This guide covers the full picture: what the crossing feels like, what waits on the far side, what the tickets cost in 2026, and whether the whole thing deserves a place in your itinerary.
What Hon Thom actually is
Hon Thom is a small island about 4 kilometres off the southern coast of Phu Quoc, in Kien Giang province. For most of its history it was a fishing and pearl-farming outpost with no permanent bridge and no road connection. Locals called it Hon Thom, and access depended on boats and weather.
That changed in February 2018, when Sun Group opened the cable car linking the mainland station at An Thoi to the island. At 7,899 metres, it broke the previous world record for a non-stop three-rope cable car and turned a half-day boat trip into a 15-minute aerial crossing.
The system was built by the Austrian company Doppelmayr, the same firm behind cable cars in the Alps and in Ha Long. It uses three cables instead of the usual one, which allows longer unsupported spans and greater stability in coastal wind. The towers rise as high as 174 metres above sea level, and at the midpoint the cabins pass over fishing boats, pearl rafts and, in the right season, the wakes of small cargo vessels heading for An Thoi port.
The island itself has since been developed into Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park, a resort-style complex with a water park, a beach, restaurants and a second, shorter cable car on the island. The whole thing is unmistakably a theme park. Whether that is a problem depends entirely on what you came for.
The ride, station by station
The departure point is the Sun World Hon Thom station at An Thoi, on the southern coast of Phu Quoc, roughly 25 kilometres from Duong Dong town and about 30 minutes by car.
You enter through a large terminal that doubles as a ticket hall and shopping area. Bags are checked, and large luggage is discouraged. From the gate, escalators lift you to the platform, where cabins arrive every few seconds. Each cabin holds up to 30 people standing or around 12 seated.
The first two minutes cross the harbour. Below you are the rooftops of An Thoi, then the fishing fleet, then open water. The cabins are airy and the windows are large, but there is no air conditioning, and midday heat inside the glass can be intense.
Around the four-minute mark, the mainland disappears behind you. This is the part most people remember. There is nothing below but sea, and the next tower is often more than a kilometre away. On a clear day you can see the islands of the An Thoi archipelago strung out to the south, and on the return leg the whole southern coastline of Phu Quoc.
The approach to Hon Thom is the payoff. The cable car descends over the island's north shore, past the water park and the beach, before landing at the island station. The whole crossing takes 15 to 20 minutes depending on wind and loading.
Sit on the right side going out and the left side coming back for the best views of the archipelago. Crew usually do not assign seats, so walk to the far end of the platform and board a cabin that is not yet full.
What there is to do on the island
The island station sits directly above Sun World Hon Thom Nature Park. The layout is compact and easy to walk in 15 minutes.
Aquatopia water park is the centrepiece. It has around 20 slides, a wave pool, a lazy river and a dedicated children's zone. Entry is included in the cable car ticket, which is unusual for a park of this size and is the main reason the combined price feels reasonable. Bring a swimsuit, a towel and reef-safe sunscreen.
The beach on the island's west side is calm, shallow and framed by palms. It is not in the same league as Sao Beach, but it is quieter and the sand is fine and white. Loungers are free with a ticket.
The second cable car runs from the island station to a viewpoint higher up the hill. It is short, included in the main ticket, and worth doing once for the panorama over the water park and the surrounding islands.
Restaurants and a buffet operate near the beach and the water park. The buffet is the most popular option and is reasonably priced for a theme park. There are also snack kiosks and a cafe at the station.
The zipline and the cliff walk are smaller attractions near the beach, and both are included.
What is missing is any sense of the island as it was. There is no fishing village to walk through, no pearl farm to visit, no trail into the interior. Hon Thom today is a resort, and the resort is the point.
Tickets and prices
Prices at Sun World parks in Vietnam change often, usually at the start of the year or ahead of peak season. The figures below were checked in February 2026 and should be treated as a guide rather than a guarantee.
| Ticket type | Price (VND) | Approx. USD | Approx. EUR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Adult round trip, cable car + park | 650,000 | 26 | 24 |
| Child round trip (1m to 1.4m) | 500,000 | 20 | 18 |
| Child under 1m | Free | Free | Free |
| Senior (60+, with ID) | 500,000 | 20 | 18 |
| Combo with buffet lunch | 900,000 | 36 | 33 |
Tickets can be bought at the station, through the Sun World website, or through most hotels and travel agents on the island. Buying online often saves a small amount and avoids the queue at peak times. Combo tickets that include a round-trip transfer from Duong Dong are widely sold and usually cost 200,000 to 300,000 VND more.
The cable car closes for maintenance at least once a year, usually in the low season around September or October. Dates are announced on the Sun World website a few weeks in advance. If your trip depends on this ride, check before you book flights.
Opening hours and how to get there
The cable car runs daily from 9am to 5pm, with the last cabin leaving the mainland around 4pm and the last cabin returning from the island around 5pm. Hours are extended during Vietnamese public holidays and Tet.
From Duong Dong, the main town on the island, the drive to An Thoi takes 30 to 40 minutes. Options:
- Grab or Xanh SM: 350,000 to 500,000 VND each way depending on car size and time of day
- Metered taxi: similar range; agree on the price first if the meter is not running
- Hotel shuttle: many resorts in the south run free or cheap shuttles to the cable car station
- Rented motorbike: 150,000 to 250,000 VND per day, with parking at the station
- Local bus: limited routes, slow, and not practical for most visitors
If you are staying in the south of the island, around An Thoi, Bai Truong or Long Beach, the trip is short and cheap. From the north, around Grand World Phu Quoc, allow an hour each way.
Who will love it and who will not
This is a genuinely spectacular piece of engineering, and the crossing itself is worth the ticket even if you never set foot in the water park. Families with children tend to rate it as the highlight of their Phu Quoc trip. The water park is well maintained, the queues are manageable outside peak weeks, and the beach on the island is a pleasant place to spend a few hours.
Travellers looking for the quiet, local Phu Quoc of twenty years ago will find the opposite here. The experience is polished, commercial and busy, and the island has been reshaped entirely around the park. If your idea of a good day is a fishing village and a bowl of noodles on a plastic stool, this is not it.
People who dislike heights or enclosed spaces should think carefully. The cabins are stable, but the middle section is a long way above open sea with no land in sight.
What to combine with a visit
The cable car sits at the southern end of the island, and the surrounding area has enough to fill a full day.
Sao Beach is 10 to 15 minutes north of the An Thoi station and is the whitest sand on Phu Quoc. Go early, before the tour buses arrive. Our Sao Beach guide covers the access road and the best spots.
An Thoi night market opens in the late afternoon and is the best place on the island for seafood. The grilled scallops and sea urchins are the local speciality.
The An Thoi archipelago boat tours leave from the same harbour and visit three or four islands for snorkelling. Most run from 8am to 3pm, which means you cannot easily do both a boat tour and the cable car on the same day.
Sunset Town at the base of the cable car station is a newer development with restaurants, a beach club and the Kiss Bridge. It is worth an hour in the late afternoon.
If you are planning a broader Phu Quoc itinerary, our Phu Quoc things to do guide covers the rest of the island, and the VinWonders Phu Quoc guide is worth reading if you are deciding between the two parks. For weather and timing, see Phu Quoc: when to visit for the calmest seas. Budget-conscious travellers should check Phu Quoc daily budget before committing to a full day of paid attractions.
Practical tips for a good visit
Go early. The first cabins at 9am are the quietest, the light is best for photography, and the water park is empty for the first hour. By 11am in high season the queues at the slides can run 20 minutes.
Avoid Tet and the July school holidays if you can. The park handles crowds well, but the cable car cabins fill and the atmosphere changes.
Bring cash. Card readers work at the main ticket counter, but the smaller kiosks on the island and the market stalls at An Thoi are cash only.
Wear shoes you can walk in. The island station involves a lot of stairs and sloping paths, and the ground gets hot in the middle of the day.
Do not bring large luggage. There is no storage at the station, and bags over a certain size are refused.
Check the wind. On windy days the cable car may pause for a few minutes mid-crossing. This is normal and not a malfunction.
Sunset is not visible from the cable car. The last cabin leaves the island at 5pm, well before the sun goes down. If you want sunset over the sea, watch it from Sunset Town or Sao Beach instead.
FAQ
Q: How much is the Hon Thom cable car ticket in 2026? Adult round-trip tickets cost 650,000 VND (about 26 USD) and include the water park and beach on Hon Thom island. Child tickets for heights between 1m and 1.4m cost 500,000 VND. Children under 1m travel free. Prices were checked in February 2026 and are subject to change.
Q: How long does the cable car take? The crossing takes 15 to 20 minutes each way, depending on wind and loading. Allow at least four hours for the full visit if you want to use the water park, and two hours for the ride and a quick walk around the island.
Q: Is the cable car worth it if I do not want to swim? Yes, for the crossing itself. The views over the An Thoi archipelago are the best you will get on Phu Quoc without a boat, and the ticket includes the island beach and the second cable car to the viewpoint. Non-swimmers can still fill two hours comfortably.
Q: What time does the Hon Thom cable car open and close? The cable car runs from 9am to 5pm daily. The last cabin leaves the mainland around 4pm and the last cabin leaves the island around 5pm. Hours are extended on public holidays.
Q: Can I buy tickets at the station? Yes. Tickets are sold at the Sun World Hon Thom station at An Thoi, and also online and through most hotels. Buying online is cheaper and faster during peak periods.
Q: Is there a dress code? No formal dress code. Swimwear is fine at the water park and beach, but bring a cover-up for the restaurants and the cable car. Shoes are required everywhere except the pools.
Q: How do I get to the cable car from Duong Dong? Grab, Xanh SM or a metered taxi takes 30 to 40 minutes and costs 350,000 to 500,000 VND each way. Many resorts in the south run shuttles. Renting a motorbike is the cheapest option if you are comfortable riding.
Q: Does the cable car close for maintenance? Yes, usually once a year in the low season, often in September or October. Dates are announced on the Sun World website. Check before you plan a trip around it.