Best Itinerary to Visit Hoi An Old Town

The starting point we recommend is the Japanese-style Gate near Hoi An Evanlegical Church. To get there, visitors in Hoi An can walk and take any road vehicles. After arriving, visitors immediately see the big model of Red Seal Ship (free to visit). It’s the type of wooden sailing boat which Japanese merchants used to go southwards to Hoi An, to trade. This boat also took a Japanese husband and his wife (a Vietnamese princess) back to Japan. Their wedding marked a turning point in friendship between Vietnam and Japan.

Not far away from the Ship, there is a ticket office to buy your own ticket. From here, just walk along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street (300 meters long), to go to the emblematic building of the town. En route, it’s possible to glimpse at Cam Pho Communal House, Japanese Culture Gallery, Phung Hung Old House, and some family chapels.

The first ticket-required attraction is the Japanese Covered Bridge. It lies at the end of Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street. In the 17th century, Japanese people constructed it to provide the passage from their own town to Chinatown on the other side of the river. That’s why today it’s still called ‘Japanese Bridge’. This building is special due to the wooden structure above, to cover people from the rain or sun. It also has a small temple behind, used to worship a Taoist god. See more information & details

After walking across the Japanese Bridge, visitors will keep going straight, along Tran Phu Street, one of the world’s most beautiful roads and the town’s oldest road. Our recommended route includes a 600-meters-long stretch of this road, particularly from the Bridge to the Central market.

En route, respectively visitors will see these places: Museum of Sa Huynh Culture (ticket-required, right side), Cantonese Assembly Hall (ticket-required, left side), Duc An Old House (ticket-required, right side), a no-noise teahouse where disabled people make and serve beverages, the only store selling Hoi An signature herbal drink (ticket-required, left side), Kazik Park (free, left side), an Instagrammable rooftop café and its nearby yellow alleyways (left side), Quan Thang House (ticket-required, right side), another Instagrammable rooftop café (left side), Museum of Trade Ceramics (ticket-required, left side), Trung Hoa Assembly Hall (ticket-required, left side), Fujian Assembly Hall (ticket-required, left side), Quan Cong Temple and Quan Am Pagoda (ticket-required, left side), entrance and food hall of Hoi An Central Market, lots of old houses (converted into shops, restaurants, tailor shops and coffee shops).

From Hoi An Central Market’s entrance, let’s find Tieu La Street and then go along it southwards. After that, at its end, turn right and go along Bach Dang Street (westwards). This road follows the east and south sides of the market’s hall. For that reason, visitors can see many stalls and vendors selling local products. Many of which are new or strange for those who come from other countries, especially outside Southeast Asia.

Keep walking along Bach Dang Street, a riverside road, visitors will see Museum of Folklore (ticket-required, right side) and Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House (ticket-required, right side). In the theatre, performances occur several times a day. So, it’s needed to be here before or at showtime if want to watch. We suggest coming at least 15 minutes earlier to have the best seating (limited seatings here). The show introduces folk dancing, dancing, opera, bingo games, etc.

After watching the show at the Performance house, visitors continue walking on Bach Dang Street (west wards) and then turn right to enter Le Loi Street. Near the next crossroad, on the left, it’s possible to see Diep Dong Nguyen Old House (not open to tourists, but can see/photograph its façade). Let’s walk on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street (westwards) and stop at Tan Ky Old House on the left hand side. This house has a typical, well-preserved local housing architecture, a beautifully-decorated interior full of wooden furniture and a private collection of antiquities. In the last room, water levels of annual fooding are marked.

The last point on our recommended route is An Hoi Bridge. It spans Hoai River which runs through the ancient quarters of Hoi An.

If start the Hoi An Old Town walking tour in the afternoon, visitors can keep exploring the town at night (this is one of the best times). Near the ending point – An Hoi Bridge, it’s possible to find ticket booths to go on a boat ride on the river and release the lanterns, the stage to watch Bai Choi (local bingo game and singing), or many restaurants to have a dinner with a view. On the other side of the bridge, Hoi An Night Market is the highlight. Here, there are over 150 stalls and vendors selling street food and souvenirs. Nearby Nguyen Phuc Chu Street is lined by the river and bars/pubs, and at its end, that is Hoi An Lune Center where Teh Dar Show (‘Vietnamese bamboo circus’) occurs 5 nights a week. See more inforrmation & details