A one-day north Phu Quoc itinerary works best in the order the light allows: Rach Vem Starfish Beach first, around 9 to 11 am while the water is calm and clear, then lunch at a raft house, Ganh Dau Cape in the early afternoon, a kayak on the Cua Can river in the late afternoon, and sunset on the west coast at Ong Lang or Bai Dai. Sunset falls between about 17:40 and 18:30.
Group tours visit the same places in a different order and reach Rach Vem around midday. Every stop can be reached by scooter or car; the sequence is what makes the day work.
Starfish in the morning, sunset at the end
We drive to Rach Vem first while the sandbar is clear, then work west to Ganh Dau and Cua Can and finish on a west-coast beach at sunset. Free cancellation up to 3 days before.
★North Phu Quoc Private Day: Starfish Beach to SunsetStarfish Beach by private boat, lunch on the water, Ganh Dau Cape, the Cua Can mangroves by kayak and a west-coast sunset. · About 10 hoursSee the tour →Starfish Beach Private Morning TourRach Vem by private boat before the crowds, a swim at the starfish sandbar and seafood lunch over the water. · About 5.5 hoursSee the tour →What order should you visit north Phu Quoc in?
Visit north Phu Quoc from east to west: Rach Vem in the morning, Ganh Dau Cape after lunch, Cua Can in the late afternoon, and a west-facing beach for sunset. The order follows two things you cannot move: the starfish sandbar is clearest in the morning, and the sun sets over the sea only on the west coast.
Rach Vem sits on the north coast, 20 to 25 km from Duong Dong, and the starfish are easiest to see from roughly 7 to 10 am in the dry season. Ganh Dau Cape is the north-west tip of the island, about 30 km from Duong Dong. Cua Can and the beaches of Ong Lang and Bai Dai lie on the west coast between Ganh Dau and Duong Dong, so the afternoon runs naturally back towards town.
A sample day, leaving Duong Dong at 8:30
| Time | Stop | Why it goes here |
|---|---|---|
| 8:30 | Leave Duong Dong on road DT973 | Forest road north along the edge of Phu Quoc National Park |
| 9:20-11:30 | Rach Vem: boat to the sandbar and Ham Rong Cape | Calmest, clearest water of the day |
| 11:30-13:00 | Seafood lunch at a raft house | You are already on the water at Rach Vem |
| 13:30-14:15 | Ganh Dau Cape | About 30 minutes west of Rach Vem; Cambodian islands in view |
| 15:00-16:30 | Kayak on the Cua Can river | The midday heat has eased by mid-afternoon |
| 17:00-18:30 | Sunset at Ong Lang or Bai Dai | West-facing sea; exact time depends on the month |
What happens at each stop?
Rach Vem and the starfish sandbar
Rach Vem is a fishing village of stilt houses and floating raft houses, with no entry fee. The starfish live on the shallow sand and seagrass off the village; a small boat takes about 10 minutes to Ham Rong Cape, a quieter beach with forest down to the sand. Our complete Rach Vem Beach guide covers the village, the boats and the rule of never lifting a starfish out of the water.
Lunch on a raft house
Lunch at Rach Vem means a raft house over the water, where live seafood is sold by weight. Ask the price per kilo before anything is cooked; a seafood lunch commonly runs a few hundred thousand dong per person.
Ganh Dau Cape
Ganh Dau Cape is a rocky headland with golden-sand coves and fishing boats, only a few kilometres from Cambodian waters. On a clear day Cambodian islands and mainland mountains are visible to the north. Thirty to 45 minutes is enough for most people.
Cua Can river
The Cua Can river runs about 20 km from the northern hills to the west coast, between banks of mangrove and nipa palm. Kayaks rent at Cua Can fishing village for around 100,000 VND, and the usual paddle covers a stretch of about 2 km.
Sunset on the west coast
Ong Lang, about 7 km north of Duong Dong, and Bai Dai, the 15 km beach running from Cua Can up to Ganh Dau, both face west over open sea. Ong Lang is the closer of the two, 15 to 20 minutes from Duong Dong for the drive back after dark.
Separate guides on this site go deeper into Ganh Dau Cape, Cua Can kayaking, the national park road, north-island sunsets, the pepper and honey farm stops, and riding the north by scooter.
What time is sunset in north Phu Quoc each month?
Sunset in Phu Quoc ranges from about 17:38 in mid-November to about 18:30 in early July. The afternoon of a north-island day should be built backwards from that time: finish the kayak about an hour before sunset and be on the beach 20 to 30 minutes ahead.
| Month | Sunset (1st / 15th) | Finish kayaking by |
|---|---|---|
| November | 17:41 / 17:38 | About 16:30 |
| December | 17:40 / 17:45 | About 16:30 |
| January | 17:54 / 18:01 | About 16:45 |
| February | 18:08 / 18:12 | About 17:00 |
| March | 18:14 / 18:15 | About 17:00 |
| April | 18:15 / 18:15 | About 17:00 |
| May to August | 18:16 to 18:30 | About 17:15 |
| September | 18:14 / 18:05 | About 17:00 |
| October | 17:55 / 17:47 | About 16:45 |
The times are calculated for the north of the island with the NOAA solar method and vary by only a minute or two between Rach Vem and the west-coast beaches.
How do group tours of north Phu Quoc differ?
Group north-island tours cost about US$40 to 80 per person as of September 2026, collect guests around 8:15 to 8:30, and usually return between 15:30 and 16:30. Most start with a bee or pepper farm and the Cua Can kayak, then reach Rach Vem around midday for lunch, with the starfish boat in the afternoon. None of the common itineraries stays for sunset.
That order suits a fixed schedule for a full minibus, but it puts the sandbar at the hottest, haziest part of the day. The best time to see the starfish is the morning, and in the dry season from November to April.
Doing the north on your own is also realistic. A Grab car, a rented scooter or a hired driver reaches every stop; our guide on how to get to Rach Vem explains the roads and the harder part, finding a ride back from the far north. If you are still choosing between halves of the island, north or south Phu Quoc compares the two.
Want the route without planning each leg?
One car and one guide for the day, with boats and the kayak arranged before you arrive.
North Phu Quoc Private Day: Starfish Beach to SunsetAbout 10 hoursSee the tour →Starfish Beach Private Morning TourAbout 5.5 hoursSee the tour →North Phu Quoc in one day: common questions
Can you see north Phu Quoc in one day?
Yes. Rach Vem, Ganh Dau Cape, the Cua Can river and a west-coast sunset fit into one day of about ten hours from Duong Dong. The distances are short; the day is long because each stop needs time on the water.
What is the best order for a north Phu Quoc itinerary?
The best order is Rach Vem in the morning, lunch on a raft house, Ganh Dau Cape after lunch, the Cua Can river in the late afternoon and sunset at Ong Lang or Bai Dai. The starfish are clearest early, and the sun sets over the sea only on the west coast.
How long is the drive from Duong Dong to Rach Vem?
The drive from Duong Dong to Rach Vem takes 40 to 60 minutes over 20 to 25 km, mostly on road DT973 and the concrete Suoi Cai to Rach Vem road opened in March 2025.
Can you watch the sunset at Rach Vem?
Rach Vem faces north, so it is not a reliable place to watch the sun set over the sea. Ong Lang and Bai Dai on the west coast face the sunset directly and are on the way back to Duong Dong.
Is a north Phu Quoc day worth it in the rainy season?
A north Phu Quoc day from May to October is a gamble. The water at Rach Vem is often murky, starfish are hard to see, and the west coast can be rough, so a dry-season day from November to April is a far safer choice.
From the starfish sandbar to a west-coast sunset
A private car and guide from your hotel, boats at Rach Vem, lunch on the water, Ganh Dau, the Cua Can river and sunset before the drive home.
★North Phu Quoc Private Day: Starfish Beach to SunsetStarfish Beach by private boat, lunch on the water, Ganh Dau Cape, the Cua Can mangroves by kayak and a west-coast sunset. · About 10 hoursfrom$91/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$255BOOK →2 guests$295BOOK →3 guests$330BOOK →4 guests$365BOOK →See the full tour page →Starfish Beach Private Morning TourRach Vem by private boat before the crowds, a swim at the starfish sandbar and seafood lunch over the water. · About 5.5 hoursfrom$63/ person›
Choose your group size · price is the group totalSolo traveller$175BOOK →2 guests$200BOOK →3 guests$225BOOK →4 guests$250BOOK →See the full tour page →Routes, sunset times and group tour prices as of September 2026.