Day tours · By boat · Evening
Night squid fishing: what actually happens on board
An evening on a fishing boat: out before sunset, anchored a few nautical miles offshore under bright lamps, jigging for squid with a rod and an artificial lure, and eating what the group catches. Pickup from about 15:10 to 17:05 by zone and pier, back at the pier by about 20:30 to 21:30.
At a glance
- Length
- About 4 to 7 hours, door to door, by zone and pier
- Boat leaves
- About 17:30
- Group size
- Join-in: 15 seats sold, at most
- Pickup
- Duong Dong, Bai Truong, Bai Dai, An Thoi
- Fishing
- About 18:00 to 20:30
- Price
- On request
Night squid fishing is less about catching food and more about being on the sea after dark: a slow boat, the sunset, then an hour or two under the lamps with a rod in your hands. Some evenings the squid come up fast and the bucket fills; some evenings the group catches a handful. We cannot promise a catch, and the crew will not pad it with bought squid.
The pattern below follows what operators publish: pickup about 16:30 to 17:00 for central hotels, the boat out at about 17:30, fishing from about 18:00 to 20:30, and back between 20:30 and 21:30. Boats leave from the Duong Dong side or from An Thoi; we choose the pier by the day's sea state and tell you which one with the pickup time.
Sources: visitphuquoc.com.vn, night squid fishing, 1 Jun 2026 (agency source); Sun Paradise Land, night squid fishing guide, 14 Aug 2026 (agency source) · checked .
Pickup windows by zone
| Zone | If the boat leaves from Duong Dong | If the boat leaves from An Thoi |
|---|---|---|
| Bai Dai (north-west) | 15:50 – 16:15 | 15:10 – 15:40 |
| Duong Dong (town) | 16:30 – 16:50 | 16:00 – 16:25 |
| Bai Truong (Long Beach) | 16:15 – 16:40 | 16:20 – 16:45 |
| An Thoi (south) | 15:40 – 16:05 | 16:50 – 17:05 |
These are our planned windows, built on published drive times of about 40 to 50 minutes between Duong Dong and An Thoi and about the same between Duong Dong and the Bai Dai area. The pier is fixed the evening before, so the exact minute arrives then. Guests from the zone furthest from the pier spend close to an hour and a half in the van each way; if that is you, a private boat from the nearer pier is worth asking about. Details on pickup zones and times.
Sources: Sun Paradise Land, Phu Quoc bus timetable and drive times, 19 Aug 2026 (agency source); VinWonders, airport to Bai Dai distance, 22 Jul 2025 (agency source) · checked .
Hour by hour
Step 1
The squid evening, in clock time
The first squid coming up into the lamplight
15:10 – 17:05 · Pickup run. By zone, as above. Bring a light jacket for the wind after dark, shoes that grip on a wet deck, and a seasickness tablet taken before boarding if you are not used to boats.
17:15 – 17:30 · Boarding. Headcount against the passenger list, life jackets handed out and fitted, a short briefing on where to sit, where the rods are kept and how to move around a deck with lines out.
17:30 – 18:30 · Out to the fishing ground, sunset. The boat runs a few nautical miles offshore and anchors. On the west coast the sun sets over the sea: as early as about 17:40 in November, as late as about 18:31 in July.
18:00 – 20:30 · Fishing under the lamps. The crew switch on the lamps that draw squid towards the boat. Each guest gets a rod with an artificial lure shaped like a small shrimp or fish. You let the line down, jig it gently so the lure moves, and pull up firmly when you feel weight. The crew show beginners how to hold the rod and unhook the squid; expect ink on your hands.
During fishing · Dinner from the catch. Squid caught on board is cooked straight away: steamed, grilled, or in a rice porridge, with the set dinner and fruit. On a slow night the set dinner carries the meal.
20:30 – 22:15 · Back to the pier, drop-off. The boat returns between 20:30 and 21:30, and the van runs the zones in reverse.
Fishing and return times are the published pattern. The crew may stay longer when squid are biting, or come in early if the wind rises.
Sources: visitphuquoc.com.vn, night squid fishing, 1 Jun 2026 (agency source); Sun Paradise Land, night squid fishing guide, 14 Aug 2026 (agency source); sunrise-sunset.org, computed sunset times for Duong Dong, accessed 11 Oct 2026; VietnamPlus, Dinh Cau at sunset, 9 Sep 2026 · checked .
Moon, season and the sea
The boat's lamps are what draw the squid, and operators advise avoiding full-moon nights. If your only free evening is close to a full moon, the trip still runs; just do not plan on a big catch. Ask us for the moon phase on your dates and we will suggest the darker evenings in your stay.
November to April is the calm, dry season and the most reliable time for this trip. In the rainy season the crew move the fishing spot to avoid rough water, and on the west coast waves build from May to October. On those days we may move the departure to the An Thoi side or cancel; the evening before is when you hear.
Sources: visitphuquoc.com.vn, night squid fishing, 1 Jun 2026 (agency source); Sun Paradise Land, night squid fishing guide, 14 Aug 2026 (agency source); Mia.vn, which season to visit Phu Quoc, 5 Apr 2026 (agency source) · checked .
Safety on board and the weather rule
The squid boat follows the same routine as our island boats. Since July 2026, inspections of tourist boats around Phu Quoc have been tighter, with checks on registration, mandatory life jackets and no overloading.
- A registered boat, with its papers on board.
- Headcount at the pier; never more people on board than the boat's registered capacity.
- A life jacket for every guest, fitted before departure and worn whenever the boat is moving.
- Briefing before departure, including how to move with lines and hooks on deck.
- Children stay seated with an adult while the boat is underway and while hooks are in use.
| When | Who decides | What happens to your booking |
|---|---|---|
| By 17:00 on the day before | Us, on the forecast | Another evening, or a full refund of what you paid us |
| At the pier | The captain or the port authorities | Van back to the hotel; same choices |
| At sea | The captain | Early return; no partial refund |
| Trip runs, you cancel | You | Normal terms in your written quote |
The full decision chain, including how authorities have stopped boats in past storms, is on when day tours get cancelled.
Sources: Tuoi Tre, inspections of island canoe tours, 16 Jul 2026; VOV, review of SB canoe standards and pre-trip safety briefings, 13 Jul 2026; Dtinews, ferry and boat services to Phu Quoc suspended, 27 Jul 2023 · checked .
Price and what it includes
| Option | Price per person or per boat |
|---|---|
| Join-in seat, adult | On request |
| Join-in seat, child | On request |
| Private boat for your party | Quoted per date and party size |
What the price includes
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in the four zones
- Seat on a registered fishing boat, life jacket for each guest
- Rod, lure and line; crew help throughout
- Set dinner on board, the squid you catch cooked to order, fruit, drinking water
- English-speaking guide
What it does not include
- Beer and soft drinks
- Travel insurance
- Seasickness tablets
- Tips for the crew
How quotes are built is on the pricing page; booking steps on how to book.
Sources: visitphuquoc.com.vn, night squid fishing, 1 Jun 2026 (agency source); vietnamtourism.com, Phu Quoc daily budget, 19 Sep 2026 (agency source); Sun Paradise Land, night squid fishing guide, 14 Aug 2026 (agency source) · checked .
Pictures from the trip
Who this evening is not for
- Anyone who gets seasick at anchor. The boat sits still and rolls with the swell for over two hours; that is harder on the stomach than moving.
- People who want a guaranteed catch to take away. There is no guarantee, and the catch is cooked on board.
- Travellers who dislike handling live animals or squid ink.
- Families with children who need to be in bed by 20:00. Drop-off can be after 22:00.
Ready to pick an evening?
Plan your trip
Send your date and hotel
Tell us the evening, your hotel and the party. We reply with the pier, the pickup window and the moon phase for that night.
Common questions
Questions travellers ask most
Do we keep the squid we catch?
The catch is cooked and eaten on board, which is the point of the evening. There is no ice box for taking squid back to your hotel.
Is there swimming on this trip?
No. The boat goes out late in the day and fishes after dark. If you want to snorkel, take the south islands speedboat day.
Which night of the month should we pick?
Avoid full-moon nights if you can; operators advise against them, since the boat's lamps are what draw the squid. Ask us for the moon phase on your dates.
Can we combine this with the island day?
Not on the same day: the island boat is back at An Thoi around 17:00 to 17:30, which is when the squid boat leaves. Do them on different days.
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Prices
Market ranges, what a quote contains, what moves the price.
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Tours · Booking
How to book
The steps from form to pickup, and what we need from you.
View this journeyStart planning
Tell us about the trip you have in mind
Dates, party size and the places you care about are enough to start. You get a draft route and an indicative price, not a brochure.