The Phu Quoc cable car, and what is at the other end
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Phu Quoc's cable car carries you eight kilometres over the sea in a glass box, and it is the best fifteen minutes on the island. What waits at the far end is a theme park, which is a different proposition entirely.
What is the ride?
The Phu Quoc cable car runs from An Thoi, at the southern tip of the island, to Hon Thom about 8 km offshore, crossing open water and three small islands on the way. It opened in 2018 and held the Guinness record for the longest three-rope oceanic cable car.
The crossing takes about fifteen minutes each way. Below the cabin are fishing boats at anchor, the channel between the islands, and water clear enough to see the bottom in places.
Cabins take up to thirty people and run continuously through the day. There is no sensation of height beyond the first tower, and the windows are large.
| What | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | Nearly 8 km, over open sea |
| Time | About 15 minutes each way |
| Opened | 2018, a Guinness record at the time |
| Ticket | Bundled with Sun World Hon Thom, 500,000–900,000 dong |
| Closes | In high wind, most often July to September |
What does the ticket cover?
The cable car is not sold alone. A ticket is a Sun World Hon Thom admission, which includes the return crossing and the park at the far end, and runs roughly 500,000 to 900,000 dong for an adult depending on season and on what the park has open.
At about 26,000 dong to the US dollar that is 19 to 35 dollars, which puts it among the more expensive tickets in the country — the trip cost guide gives the context.
Children pay less by height, and the park sells combination tickets with the water park that only make sense if you intend to spend the day.
What is at Hon Thom?
Hon Thom holds a Sun World resort park: a water park, restaurants, beaches with loungers, and rides. The island is not an unspoilt one, and the development covers the part of it you can reach.
The beaches are genuinely good and the water is clear. Whether that is worth the ticket depends on how you feel about queueing for a slide in the middle of the Gulf of Thailand.
Anybody who wants a boat to a quiet island should look at the An Thoi archipelago trips instead, which the Phu Quoc things to do page covers.
When should you go?
Late afternoon for the light, or first thing for the empty park. The middle of the day is hot, the cabins warm up, and the water park is at its fullest.
The line closes in high wind. That happens most often between July and September, when the southwest monsoon reaches the island, and the typhoon season guide covers what that season does elsewhere.
Check that the cable car is running before making the drive to An Thoi, which is 25 to 30 km from the main beach strip and takes about forty minutes.
How do you get to the station?
An Thoi sits at the southern end of Phu Quoc, about 25 to 30 km from Duong Dong and the main hotels. The station stands in Sunset Town, the resort town built around it. A taxi or Grab runs 250,000 to 400,000 dong each way, and a rented scooter does it in forty minutes.
Hotel shuttles exist and are usually tied to a ticket purchase. Compare the bundle with a Grab and a gate ticket before buying.
Parking at the station is free and the queue for the cabins is under the building, which matters at midday.
Is the ride worth it on its own?
For fifteen minutes over that water, yes. It is the single most memorable thing on an island whose other attractions are beaches, and the crossing is genuinely beautiful in low light.
The park behind it is the part to decide about honestly. It is well run, it is busy, and it is not what most people come to Vietnam for.
Ride it, spend an hour at the beach on the far side, and come back. That version of the day works for almost everybody.
FAQ
What is the Phu Quoc cable car?
A three-rope cable car running nearly 8 km from An Thoi at the southern tip of Phu Quoc to Hon Thom island, over open sea and a scatter of fishing islands. It held the Guinness record for the longest oceanic cable car when it opened in 2018, and the crossing takes about fifteen minutes.
How much does the Phu Quoc cable car cost?
The cable car is sold as part of a Sun World Hon Thom ticket rather than on its own, and the combined price usually runs between 500,000 and 900,000 dong for an adult depending on what the park is including that season. Children are cheaper and the ticket covers the return crossing.
How long is the ride?
About fifteen minutes each way, over fishing boats, three small islands and clear water most of the way. The best part is the middle section, where the cabin is high above the channel and there is nothing beneath it but boats.
What is at the other end?
Hon Thom island and a Sun World park: a water park, beaches, restaurants and a set of rides. It is a theme park rather than an island to explore, and how much you enjoy the day depends entirely on whether that is what you came for.
When is the best time to ride it?
Late afternoon, when the light is low over the water and the heat has gone, or first thing before the park fills. The line closes in high wind, which happens most often between July and September, so check before travelling to the southern tip.
Is the Phu Quoc cable car worth it?
The ride is worth it and the park is a separate question. Anybody who wants fifteen minutes over an unusually beautiful stretch of sea will be satisfied; anybody expecting an unspoilt island at the far end will not.