14 Things To Do in Hoi An, Vietnam

1. Wander down the old streets of Hoi An

Spend hours wandering slowly through the streets of Hoi An and admiring the French & Asian style houses, shutters, and colors. Join a guided walking tour to learn more about the city’s past as you discover this ancient town. The architecture provides a real nostalgic feeling and has been perfectly maintained as a result of its UNESCO status.

Stop off at charming coffee shops, some of which have terraces that provide views over the archaic roofs and the river. During the night, lantern-lit streets give a charming and romantic feel.

2. Quan Cong Temple

The Quan Cong Pagoda Temple in bright gold and red, is typical for Chinese temples. It stands out against the yellow buildings and is a perfect example of cultural influences. Enjoy the calmness of the inner courtyard but keep an eye on the signs that mention things such as removing shoes when standing in front of the sacred statues.

3. Japanese Bridge

The iconic sight of Hoi An is the majestic Japanese Bridge that sits over the river. This bridge, built in the late 16th century at the time of Japanese immigration, is one of the most popular things to do in Hoi An, Vietnam.

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See the architectural details of the charming and well-preserved bridge by day or see it beautifully lit up by night. This is one of those sights that we always remember when talking about Hoi An!

In order to cross the ancient bridge, you will need to have the Hoi An old town ticket.

4. Day trip to Da Nang

Da Nang is a large and developed city located 30 minutes from Hoi An. It has great food hot spots, interesting architecture like the Dragon Bridge, and arguably some of the best beaches in Vietnam. Additionally, visit the Lady Buddha and Marble Mountains (book a day tour here).

5. Hoi An Market 

Engage in the hectic local life and visit the Hoi An Market (Chợ Hội An). You can find products like fresh vegetables and fruits, flowers, spices, baskets, and meat and fish here. Experiencing the intense crowds and beeping motorbikes during the morning is a must-do in Hoi An. We combined our visit to the market with a cooking class and basket boat ride by booking a day tour.

Additionally, visit one of the many tailor shops at the nearby located Hoi An Tailor Market and have a high-quality suit or dress custom-made for a very reasonable price if you’re comfortable with bargaining.

6. Hoi An Night Market 

Find hundreds of glowing lanterns strung up along the Hoi An Night Market, where you can find vendors selling clothing and so much more. Different than the daytime market, the Night Market focuses on tourists and is located on the other side of the bridge.

It is possibly Vietnam‘s most popular market, and, therefore, it tends to get busy after sundown. The Hoi An night market opens at 5 PM until 10 PM. 

7. Reaching Out Tea House

Run by people who suffer from hearing and speech impairments, this charming tea house is a must-do in Hoi An. It is an incredibly peaceful environment, as silence is respected, and orders and communication are all done through the use of speech cubes and body language. Not only are the tea, coffee, and biscuits fantastic, but we think it’s a wonderful way to use tourism for good.

8. Hoi An Free Bike Tour

Vietnamese students organize free biking tours in order to practice their English. Get to know Hoi An as the locals do by cycling along the rice fields, preparing traditional food, and visiting the outer parts of Hoi An, which you might not usually see. This was such a great experience with good conversations with the locals while soaking up beautiful views around sunset.

9. Ba Mu Temple Gates (Tam Quan)

Only recently has this stunning three-gated Pagoda opened its doors to the public. The old temple and beautifully colored complex, built in 1626, features a round open circle flanked by two large doors. This is a prime example of the typical style of Vietnamese architecture.

10. Banh Mi – Taste the best ones in Hoi An!

The French colonial influences have left their mark in Vietnam through the introduction of the baguette. The Banh Mi sandwich filled with meats, coriander, cucumber, pathé or cheese, chili, and mayonnaise is now a traditional Vietnamese dish. 

Hoi An has been dubbed the Banh Mi Capital of Vietnam, so there couldn’t be a better place to try this incredible Vietnamese take on a sandwich. We’re warning you; these are highly addictive! We’ve had plenty on our trip!

11. Hoi An Cooking Classes

Vietnamese cuisine is arguably one of the best in the world, and within Vietnam, Hoi An takes precedence for its explosive flavors. Due to this, cooking classes are extremely popular, and there are plenty of options to choose from. Cooking classes usually take 3 to 5 hours.

In the Tra Que Herb village they will teach you how to cook 4 traditional Vietnamese meals inside a beautiful herb garden.

Another option is to join a cooking tour where you get taken to the market to buy the cooking class ingredients. A beautiful bamboo basket boat trip brings you to the cooking class location while you also learn how to fish with a fishing net.

There are lots of options to learn this and enjoy an entire morning or afternoon learning about this ancient craft. A must-do experience whilst in Hoi An!

13. An Bang Beach

Although the old town is the main thing to do in Hoi An, another great attraction is its coastline. An Bang Beach is a 4km stretch of sand lined with deckchairs and relaxed beach bars. Kick back here with a drink and enjoy the beautiful outlook on the ocean.

14. Precious Art Gallery

Visit the great gallery of photographer Rehahn, who displays the culture and importance of the ethnic groups of Vietnam. The series of photos were taken over a period of 8 years, documenting 51 out of the 54 remaining ethnic groups left in Vietnam. New photographs have since been added too.

Also available to see are some traditional ethnic costumes, all of which provide a real insight into the history of one of the most important cultural aspects of Vietnam.

How to Visit Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An is located centrally in Vietnam, and although it does not have an airport, it is easily connected. The nearest airport is Da Nang, which is only a 45-minute drive away. There is a public bus which runs regularly and only costs 1 USD, or there is the option to take a taxi.

There are daily flights from Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh to Danang, and more international flights are starting to become available.

Buses
Although flying is the quickest option, there are also multiple good sleeper buses running from locations throughout Vietnam or an overnight train that runs from Hanoi to Danang.

Getting Around

Walking or biking is the mode of transport inside Hoi An old town. Pedestrianized streets make it a perfect place for a wander. Hire bikes to cycle to the beach or amongst the rice paddies. Hotels and guesthouses in Hoi An sometimes offer bicycles, so it’s smart to look for a hotel that does this. 

Hoi An Old Town Ticket

In order to preserve Hoi An old town, a ticket is required to enter some buildings. Purchase your ticket at one of the counters that surround the outskirts of the city center. The ticket is 120.000 VND (5 USD) and is not needed to walk around in Hoi An.

The Best Restaurants in Hoi An

Hoi An is a place for food lovers with well-established local and international cuisines. These are our favorites:

Depending on what kind of trip you want, you can stay either by the beach or situate yourself more centrally by the old town. It’s best to stay just outside of the old town, as the accommodation will be cheaper and both the beach and the old town will still be easy to reach.

Our favorite hotels in Hoi An 😴

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Hoi An Odyssey

Hoi An

Hoi An Central Hotel

Hoi An

Hoi An Riverside Hotel

Hoi An

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Best Time to Visit Hoi An

The climate in Hoi An is warm year-round but is particularly dry from February to July. Make sure to avoid Vietnamese public holidays, especially TET, which is the biggest holiday of the year and causes shops and restaurants to close.

Recommendation: The monthly and extremely popular Hoi An Lantern Festival is beautiful but causes a huge amount of rubbish in its rivers. We don’t recommend attending.