Things To Do In Hoi An
Hoi An is the kind of place that stops you mid-sentence. Golden lanterns strung between centuries-old merchant houses, the smell of sizzling Banh Xeo drifting from a riverside stall, and a pace of life slow enough to actually enjoy it.
Whether you have three days or three weeks, Hoi An rewards every traveller who takes the time to wander beyond the obvious. This guide covers everything from the must-see landmarks to the hidden corners that most visitors miss entirely.
The Quick Summary:
- Ideal Stay: 3 to 4 days gives you enough time to cover the Ancient Town properly, get out to the rice fields, and still squeeze in a beach afternoon at An Bang.
- Best Time to Visit: February through April brings dry skies, comfortable temperatures, and the best conditions for cycling and exploring on foot. Avoid October and November when flooding is common in the Ancient Town.
- Daily Budget: Backpackers can get by comfortably on around 750,000 VND ($30 USD) covering a dorm bed, street food meals, and bicycle rental. Families and those seeking boutique riverside stays should budget closer to 3,750,000 VND ($150 USD) per day.
- Getting Around: Inside the pedestrian zone, walking and cycling are the only way to go. For trips to the beach, Da Nang, or the countryside, grab a ride through Grab or Xanh SM.
- Must-Eat Dish: Cao Lau. You can only get the real version here, made using water drawn from the ancient Ba Le Well. Do not leave without trying it.
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Top Experiences at a Glance:
Hoi An punches well above its size when it comes to things to do. The Ancient Town alone could fill two full days, and that is before you factor in cooking classes, river cruises, beach afternoons, and cycling through the countryside. Here is how the main experiences stack up so you can plan your time wisely.
| Experience | Average Cost (VND) | Approx. Cost (USD) | Best Time of Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ancient Town Entry Ticket | 120,000 VND | $5.00 USD | 07:00 to 10:00 (beat the crowds) |
| Thu Bon River Boat Ride | 150,000 VND | $6.00 USD | 18:00 to 20:00 (lantern hour) |
| Half-Day Cooking Class | 625,000 VND | $25.00 USD | 08:30 to 13:00 |
| Daily Bicycle Rental | 30,000 VND | $1.20 USD | 06:00 to 17:00 |
| Basket Boat Excursion | 150,000 VND | $6.00 USD | 09:00 to 11:00 |
| Lantern Making Workshop | 200,000 VND | $8.00 USD | Afternoon sessions |
The Best Things To Do in Hoi An:
Each experience below is worth your time. Some are free. Some cost the price of a coffee. A couple will require a bit more budget but will be the highlight of your entire trip to Vietnam.
Explore the Ancient Town
The pedestrianised streets of Hoi An’s old quarter are unlike anywhere else in Southeast Asia. Yellow-walled merchant houses dating from the 15th to 19th centuries line narrow alleys where cats doze in doorways and the scent of incense drifts out from wooden assembly halls. Your entry ticket covers a selection of historic sites including old family homes, Chinese clan halls, and small museums.
Go at dawn. Before 9am the light is golden, the streets are quiet, and the local vendors are just setting up along Tran Phu Street. Key stops include the Tan Ky Old House, where Japanese and Chinese architecture blend together seamlessly, and the Fujian Assembly Hall, built centuries ago as a gathering place for Chinese merchants and still in active use today. Sit down at a pavement cafe afterwards, order a Vietnamese iced white coffee, and simply watch the city come alive around you. When you are ready to plan where to sleep, our Hoi An accommodation guide breaks down every neighbourhood.
Cross the Japanese Covered Bridge
Built in the early 17th century by the Japanese merchant community, the Covered Bridge (locally called Chua Cau) connects Tran Phu Street across a small canal and has a tiny pagoda built right into its northern side. Stone statues of monkeys guard one end, dogs the other. It is one of those rare landmarks that manages to feel atmospheric rather than just touristy.
See it twice: once in the early morning with soft light and few people around, and again after sunset when it is illuminated and reflected in the water below. Do not just photograph it from the bank and move on. Walk across it slowly. It took four hundred years to get there. The whole Ancient Town rewards this kind of unhurried approach, and understanding the wider history makes the bridge make a lot more sense.
Cruise the Thu Bon River at Night
As twilight settles over Hoi An, the Thu Bon River transforms into something genuinely magical. Traditional wooden sampans drift through waters lit by hundreds of floating paper lanterns, and the whole ancient town glows amber and gold along the banks. Local operators on An Hoi Islet offer short boat trips for a few dollars, navigating the gentle current while the city drifts past.
Buy a paper lantern from a riverside vendor, light the small candle inside, and set it loose on the water. It sounds like a cliche until you actually do it. For a quieter version of this experience away from the busiest stretch of the riverfront, walk further toward Cam Nam Bridge where the crowds thin out considerably and the lanterns still drift past in the dark. If you want to go deeper on the water, our Vietnam boat tours guide covers the full range of river and coastal experiences around the country.
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Join a Cooking Class
Central Vietnamese cuisine is one of the most distinctive in the country, and Hoi An is the best place in Vietnam to properly learn it. The best cooking classes start with a guided walk through the Central Market on Nguyen Hue Street, where instructors explain the local produce from fresh turmeric to sawtooth coriander before heading by boat to a riverside kitchen.
You will learn to make things from scratch that you will actually want to cook at home: crispy Banh Xeo pancakes, fresh summer rolls, and the iconic White Rose dumplings. Expect to leave with a full stomach, a recipe card, and genuine new skills. Book through Klook or Get Your Guide for reviewed operators with consistent quality. This one is brilliant for families, couples, and solo travellers alike. If you want to compare Hoi An’s classes against options across the country, the broader Vietnam cooking classes guide is worth a look.
Cycle Through the Rice Fields and Cam Thanh
Rent a bicycle for barely more than a dollar and ride east from the city toward the rural island of Cam Thanh. Within fifteen minutes the ancient brick shopfronts give way to wide green rice paddies, water buffaloes grazing by the path, and local farmers working in the fields. It is the single best way to understand that Hoi An is much more than just its postcard-perfect Ancient Town.
Follow the narrow dirt paths through the paddies toward the Bay Mau Nipa Palm Forest, where local fishers still use traditional round bamboo basket boats to navigate the mangrove channels. The basket boat rides themselves are heavily commercialised and feel it, but the trails through the surrounding mangroves offer a peaceful escape. Take your time and stop at a local cafe in the village for fresh sugarcane juice before heading back. Fancy pushing further afield? The Hoi An day trips guide covers My Son Sanctuary, the Marble Mountains, and the short hop up to Da Nang.
Relax on An Bang Beach
Four kilometres north of the Ancient Town, An Bang Beach is the local favourite for a reason. It is quieter than the main Cua Dai stretch, has cleaner water, and the beachfront restaurants are good rather than tourist-trap average. On a clear day you can see the Cham Islands sitting on the horizon. If you book a day trip out there, the snorkelling is excellent between March and August.
Skip the crowded main entrance and walk north toward the fishing village end of the beach for more space and fewer vendors. Most beach restaurants will happily set you up with a sun lounger for the price of a cold drink. Mornings bring calm, flat water that is perfect for a swim. Late afternoons bring a cool sea breeze, golden light, and very good cold beers. It is exactly as good as it sounds. Head to our Hoi An beaches guide for the full breakdown of every stretch of coast near town.
Attend the Full Moon Lantern Festival
On the 14th day of every lunar month, Hoi An does something extraordinary. The Ancient Town switches off its electric lights completely and the entire historic core is lit only by hundreds of silk and paper lanterns in every colour imaginable. The streets are closed to traffic, traditional music plays in the courtyards, and the Thu Bon River fills with floating candles.
If your trip happens to align with the full moon, do not plan anything else for that evening. This is one of those travel experiences that photographs cannot adequately capture and that you will remember for years. Check the lunar calendar before you book your trip, as timing your arrival around a Lantern Festival night takes no extra effort and transforms the whole Hoi An experience.
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What You Absolutely Have to Eat:
Hoi An has its own culinary identity completely separate from the rest of Vietnam, and several of its signature dishes cannot be replicated anywhere else. The unique local water supply, the blend of trading cultures that shaped the town over centuries, and the commitment of local families to guard their recipes closely all add up to a food scene that is extraordinary at every price point. For a wider tour of Vietnamese eating, our street food guide covers the whole country.
Cao Lau
Thick, chewy rice noodles topped with sliced barbecued pork, crispy fried rice crackers, and a generous pile of fresh local herbs. The noodles have a texture and flavour unlike any other in Vietnam because they are made using water drawn specifically from the ancient Ba Le Well. Attempts to recreate Cao Lau outside Hoi An simply do not taste the same. Order it at Cao Lau Thanh on Thai Phien Street for a version that locals eat, not a tourist imitation.
White Rose Dumplings and Banh Mi
White Rose Dumplings (Banh Bao Vac) are translucent rice flour parcels filled with spiced shrimp or pork, crimped to resemble a rose in bloom, and finished with crispy fried shallots on top. One family essentially holds the recipe and supplies the vast majority of restaurants in town from The White Rose Restaurant on Hai Ba Trung Street. Order them there for the freshest possible version.
Hoi An is also home to arguably the best Banh Mi in Vietnam, a claim that even Saigon loyalists quietly concede. Banh Mi Phuong on Phan Chau Trinh Street is where it all started and the queue at any given hour tells you everything you need to know. The crusty baguette loaded with pork, pate, fresh cucumber, pickled daikon, coriander, and chilli is roughly 30,000 VND ($1.25 USD) and worth every dong.
Hoi An Chicken Rice (Com Ga)
Com Ga is Hoi An’s beloved chicken rice dish, and it is simpler and more satisfying than it sounds. Shredded poached chicken is tossed with fresh herbs, sliced onion, lime juice, and chilli, then served over rice cooked in rich chicken broth with turmeric. The result is fragrant, light, and deeply comforting. Head to Com Ga Ba Buoi on Phan Chu Trinh Street where the family has been perfecting this dish for decades. It is the kind of meal that makes you want to order a second bowl before you have finished the first.
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Where to Stay in Hoi An:
Hoi An has accommodation options that suit every type of traveller, from well-run backpacker hostels just outside the Ancient Town to world-class boutique resorts with private pool villas along the river and coast. Location matters here more than almost anywhere else in Vietnam. Staying inside or directly adjacent to the Ancient Town means you can walk out your door into the lantern-lit streets at night. Staying beachside at An Bang or Cua Dai means a short bicycle ride or Grab ride to the Old Town but waking up to the sound of the sea. Read our full Where To Stay In Hoi An guide for a deep dive into every neighbourhood and what it costs.
Planning Tip: Use the interactive map below to explore accommodation options across Hoi An by location, budget, and style. Filter by what matters most to you and book directly through Agoda or Booking.com for the best rates.
Practical Tips for Every Type of Traveller:
Getting Here and Getting Around
The nearest airport is Da Nang International, around 30 kilometres north. From arrivals, book a private car or ride through Grab or Xanh SM for around 350,000 VND ($14 USD) and the journey takes roughly 45 minutes along the coastal highway. Avoid unlicensed taxi touts inside the terminal. For a transparent comparison of both apps, see our Grab vs Xanh SM guide.
Inside Hoi An, a bicycle is all you need for the Ancient Town and surroundings. Rental shops are everywhere and cost around 30,000 VND ($1.20 USD) for a full day. For trips further afield, back to Da Nang, or out to the Cham Islands ferry terminal, use Grab or Xanh SM for transparent pricing without any meter arguments. Our getting around Vietnam guide covers every transport option from the sleeper bus to the train network if you are planning longer journeys.
Money, Connectivity, and Staying Safe
Cash is essential. Street food vendors, market stalls, bicycle rental shops, and the majority of small guesthouses rarely accept credit cards. Keep a supply of smaller VND notes (20,000, 50,000, and 100,000 denominations) and exchange at a bank or reputable gold shop in the Ancient Town for the best rates. ATMs are available but charge fees, so withdraw in larger amounts less frequently. Our Vietnam currency guide has the full rundown on cash, cards, and avoiding bad exchange rates.
For connectivity, either grab a local SIM at Da Nang Airport on arrival or install an eSIM through Yesim before you fly. Both options give you reliable 4G data for maps, translation apps, and ride-hailing from the moment you land. When connecting to public cafe Wi-Fi, run NordVPN to keep your banking and personal data secure. Hoi An is one of the safest cities in Southeast Asia for visitors, but petty theft and overcharging at tourist-facing tailors and seafood restaurants does occur. Always confirm prices before ordering seafood, and check reviews before commissioning anything from a tailor. Our full Vietnam safety guide covers scams to watch for across the whole country.
Tips for Families and Expats
Hoi An is an exceptional destination for families with children. The pedestrian-friendly Ancient Town means minimal road stress, the cooking classes are great fun for older kids, and An Bang Beach is calm and shallow enough for young swimmers. The lantern festival night is also memorable for children of any age. For families who prefer structured experiences, Klook and Get Your Guide both offer family-specific cooking, cycling, and boat tour packages that take the guesswork out of the day.
For expats considering a longer stay, Hoi An and nearby Da Nang have become one of the most popular bases in Southeast Asia for remote workers and long-term residents. The cost of living is low, the quality of life is high, and the combination of beach, mountains, and city life within an hour’s reach is hard to beat anywhere in the region. See our Vietnam digital nomad guide for everything you need to know about basing here long-term, including visas, coworking, and neighbourhoods. Standard e-visas cover stays up to 90 days and are straightforward to obtain. If relocating with pets, consult our moving pets to Vietnam guide well in advance to navigate the import regulations.
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Frequently Asked Questions:
When is the Hoi An Lantern Festival?
The festival takes place on the 14th day of every lunar month when the moon is full. The Ancient Town switches off all electric lighting and relies entirely on traditional lanterns and floating river candles. It happens every single month, so check a lunar calendar before you book to align your trip with a festival night.
How do I get from Da Nang to Hoi An?
The easiest option is a private car or ride booked through Grab or Xanh SM for around 350,000 VND ($14 USD). The journey takes roughly 45 minutes along the coastal highway. Shared minivans are cheaper but slower. Avoid unlicensed taxi touts at Da Nang Airport.
Is the Ancient Town entry ticket mandatory?
Yes, a ticket is required to enter the historic core and access the official heritage sites. The current price is 120,000 VND ($5 USD) and covers entry to a selection of old houses, assembly halls, and museums. The funds directly support ongoing preservation of the centuries-old architecture.
What is the best beach near Hoi An?
An Bang Beach, four kilometres north of the Ancient Town, is the local favourite. It is quieter than Cua Dai, has cleaner water, and the beachside restaurants are good. For snorkelling and island life, day trips to the Cham Islands run from Cua Dai Pier between March and August when sea conditions allow.
Is Hoi An suitable for young children?
Very much so. The pedestrian-friendly Ancient Town removes most of the traffic stress that makes other Vietnamese cities trickier with young kids. Cooking classes, bicycle rides through the rice fields, and the lantern festival are all excellent experiences for families. An Bang Beach has calm, shallow water well suited to young swimmers.
How many days do I need in Hoi An?
Three to four days gives you enough time to explore the Ancient Town properly, get out to the countryside, fit in a cooking class, and spend at least one afternoon at the beach. If your trip coincides with the full moon Lantern Festival, a fourth night is well worth it. Budget travellers on tight schedules can cover the highlights in two full days, but Hoi An rewards a slower pace.
What is the best way to get around Hoi An?
A bicycle handles almost everything inside the Ancient Town and out to the countryside or beach. Rental costs around 30,000 VND ($1.20 USD) per day and most hotels include one free with your stay. For longer trips to Da Nang or the Cham Islands pier, use Grab or Xanh SM for transparent fares and no haggling.
Can I get an eSIM for Hoi An?
Yes, and it is the easiest way to arrive connected. Install an eSIM through Yesim before you fly and you will have working 4G from the moment you land at Da Nang Airport. Local physical SIMs are also available at the airport if you prefer that route.
What day trips can I do from Hoi An?
My Son Sanctuary, the ancient Hindu temple complex about 40 kilometres southwest, is the top cultural day trip and easy to arrange via Klook or Get Your Guide. The Marble Mountains and the beach city of Da Nang are both under an hour away and make excellent half-day excursions. The Cham Islands are the top choice for snorkelling, running from March to August when sea conditions allow.
Do I need travel insurance for Hoi An?
Yes, travel insurance is always worth having in Vietnam. SafetyWing offers straightforward, affordable cover specifically designed for travellers and nomads, including medical, trip cancellation, and emergency evacuation. Vietnam’s private hospitals in tourist areas are good, but costs can add up quickly without cover.
