Things to Do in Phu Quoc for Non-Golfers: A Day Plan While Your Partner Plays (2026)

Last updated: 12 October 2026

Both golf courses in Phu Quoc are in the north of the island, and so are the theme park, the safari and Grand World. That is good news if you are looking for things to do in Phu Quoc for non-golfers: the person who does not play can spend the morning a few minutes from the course and meet up for lunch. This guide plans the golf day for them, and the day you spend together in the south.

How a Phu Quoc golf day works

Phu Quoc is long and thin, and the golf sits at the top. Vinpearl Golf is at Bai Dai on the northwest coast, inside the same resort area as VinWonders and the safari. Eschuri Vung Bau is just down the west coast at Vung Bau. The southern sights (the cable car, Sunset Town, Bai Sao) are a long drive from either course, so they do not fit around a round.

A typical golf day runs like this: the golfer leaves the hotel after an early breakfast, plays 18 holes in about four and a half to five hours with lunch at the clubhouse or back at the resort, and is free by early afternoon. That gives a non-golfing partner a full morning alone and the afternoon together. We checked the drives below on Google Maps on 12 October 2026. If you are still planning the golf side, start with our Phu Quoc golf trip guide.

Golf-day plans by course

Pick the morning plan by the course being played, not by the hotel. The table shows what is closest to each course and how long it takes to meet up afterwards.

Both courses are closer to the parks than most visitors expect. From Vinpearl Golf you can walk to VinWonders; from Eschuri it is an 8-minute drive, so the golfer can join for the afternoon without a long transfer either way.

VinWonders and Vinpearl Safari: the morning while your partner plays

VinWonders Phu Quoc is the obvious choice with children. It opens 9:00–19:30 every day, with themed zones that keep their own hours (most run from 10:00), a water park section and an aquarium, The Sea Shell. The evening ONCE show runs 18:45–19:05 (VinWonders, updated January 2026). Ticket prices change with the season, so check the current price before you go. A morning there lines up neatly with a tee time: arrive at opening, and the golfer can join for the afternoon rides and the show.

Vinpearl Safari covers about 500 hectares and lists more than 4,000 animals of around 200 species, seen partly on foot and partly from a safari bus (VinWonders, February 2026). It opens 8:30–16:00, so it suits the morning slot better than the afternoon. Allow at least half a day. If you only have one morning, choose between the safari and the theme park rather than rushing both.

For adults travelling without children, the same morning works just as well at the resort: a slow breakfast, the beach at Bai Dai, a spa booking before lunch.

Grand World and the north-island evenings

Grand World is the evening answer. The canal-side complex in the Bai Dai area is open around the clock to walk through, with some areas and shows ticketed. Its main show, Tinh Hoa Viet Nam (The Quintessence of Vietnam), runs 20:15–21:00, and the lantern release follows at about 21:00 (VinWonders, December 2025; schedules can change with weather). Gondola rides along the canal are ticketed separately.

Because it starts after dark, Grand World is a plan for both of you after a golf day, not something the non-golfer has to do alone. Have dinner there and you are back at a Bai Dai hotel in minutes.

The free day together: the south of the island

Save the south for the day nobody plays. It is too far to fit around a tee time, and it is the part of Phu Quoc most visitors come to see.

• Hon Thom cable car. Sun Group’s cable car runs 7,899.9 m from An Thoi out to Hon Thom island, about 15 minutes over the sea, and was certified by Guinness as the world’s longest when it opened in 2018 (Bao Phap Luat, February 2018). In 2026 the first cabin leaves at 9:30 and the last return is at 17:30, and the ticket includes the Aquatopia water park on the island (VisitPhuQuoc, April 2026).
• Sunset Town. The Mediterranean-style town by An Thoi is built for the evening. The Kiss of the Sea show runs at 21:00 daily except Tuesdays and lasts about 30 minutes (Sun Paradise Land; schedule may change with the season).
• Bai Sao. The white-sand beach on the southeast coast is the place for a quiet swim between the cable car and the evening.

From a northern hotel the south is a long drive: about 50 km and 1 hour 10 minutes from Vinpearl Resort & Spa to the Hon Thom cable car station (Google Maps, 12 October 2026). Leave around 8:00, do the cable car first, swim at Bai Sao and stay for the show at Sunset Town. One day covers it if you accept a late drive back; a night in the south makes it relaxed.

Beaches and spa days

Not every non-golfer wants a theme park. Bai Dai in the north is a long west-facing beach with sunsets over the sea, right in front of the Vinpearl resort. At Vinpearl Resort & Spa Phu Quoc, VinCharm Spa has a sauna, steam room and hot tub; in the south, New World Phu Quoc Resort has a 16-room spa, a 120 m infinity pool, a kids’ pool and a small water park. A morning of beach and spa, then lunch with the golfer, is the simplest golf day there is.

Book a three-day stay-and-play at Vinpearl, a few minutes from VinWonders and the whole north-island plan sits on one doorstep: the course about 5 minutes away, the theme park 0.8 km, the safari 5.7 km (hotels.com listing).

With children or older parents

Phu Quoc works well for a family golf holiday, with a few habits that make it easier:

• Use the mornings for the outdoor parks. The safari closes at 16:00 and midday sun is strong; mornings are cooler for children and grandparents alike.
• Plan the water time for the pool or the water park. In the rainy months the sea can be rough; resort pools and water parks are the safer swim.
• Keep the south as one long day, not two. The drive tires small children; one well-planned day beats two rushed ones.
• Older parents: Grand World and the resort spa are easier than the theme park, and the cable car is seated the whole way.

The busiest weeks are around Tet (6 February 2027) and school holidays, which is also the heart of the dry season. If you want the January to March sunshine, see how each month plays in Phu Quoc and book early.

North or south: where a mixed group should stay

For most golfer and non-golfer pairs, the north wins. Staying at Bai Dai puts the golf, VinWonders, the safari and Grand World within a short drive, and leaves only one long day for the south.

Distances to the Vinpearl sights are from the hotel’s hotels.com listing; New World figures are from Google Maps (12 October 2026). Drive times to golf from the south are our estimate.

Once you know which base suits your group, our Phu Quoc golf holidays for couples and families combine the rounds, the hotel and the free day in one plan.

Phu Quoc vs Nha Trang vs Da Nang for a non-golfing partner

Phu Quoc wins when the non-golfer is a child or wants a resort holiday; Nha Trang suits someone who likes islands and a livelier town. Compare with a Nha Trang day plan for the partner who does not play, and if the trip starts in the capital, see how non-golfers spend a Hanoi golf day.

Frequently Asked Questions

GoGolfVietnam, a local golf tour operator based in Da Nang, arranges tee times, transfers and hotels across Vietnam, including Phu Quoc.