Hoi An, Vietnam: travel guide
Located on the central coast, Hoi An is renowned for its remarkably preserved ancient town. Laced with canals and lit by colorful lanterns, it is famous for its tailor shops, historic merchant houses, and diverse cuisine.
- Country
- Vietnam
- Currency
- VND
- Time zone
- Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh
- Nearest airport
- DAD
Top places to visit in Hoi An
Hoi An Ancient Town
Heritage · 4.9 rating · about 3 h · entry VND 200,000
A UNESCO World Heritage site since 1999 — a remarkably intact 15th–19th century trading port where Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese merchant houses coexist on lantern-lit streets. An Old Town pass (200,000 VND) grants entry to five…
Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu)
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 0.3 h · entry VND 120,000
Built by the Japanese community ~1593 — a small ornate bridge-temple that is the symbol of Hoi An. Decorated with carved monkeys on one end and dogs on the other. The interior shrine is dedicated to the weather deity.
An Bang Beach
Beach · 4.7 rating · about 3 h
Regularly voted one of Asia's top beaches — 3 km of pristine white sand with turquoise water, 5 km from the Ancient Town. Beach bar seafood BBQ at sundown is a Hoi An institution.
My Son Sanctuary
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 2.5 h · entry VND 150,000
UNESCO-listed cluster of 4th-13th-century Cham Hindu brick temple towers in a jungle valley.
Hoi An Night Market
Market · 4.3 rating · about 1 h
Lantern-lit riverside market on An Hoi islet selling silk lanterns, crafts and street food.
An Hoi Bridge & Riverside
Cultural · 4.5 rating · about 0.5 h
Pedestrian bridge over the Thu Bon River, the heart of the lantern-lit evening scene.
Tan Ky Old House
Heritage · 4.4 rating · about 0.5 h · entry VND 120,000
200-year-old merchant house blending Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese design, open to visitors.
Hoi An Memories Show
Activity · 4.4 rating · about 1.3 h · entry VND 600,000
Large-scale outdoor song-and-dance spectacular on Hoi An's history on An Hoi islet.
Precious Heritage Art Gallery (Réhahn)
Museum · 4.7 rating · about 0.8 h
Photographer Réhahn's free gallery of portraits and costumes of Vietnam's ethnic groups.
Tra Que Vegetable Village
Cultural · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · entry VND 35,000
Organic herb village where visitors farm with locals between the river and the lagoon.
Hoi An Silk Village
Cultural · 4.2 rating · about 1.3 h · entry VND 50,000
Working silk farm and museum tracing mulberry-to-loom production with weaving demos.
Phung Hung Old House
Heritage · 4.3 rating · about 0.4 h · entry VND 120,000
Two-century-old trading house with a Japanese-style roof and balcony over the street.
Things to do
- Hoi An Ancient Town Lantern Walking Tour by Night Cultural · 2.5 h · from VND 193,000 per person
- Vietnamese Cooking Class in Hoi An Food · 4 h · from VND 441,000 per person
- My Son Sanctuary Half-Day Tour Cultural · 5 h · from VND 496,000 per person
- Hoi An Night Boat & Lantern Release Sightseeing · 0.8 h · from VND 138,000 per person
- Basket Boat & Coconut Village Tour Adventure · 3 h · from VND 331,000 per person
- Tra Que Village Cooking & Farming Food · 4 h · from VND 551,000 per person
- Hoi An Bicycle Countryside Tour Adventure · 4 h · from VND 413,000 per person
- Hoi An Tailoring Experience Cultural · 2 h · from VND 221,000 per person
Day trips and tours
- My Son Cham Ruins Half-Day Tour from Hoi An 5 h · from VND 331,000
- Hoi An Countryside Cycling & Village Life Tour 4 h · from VND 248,000
Where to stay in Hoi An
- Ancient Town Core about VND 1,800 per night
Stay inside the UNESCO-protected area for magical golden-lantern evenings. Walking distance to the Japanese Covered Bridge, Assembly Halls and the river promenade. Most atmospheric but can be crowded; book early.
- An Bang Beach Area about VND 1,400 per night
Stay 5 km from town but front-row on one of Asia's best unspoiled beaches. A cluster of laid-back beach bungalows, yoga retreats and seafood shacks. Quieter and more natural than the overcrowded town centre.
Hotels
- Anantara Hoi An Resort 5-star · VND 5,000,000 to VND 20,000,000 per night
- La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa 5-star · VND 3,000,000 to VND 5,500,000 per night
- Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai 5-star · VND 18,000,000 to VND 45,000,000 per night
- The Life Heritage Resort Hoi An 4-star · VND 2,500,000 to VND 8,000,000 per night
- Allegro Hoi An 4-star · VND 2,500,000 to VND 4,500,000 per night
- Little Riverside Hoi An 5-star · VND 2,800,000 to VND 5,000,000 per night
Where to eat
- Morning Glory Original Cooking School Vietnamese · about VND 280,000 per person
- White Rose Restaurant (Thanh Hai) Vietnamese · about VND 150,000 per person
- Cao Lau Thanh Vietnamese · about VND 60,000 per person
- Banh Mi Phuong Vietnamese · about VND 35,000 per person
- Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen Vietnamese · about VND 35,000 per person
- Com Ga Ba Buoi Vietnamese · about VND 60,000 per person
- Cao Lau Khong Gian Xanh Vietnamese · about VND 60,000 per person
- Morning Glory Original Vietnamese · about VND 200,000 per person
Getting around
- Bicycle main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
Safety and scams to avoid
Inflated Tailoring Advance Deposits
Ancient Town tailor shops
Some tailors take a large deposit for custom clothing, then produce poor-quality garments or require additional "extra fees" for pickup.
How to avoid it: Pay no more than 30% deposit. Research reputable tailors (Yaly, A Dong, Bebe) on TripAdvisor. Inspect garment before paying balance.
Ancient Town Ticket Touts
Entry points to Ancient Town
Unofficial vendors sell fake or overpriced Ancient Town entry tickets near the gates.
How to avoid it: Buy the official 5-attraction combined ticket only at the Hoi An Tourism Office (counters at all main entry gates). Official price is ~120,000 VND.
Best time to visit Hoi An
- Sep 32°C · QCVN 02:2022/BXD (Vietnam National Technical Regulation on Natural Physical and Climatic Data for Construction, Ministry of Construction, eff. 26 Sep 2022), Table A.25 average rainfall for September: 350.7 mm (station Da Nang, ~30 km away - used as a proxy, no station at Hoi An).
- Oct 30°C · QCVN 02:2022/BXD, Table A.25 average rainfall for October: 628.0 mm (station Da Nang, ~30 km away - proxy).
- Nov 27°C · QCVN 02:2022/BXD, Table A.25 average rainfall for November: 448.2 mm (station Da Nang, ~30 km away - proxy).
- Dec 25°C · QCVN 02:2022/BXD, Table A.25 average rainfall for December: 218.4 mm (station Da Nang, ~30 km away - proxy).