Sam Son

Location 

Sam Son is a popular beach destination, although mostly among the locals. Founded by the French in 1907, this small town was then developed into a resort town to serve the demand of the French colony and the Nguyen dynasty. Nowadays, Sam Son, which is located just 170 km from Hanoi and offers a wide range of services and attractions, has become one of the busiest tourism hubs in the Northern and Northern Central Vietnam.

Early morning at Sam Son Beach

Things to know before you go

Sam Son has for long been renowned for its flat white-sand beaches, which stretch over 10 km along the beachfront promenade, also the centre of the town. During summer time, these beaches are always buzzing with a lot of Vietnamese vacationers. The boisterous atmosphere of Sam Son also means that there are lots of interesting stuffs for you to try, be it the typical sunbathing, playing beach sport, building sandcastle or ordering some seafood from the walking vendors. However, if you prefer private space and luxury service, then those high-class resorts with their own beaches, swimming pools and spas are not only available but also in abundance.

A resort in Sam Son 

While Sam Son is one of the most famous coastal towns in Vietnam, beaches are not the only attractions of this bountiful region. Duong Coc Lake and Truong Le Mountain are among the most beautiful natural creations in Thanh Hoa, so beautiful that they are often compared to a real-life paintings. A day trip to these places will certainly reward you with great enjoyment and appreciation of Vietnam’s natural landscape.

How to get there

You can start you journey to Sam Son from Hanoi either by bus or by train. Ticket prices for bus services range from $4 to $6 and you can easily find these services at Hanoi’s major bus stations, such as My Dinh, Giap Bat or Nuoc Ngam. Train tickets are also very inexpensive, ranging from $2.5 to $13, depending on travel class. However, the train will take you not directly to Sam Son but to Thanh Hoa Train Station, from which you can take bus or taxi to get to the town. The distance is about 20km and the travel time will be less than 30 minutes.

Best time to visit Sam Son

Sam Son is located within the warm temperate climate region, which is characterised by hot humid summer and cold dry winter. Thus, the most suitable time to visit Sam Son is summertime, from May to September.

During this period, it is recommended that you visit Sam Son in May or in September since the period from June to August is the busiest time, when beaches are jam-packed with vacationers and prices shoot up. Summer may awake the liveliness of the beaches in Vietnam but it is also the time when thunderstorms and typhoons may strike. Thus, don’t forget to pay attention to weather forecast in advance of your trip to make sure that there will be no stormy weather interfering with your sunny holiday.

Fishing at Sam Son Beach

Useful Information