There is no entrance fee at Rach Vem. As of September 2026 the fishing village and Starfish Beach are free to enter. You pay only for what you use: a boat to the starfish sandbar or Ham Rong Cape, usually about 150,000 to 300,000 VND per person return; a seafood lunch at a raft house, sold by weight; and possibly a small parking fee.
Getting there costs more than being there. A Grab car from Duong Dong runs roughly 250,000 to 400,000 VND each way, a scooter about 120,000 to 150,000 VND a day, and a group tour US$40 to 80 per person.
Boat, lunch and shower already paid for
Our private morning includes the car, a licensed guide, a private boat to the sandbar and Ham Rong Cape, and seafood lunch on a raft house. Free cancellation up to 3 days before.
★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 →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 →Is there an entrance fee at Rach Vem?
No. Rach Vem fishing village and the beach in front of it charge no entrance fee, and nobody sells tickets to see the starfish. The village is a working fishing hamlet in the far north of Phu Quoc, and the starfish sandbar is open water, not a fenced attraction.
What you will meet at the entrance is people offering boat trips. A traveller guide warned in 2026 about paid boat tours being pushed as visitors arrive. A boat is optional: in the dry season some starfish can be seen by wading from the village beach, and the boat is for the clearer water further out and for Ham Rong Cape.
What does a morning at Rach Vem cost?
A morning at Rach Vem costs little once you are there. The table below lists typical prices as of September 2026, gathered from recent travel guides and visitor reports. Prices at the village are set by each raft house and boat owner, not by any official list.
| Item | Typical price | How it is charged |
|---|---|---|
| Entry to the village and beach | Free | No ticket |
| Parking | A small fee may be charged | Per vehicle |
| Boat to the sandbar or Ham Rong Cape | About 150,000-300,000 VND | Per person, return |
| Seafood lunch at a raft house | A few hundred thousand VND a person | By weight for live seafood |
| Freshwater shower | No published price | Ask where you eat |
| Grab or taxi from Duong Dong | Roughly 250,000-400,000 VND | Each way |
| Scooter rental | About 120,000-150,000 VND | Per day, plus fuel |
For two people arriving by Grab, taking a shared boat and eating a simple seafood lunch, a reasonable total is roughly 1.1 to 2 million VND for the pair. The Grab fares are the biggest part of that, and they assume a driver is available for the return from the far north. Our guide on how to get to Rach Vem explains why that return trip needs arranging in advance.
How much is the boat to the starfish sandbar?
The boat from Rach Vem to the starfish sandbar or Ham Rong Cape usually costs about 150,000 to 300,000 VND per person for the return trip. Quotes collected in 2025 and 2026 range from about 100,000 VND at the low end to 300,000 VND, and several group tours list the boat as an optional extra rather than part of the price.
The spread matters because of what visitors report. TripAdvisor reviewers in late 2025 described boat fares more than three times the normal rate, and charges for food and boats that were only announced after they had arrived. These are individual reports, not an official finding, but they are consistent enough to plan around.
Three things to agree before you step on a boat
First, the price: per person or for the whole boat, and whether it is return. Second, the route: the sandbar only, or the sandbar and Ham Rong Cape, which is about 10 minutes by boat from Rach Vem. Third, the time: how long the boat waits for you before it comes back.
How do you order seafood on the rafts without a surprise bill?
Seafood at the Rach Vem raft houses is sold by weight. You choose live fish, squid, crab or shellfish from the holding cages, it is weighed, and the cooking style is agreed on top. Prices per kilo are not reliably posted, so the one rule is to ask the price per kilo before anything goes into the pot.
A typical seafood lunch at a raft house commonly runs to a few hundred thousand dong per person. Current per-kilo prices for individual dishes are not published anywhere reliable, which is why this guide gives none.
Freshwater showers are the other small cost with no fixed price. There is no published rate at Rach Vem, so ask at the raft house where you eat before you swim. On both of our tours a freshwater shower after the swim is included.
What a private morning includes
Our private morning tour costs $200 in total for two people, and from $63 per person for a group of four. It includes:
- Private air-conditioned car and driver
- Licensed local guide who speaks fluent English
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in central or north Phu Quoc
- Private boat from Rach Vem to the starfish sandbar and Ham Rong Cape
- Snorkel set and life jackets
- Seafood lunch on a raft house, with soft drinks
- Bottled water and a freshwater shower after the swim
Hotels in central and north Phu Quoc are collected free. For hotels in the south of the island, a transfer surcharge is added at checkout.
If you would rather not negotiate on the jetty
The boat, the route and lunch are arranged before you arrive, and nothing is added on the day.
Starfish Beach Private Morning TourAbout 5.5 hoursSee the tour →North Phu Quoc Private Day: Starfish Beach to SunsetAbout 10 hoursSee the tour →Rach Vem costs: common questions
Is there an entrance fee for Starfish Beach in Phu Quoc?
No. Rach Vem Starfish Beach and the fishing village charge no entrance fee as of September 2026. Visitors pay only for optional extras such as a boat to the sandbar, a meal at a raft house or parking.
How much is the boat at Rach Vem?
A return boat from Rach Vem to the starfish sandbar or Ham Rong Cape usually costs about 150,000 to 300,000 VND per person. Agree the price, the route and the waiting time before boarding.
How much does a seafood lunch at Rach Vem cost?
A seafood lunch on a Rach Vem raft house commonly costs a few hundred thousand dong per person. Live seafood is sold by weight, so ask the price per kilo before ordering.
Do I need a boat to see the starfish?
Not always. In the dry season some starfish are in wading distance of the village beach. A boat reaches the clearer water further out and Ham Rong Cape, about 10 minutes by boat from the village.
How much is a group tour to Starfish Beach?
Group tours to the north of Phu Quoc, including Starfish Beach, cost about US$40 to 80 per person on the main booking platforms as of September 2026. Many list lunch or the starfish boat as an extra, and most reach Rach Vem around midday.
Rach Vem with every cost settled in advance
One group price covers the car, the guide, a private boat to the sandbar and Ham Rong Cape, lunch on a raft house and a freshwater shower.
★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 →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 →Village prices, fares and group tour prices as of September 2026; raft houses and boat owners set their own rates.