The south of Phu Quoc is where the island concentrates its most distinctive experiences. The Hon Thom cable car crosses 7.9 km of open water to reach a second island — it holds the Guinness World Record for the longest sea-crossing cable car. Below it is Sunset Town, a purpose-built entertainment district built around the Kiss Bridge. Just offshore, the An Thoi archipelago has a handful of small islands for snorkelling and boat trips.
All three are within a few kilometres of each other at the island’s southern tip. A single day comfortably covers the cable car and Sunset Town; an island-hopping boat trip works either as an extension of the same day or as a separate outing.
The short version
- Hon Thom cable car: 850,000 ₫ adult (~US$33), 700,000 ₫ child 1.0–1.4 m, free under 1.0 m; ticket includes the cable car round trip plus Aquatopia water park on Hon Thom island; opens 9:00am
- Sunset Town / Kiss Bridge: free to walk and photograph; best from late afternoon through evening when lights come on; arrive by 5:00pm for the sunset angle from the bridge
- An Thoi island hopping: speedboat tours from An Thoi port to the named islands of the archipelago (Hon Thom, Hon May Rut, Hon Mong Tay, Hon Gam Ghi); book through your hotel or a local operator at the port
- All are in the An Thoi area, about 20 km south of Duong Dong; scooter or Grab recommended
- Bai Sao beach is in the same corridor — pair them for a full southern day
- Island-hopping tours can pause July–September in rough weather; confirm the day before
Hon Thom Cable Car (Sun World Hon Thom)
The Hon Thom cable car connects An Thoi on the southern tip of Phu Quoc to Hon Thom (Pineapple Island), one of the small islands in the An Thoi archipelago. At 7,899.9 metres, it claims the Guinness World Record for the longest sea-crossing cable car — a claim that is genuinely visible when you are in the gondola, watching the mainland coast shrink behind you with nothing but ocean below.
The crossing takes around 15 minutes each way. Gondolas are enclosed and air-conditioned, holding around eight people. They run continuously; at busy periods — particularly on weekends and Vietnamese public holidays — queues at the mainland terminal can run 30–45 minutes.
What the ticket covers:
One ticket buys the round-trip cable car and access to Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park on the island, which includes Aquatopia — a water park with a waterslide complex, wave pool, and lazy river. If you have children who want water park time alongside the cable car experience, this makes the ticket price considerably easier to justify.
Ticket prices:
- Adult (over 1.4 m): 850,000 ₫ (~US$33)
- Child 1.0–1.4 m: 700,000 ₫ (~US$28)
- Under 1.0 m: free
Book online through the Sun World website to avoid the box-office queue. The cable car opens at 9:00am.
The ride: The best views come in the first half of the outbound crossing, looking back over the An Thoi archipelago and the southern Phu Quoc coast. Take photos on the way out; on the return leg you face north towards the island and the architecture of Sunset Town below. On a clear morning, the visibility across the islands is excellent.
On Hon Thom island: Budget two to three hours if you plan to use Aquatopia properly. The island also has a beach on its far side — a short shuttle-bus ride from the cable car terminal — with calmer water than the approach side. There are restaurants and cafes on the island. The shuttle bus is free with your entry ticket.
Practical tips:
- Bring a dry bag or waterproof case if you plan to swim at Aquatopia; lockers are available but small
- Avoid the cable car on Vietnamese public holidays — the queue can become very long and the water park overcrowded
- Early morning arrivals get the best light for photos in the gondola and shorter queues at both ends
Sunset Town and the Kiss Bridge
Sunset Town is the entertainment district built by Sun Group on the Phu Quoc side of the cable car terminal. It is styled as a mock-European fishing village — coloured building facades, a pedestrianised waterfront, a canal section, and the Kiss Bridge (Cau Hon) as the centrepiece.
The Kiss Bridge: A pedestrian bridge designed so that the two supporting arches form the shape of cupped hands — or a heart, depending on the angle and the framing of your photograph. It is the most photographed spot in southern Phu Quoc, and genuinely photogenic at sunset when the western light hits the bridge and at night when the full LED display comes on. Entry to the bridge is free.
The best camera position is from the far viewing platform looking back towards the bridge with the sea behind it. Arrive by 5:00pm to get the full sunset angle; after dark the lighting display takes over. The bridge and foreshore fill with visitors in the early evening but not to the point of being unworkable.
The rest of Sunset Town: A cable car viewing platform overlooks the crossing point. The walking street has restaurants, café bars, and souvenir shops running along the waterfront. There is also a gondola canal section with ride hire. The architecture leans fully into the European-fantasy theme — more interesting at night when the lighting design is operating than during the day when it reads as an empty set.
Eating here: The restaurant strip covers a reasonable range — Vietnamese seafood, grilled meats, Western café food, and dessert spots. Prices are slightly above island average but not unreasonable. If you want a table with a direct water view for sunset, it is worth arriving early or asking your hotel to book ahead; the prime spots fill from about 5:30pm.
Entry and parking: No entrance fee for Sunset Town. Parking is available near the cable car terminal and the bridge approach; scooters park for free.
An Thoi Island Hopping
The An Thoi archipelago is a group of 18 small islands off the southern tip of Phu Quoc. Four are the main targets for day trips: Hon Thom (also reachable by cable car), Hon May Rut, Hon Mong Tay, and Hon Gam Ghi. The water between them is shallow and clear enough for snorkelling, with the best conditions around the rocky outcrops of Hon May Rut and Hon Mong Tay.
How tours work: Speedboat tours depart from An Thoi port, a short drive from Sunset Town. The standard format is a half-day or full-day circuit visiting three or four islands with stops for snorkelling, a floating fish lunch cooked on the boat, and some beach time. Operators cluster around the port entrance. Prices and inclusions vary between operators and change seasonally — ask your hotel or accommodation for the current going rate and what each tour covers before committing.
Private speedboat charters are also available for groups wanting flexibility over the island order and stop times. These cost considerably more but suit families or small groups with specific preferences.
Snorkelling conditions: Honest assessment: the coral around the An Thoi islands is not pristine. Bleaching has affected some areas in recent years and visibility varies with season and conditions. Marine life is present — reef fish, sea fans, the occasional squid in the shallower areas — but it is not comparable to Komodo, the Similan Islands, or premium snorkelling destinations elsewhere in the region. Worth doing if you enjoy snorkelling and don’t have a reference point that will make it feel underwhelming; manage expectations if you do.
When tours run: Island-hopping boats depart daily during the dry season (November–April). From May through October, particularly July–September, weather can affect the schedule — choppy seas cause some operators to cancel or shorten tours. Confirm the day before and have a backup plan during shoulder and wet season.
Combining with the cable car: Some tour operators offer a combo format — speedboat to the islands, cable car from Hon Thom back to the mainland — which avoids backtracking to An Thoi port and gives you the cable-car experience without paying separately for the full Sun World ticket. Worth asking about when booking.
A practical southern day
If you want to cover the key attractions without backtracking:
- 8:30am: Start at Bai Sao beach for an early swim before tour buses arrive
- 11:00am: Drive south to the cable car terminal; join the queue for Hon Thom (arrives before the midday peak)
- 11:30am–2:30pm: Cable car crossing, Aquatopia or island walk, lunch on Hon Thom
- 3:00pm: Return cable car; rest or wander Sunset Town
- 4:30pm–5:30pm: Kiss Bridge for sunset photographs
- 6:00pm onwards: Dinner on the Sunset Town restaurant strip
This schedule covers the cable car in full and the Kiss Bridge at its best light without rushing. Island hopping works better as a separate day or a morning-only add-on departing early from An Thoi port.
Getting there from Duong Dong
The cable car terminal and Sunset Town are about 20 km south of Duong Dong, on the same road that passes the airport. An Thoi port is a further 3 km south.
- Scooter: 35–40 minutes from Duong Dong; free parking at the cable car terminal
- Grab: works reliably on this route; roughly 150,000–200,000 ₫ (US$6–8) each way
- Your hotel: most accommodation in the An Thoi area can arrange shuttles or half-day car hire; worth asking before booking an independent driver
For accommodation in southern Phu Quoc, the hotels index lists options near An Thoi and the airport area. Organised tours covering island hopping, cable car combos, and other activities across the island are at /activities/.
