Hoi An is a famous tourist city in central Vietnam. It’s widely known as a well-preserved historic trading port characterized by yellow buildings lining small roads and a peaceful river. At night, it becomes so sparkling and atmospheric thanks to thousands of colorful hanging and floating lanterns. Outside the Old Town, there are beautiful sandy beaches and nearly unspoiled countryside with rice fields, craft villages, and coconut forests. Furthermore, foodies can’t miss this city due to its special cuisine and dishes not seen anywhere else. It’s also famous for custom made tailoring, handicrafts, etc. Now, let’s HoiAn Day Trip Company tell you everything that you need to know about Hoi An in Vietnam.
You may also like: Da Nang Vietnam Travel Guide
• 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 Hoi An Vietnam
– Location: Quang Nam province, Vietnam, Southeast Asia
– How to pronounce: /hoi an/
– Name meaning: Hoi An means ‘peaceful meeting place’
– Other name(s): Faifoo or Faifo
– Nickname(s): city of lanterns, yellow city, heritage city
– Area: 61,48 km2
– Population: 152,160 people (2018)
– Time zone: GMT +7
– International recognition(s): world heritage site (1999), world biosphere reserve (2009), Unesco creative city of craft & folk arts (2023)
– Symbol(s): Japanese Covered Bridge, lanterns
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/hoi-an-travel-guide
– Tour guide: contact +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/zalo/line)
– Nearest airport(s): Da Nang international airport
– Religion(s): Buddhism, Christianity, Caodaism, Confucianism, Taoism, folk beliefs
– Travel agent/tour operator: HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD
– Fact:
Hoi An Vietnam on Map
Names of Hoi An
History of Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An is best known for its role as an international trading port from the 15th to 19th centuries. Merchants from different parts of Vietnam and from other countries (China, Japan, France, England, Netherland) came here to trade. They looked for local good-quality products such as silk, fabric, ceramics, pottery, tea, bird nest, precious minerals, cane sugar, spices (cinamon, pepper, etc). This long wealth resulted from the hospitality of land owners and its strategic location (by the confluence of 4 rivers, by the sea, by the islands, by the mountains). Portuguese missionaries also stopped here to introduce the religion although not welcomed by Vietnamese rulers. To communicate with locals and explain, they created a new kind of written language that was based on the Latin alphabet. This is still used today by Vietnamese people as the national inscription.
In the late 19th century, the river silted up, causing difficulties and inconveniences for large sail ships from outside. Trading activities decreased and Hoi An steadily was replaced by Da Nang where merchants could find a better harbour. French colonists later based in Da Nang, making it nearly forgotten, a backwater town.
In 1999, the Hoi An old town became a Unesco world heritage site, a turning point. Tourists have pinned it in their Vietnam travel itinerary. In 2009, Hoi An city was established.
Best & Worst Time to Visit Hoi An
Main article: Best & Worst Time to Visit Hoi An
Best Months of the Year
The best time of the year to visit Hoi An is from February to the end of August. During this period, it’s always sunny and dry, perfect for sightseeing, taking pictures, and outdoor adventures. The hottest months are May, June and July (the temperature may rise up to 40oC by noon).
From September to January, it may rain everyday. So, it’s wetter and cooler than the dry season. To have a good travel plan, don’t forget to check the weather forecast frequently if visiting Hoi An during these months. Between October and December, typhoons potentially come to the area, causing flooding in the city, especially its Old Town. However, the flood doesn’t occur every year, so visitors should not be too worried about it. See more information & details
Every month, on the full moon night, the Lantern festival occurs in Hoi An. It’s widely known for the gorgeous beauty of uncountable lanterns that are hung in streets or float on the river. From many travelers, this night is the best time of the month to visit Hoi An.
Best Time of the Day
In the dry season, from February to the end of August, the best time to visit Hoi An is early morning and late afternoon to evening because it’s hot in midday. There are less crowds in the morning than in the evening. If you don’t like hustle and bustle, morning is better. At night, Hoi An is lit by thousands of colorful lanterns, and becomes splendid and attractive. No surprise, lots of people want to visit it at this time of the day.
In the rainy season, from September to January, the temperature is not too high in general. So, the best time to visit Hoi An is just when it doesn’t rain. If want to go to beaches, make sure that at least one day in your vacation is sunny. Between October and December, typhoons and flooding can occur. Remember to check the weather forecast in advance!
In the Hoi An Old Town, in many hours of the day, cars and motorbikes were banned. These pedestrian hours are from 9 to 11:30 am, and 3 to 9-9:30 pm. Sure, this is the safest time to visit the town. See more information & details
Things to See & Do in Hoi An Vietnam
In the heart of Hoi An, the Hoi An Old Town is a must visit attraction. If miss this place, it means that visitors didn’t go to Hoi An city yet. It’s inscribed as a Unesco world heritage site in 1999, because of being the best preserved trading town in Southeast Asia. All tourists will need to buy a ticket to enter the Hoi An Old Town, and then can use it to sightsee 5 amongst 22 attractions. These ticket-required places include the Japanese Bridge (town’s emblem), ancient houses, Chinese assembly halls, museums, communal houses, temples, and demonstrations. At the Hoi An Traditional Art Performance House, a cultural show occurs several times during the day. See more information & details
During the day, besides sightseeing historical sites, visitors can visit the Hoi An Central Market (the oldest and largest market in town), rooftop coffee shops to view the town from above, join a cooking class to learn how to make Vietnamese dishes or craft workshops (lantern making, mask painting, leather items, coffee making, etc), trying local food specialties (such as cao lau noodles, white rose dumplings, etc).
In the evening, there are also many things to see and do in the Hoi An Old Town. Firstly, this area is well known for a plenty of lanterns that are varied in color. To see them and photograph them, visitors need to walk along pedestrian streets. By the river, many people like releasing water lanterns to make wishes or getting a boat ride to do it. Most lanterns are seen in monthly Lantern festival on full moon night. If interested in Vietnamese folk games with locals, don’t miss Bai Choi bingo game and breaking pots. On the other side of the river, the Hoi An Night Market is the largest of the type in the city. It has over 150 food and souvenir stalls, making it a paraside for foodies and shopaholics. Nearby, Hoi An Lune Center produces an amazing bamboo circus Teh Dar show and Nguyen Phuc Chu street is lined with most bars and pubs in town. See more information & details
10 mins drive from the Old Town, after sunset, visitors can see the Moonlight Bridge (with a special design about full moon) and Hoi An Memories Land, a themed park set on an island. Here, Vietnamese village, Japanese village, Chinese village, and minishows are the most awesome. Sure, this park is best known for the world-class Hoi An Memories Show, the most spectacular outdoor art visual performance in Vietnam, with over 500 artists involved.
Not far away from the Old town, the countryside of Hoi An is peaceful, green and least touristy. Here, visitors can go to Tra Que Vegetable Village (locals have grown vegetables and herbs here for many centuries, by organic farming techniques), Thanh Ha Pottery Village (locals have made pottery here for 400 years), Kim Bong Carpentry Village (local carpenters here are specialized in woodworking and boat building), Cam Thanh Coconut Village (fascinating basket boat ride here). In Cam Kim Island, visitors will find tranquil villages, rice fields, traditional craft in making rice paper or sedge mat.
Don’t forget that Hoi An is by the sea. Along its coast, An Bang Beach or Cua Dai Beach are the most famous beaches. Both have a long white sandy strand, bounded by clear and unpolluted seawater on one side and coconut trees on the other side.
30mins away from Hoi An by speedboat, the Cham Islands is nationally famous for a richness of marine life and coral reefs as well as scenic beaches and fresh seafood. This archipelago was recognized to be ‘world biosphere reserve’ by Unesco in 2009.
To the southwest, Vinwonders Nam Hoi An Theme Park is the largest entertainment complex in Hoi An. It has a water park, an amusement park, a safari park (first and only in the region), cultural demonstrations and shows. This is a must go attraction for families with kids and groups of young adults. See more information & details
Near Hoi An, popular tourist attractions are the Golden Hands Bridge, My Son Sanctuary, Sun World Ba Na Hils, the Marble Mountains, the Dragon Bridge, Lady Buddha Statue in the Monkey Mountain, Nui Than Tai Hot Springs Park, Da Nang Downtown (formerly Asia Park).
Eating & Drinking in Hoi An Vietnam
What to Eat in Hoi An?
Hoi An cuisine is special thanks to fusion between Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese culinary cultures, influences from Cham people who followed Hinduism, and French people who colonized the area;
The signature dish of Hoi An is Cao Lau noodles, a brown rice noodle served in a bowl with char siu pork belly, little savoury sauce, fresh herbs, and rice crackers as topping. It’s only sold in restaurants and eateries inside the Hoi An old town. Beside that, white rose dumlings, Hoi An mango cake are not found anywhere else in the world;
Travelers should try these local food specialties too: Mi Quang noodles (originated in the province and later spread nationwide), Banh Mi sandwich (the best in Vietnam), Hoi An style chicken rice, fried wonton, crushed rice papers ‘banh dap’, hen xao (stir-fried baby clams), Cam Nam sweet corn soup. See more information & details
Where to Eat in Hoi An?
If can’t decide where to go for lunch or dinner yet, the easiest way is to go to the Hoi An Old Town or the Hoi An Central Market or Hoi An’s night markets.
In the Hoi An Old Town, there are plenty of restaurants and local eateries to choose from. They serve food for all ages, all genders, vegans and vegetarians, nearly all dietaries and religious restrictions (such as Halal food). Visitors just need to wander around and see the menu. Besides Vietnamese cuisine and fusion, it’s absolutely possible to see other cuisines all over the world, such as Chinese, Indian, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Italian, French, Spanish, Mexican, Greek, American.
Tip: The best view is at restaurants along the river, particularly on Bach Dang St or Nguyen Phuc Chu St. In laneways, you can find hidden gems.
In the food court of the Hoi An Central Market,
Hoi An’s night markets are the paradise of street foods. Visitors probably see dishes and snacks which are not only cheap, but also delicious and good to take pictures. However, food safety is the foremost thing to consider when tasting something here. If you’re first timers in Hoi An or even in Vietnam, we highly recommend reading Hoi An street food guide for more information
In An Bang Beach or Cua Dai Beach, two most famous beaches of Hoi An, visitors can find many restaurants.
In Tra Que Vegetable Village, there are a dozen of local restaurants to choose from; They serve many vegetarian dishes with main ingredients grown and picked in nearby gardens
Hoi An Specialty Drinks
In the Hoi An Old Town, the best known and most special drink is Mot herbal tea (or shortly Mot water); It’s made by lemongrass, lime, ginger, ; During the day, visitors often queue up to buy this specialty drink, in the only shop at 150 Tran Phu St; Other shops in town don’t serve same flavours because the recipe is well-kept by the family who invented it
Staying Overnight in Hoi An
How Many Days to Spend in Hoi An?
Where to Stay in Hoi An?
Shopping in Hoi An Vietnam
Best Things to Buy in Hoi An
Hoi An is a place to go shopping in Vietnam. Here are the best things to buy:
– Silk:
– Lantern: one of Hoi An’s symbols,
– Clothes and fashion items: ao dai (Vietnamese traditional dress), suit, leather jacket, shoes, leather bag,
– Local handmade products: pottery and ceramics from Thanh Ha Pottery Village, wood statues and items from Kim Bong Carpentry Village, marble items from Non Nuoc Stone Carving Village, gold and silver accessories from local craftmen
– Coffee beans: imported from coffee farms around the Central highlands of Vietnam, the 2nd coffee producer in the world, including specialty coffee.
Places to Shop in Hoi An
– Hoi An Old Town:
– Hoi An Central Market:
– Hoi An Cloth/Fabric Market:
– Nguyen Hoang Night Market:
How to Get to Hoi An Vietnam
Da Nang is the nearest city to Hoi An (30 km away). It’s popular for tourists to visit or stay overnight. From here, day trippers can use a car/taxi (from 700,000 VND for 2 ways), hotel shuttle bus (free of charge), ride motorbike or occasionally bicycle by themselves to reach Hoi An. The public bus is no longer operated, and using the train is impossible. The Marble mountains is a great spot to sightsee on the way.
From Hue city, another tourist destination near Hoi An (120 km away), travelers often book an one-way transfer by car with sightseeing or sightseeing sleeper bus or motorbike ride if like more adventures. Hai Van pass is a must see en route. If take a train from Hue to Hoi An, it’s needed to go to Da Nang railway station first and then transfer to the hotel (often by car).
The closest airport to Hoi An is the Da Nang international airport. Travelers can fly here first and then have a short transfer to Hoi An (often by car, 45 mins). It’s possible to book a direct flight from many tourist cities in Vietnam (Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh city, Hai Phong, Can Tho, Nha Trang, Van Don/Ha Long, Da Lat, Phu Quoc) and other countries (Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, China, South Korea, Japan, India, Australia, etc).
From cities or tourist spots between Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh city and Hoi An, traveling by bus or train is the best way. We can mention these places: Ninh Binh, Phong Nha, Dong Hoi, Quy Nhon.
From Chan May port of Hue or Tien Sa port of Da Nang, guided tours organized by local companies are available all year round. The bus and the guide will pick up right at the harbour.
Get Around Hoi An Vietnam
Around Hoi An city center, visitors absolutely can get around by walking. The best way to explore the Hoi An Old Town world heritage site area is walking. Everyday, from 9:00 to 11:00 am and from 3:00 to 9:30 pm, streets inside this zone are exclusive for pedestrians and non-motorized vehicles. For that reason, we suggest visiting it in these times to have a safe and peaceful walk. In the afternoon, to avoid the crowds, let’s come earlier than 3:30-4 pm. See more information & details
Hoi An Old Town has many roads and attractions. Browse Hoi An self-guided walking tour to see our recommended itinerary to best experience this world heritage.
During the day, visitors can ride the bicycle around the Hoi An Old Town and other areas in Hoi An city center. However, in the evening, it’s harder to go on the streets of the Old Town because of crowds of tourists. So, we recommend cycling in the daytime and walking in the nighttime. To explore Hoi An’s countryside, cycling is the best way. If do not book any tours with a local guide, you can read Hoi An self-guided bike tour to see our recommended routes.
The bicycle is often available to use for free in many hotels around Hoi An. If want to go around by a bicycle, let’s check the amenities/facilities carefully before book. If rent, the price is cheap.
To go faster than the bicycle, visitors can hire one motorbike and then go around Hoi An. It’s possible to enter the Old Town before 9:00 am and from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm. We advise going to further attractions (such as My Son Sanctuary, Marble Mountains, Monkey Mountain, Hai Van Pass), instead of just going around the city.
Read these travel guides to see our recommendation for the best motorbike route:
Hoi An to My Son by Motorbike
Hoi An to Ba Na Hills by Motorbike
Hoi An to Hai Van Pass by Motorbike
Hoi An to Monkey Mountain by Motorbike
In Hoi An, visitors can take an electric car (buggy car) to go around. One car can carry up to 10-12 people. The price depends on the distance and number of passengers. This vehicle is suitable for going from the city center to beaches (and vice versa) or going to craft villages (Thanh Ha Pottery Village, Tra Que Vegetable Village, Cam Thanh Coconut Village).
Like any other cities, visitors easily go around by a taxi. The price is about 20,000 USD for one kilometer. So, this vehicle is suitable for short-distance transfers. If want to go further, booking a private transfer by car/bus is cheaper. Additionally, local rider can wait without fees.
There is no public bus or hop-on-hop-off bus to go around Hoi An today because it’s not big.
Travel Itineraries to Visit Hoi An Vietnam
Here are travel itineraries to visit Hoi An Vietnam that we recommend:
– Hoi An 1 Day Itinerary
– Hoi An 2 Day Itinerary
– Hoi An 3 Day Itinerary
– Hoi An 4 Day Itinerary
– Hoi An 5 Day Itinerary
HOIAN DAY TRIP CO.,LTD organizes private tours and transfers everyday in Hoi An. Contact us by +84968009827 (hotline/whatsapp/line/zalo) or browse www.hoiandaytrip.com to see tours & make a reservation. Thank you very much!
Guided Tours in Hoi An Vietnam
Quick Q&A about Hoi An Vietnam
– Is Hoi An safe at night? Answer: Yes, Hoi An is safe at night. However, we don’t recommend walking alone on the street at midnight.
– Is Hoi An safe for solo female travelers? Answer: Yes, Hoi An is safe for solo female travelers. In Vietnam, women are protected by law and equal to men. However, we suggest not walking along on the street late at night or going with strange people.
– Is Hoi An a world heritage site? Answer: yes, Hoi An ancient town was inscribed by Unesco as a world heritage site in 1999. See more information
– Is Hoi An expensive? Answer: Hotels, entry tickets, food, and day trips from Hoi An are not expensive for tourists
– Is Hoi An too touristy? Answer: At night, especially during holiday seasons or weekends, Hoi An is crowded, making visitors feel a bit touristy.
– Why is Hoi An yellow? Answer: Houses in Hoi An have yellow walls to adapt to local climate and culture. One of Hoi An’s nicknames is ‘yellow town’ or ‘yellow city’. See more information & details
– Is Hoi An cold in December? Answer:
– Is Hoi An overrated? Answer: No
– Why is Hoi An so popular? Answer:
– Is Hoi An a town or city? Answer: Hoi An today is a city, but in the past, it’s a trading town between locals and foreigners.
– Is Hoi An a tourist trap? Answer: No
– Is Hoi An good for families? Answer: Yes, Hoi An is a family-friendly city. Here, families can find many things to do for all members. See reasons and more information in https://hoiandaytrip.com/is-hoi-an-good-for-families
– Does Hoi An flood every year?
