with balconies. Several restaurants offering both Vietnamese and Western food, rooftop bar, swimming pool, spa, tiny fitness centre, gift shop, travel agency. English spoken. Website offered in Russian, although no staff speak the language.
Foreign-run backpackers hostel on the beach in the tiny fishing village of Bãi Xép. Offers three simple but clean dorm rooms: one female-only room with private bathroom and two mixed-gender rooms with shared toilets. Shared shower cubicles are open to the sky. Same management as Haven Guesthouse.
Foreign-run guesthouse on the beach in the tiny fishing village of Bãi Xép. Offers four double rooms and one family room. Restaurant (open to non-guests as well) serves traveller-favourite Western fare and some Vietnamese specialities. Shares the same beach with Life's A Beach Guesthouse, which sits on the opposite side of the one-metre wide alleyway. The luxury Avani Resort lies on the same cove and beach about 100 m (330 ft) to the south, although its end of the beach is private and off-limits to non-guests.
Guesthouse on the beach in the tiny fishing village of Bãi Xép. Run by two Englishmen. Offers bamboo beach houses, beach-view bungalow, treehouse and dorm beds. Shares the same beach with Haven Guesthouse, which is just on the opposite side of the one-metre wide road. Avani Resort is on the same cove and beach about 100 m (330 ft) to the south, although its end of the beach is private and off-limits to non-guests.
Formerly Life Resort
Resort on the private Bai Dai Beach run by the Avani Hotel Group of Thailand. 63 rooms and suites. Restaurants with Western and Vietnamese fare, open-air bar, swimming pool, spa offering massage and facial treatments, yoga pavilion and billiards. Avani shares the same cove and beach as Haven Guesthouse and Life's a Beach Guesthouse 100 m (330 ft) to the north, but the beach is divided and Avani's side is private and off-limits to non-guests.
Multi-storey shopping centre in the east of the city. Low-budget semi-permanent shops offering domestic and imported (mainly from China) clothes, bags, household items. Some electronics.
The Quy Nhơn branch of Thailand's Big C hypermarket lies off Highway 1D close to the Metro bulk store and the bus station in a sparsely-populated area at the foot of the mountains. Offers household products, clothes, and dry foods. The huge building, opened to great fanfare in 2014 for its first-in-the-area green technology, is designed from glass and white aluminium to look like a massive QR barcode.
Opened in 2003, Coopmart is the only supermarket in the city. Offers household products, clothes, and both fresh and packaged food. Compared to Coopmart stores in larger Vietnamese cities, the Quy Nhơn branch has noticeably fewer fresh food products and significantly slower check-out lines. The store serves as the flagship of a local-style shopping centre which covers the entire square block and features a smartphone store, local-clothes vendors, KFC, a Bánh Mì Đất sandwich shop, and a small amusement park and entertainment centre. Public toilets are available for 2,000 dong per use at the back of the entertainment centre behind the water-ship ride.
The Quy Nhơn branch of the German-born, Thai-owned self-service bulk wholesaler Metro lies off Highway 1D in a sparsely-populated area at the foot of the mountain in the far south of the city. The yellow-on-blue Metro sign is visible from kilometres away and serves as a reference for drivers in the area.
Small store selling imported Hennessy and Belvedere.
One of several exercise and fitness store in a one-block area. Sports equipment, athletic apparel, tennis rackets. This block of Lê Hồng Phong is the most convenient — and only — location within a few hundred kilometres to find specialty sports paraphernalia.
Stylish little store selling imported alcohols, principally whiskies such as Jack Daniels and Johnny Walker.
One of the only local stores offering a large selection of domestic and imported alcohols.
Large market in the centre. Consists of a large area partially covered by tarpaulins in the space between Tôn Đức Thắng and Lương Định Của streets, plus vendors — mainly women — spilling out from the covered market area onto both sides of Tôn Đức Thắng street selling fresh fruits and vegetables from blankets. Mangoes, dragonfruit, pineapples, cherimoya, pomelo, coconuts, etc. Unrefrigerated cow meat, pork, fish, crabs. Fresh flowers. Mornings are peak times, but some vendors work all day.
One of the larger and more diversified outdoor markets in Quy Nhơn. In the north centre of city. Fruits and vegetables, freshly cut (and unrefrigerated) beef and chicken. Shellfish. Live chickens and fish. Fireworks products. Incense. Many roving vendors on the surrounding side streets cook bánh xèo on portable charcoal grills. Open from the early morning to evening.
Outdoor fish market. Vendors — mainly women — sit on low plastic chairs selling freshly-caught fish, shellfish, snails, crabs, lobsters, and oysters from blankets spread on both sides of the street. Usually open in the early morning and late afternoon, but the vendors set their own hours and come and go based on their supply of fish.
Largest covered food market in the centre of Quy Nhơn. Next to the Minh Tịnh temple and a 10-minute walk west from the Coopmart. The market encompasses a cavernous indoor space housed in a proper building in the area bounded by Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, Võ Lai, Hàm Nghi and Vũ Bão, as well as an outdoor area on Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai and nearby streets where vendors sell from blankets laid out on the pavement. Fruits, vegetables, unrefrigerated meats and fishes, tofu, beans. In addition to the usual food products, the market also boasts a large section of vendors selling uncooked noodles, including the provincial specialties of string-noodles and double noodles.
By car or motorcycle
As the biggest city between Hội An and Nha Trang, Quy Nhơn is often used by Vietnamese and local travellers as a convenient overnight stop for coastal trips.
By train
Approximate trip lengths (prices see online):
By bus
As a rough guide, trip length and a few prices (Nov 2023):
On foot
Quy Nhơn is a wonderful city for walking.
By motorbike
Nowhere within the city is more than 15 minutes away by motorbike. And parking is free everywhere.
By taxi
As of 2023, Grab is dominating the taxi market (incl. motorbike taxis), and they are a convenient way to get around.
By bicycle
Bicycles are also great for day trips to explore beaches and archaeological sites in the surrounding area which are too far for walking.
By bus
An inner city bus network is almost non-existent, just T5 runs from the port and then south through the city.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Quy Nohn · Regional · UIH
Loading places around the airport…
Articles and travel topics about Quy Nhon and Vietnam.
Travel tipsComplete 2026 guide to applying for a Vietnam e-visa. Step-by-step portal directions, photo rules, costs, 90-day multiple entries, and common pitfalls.
6 min read
Travel tipsExplore the rainy seasons in Asia month by month. Compare Southwest and Northeast monsoons, typhoon belts, dry island escapes, and travel dates.
8 min read
InspirationExplore the best places to visit in March across Japanese cherry blossoms, explosive Spanish fiestas, desert wonders in Jordan, and Irish music sessions.
7 min read
ItinerariesPlan your Da Nang and Hoi An trip with our central Vietnam guide. Explore My Khe Beach, Marble Mountains, lantern streets, and travel logistics.
7 min read
Every section of the guide. Open one to read it in full.