Hoi An without Lantern Festival: Is It Still Worth Visiting?

The Hoi An Lantern Festival takes place every full moon night in the Old Town of Hoi An, just 45 mins drive from Da Nang city center. In this event, local families will commemorate ancestors, pray at temples, hang up red lanterns to have luck, release lanterns on the river to make wishes, play traditional games, make traditional dishes to eat together,… Visitors absolutely see more lanterns in it than any other days of the month. More especially, lanterns here are lit by candle, instead of electric lamp throughout the festival. Nowadays, it’s the most popular cultural activity in Da Nang Hoi An area. See more information & details

For us, Hoi An Old Town is always worth visiting, no matter with or without lantern festival. In terms of the experience at night, if visit on days without lantern festival, visitors still have the chance to see/photograph gorgeous lanterns on the streets, to embark a boat ride on the river to release candle lanterns, and try local specialty foods. Compared to lantern festival night, other nights are less crowded. For those who do not want to see too much people walking along narrow streets or markets, that would be nice.

However, although there are not so many differences in Hoi An at night between with and without lantern festival, visitors still await for the festival.