Travel Tips

The Best Things to Do in Hoi An

Hoi An is the town everyone falls for. Once a busy trading port, its little Ancient Town of tiled roofs, merchant houses and the famous Japanese bridge has survived almost intact, and at dusk the whole place glows with coloured silk lanterns. Add a river running through the middle, a hundred tailors ready to make you something, a beach a short cycle away and some of the best food in the country, and it is easy to see why so many travellers stay longer than they planned.

Below is our honest guide to the things worth your time in Hoi An, from the lantern-lit lanes and the tailors to the coconut forest, the beach and the Cham ruins nearby. If you would rather have it arranged for you, our Hoi An tours cover the town and the countryside around it with a local guide.

Wander the Ancient Town

The Ancient Town is the heart of Hoi An and best explored slowly on foot, ideally early or late when the day-trippers have thinned out. Cross the little Japanese Covered Bridge, step into the old merchant houses and the ornate Chinese assembly halls, and let yourself get lost among the yellow walls and the tailors' windows. A heritage ticket covers entry to a handful of the historic buildings, but half the pleasure is simply wandering. It is compact, walkable and completely charming.

Get clothes made by a tailor

Hoi An is Vietnam's tailoring capital, and having something made is part of the experience. Hundreds of tailors can turn out a suit, a dress or a coat in a day or two, fitted to you and at a fraction of what you would pay at home. Bring a picture of what you want, allow time for a fitting or two, and choose a well-reviewed shop rather than the first one you pass. It is one of the few souvenirs you will actually use.

See the town by lantern light

Hoi An after dark is the memory most people take home. As the sun sets, the silk lanterns come on all along the streets and the riverbank, and boats drift on the Thu Bon river releasing little paper lanterns onto the water. If your timing is lucky, the monthly full-moon lantern festival dims the electric lights altogether for an evening of lanterns, music and colour. A short rowing-boat ride on the river at night is inexpensive and lovely.

Ride a basket boat in the coconut forest

Just outside town, the water-coconut palms of Cam Thanh hide a maze of little waterways where guides paddle you about in round bamboo basket boats, spinning them for laughs and weaving fish from palm leaves. It is touristy in the best way and a lot of fun, especially with children. Our Coconut Village and Hoi An small-group tour pairs the basket boats with the Ancient Town so you get the countryside and the heritage in one day.

Take a day trip to My Son

An hour inland, the My Son Sanctuary is a cluster of red-brick Hindu temples built by the Cham kingdom between the fourth and thirteenth centuries, set in a green valley ringed by hills. It is the most important Cham site in Vietnam and a UNESCO site, and going early beats both the heat and the crowds. For anyone interested in the region's older history, it is a rewarding half-day out from Hoi An.

Eat Hoi An's specialities

Hoi An has a cooking tradition all of its own. Look for cao lau, the town's signature noodle dish made with pork and greens and said to need water from a particular local well, along with white rose dumplings, crispy fried wontons and the famous banh mi that put the town's bakeries on the map. A cooking class or a guided food walk is a fine way to get under the skin of it, and the central market is the place to graze.

Cycle to the beach and the rice fields

Hoi An is flat and green, and a bicycle is the nicest way to reach the coast. An Bang and Cua Dai beaches are a gentle ride away, with sunloungers, seafood shacks and calm swimming for much of the year. The lanes out to them run past bright-green rice paddies and vegetable gardens, so the journey is half the point. Many hotels lend bikes for free.

Combine it with Da Nang and the Marble Mountains

Hoi An sits just south of Da Nang, and the two are easily combined. The Marble Mountains, a cluster of limestone hills full of caves and shrines, sit between them and make a natural stop on the way. Our Marble Mountains, Coconut Forest and Hoi An by night tour links the highlights of both in a single day, which suits travellers based in Da Nang who want to see Hoi An lit up in the evening.

So how long do you need in Hoi An?

Two nights is the comfortable minimum: one day for the Ancient Town, the tailors and the lanterns, and a second for the beach, the coconut forest or My Son. Three nights is the sweet spot and lets you slow right down, which is what Hoi An is really for. Many travellers happily give it more, using it as the relaxed end of a busy central leg.

How Hoi An fits a wider Vietnam trip

Hoi An is the gentle heart of the central coast, paired naturally with Da Nang next door and Hue a little further north, the three together forming the central leg of most Vietnam trips. It tends to be where people slow down between the cities and the cruises, so it often works best towards the end of a route. We plan trips the other way round from most sellers: we start with how you want to feel and what you want to see, then choose the tours, hotels and transfers to match, and we run the whole thing from arrival to departure so there is one team to call if anything changes.

We are planners rather than resellers, we are rated five-star on Tripadvisor, and we never take commission from the places we recommend, so the suggestions above are simply the ones we think are worth your time. Our central Vietnam tours page shows how Hoi An links to Da Nang and Hue, and if you are shaping a longer route, our private Vietnam itinerary planning ties it into the whole trip.

Common questions about Hoi An

Is Hoi An worth visiting?

Absolutely. Hoi An's lantern-lit Ancient Town is one of the loveliest places in Vietnam, and between the tailors, the food, the coconut forest and the nearby beach there is plenty to fill a couple of relaxed days. Most travellers rate it a highlight of the whole trip.

How many days do you need in Hoi An?

Two nights is the comfortable minimum, one day for the Ancient Town and lanterns and a second for the beach, the coconut forest or My Son. Three nights lets you slow down properly, which is what Hoi An does best.

What is the best thing to do in Hoi An?

Wandering the Ancient Town at dusk when the lanterns come on is the quintessential Hoi An experience, ideally with a short boat ride on the river. Beyond that, having clothes tailored, a basket-boat ride in the coconut forest and a My Son day trip are the standouts.

Is Hoi An good for tailoring?

Yes, it is Vietnam's tailoring capital, with hundreds of shops able to make suits, dresses and coats to measure in a day or two at low prices. Allow time for a fitting, bring a photo of what you want, and choose a well-reviewed tailor rather than the first you see.

What food is Hoi An famous for?

Hoi An has its own dishes, led by cao lau, a pork-and-noodle bowl unique to the town, along with white rose dumplings, crispy wontons and the celebrated banh mi. A cooking class or food walk is a great way to try the best of it.

Is Hoi An better than Hue?

They suit different tastes and work well together. Hoi An is about atmosphere, lanterns, tailoring and the beach, while Hue is about imperial history, palaces and tombs. The two sit close together on the central coast, so most travellers enjoy both.