[Updated in November 2024] When the sun goes down, the boat ride on the Hoai River is one of things not to miss in Hoi An. It’s popularly known as ‘Hoi An lantern boat ride’ because people will release paper lanterns while going on it. It also allows passengers to see and feel the charm of Hoi An town at night that is famous worldwide as well as to have great photo opportunities. In this article, HoiAn Day Trip Company will tell you everything you need to know about Hoai River boat ride or ‘Hoi An lantern boat ride’.
You also may like: Thu Bon River Cruise, Han River Night Cruise
• Content by Tam Le, founder of HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
• Designed by Giang Cong Minh, co-founder of LS E&C LTD and his team
• Photo by Dang Cong Loi, Dao Xuan Son, Tam Le & others
Must Knows about Lantern Boat Ride in Hoi An
– Location: Hoai River, Hoi An Ancient Town, Hoi An City, Vietnam
– Other name(s): sampan boat ride hoi an, hoi an night boat ride, hoi an night river cruise, Hoai river cruise
– Duration: 15 mins
– Price: 170,000 to 220,000 VND/boat (updated 2024)
– Number of passengers: 5 persons maximum
– Availability: from sunset to 9:30-10 PM every night (except flood/typhoon days)
– Best time(s) to do: evening, full moon
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-lantern-boat-ride
– Tour guide: not available
– Food, drink, shopping: not available
– Related to: Hoi An Monthly Lantern Festival, Hoi An Floating Water Lanterns
– Fact: Lantern boat ride on Hoai River is different from the cruise ride on Thu Bon River
Hoai River (Hoi An River) on Map
Better to Know about Hoai River in Hoi An
Hoai River (Vietnamese: Song Hoai) is a 1,5-kilometers-long canal-like river running through Hoi An city centre, between the Hoi An Ancient Town world heritage and An Hoi Island. Its name means ‘missing (home)’ and originates from homesickness of local inhabitants who migrated from far places, such as Japan or China. A yellow town by the green Hoai River is one of the iconic images of Hoi An. In the past, boats of foreign merchants docked along its bank to buy local products. Today, visitors love going on a boat ride along it to view the town. See more information & details
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Origin & History of Lantern Boat Ride in Hoi An
In Vietnamese traditional culture, the full moon day is holy. This belief originates from Buddhism which came to Vietnam over 2,000 years ago. The day is when people can connect with their dead ancestors and gods.
In Hoi An, on every full moon night, local people will prepare a set of offspring (flower, fruits, candies, foods, candles) to worship ancestors and the Lord Buddha. They also go to temples to pray, and hang up red lanterns to have good fortune. Right in the Ancient Town, local inhabitants celebrate the full moon by a Lantern festival. In which, they row the boat on the Hoai River, light up the candle of paper lanterns (looking like a lotus), and then release them. When the lanterns float on the water, they will make wishes for themselves and beloved persons.
In recent years, more and more people wanted to do a boat ride on the Hoai River. They liked watching the town and the life in it by night (when tons of colorful lantern lights appeared). They also realized that it’s really a good chance to have wonderful photos and videos. For that reason, more and more boats were seen in town, to serve them. On walking streets, more and more locals tried to introduce the boat ride and many of them gave expensive prices. To be more competitive, many boats were decorated by lighting lamps with different colors and live pop music was even turned on. To finish the trip quicker, somebody used a machine to ride the boats, making big noises. These activities led to a kind of unhappy experience for visitors.
In 2022, to stop overpriced boat rides, scammers, and ‘crazy’ decorations, Hoi An city decided to establish a business organization for all boat owners. After that, every visitor will pay the same prices and the same duration. The city leaders also requested adding life vests, and rowing the boat by hand. Only two lanterns are allowed on each boat (for lighting, decoration), to keep the traditional image of Hoi An.
Nowadays, Hoai River boat ride or ‘Hoi An lantern boat ride’ is one of activities that visitors must do when traveling to Hoi An Ancient Town.
HOIAN DAY TRIP company daily organizes tours and transfers with pick up in Hoi An. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompnany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Hoi An Lantern Boat Ride Price & Ticket
Price of a lantern boat ride in Hoi An is 170,000 VND for groups of 1-3 people, and 220,000 VND for groups of 4-5 people. Maximum number of passengers in one boat is 5 people (just don’t count toddlers). Prices are all nationalities.
Lantern boat ride price doesn’t include paper lanterns to release. By the river, many local vendors sell them at a cheap price. We highly recommend buying lanterns from women and old people.
To do this lantern boat ride, visitors need to buy a ticket. Although at some places, people say that it’s possible to buy it online, but actually, can not at the present. Firstly, visitors have to enter the Hoi An Old Town world heritage area (buy Hoi An Old Town entry ticket to give back to local community). After that, find the shortest way to walking streets along the river (Hoai river): Bach Dang street, Nguyen Phuc Chu street. Ticket booths are set on one of those roads, and close to main crossroads.
HOIAN DAY TRIP company daily organizes tours and transfers with pick up in Hoi An. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompnany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Where to Buy Lantern Boat Ride Tickets in Hoi An?
To buy lantern boat ride tickets, visitors need to go to Hoi An Ancient Town (north bank of Hoai River) or the Hoi An Night Market (south bank of Hoai River). Here is the location of ticket booths:
- An Hoi Bridge (Bach Dang Street, near Japanese Covered Bridge)
- An Hoi Bridge (Nguyen Phuc Chu Street, near a Hoi An old town ticket counter)
- An Hoi Bridge (Bach Dang Street, near Bai Choi folk game stage, near crossroad of Hai Ba Trung Street, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street and Bach Dang Street)
- Crossroad of Le Loi Street and Bach Dang Street
- Crossroad of Nguyen Hoang Street and Nguyen Phuc Chu Street (near Hoi An night market entrance)
- Song Hoai Square (by the river)
At the ticket counters, visitors will pay by card (no credit cards) or use a banking transfer service if have Vietnam’s domestic bank accounts. Local currency – Vietnamese dong (VND) is accepted only (but in the surroundings, some places to exchange money). After paying, the staff will give buyers a physical ticket (paper ticket) and it’s needed to give that one to the boat manager who wears a uniform and shows the available boat. He/she is always around the ticket counters. If it’s busy, just queue up and wait for your turn because people know what to do for you. High hours are usually from 7 to 8:30 PM daily (earlier or later when visiting the town on the weekend or Vietnam’s national holidays).
HOIAN DAY TRIP company daily organizes tours and transfers with pick up in Hoi An. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompnany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Best Time to Have Lantern Boat Ride in Hoi An
The best time to go on the lantern boat ride in Hoi An is just after the sunset. In this time, visitors will not see long queues in the ticket booths. When it becomes dark, for sure, the town is extremely colorful with lots of lanterns, bringing a nicer experience than the daytime. On the other hand, if it’s not dark yet, it’s not great to light up the water lanterns and then release. The best time for lantern releasing is still at night. Just after the sunset, light condition is better to have beautiful photos (than later time).
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Hoi An Lantern Boat Ride Experience & Tips
A lantern boat ride experience on the Hoai River in the evening is wonderful and somehow memorable. We recommend doing this outdoor activity because it’s interesting, inexpensive, and romantic (so perfect for couples). On it, passengers will drop paper lanterns to wish, making it become meaningful also (family members can make wishes for each other, children can make wishes for parents and grandparents, forever love for couples,…). Of course, will have many good pictures and videos.
After the ticket checking, visitors walk to the boat (by a staircase if the water level of the river is low). Please get on the boat one by one carefully. To be safe, please take a seat immediately to make the boat more balanced and stable. The next person can go only if the previous person sits. When traveling with old people or children, it’s needed to consider whether to do this boat ride or not, and if yes, must be very careful to walk downstairs and get on the boat then. To board, all passengers need to wear a life jacket (it’s always available in the boat). When don’t have enough, please tell the boat ride quickly.
The lantern boat ride lasts 15 mins. It won’t be longer or shorter because the city wants visitors to have a full experience and to delete the competition between boat riders. To see many boats, lanterns and the vibrancy of the town, visitors should go from 7 to 8:30 AM (or whenever it’s crowded). On the other hand, to avoid the crowds, right after the sunset is the best time. At that time, crowds of tourists don’t flock to the riverside yet (still sightseeing old buildings), and sure, it’s a great chance to have a more relaxing boat ride as well as skip long queues. When raining, a plastic cover is set above the head, to make sure that passengers still can see everything. Taking a cruise boat is another option (more information & details).
While visitors are on the river, it’s time to light up the candle lantern, to take pictures/videos and release it. The boat rider will give a lighter to do this (he/she also sells the lantern if you don’t bring any lanterns to the boat or want to release more). Couples or solo travelers can tell him/her to take some photos with the view or when dropping the lanterns down the water. See more information about floating lanterns in Hoi An
Depending on the water level of the river, the boat rider can ride the boat to go under the An Hoi Bridge or can’t. Visitors absolutely have an awesome picture with the golden-light bridge and its surroundings as background. Even better is lighting candle lanterns. Before or after the boat ride, we recommend standing on that bridge (An Hoi Bridge) to admire the brilliant, spectacular beauty of Hoi An at night and lots of lantern boats moving upstream/downstream the river.
Visitors will return to the same place (the place when departed). When the water is low, it’s needed to walk upstairs, therefore children and elders should be careful. Tipping often isn’t covered by the ticket price, so personally if you want to, can give a small tip to the boat rider to thank him/her for the photos.
HOIAN DAY TRIP company daily organizes tours and transfers with pick up in Hoi An. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompnany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Things to Do Before/After Hoai River Boat Ride
Before going on the boat ride on the Hoai River, visitors can do these popular things to do:
– Hoi An Night Market: visitors can walk along Nguyen Hoang street to try local street food, take pictures at lantern shops, buy souvenirs, enjoy the vibrancy or listen to live music at restaurants. See more information & details
– watching the Vietnamese bamboo circus (Teh Dar show): The theatre for this spectacular show – Hoi An Lune Center for Performing Arts is by the Hoai River, so getting there is easy (just walk). Teh Show here is from 6 to 7 PM, showing the audience life and culture of hill tribe communities in central highlands of Vietnam. Techniques of the artists, music, and conception are incredible. See more information & details
– trying Hoi An’s local foods: visitors can wander around the Old Town or night markets to sample local street food, such as grilled pork skewers, seafood barbecues, grilled rice papers, cao lau noodles, mi quang noodles, banh mi sandwich,… See more information & details
– playing Bai Choi folk game with locals: visitors can sit in bamboo huts or on the open yard of the public stage by the Hoai River, to play Bai Choi with locals. It’s a type of bingo card game and during a round, the host will sing many traditional songs (by local accents). See more information & details
– watching Hoi An Memories Show: this spectacular outdoor performance starts at 8 PM, so visitors have lots of time to do the boat ride on the Hoai River. It takes place in the Hoi An Impression Theme Park, 1km away from the Old Town. Like its name, memories about the history of Hoi An will be told by 500 actors and actresses (plus amazing lighting and great music). See more information & details
To know more things to do in the Hoi An Ancient Town at night, please browse https://hoiandaytrip.com/best-things-to-do-in-hoi-an-at-night
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Hoi An Old Town. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or hoiandaytripcompany@gmail.com or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Itinerary to Visit Hoi An Old Town for First Timer
First of all, to enter and visit the Hoi An Old Town (the part inscribed by Unesco), visitors need to buy an entry ticket. Its price is 120,000 VND per adult and children above 15 years old and free of charge for smaller kids. Entry to 5 attractions is also included for free. See more information & details
If possible, first time visitors should go with a local guide, to know better about history and culture. Contact us by +84968009827 (call/whatsapp) to book a private English-speaking guide.
We suggest this itinerary for first timers:
Total distance: 1,65 kilometers
– Starting point: the Japanese style gate (the west end of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street). A model of the Red Seal Ship Model (Japanese merchant’s ship) and a ticket office are in a close distance.
– Walk along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee Cam Pho Communal House (ticket required), Japanese Culture Gallery (ticket required), Phung Hung Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required), Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel (in the alleyway, ticket required).
– Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, the symbol of Hoi An. This place definitely is a must see attraction.
– Walk along Tran Phu Street, the most beautiful road in Hoi An, until Hoi An Central Market. On this road, visitors will have the chance to sightsee so many historical attractions. From the bridge to the market, there are Cantonese Assembly Hall (ticket required), Museum of Sa Huynh Culture (ticket required), Duc An Old House (ticket required), Kazik Park (free), Quan Thang Old House (ticket required), Museum of Trade Ceramics (ticket required), Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (ticket required), Fujian Assembly Hall (ticket required), Quan Cong Temple (ticket required), Quan Am Pagoda (ticket required), Hoi An Central Market (free to enter), a couple of rooftop coffee shops, Instagrammable spots, shophouses selling lanterns, food, souvenirs and fashion items.
– Walk southwards and along Tieu La Street (east side of Hoi An Central Market). On this road, there are many vendors and stalls selling a diversity of local products, giving a good chance to know about local life and photograph.
– Walk westwards and along Bach Dang Street (the riverside street). On this road, visitors will see Hoi An Traditional Performance House (ticket required if want to watch shows) and Museum of Folklore (ticket required).
– Turn into Le Loi Street and then turn left, walking along Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. On this road, visitors will see Tan Ky Old House (one of the best heritage houses, ticket required) and Diep Dong Nguyen Old House (not yet opened to visitors, see from outside).
– The ending point: the crossroad near the north end of An Hoi Bridge or the west end of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. In the evening, from here, visitors can walk cross the bridge and then turn right to see the entrance of the Hoi An Night Market, the biggest night market in Hoi An.
For more details and the map, please browse https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-self-guided-walking-tour
Guided Tours to Hoi An Ancient Town Vietnam
From Hoi An
– Hoi An Old Town Walking Tour – 2 Hour Express Tour with Local
– Hoi An Half Day Walking Tour with Traditional Art Performance
– Hoi An City Tour: Old Town, Coconut Village & Lunch
– Hoi An Morning Walking Tour with Local Breakfast & Coffee
– Hoi An Afternoon Walking Tour with Thu Bon River Sunset Cruise
– Hoi An Night Tour with Lantern Boat Ride & Dinner
– Hoi An History & Food Tour – Famous Landmarks & Specialty Dishes
– Hoi An Instagram Tour: Best Photo Spots & Rooftop Café
– Hoi An Old Town Food Tour with Night Boat Ride
– Hoi An Old Town Private Walking Tour with Local Expert
– Hoi An City Tour by Electric Car
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
From Da Nang
– Hoi An Half Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang with Coconut Forest Basket Boat Ride
– Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang with Hoi An Memories Show
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Night Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Full Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An City Tour from Airport
– Marble Mountain, Monkey Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Da Nang
– Hoi An Full Day Tour from Da Nang with Chinese Speaking Guide
– My Son Sanctuary & Hoi An Tour – World Heritage Site Tour
– Golden Bridge/Ba Na Hills Tour & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Da Nang Cruise Port
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Tour from Chan May Cruise Port
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Intercontinental Danang Resort
– Marble Mountain & Hoi An Day Tour from Lang Co
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD daily organizes tours in Hoi An and Da Nang. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours and make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Places to Visit near Cam Pho Communal House
– Bridges: Japanese Covered Bridge (Pagoda Bridge), Moonlight Bridge, An Hoi Bridge (Bridge of Lights), Cam Nam Bridge
– Museums: Museum of Sa Huynh Culture, Museum of Sa Folklore, Museum of Trade Ceramics, Museum of Traditional Medicine, Hoi An Museum of History & Culture, Japanese Culture Gallery, Black Sesame Soup Demonstration, Museum of Local Products
– Chinese assembly halls: Cantonese Assembly Hall, Fujian Assembly Hall, Trung Hoa Assembly Hall, Hainan Assembly Hall, Teochew Assembly Hall
– Heritage houses: Tan Ky Old House, Phung Hung Old House, Duc An Old House, Quan Thang Ancient House, Diep Dong Nguyen House, Thai Phien Ancient House
– Temples & pagodas: Quan Cong Temple (Ong Pagoda), Ba Mu Temple, Phap Bao Pagoda, Quan Am Pagoda, Hoi An Confucius Temple, Cao Dai Temple of Hoi An, Hoi An Ancestral Temple, Cam Pho Confucius Temple, Minh Huong Confucius Temple, Vien Giac Pagoda, Hy Hoa Temple
– Family chapels: Tran Family Chapel, Nguyen Tuong Family Chapel
– Communal houses: Cam Pho Communal House, Hoi An Communal House, Minh Huong Communal House, Tu Le Communal House, Xuan Lam Communal House, Son Phong Communal House
– Markets: Hoi An Central Market, Hoi An Cloth/Fabric Market, Hoi An Night Market (Nguyen Hoang Night Market), Cam Pho Market
– Theatres: Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House, Hoi An Lune Center for Performing Arts (now where Teh Dar Show takes place), Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park (now where Hoi An Memories Show takes place)
– Famous streets: Tran Phu Street, Phan Chu Trinh Street, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Bach Dang Street/Wharf, Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Hoi An Lantern Streets
– Other points of interest: Red Seal Ship Model, Hoi An Evanlegical Church, Thong Dang Prison & Park, Kazik Park (Memory Statue of Kazimierz Kwiatkowski), Hoai River (Hoi An River), Song Hoai Square, An Hoi Sculpture Park, Hoi An Catholic Church, Hoi An Prison, Hoi An Central Park, Ba Le Well, Hoi An Lantern Park, An Hoi Island, Cam Nam Island, Thu Bon River, Da Ken Tree
Photos, Videos about Lantern Boat Ride in Hoi An
Here are beautiful photos and videos about lantern boat ride in Hoi An:
