Mui Ne to Nha Trang & Cam Ranh 2027: Routes, Travel Time & Stops Along the Way

The road north from Mui Ne reaches the Cam Ranh peninsula almost half an hour before it reaches Nha Trang, a detail that most route guides leave out. Since the last stretch of expressway opened in 2024, a car covers the 200 km to the peninsula in about three hours and twenty minutes. Read on for every way to travel from Mui Ne to Cam Ranh and Nha Trang, with fares, timings and the stops that are worth breaking the journey for.

The Route at a Glance

Mui Ne and Nha Trang are about 225 km apart by road, with the Cam Ranh peninsula and its airport sitting on the way, about 200 km from Mui Ne. There is no airport at Mui Ne and no railway station in the town, so the choice is between a private car, a bus and a train that starts with a taxi ride.

Place names along the way changed in July 2025, when Vietnam merged its provinces. Mui Ne is now a ward of Lam Dong province, and Phan Rang, formerly the capital of Ninh Thuan, belongs to Khanh Hoa along with Cam Ranh and Nha Trang. Older tickets, maps and booking sites still use Binh Thuan and Ninh Thuan.

Ways to Travel From Mui Ne

How to Choose for Your Trip

The first thing to settle is where the day ends. Travellers staying on the Cam Ranh peninsula should take a private car, because it is the only option that stops at the door. Buses and trains deliver passengers to Cam Ranh town or to Nha Trang, and both leave a taxi ride of half an hour or more.

The size of the group comes next, since a sedan costs about the same as four bus tickets plus the taxis at each end, so a couple saves money on the bus and a group of three or four does not. Anyone carrying a surfboard, a kite bag or a pushchair will find a car far easier.

Time is the third factor. The expressway is a fast transfer, while the coast road is a day of sightseeing in itself. If the schedule has a spare day, the coast road is a good use of it.

The final choice is which end of the bay to sleep at. The peninsula has the long beach, the airport and the quiet, and the city has the restaurants and nightlife. The trade-offs are laid out in the comparison of Cam Ranh or Nha Trang, and they matter more after a day on the road from Mui Ne to Cam Ranh and Nha Trang than on any other arrival.

Choose a Private Car for Door-to-Door Travel

A private car is the only way to travel straight from a hotel in Mui Ne to one in Cam Ranh or Nha Trang, and the driver takes whichever road you ask for. The two routes make for very different days.

The Expressway in Under Four Hours

From Mui Ne the car drives inland for about half an hour to join the Vinh Hao to Phan Thiet expressway, then continues on the Cam Lam to Vinh Hao section, which opened in April 2024. Together they cover almost 180 km of dual carriageway with a limit of 90 km per hour.

For the Cam Ranh peninsula, the car leaves at the Cam Ranh interchange and follows Highway 27B to the airport road and Bai Dai Beach. For Nha Trang it stays on for the final 49 km section and exits at Dien Khanh. Door to door, Mui Ne to the peninsula takes about three hours and twenty minutes, and Mui Ne to central Nha Trang about three and three-quarter hours.

Tolls are included in a quoted fare, and for reference a car pays about 90,000 VND (about 3.50 USD) for the Vinh Hao to Phan Thiet section and from 130,000 VND (about 5 USD) for Cam Lam to Vinh Hao. Service areas are still few. Use the bathroom and buy water before joining.

Agencies quote 1,600,000 to 1,950,000 VND (62 to 75 USD) for a sedan carrying up to three passengers, about 1,700,000 VND for a seven-seat car and about 2,600,000 VND (about 100 USD) for a 16-seat minibus. A drop at Cam Ranh costs the same as one in Nha Trang or slightly less.

The Coast Road as a Full-Day Drive

The coast road links four of the best seaside stretches in the country. It leaves Mui Ne past the White Sand Dunes, joins Highway 1 to Ca Na, then follows the cliff road round the Mui Dinh headland to Phan Rang. North of the town, the Nui Chua coast road runs for 60 km to Vinh Hy Bay and Binh Tien before meeting the highway just south of Cam Ranh.

The whole route is about 280 km and takes nine to eleven hours with stops. It ends beside the Cam Ranh peninsula, which is one more reason to finish the day there and leave the last stretch into the city for another time.

A driver will not take this road unless asked, because it uses more fuel and a full day. Agree the route and the stops when booking, expect to pay a day rate of about 2,500,000 VND (about 96 USD) for a sedan, and leave Mui Ne by 07:00.

What to Agree Before You Book

Most problems on a long transfer come from things left unsaid. Put these in the booking message:

• The exact drop-off: the resort name on Bai Dai Beach or the hotel address in Nha Trang
• Expressway or coast road, and each stop with the time you want there
• That tolls, fuel, parking and waiting time are included
• The vehicle size, with luggage and any boards counted
• A child seat, if needed, and the driver’s phone number the evening before

Choose the Bus to Keep Costs Down

The bus is the cheapest way north and the simplest for anyone travelling light. It suits a traveller heading for Nha Trang better than one heading for Cam Ranh, because few buses stop anywhere near the peninsula.

Operators, Fares and Pickup in Mui Ne

Several companies run the route, among them Hanh Cafe, Nam Hai Limousine, Tam Hanh and Thanh Lich, mostly with limousine sleeper buses. Fares run from about 160,000 to 270,000 VND (6 to 10 USD), and the journey takes a little under five hours with one rest stop.

Buses leave from the companies’ offices on Nguyen Dinh Chieu, the main resort road, where Hanh Cafe is at number 117, and most collect from hotels along that road if asked when booking. In October 2026 Hanh Cafe listed daytime departures at 08:35, 11:30 and 14:05, and Nam Hai ran through the morning until early afternoon.

Book a day ahead in ordinary weeks and several days ahead around public holidays. A limousine van with nine reclining seats is the more comfortable choice and costs only slightly more.

Where to Get Off for Cam Ranh

Buses on this route end at each company’s own office in Nha Trang, and these are not always central: Hanh Cafe’s is at 106 Phong Chau, a taxi ride from the beach. The main booking platform lists no stop in Cam Ranh. Some companies set passengers down at the Cam Ranh post office, 253 Nguyen Trong Ky, on other routes, so ask whether they will do so on this one.

Cam Ranh town is about 25 km south of the Bai Dai resorts, a taxi ride of half an hour or so. Getting off there is still quicker than riding on to Nha Trang and coming back 40 minutes down the coast.

Ask the company directly whether its bus enters Cam Ranh town, since some services stay on the expressway and bypass it. If it does not, the bus stops being the cheap option for anyone staying on the peninsula.

Detailed Information:

• Departs: Company offices on Nguyen Dinh Chieu, Mui Ne
• Arrives: Company offices in Nha Trang; ask about a Cam Ranh stop
• Reference Price: 160,000 to 270,000 VND (6 to 10 USD)
• Time Needed: 4 to 5 hours
• Suits: Solo travellers and couples bound for Nha Trang

Choose the Train for the Scenery

The train is the slowest of the three and the most pleasant once you are on it, with wide windows on rice fields, salt pans and the mountains behind Phan Rang. The drawback is the taxi ride at each end.

Getting to Binh Thuan Station

Mui Ne has no station of its own, so trains on the main north-south line are boarded at Binh Thuan station, which older timetables call Muong Man, 30 to 40 km inland. A taxi or ride-hailing car takes 30 to 45 minutes and costs 200,000 to 400,000 VND (8 to 15 USD). The small station in Phan Thiet serves only the branch line to Ho Chi Minh City.

Three daytime trains make the run north. In 2026 the SE8 left Binh Thuan at 09:42 and reached Nha Trang at 14:03, the SE6 left at 12:14 and arrived at 16:13, and the SE10 left at 17:12 and arrived at 21:58. Timetables are reissued each year. Check the Vietnam Railways site before planning around one.

A soft seat costs from about 150,000 VND and a berth in a four-bed sleeper up to about 360,000 VND (6 to 14 USD). The soft seat is fine for a four-hour daytime ride, and the right-hand side of the train has the sea views north of Phan Rang.

Arriving in Nha Trang or Cam Ranh

Nha Trang station is in the city centre, ten minutes by taxi from the beach hotels. For the Cam Ranh peninsula it is the wrong end of the bay: add a 40-minute taxi ride back south, at about 15 to 22 USD.

Cam Ranh has its own station, Nga Ba, on the edge of the town. Only some trains stop there, and for two minutes. Check the stopping pattern of your service before buying a ticket to it. From Nga Ba to the Bai Dai resorts is about half an hour by taxi.

Counting the taxi at each end, the train takes five and a half to six hours from a Mui Ne hotel to a Nha Trang one. It makes sense only when the ride itself is the point.

Detailed Information:

• Departs: Binh Thuan station, 30 to 40 km from Mui Ne
• Arrives: Nha Trang station; Nga Ba station in Cam Ranh on some services
• Reference Price: 150,000 to 360,000 VND (6 to 14 USD), plus taxis at each end
• Time Needed: About 4 to 4.5 hours on the train
• Suits: Travellers who enjoy rail and are not in a hurry

Read more: From Nha Trang to Cam Ranh: Best Transfer Options 2026

Riding the Route by Motorbike

The coast road between Mui Ne and Cam Ranh is among the best motorbike rides in Vietnam, with light traffic and smooth tarmac for most of its length. Riding straight through takes five to six hours, and with the detours to the dunes, the Mui Dinh headland and Vinh Hy it becomes a comfortable two-day trip with a night in Phan Rang.

A rider needs a home licence with a motorcycle entitlement and a 1968 international driving permit. Without them, travel insurance does not cover an accident. One-way rentals between the two towns exist but must be arranged in advance, and an easy rider tour, with a local driver and the passenger on the back, is the alternative for anyone unlicensed. The permit rule is explained in the guide to Cam Ranh and Nha Trang car rental.

Motorbikes are not allowed on the expressways, which closes the fast route to them. Carry water, keep the tank above half on the Nui Chua section, where fuel is scarce, and avoid riding after dark.

Stops Worth Making Along the Way

With a car and a driver, the journey can hold two or three stops without becoming a long day. These four lie in order from south to north, and the last is half an hour from the end of the journey.

Bau Trang White Sand Dunes – Hoa Thang

Bau Trang, the White Sand Dunes, lies about 35 km north-east of Mui Ne on the first leg of the coast road. Pale dunes rise above two lakes covered in lotus, and in the early morning the sand is cool and unmarked.

The site opens from 05:00 to 18:00 and entry is 15,000 VND (about 0.50 USD). Quad bikes and jeeps wait at the gate, at about 800,000 VND (about 31 USD) for two circuits, and can be declined. Walking to the first ridge takes fifteen minutes.

Make this the first stop of the day, before 08:00, because by mid-morning the sand is too hot for bare feet and the wind lifts it into cameras and eyes.

Detailed Information:

• Address: Hoa Thang, about 35 km north-east of Mui Ne
• Opening Hours: 05:00 to 18:00
• Reference Price: 15,000 VND entry (about 0.50 USD); quad bike about 800,000 VND
• Detour: On the coast road; about 40 minutes off the expressway route
• Time Needed: 1 hour

Po Klong Garai Towers – Phan Rang

Po Klong Garai is the best-preserved group of Cham towers in the south: three brick temples from the late 13th century on a cactus-covered hill at the edge of Phan Rang. The main tower still holds a carved lingam with the face of the king it honours, and the site is in use for worship.

The site is open daily from 07:30 to 17:30 for 20,000 VND (about 1 USD), and an electric cart up the hill costs 25,000 VND return for anyone who would rather not climb in the heat. A small museum at the foot explains Cham script, costume and ceremony.

The towers are a short drive from the expressway’s Phan Rang exit and about halfway through the journey, which makes them an easy place to stretch your legs. In autumn the hill fills with processions for Kate, one of the festivals in Cam Ranh and Nha Trang.

Detailed Information:

• Address: Do Vinh, Phan Rang
• Opening Hours: 07:30 to 17:30 daily
• Reference Price: 20,000 VND adults (about 1 USD); electric cart 25,000 VND
• Detour: About 20 minutes off the expressway
• Time Needed: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Vinh Hy Bay and Hang Rai – Nui Chua

Vinh Hy is a small fishing harbour enclosed by the dry hills of Nui Chua National Park, reached only by the coast road north of Phan Rang. Glass-bottom boats run from the quay to the coral, at about 80,000 VND (about 3 USD) a seat on a shared boat or about 700,000 VND (about 27 USD) for a boat of four.

Hang Rai, a few kilometres south, is a shelf of fossil coral where waves pour over the edge like a waterfall at high tide. Entry is 20,000 VND (about 1 USD), and the rock is sharp. Wear shoes with a sole.

Including both means taking the Nui Chua coast road for the last third of the journey, which adds about two hours to the expressway time. Lunch on grilled seafood at the harbour, then follow the coast past Binh Tien to the highway at Cam Ranh.

Detailed Information:

• Address: Vinh Hy, Nui Chua National Park
• Reference Price: Hang Rai 20,000 VND; boat 80,000 VND shared or about 700,000 VND private
• Detour: About 2 hours longer than the expressway
• Time Needed: 2 to 3 hours with lunch

Tu Van Pagoda – 3 Thang 4, Cam Ranh

Tu Van Pagoda stands in Cam Ranh town, a few minutes from where the coast road and the highway meet. Monks began it in 1968 and later covered its towers and walls in seashells and coral, including the 39-metre Bao Tich Tower.

Its tunnel, known as the 18 Levels of Hell, runs for about 500 metres underground past painted scenes from Buddhist teaching. Entry is free and donations are welcome. The background is in the guide to Tu Van Pagoda in Cam Ranh.

It is the last stop before the peninsula, about 30 minutes from the Bai Dai resorts, and a good one for children who have sat in a car all day.

Detailed Information:

• Address: 3 Thang 4 Street, Cam Ranh
• Reference Price: Free; donations welcome
• Detour: About 15 minutes off the route
• Time Needed: 45 minutes

Stops in Driving Order

Two Sample Days on the Road

The same journey can be a short transfer or the best day of the trip. These two timings show the difference.

The Fast Day: Expressway With One Stop

Leave Mui Ne at 09:00 after breakfast and join the expressway by 09:40. Stop at Po Klong Garai from about 11:30 to 12:30, eat lunch in Phan Rang, and rejoin the road at 13:30. The car reaches the Cam Ranh peninsula around 14:50, in time for the late afternoon on the beach, or central Nha Trang by about 15:15.

The Slow Day: Coast Road With Three Stops

Leave at 06:30 to be on the White Sand Dunes by 07:15 while the sand is cool. Drive on to Phan Rang for Po Klong Garai at about 11:00 and lunch in town. Take the Nui Chua coast road in the early afternoon, stop at Hang Rai and Vinh Hy, and arrive on the Cam Ranh peninsula at around 17:30, with the last hour along the bay in low sun.

Before You Set Off

The two ends of this route have different weather. Mui Ne is dry for most of the year, while Cam Ranh and Nha Trang have their wet season from September to December, so a clear morning at the dunes can end in an afternoon shower further north. Indoor options for that end of the trip are in the guide to things to do in Nha Trang and Cam Ranh when it rains.

Read more: Best Time to Visit Nha Trang 2026: Weather, Seasons & Travel Tips

Carry cash for entry fees, boats and roadside lunches, since card machines are rare between the two towns. A local SIM card keeps the driver reachable at each stop. Around Tet and the summer holidays, cars and bus seats sell out several days ahead and fares rise.

Travellers flying out afterwards should note that the airport for both towns is on the Cam Ranh peninsula, 35 km south of Nha Trang. Arrival and departure options are covered in the guides on how to get to Nha Trang and Cam Ranh Airport.

Ending the Drive on the Cam Ranh Peninsula

For anyone arriving by road from the south, the Cam Ranh peninsula is where the journey naturally ends. Alma Resort Cam Ranh lies on Bai Dai Beach, 8 km beyond the airport, which the expressway’s Cam Ranh exit reaches by Highway 27B. Stopping here saves the last half hour into Nha Trang at the end of a long day.

After several hours in a car, most travellers want room to spread out. The 2 Bedrooms Villa with Terrace, Beach Front has 157 sqm on the sand, with two en suite bedrooms, a sitting room, and a terrace set with an outdoor dining table and a daybed facing the sea.

It suits two couples or a family travelling together on a road trip. Each bedroom has a full-length bath, welcome after a morning on the dunes, and the first drink of the evening can be taken on the terrace with the beach a few steps below.

Arrival is handled away from the main desk for guests who book direct. The Signature Lounge is an air-conditioned room for private check-in and check-out, with drinks and snacks served while the paperwork is done. After a day on the road, it is a relief to sit down with a cold drink before going to the room.

For dinner, Asiana is the restaurant to plan around if the arrival falls on a Monday, Thursday or Saturday, the three evenings it opens. Chef Van Phi Vu’s premium menu blends Japanese and Korean cuisine, and tables are taken in two seatings, 17:30 to 19:00 and 19:30 to 21:00, so book the second if the drive runs late.

Order the Alma Special Rolls of crab, avocado and tempura at 270,000 VND (about 10 USD) and, for a table that wants to mark the end of the road, the Lobster Ramen at 1,200,000 VND (about 46 USD). The kitchen’s vegetables are grown on a farm in Dalat that supplies the resort.

On the other four evenings, and for anyone who arrives after the second seating, the Alma Garden dinner buffet runs daily from 17:30 to 22:00, and the Front Desk is staffed 24 hours for cars that come in after dark.

The next day can be spent on the beach. The Beach Bar stands a few steps from the shore on the resort’s 800 metres of sand and opens from 09:00 to 17:30, weather permitting, with margaritas, tropical cocktails and craft beer brought to the loungers. An Australian Beef Burger at 375,000 VND (about 14 USD) is an easy lunch without leaving the sand.

In the late afternoon the bar runs its Sunset Sessions, when cocktails are buy one, get one free from 15:00 to 16:00. Sunset Bites, a menu of grilled skewers, are served from 16:00 to 18:00 as the light goes behind the hills.

Road-trip dates often change, so read the cancellation terms before choosing a rate. The resort’s Bed & Breakfast rate allows free cancellation under the conditions shown at booking, and it covers the ride to Cam Ranh airport for anyone flying on afterwards.

Arriving by Road

Detailed Information:

• From the expressway: Cam Ranh interchange, then Highway 27B to the airport road
• From Mui Ne: About 200 km, about 3 hours 20 minutes by the expressway
• On to central Nha Trang: About 40 minutes further north
• Front Desk: 24 hours
• Dinner on arrival: Asiana on Monday, Thursday and Saturday, seatings at 17:30 and 19:30; Alma Garden buffet daily 17:30 to 22:00

Dollar equivalents are worked out at 26,000 VND. Fares, tolls and timetables change. Confirm them when you book.

Conclusion

Travelling from Mui Ne to Cam Ranh and Nha Trang is a drive of about three hours and twenty minutes to Cam Ranh or three and three-quarter hours to Nha Trang by expressway, a five-hour bus ride or a full day along the coast, and the coast is the version to choose if there is time. Treat the fares and timetables above as a guide and check them again before leaving.

The road reaches the Cam Ranh peninsula first. End the drive at Alma Resort Cam Ranh, check in at the Signature Lounge, and be on the terrace of a beachfront villa while the bus is still on its way into town.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far is Mui Ne from Cam Ranh?

About 200 km by road, or about three hours and twenty minutes by car on the expressway. Alma Resort Cam Ranh on Bai Dai Beach is among the first resorts the road reaches, about half an hour before Nha Trang.

Is there a direct bus from Mui Ne to Cam Ranh?

Not as a separate route, and the main booking platform lists no Cam Ranh stop on Mui Ne to Nha Trang buses. For a resort on Bai Dai Beach, such as Alma Resort Cam Ranh, a private car to the door is simpler.

Is there a train from Mui Ne to Nha Trang?

Yes, from Binh Thuan station, 30 to 40 km from Mui Ne. The ride takes about four to four and a half hours.

What is the cheapest way to get from Mui Ne to Nha Trang?

The bus, at 160,000 to 270,000 VND (6 to 10 USD). For three or four people, a private car costs about the same per head once the taxis at each end of the bus ride are added.

Do I need to book transport in advance?

Book buses and cars a day ahead in normal weeks. Around Tet and public holidays, book several days ahead, since seats sell out.