This post was updated in June 2020.
Phu Quoc is a beautiful island in the Gulf of Thailand. Despite being located less than 10 kilometers off the coast of Cambodia, the island actually belongs to Vietnam.
While the island has undergone fast development in recent years and is far from undiscovered, it’s still a great place to visit. We ended our Vietnam trip on Phu Quoc and loved our time here.
This 3 day Phu Quoc itinerary will help you plan your trip and make the most of your time on Phu Quoc, happy travels!
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Phu Quoc itinerary
In this Phu Quoc travel guide you can read about:
- Important things to know when planning a trip to Phu Quoc
- How to get to Phu Quoc and how to get around
- Where to stay in Phu Quoc
- The best things to do on Phu Quoc: day-by-day itinerary
Things to know before your Phu Quoc trip
The best time to plan a trip to Phu Quoc is between November and March (the dry season). Temperatures are around 30°C and days are (generally) sunny and clear.
Note this is also peak season so there will be many other travelers on Phu Quoc as well. If you prefer to travel during low season and don’t mind the occasional shower, April or May are good months to visit as well.
The official currency in Vietnam is the Vietnamese Dong (VND). Here you can find the current exchange rates, at the time of writing €1 is approximately 26.000VND and $1 approximately 23.000VND.
Yes absolutely! While it’s no longer the undeveloped island it was several years ago, Phu Quoc is a beautiful place to visit! There are splendid beaches, lush green jungle and picturesque fishing villages.
I personally feel that a 3 day trip to Phu Quoc is the perfect amount of time to spend on the island. I do recommend to stay 4 nights so you have three entire days to explore Phu Quoc.
How to get to Phu Quoc
Plane
Phu Quoc has an international airport located 15 kilometers from Duong Dong, the main town on the island. There are several flights arriving from different cities within Vietnam as well as some international ones.
Boat
You can also get to Phu Quoc by boat, there are multiple daily departures (all in the morning) from both Ha Tien as well as Rach Gia. You can find more information about the schedule as well as ticket prices here.
How to get around on Phu Quoc
I highly recommend renting a scooter on Phu Quoc! This will enable you to explore the island at your own pace and stop at all the best places to visit on Phu Quoc without feeling rushed because your tour only allows an hour at a certain location.
Renting a scooter is very affordable, rental prices are usually between $8-$12 a day, depending on the type of bike. The roads on Phu Quoc used to be mainly dirt roads, however, most of them have been redeveloped and paved in recent years.
While it’s a shame there are no more ‘adventure roads’ it does make getting from place to place a lot faster (not to mention a lot more comfortable).
Where to stay on Phu Quoc
On a budget (less than €30 a night): Kinh Bac Hotel
For those looking for a budget hotel on Phu Quoc, Kinh Bac Hotel is a good option! We booked this accommodation for our Phu Quoc trip and really enjoyed our stay. The rooms are large and clean, with ensuite bathrooms.
From the hotel, it’s a 20-minute drive to Duong Dong. You can rent a scooter at the hotel, so you can easily get around the island.
Check prices on Agoda | Check prices on Booking
Mid-range hotel (less than €100 a night): Lahana Resort Phu Quoc & Spa
A lovely resort in Duong Dong with spacious rooms and private bungalows. There is a beautiful swimming pool and well-maintained gardens.
An extensive breakfast is included and the staff goes out of their way to make your stay the best it can be.
Check prices on Agoda | Check prices on Booking
Luxury resort (€150+ a night): Cassia Cottage
Rated as the best hotel on Phu Quoc in 2018, Cassia Cottage is a wonderful place to stay. There is a private beach, three swimming pools, beautiful gardens, and luxury cottages.
All cottages are elegantly styled and spacious, with large comfortable beds, modern bathrooms, coffee and tea making facilities, and several other amenities.
Check prices on Agoda | Check prices on Booking
The best things to see on Phu Quoc Island
Phu Quoc itinerary day 1: Southern Loop
Itinerary: Ho Quoc Pagoda – Sao Beach – An Thoi – Phu Quoc Prison
Click here for the interactive map.
Ho Quoc Pagoda
The Ho Quoc Pagoda (also known as Truc Lam Ho Quoc) is an impressive Buddhist temple. It was built in 2012 and is beautifully located on a small hill overlooking the ocean.
Important: dress modestly when visiting this temple, many people come here to pray and meditate.
Sao Beach
Sao Beach is your typical tropical beach with soft white sand and a beautiful turquoise ocean. The beach is over 7 kilometers long, so despite the fact that it’s a very popular place to visit on Phu Quoc, there is always a less crowded spot to be found.
There are several bars and restaurants where you can get a drink or grab a bite to eat. As you can expect with a popular place like this, prices are (much) higher than the average price level in Vietnam.
Another downside: Sao Beach has a serious trash problem and it’s not uncommon to see lots of plastic washed up on the beach. That being said, the owner of our hotel told us the government is working on cleaning up the beaches and the ocean. I really hope they do…
An Thoi
An Thoi is a village in the south of Phu Quoc. It’s also the departure point for boat tours to the An Thoi archipelago with excellent snorkeling opportunities just south of Phu Quoc.
Click here to book a day tour to the An Thoi Islands
Fishing is still very important for the locals living in An Thoi and there are several fish sauce factories in the area. In fact, fish sauce from Phu Quoc is very famous!
Phu Quoc Prison
Phu Quoc Prison is a very difficult place to visit, but an important one nonetheless. Over 40.000 North Vietnamese soldiers were imprisoned here during the Vietnam War and subjected to the most terrible ways of torture.
Read more information about the prison on the official website.
Phu Quoc itinerary day 2: Western Loop
Itinerary: Long Beach – Dinh Cau Rock and Temple – Ganh Dau beach – Suối Tranh Waterfall
Click here for the interactive map.
Long Beach
Long Beach is a very touristy beach on the west coast of Phu Quoc. Stretching over 20 kilometers and lined with restaurants and beach resorts it’s a highly developed area of the island.
That being said, it’s a nice place to relax and spend some time, the views are nice and the water is good for a swim.
If you would like to catch the sunset at Long Beach, consider doing the itinerary for this day in reverse.
Dinh Cau Rock and Temple
Dinh Cau Rock can be found near Duong Dong Fishing Harbour. It’s a rock with a Buddhist shrine built on top of it and it’s where local fishermen go to ask a blessing over their fishing expeditions.
You don’t have to spend a lot of time here but it’s worth passing by when you’re driving along the west coast of the island.
Ganh Dau beach and viewpoint
Ganh Dau is located in the northwest of Phu Quoc and (still) a relativity remote corner of the island. From the viewpoint on the beach, you can easily see the Cambodian islands that are only a few kilometers away.
So far Ganh Dau beach hasn’t been overdeveloped, only time will tell if it manages to stay that way.
The town Ganh Dau is a nice place for lunch, we had some very cheap but delicious Bánh xèo (a crispy, stuffed rice pancake). I believe we paid just 30.00VND for the two of us together.
Suối Tranh Waterfall
Another great stop on your Phu Quoc road trip is the Suối Tranh Waterfall. Avoid going during the weekend as it gets very crowded, during the week it’s usually fine.
Admire the 4 meter tall waterfall, hike one of the jungle trails and explore bat cave, a large cave about 50 meters deep. After you’ve visited Suoi Tranh Waterfall, drive back to your accommodation to relax after a beautiful day of Phu Quoc sightseeing.
Phu Quoc itinerary day 3: Eastern Loop
Itinerary: Ham Ninh mountain trail – Ham Ninh village – Drinks at Kiki Coconut Resort – Bai Thom – Duong Dong night market
Click here for the interactive map.
Ham Ninh mountain trail (also called Mount Heaven)
If you love the outdoors as much as we do, a great Phu Quoc activity is hiking Ham Ninh Mountain. This 6-kilometer trail through the forest goes to the 300-meter high top of the second-highest mountain on Phu Quoc, aka Mount Heaven.
Hiking this trail takes about 3 hours and involves climbing a steep rickety bamboo ladder. You can find more detailed information about this track here.
Ham Ninh village
Ham Ninh is one of the oldest villages on Phu Quoc. Diving for pearls and sea cucumbers and fishing has traditionally been the main source of income for most locals, however, tourism also created lots of jobs in recent years.
Ham Ninh is a great place to eat seafood (boiled crabs are a local specialty) and to watch hustle and bustle at Bai Vong port, a long pier stretching far into the sea.
Drinks at Kiki Coconut Resort
Kiki Coconut Resort is a great place for a stop. We spend quite a bit of time there, relaxing in one of the hammocks while enjoying a fresh lemon juice and the beautiful ocean views.
Enjoy the views between Kiki Coconut and Bai Thom
When we visited Phu Quoc, the stretch of road between Kiki Coconut and Bai Thom was marked on our map as an ‘adventure road’. And adventurous it was! On our scooter, we crossed rickety bamboo bridges and dried up streams with huge rocks and boulders.
We couldn’t help but laughed at our clumsiness because we encountered several Vietnamese families (four people on a scooter) who did not seem to have any difficulties driving around the countless bumps and potholes.
Unfortunately, the adventure road between Kiki Coconut and Bai Thom, as well as many similar dirt roads that could be found on Phu Quoc, is no more…
The coast road has been paved making this East Phu Quoc loop a lot quicker to drive but it also takes away part of the experience. Still, the views are lovely and this corner of the island is a nice area to explore.
Eat your way around Phu Quoc Night Market
End your Phu Quoc 3 day itinerary with a stop at the Phu Quoc Night Market in Duong Dong.
Keep an eye out for the busiest stalls (those with lots of locals lining up) to find the best food and snacks. The market opens around 5 pm.
What to do on Phu Quoc: on conclusion
I had a great time on Phu Quoc and exploring the island on a scooter was a lot of fun! I hope this post will convince you to add this, admittedly developed, but still beautiful island to your Vietnam travel plan.
If you have any questions, leave a comment below or send me a message.
Prianka
I’ll be visiting Phu Quoc in mid-December and I cannot wait! Beautiful beaches + amazing Vietnamese food sounds like heaven!
Lotte
It is a little paradise indeed:-) Enjoy your trip!
Phap
Most of the roads on Phu Quoc are now paved. My favorite journey is riding up from Ham Ninh village to Bai Thom, but they will also pave this soon because there is a new resort being built up in Bai Thom by a Thai developer… so see it while you can!
Lotte
Oh no! My favorite road was the adventure road, exactly the part you describe between Ham Ninh and Bai Thom… Such a shame the roads will al be paved soon:-(
Samuel Mozilo
Very informative post and the photos in the post were awesome. I loved the post, just wished I could be there when I close my eyes…
Lotte
Thanks Samuel! Phu Quoc is great, I hope you get to visit soon:-)
Peter Machin
We have just ridden the ‘Adventure Road’ section of this itinerary on the eastern loop and sadly it is no more. It’s just a nasty construction site for the new resort road. We are sat on the beach at Kiki Coconut right now which thankfully is still lovely. It’s very quiet, we are the only ones here on Nov 1st which is the start of high season.
By next year the adventure road will be paved but right now whilst under construction I would avoid it!!!
Lotte
Hello Peter,
Thank you for letting me know! And how sad the adventure road is no more and the big construction projects on Phu Quoc continue… I will adjust it in my post. Glad you at least got to experience the peace and quiet at Kiki Coconut!
Lotte