Spend your first day getting your bearings in Nha Trang, by exploring on both land and sea. Kick-start your stay with a boat trip, most of which last for half a day. Choose among snorkeling at Hon Mun Island, famous for its diverse marine life; eating fresh seafood on a secluded beach on a private tour; or staying dry on a glass-bottom boat ride around Nha Trang Bay. 

Back on land, discover the city sights without worrying about getting lost on a sightseeing tour by bike, cyclo, or air-conditioned vehicle. Tour staples include the 8th-century Po Nagar Cham Towers; the 19th-century Long Son Pagoda, with its 80-foot tall Buddha; and Stone Church (Nha Tho Nui), a reminder of French colonialism in Vietnam. Conclude your day with dinner and drinks at a restaurant overlooking Nha Trang Beach, the central hub of the resort’s nightlife scene. 

Devote day two to getting a taste of local life on a tour that transports you to the countryside. Choose to explore the countryside—which is characterized by emerald rice paddies and rugged mountains—either by bike or a horse and carriage, and make stops at rural villages to meet locals and sample food  that is traditional to central Vietnam. Alternatively—especially if you’ve got kids in tow—spend the day at Vinpearl Amusement Park, which is accessible by a 2-mile (3.2-kilometer) cable car that offers panoramic views of the South China Sea. Booking your admission ticket in advance means that you avoid waiting in a ticket line. Most day trips return to Nha Trang in the early evening, which leaves you time for a sunset or evening cruise that reveals the bay in all of its illuminated finery. 

Dedicate day three to enjoying Nha Trang’s markets and mud baths, which attract visitors from all over Asia. Start with a shopping tour that covers Dam Market, a bustling hub with stalls selling fresh produce; XQ Historical Village, where you can purchase Vietnamese silk and embroidery; and Tran Phu Street, a top shopping destination. Then, spend the afternoon relaxing in a mud spa, an experience you can upgrade to private for added treatments such as massages. Finally, conclude your time in Nha Trang with a food tour that reveals lesser-known specialities and hidden gems you might miss otherwise.