Over the sea on the Hon Thom cable car

Ride one of the world’s longest sea-crossing cable cars from the tip of Phu Quoc to Hon Thom, floating above fishing boats and green islands.

Area

South & An Thoi islands

Start from

An Thoi

Distance

about 8 km of cable

Time needed

half a day to 1 day

Best season

All year; may pause in storms

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Cable car from An Thoi; taxi to the station

Tickets & rules

Cable car ticket; separate tickets for some island attractions

Why go

The Hon Thom cable car runs for nearly eight kilometres from the An Thoi area out to Hòn Thơm island, crossing open sea and a couple of smaller islands on the way. The cabins glide high above the water, and for fifteen to twenty minutes you see the whole southern archipelago laid out below you: fishing boats like toys, floating farms, beaches and coral shallows.

The trip is unashamedly touristy, and Hon Thom island itself is a resort complex with a water park and beach clubs. Still, the ride is genuinely spectacular, especially in the late afternoon when the light is softer and the islands cast long shadows on the sea.

You can make it a short trip just for the views or spend a full day on Hon Thom’s beaches.

The story

The cable car opened in 2018 and was recognised by Guinness World Records as the longest non-stop three-rope cable car in the world, at just under 7.9 kilometres. Its towers are among the tallest of any cable car, rising more than 150 metres above the sea to give clearance to ships passing underneath.

Building it was a major engineering project. Some towers stand on small islands, and the cables had to be pulled across long stretches of open water. For An Thoi, it marked a shift from a working fishing port to a gateway for large-scale tourism.

Below the cables, life carries on in older ways. Fishing families on islands such as Hòn Dừa and Hòn Rỏi still live in houses facing the water, and you can spot their boats, nets and fish pens from above. The view gives a striking sense of how the old and new economies of Phu Quoc sit side by side.

On Hon Thom, the beaches face west and get beautiful sunsets, and the water on the island’s quieter sides is clear and calm in the dry season. Even if theme parks are not your thing, there are corners where you can sit under a tree, swim and watch the boats crossing between islands.

Getting there

The cable car station is on the southern edge of An Thoi, about 30 to 40 minutes by car from Duong Dong or Long Beach. Ride-hailing cars and taxis can drop you at the entrance; there are also shuttle buses from some hotels and resorts.

Tickets can be bought at the station or in advance online. Prices vary depending on whether you only ride the cable car or also enter the water park and other attractions.

A suggested plan

1. 14:00Leave Long Beach or Duong Dong, stopping at the Coconut Tree Prison museum on the way if you like.
2. 15:00Ride the cable car out, choosing a seat on the side facing the islands and the sun.
3. 15:30Walk or take the shuttle around Hon Thom; swim at one of the beaches.
4. 17:30Watch the sunset from a west-facing beach on the island.
5. 18:30Ride the cable car back in the dusk, watching the lights of An Thoi come on.

Where to stay

Most people visit as a half-day trip from Long Beach or Duong Dong. Staying in An Thoi or on Hon Thom itself makes it easier to time the ride for the best light.

Good to know

• Check the last cable car times before you go; they change with seasons and events.
• Weekdays outside Vietnamese public holidays are much quieter.
• If you’re nervous about heights, sit in the middle and look at the horizon rather than straight down.