Day 1: Ho Chi Minh City – Fly to Con Dao – Con Son Town Exploration
Take a morning flight from Ho Chi Minh City’s Tan Son Nhat Airport to Con Dao Airport (approximately 1 hour). As you descend, the archipelago’s 16 emerald islands surrounded by turquoise waters come into view — your first glimpse of paradise. Your guide meets you at Co Ong Airport for the 15-kilometer transfer along a coastal road with dramatic cliffside views to Con Son Town. After checking into your beachfront hotel, enjoy a seafood lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon, take a gentle walking tour of Con Son Town to orient yourself: visit the morning market, the small but informative Con Dao Museum covering the islands’ natural and human history, and the historic French-colonial Customs House. End the day at An Hai Beach for your first Con Dao sunset, with the distant silhouette of Hon Ba Island on the horizon. Welcome dinner featuring fresh-caught grouper and squid.
Day 2: Con Son Prison History – Dam Trau Beach
Begin the day with a sobering but essential visit to the Con Son Prison complex, one of the most notorious prison systems of the 20th century. Built by the French in 1861 and later expanded, the prison held tens of thousands of Vietnamese political prisoners. Walk through the unsettling ‘Tiger Cages’ — cramped outdoor cells where prisoners were kept in brutal conditions — and see the exhibits documenting the resilience of those who suffered here. Visit Hang Duong Cemetery, the resting place of over 2,000 prisoners, including national heroine Vo Thi Sau, who was executed here at age 19. After this moving morning, find solace at Dam Trau Beach in the afternoon — a crescent of powdery white sand fringed by casuarina pines, just meters from the airport runway, yet utterly serene. Swim in the warm, clear water, lounge under a beach umbrella, and let the island’s peaceful energy restore you. Sunset drinks at a cliffside bar overlooking Con Son Bay.
Day 3: Island Hopping — Hon Bay Canh and Hon Cau
After breakfast, board a private wooden boat at Ben Dam Port for a full-day island-hopping adventure through the Con Dao Archipelago. First stop: Hon Bay Canh, the second-largest island, covered in dense primary forest and fringed by vibrant coral reefs. Trek the island’s jungle trail (approximately 1.5 hours) to the historic French-built lighthouse for panoramic views over the archipelago. Below, the crescent-shaped beach is a protected turtle nesting site — between June and September, green and hawksbill turtles come ashore at night to lay their eggs. Snorkel in the crystal-clear waters around the island’s east coast, where healthy hard and soft corals host schools of parrotfish, butterflyfish, and moray eels. Continue to the smaller Hon Cau island for more secluded snorkeling and a beach picnic lunch. On the return journey, try your hand at fishing with local techniques. Overnight back on Con Son.
Day 4: Con Dao National Park Trek – Hon Tai Snorkeling
Start the day with a guided trek into Con Dao National Park, which covers 80% of the main island’s land area and protects one of Vietnam’s most intact coastal ecosystems. The 3-hour trail (easy-moderate) leads through primary tropical forest alive with the calls of endemic birds including the Con Dao black giant squirrel and the pied imperial pigeon. Your guide points out medicinal plants used by islanders for generations. Emerge at Ong Dung Beach, a hidden cove accessible only by trail or boat, for a refreshing swim. After lunch, board the boat for a snorkeling expedition to Hon Tai Island, home to the archipelago’s most spectacular coral gardens. The shallow reefs here teem with marine life: technicolor anemones with resident clownfish, sea turtles grazing on seagrass, and massive table corals in pristine condition. Visibility often exceeds 20 meters in the dry season. Return to shore for a farewell dinner at a seaside restaurant, feasting on Con Dao’s famous lobster and mantis shrimp.
Day 5: Shark Cape Sunrise – Con Dao Market – Fly to Ho Chi Minh City
Rise before dawn for a drive to Shark Cape (Mui Ca Map), the easternmost point of Con Son Island. Watch the sun rise over the South China Sea from the rocky headland, with waves crashing against the cliffs below — a magnificent final memory. Return to town for a visit to the Con Dao morning market, where you can purchase local specialties: dried squid, island-made fish sauce, and handcrafted shell jewelry as souvenirs. Enjoy a final breakfast of banh mi op la (Vietnamese baguette with fried eggs) at a local cafe. Transfer to Co Ong Airport for your return flight to Ho Chi Minh City, arriving by midday. Your Con Dao escape concludes, leaving you with the islands’ extraordinary blend of profound history, pristine nature, and tropical serenity.
