Thu Bon River is the largest river in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam. It has a length of 205 km and a drainage basin of up to 10,350 km2. It originates from Ngoc Linh peak in the Annamite Range and flows into the sea in Cua Dai estuary (at Hoi An). Historically, after the 14th century, it became the national frontier between Dai Viet (Vietnamese kingdom) and Champa (Cham kingdom). The northern side was owned by Viet people, including present-day Hoi An and Da Nang. In this article, HoiAn Day Trip Company will tell everything which visitors need to know about Thu Bon River.
You may also like: Hoai River in Hoi An Old Town, Han River in Da Nang
• 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 Thu Bon River Vietnam
– Location: Quang Nam province, central Vietnam
– Vietnamese name: Song Thu Bon
– Other name(s): Hoi An River, Sai Thi Giang (meaning ‘Wood Market River’)
– Length: 205 km
– Source: the Annamite Range (Ngoc Linh peak, 2,598m above sea level)
– Estuary: Cua Dai, Hoi An city, Vietnam
– Basin size: 10,350 hectares (Vu Gia-Thu Bon River)
– Island(s): Con Noi Island (Dien Ban town), Cam Kim Island (Hoi An), An Hoi Island (Hoi An), Cam Nam Island (Hoi An), Con Hen or Clam Island (Hoi An)
– Travel blog: https://hoiandaytrip.com/thu-bon-river-hoi-an-vietnam
– Activities: boat trips
– Fact: Hoai River running through Hoi An Old Town is a branch of Thu Bon River
Distributaries of Thu Bon River
In Hoi An, Thu Bon River has Hoai River and Song Do River as distributaries. Here are some information about them:
– Hoai River: flowing from a point near old Cam Kim Bridge, through the Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage Area, and then encounters Thu Bon River at the Hoi An Central Market (total length is nearly 1,5 km). It’s canal-like, with a width of 40 meters. Its name ‘missing home’ because lots of people in town move from another country and sometimes, they miss their home. Along Hoai River, visitors can find some landmarks of Hoi An, such as the Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky Old House or Hoi An Central Market. At night, the boat ride on this river to release wishing lanterns is one of tourist’s most favourite activities. See more information and details
– Song Do River: flowing from a point near the Hoi An Impression Theme Park, through rural areas between Cam Chau and Cam Thanh, and then encounters De Vong/Co Co River near Phuoc Trach Bridge. Total length is 4,5 km. Its name means ‘boat ferry river’ because in the past, people had to use a boat ferry to cross it. This river is peaceful and lined by nipa palms.
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!
Boat Trips on Thu Bon River
The boat trip on Thu Bon River is absolutely one of the best things to do in Hoi An. To experience, visitors just need to go to Bach Dang street quay in the Old Town. Over there, there are many boats to choose from. The price depends on the distance and duration of the boat ride (occasionally, on number of passengers). It starts from 400,000 VND/trip/time. One boat can carry up to 10 persons. For safety, a life vest is always available on board to get on (so no worries!).
From the Hoi An Old Town, visitors can go to these places by boat: (1) Kim Bong Carpentry Village/Cam Kim Island, (2) Cam Thanh Coconut Village, (3) Thanh Ha Pottery Village, (4) Moonlight Bridge/Hoi An Memories Land.
For full information, please browse https://hoiandaytrip.com/thu-bon-river-cruise-hoi-an
The best time to do a boat trip on the Thu Bon River is sunset or evening. At night, visitors can bring paper lanterns on board, and then light up & release to the river. Sure, this is a perfect photo opportunity. Remember to check the sunset time to plan the trip better.
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!
Tourist Attractions along Thu Bon River in Hoi An
The Hoi An Ancient Town
The Hoi An Ancient Town world heritage site is on the left bank of the Thu Bon River. From the 15th to 19th century, it played the role as an international port where Vietnamese people trade goods with merchants from the rest of the world. Its wealth reached its peak in the 17th and 18th centuries. After the 20th century, due to some reasons, trading activities in Hoi An decreased and then it’s replaced by Da Nang port. One of the reasons was deposits in the mouth of the Thu Bon River, preventing large boats from going further inlands. Today, the town is 7-8km away from the sea. 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!
Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park
Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park is on a small island on Thu Bon River, near the Hoi An Ancient Town. This island is known as ‘Clam Island’ because it looks like a clam, while for travellers, it’s ‘Hoi An Memories Island’ or ‘Hoi An Memories Land’. To connect with the city, two bridges are built, including the Moonlight Bridge (a pedestrian bridge with design inspired by the full moon).
This park’s main theme is about the culture of three Asian communities in Hoi An: Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese. Each has its own village in the park. Besides that, other places here are restaurants, café, shops, photo spots, and especially, the theatre where world-class Hoi An Memories Show occurs. This spectacle has 500 actors and actresses performing in 1 hour, and allows 3,300 persons to watch at the same time. No surprise when know it’s the largest of its kind in Vietnam. See more information and 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!
The Hoi An Night Market
Hoi An Night Market is on An Hoi Island, a small island on Thu Bon River that is opposite to the Hoi An Ancient Town. Visitors just need to walk across a short bridge to get there. If go on a boat trip on Thu Bon River, it’s possible to request to dock at Nguyen Hoang pier to visit it (the pier is in the end of the market).
This night market includes over 150 stalls, stores and vendors, stretching along Nguyen Hoang street (between Hoai River & Thu Bon River). Here, it’s easy to see a variety of street foods and souvenirs as well as some fantastic photo spots and night activities (like boat ride to release lanterns). Its opening hours are from around 6 PM to 9:30-10 PM daily. See more information and 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!
Thanh Ha Pottery Village
Thanh Ha Pottery Village is on the left bank of Thu Bon River, 4km west of the Hoi An Ancient Town. It boasts of its long-standing traditional craft in making pottery that has lived up to 500 years. Because of being by the river, it’s accessible by boat. During the day, there are many boats taking tourists from the Ancient Town to this village and vice versa. Around it, visitors can see and learn how to make a pottery object (pottery making class), go shopping, take pictures, and sightse historical sites. See more information and details
With Thanh Ha Pottery Village ticket, visitors can join a pottery making experience at any local families. It costs 35,000 VND/adult.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Thanh Ha Pottery Village. 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!
Cam Thanh Coconut Village
Cam Thanh Coconut Village is on the left bank of Thu Bon River, near its estuary (7-8km east to the Hoi An Ancient Town). It has a plenty of coconut farms, prawn ponds, rice fields with water buffalos & storks, dense waterways, and a vast, nearly untouched water coconut forest. In the forest, Vietcong and communist guerillas hide in many years of the first and second Vietnam wars. The most popular activity here is the tour by basket boat, a unique fishing boat of central Vietnamese people. This boat trip is absolutely stunning, and worth doing. From the Ancient Town, it’s possible to travel by boat to Cam Thanh village and vice versa. See more information and details
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Cam Thanh Coconut Village. 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!
Cam Kim Island
Cam Kim Island is an island on Thu Bon River, to the south of the Hoi An Ancient Town. It stretches 14km2, including many villages, craft villages, rice/corn/peanut/sedge fields, vegetable farms, and even a water coconut forest at Tra Nhieu Village. This island connects with Hoi An by 2 bridges (new & old Cam Kim Bridge), and by boat. For a very long time, it’s isolated, so its rural areas are nearly free from urbanization and modernization. No surprise, lots of travelers like going around Cam Kim Island to see and learn about daily life of local inhabitants. See more information & details
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Cam Kim Island. 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!
Kim Bong Carpentry Village
Kim Bong Carpentry Village is one of four most famous craft villages in Hoi An. It lies on the northern side of Cam Kim Island, one of the largest islands on the Thu Bon River. Historically, local people here built boats for merchants and businessmen as well as their houses, temples & shops. Today, the current generations of carpenters have joined hands to preserve cultural heritages in the Hoi An Ancient Town world heritage site. From the city centre, visitors can travel by boat to reach this village. See more information & details
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Kim Bong Carpentry Village. 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!
The Moonlight Bridge
The Moonlight Bridge is a walking bridge spanning Thu Bon River, to connect Hoi An city centre & Hoi An Impression Theme Park (1km distance from the Old Town). Like its name, its architecture and design are inspired by the full moon. To get to its top, it’s needed to pay, and from there, the view of the rivers & city is just mind blowing.
If don’t visit the park or watch its Hoi An Memories Show, visitors can take a boat trip on the Thu Bon River. The best times are sunset and evening. At night, don’t forget to light a candle lantern and release it on the river (to make wishes). It’s a great opportunity for taking pictures/videos.
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Moonlight Bridge Hoi An. 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!
Thanh Ha Fish Market
Besides pottery workshops, Thanh Ha Fish Market is another awesome place to see/do in Thanh Ha Village. It opens in the early morning, at 4-5 AM, and also closes quickly then. In this market, visitors can see plenty of fishes that come from the sea and rivers. Last decades onwards, people in the mainland or mountains came here to exchange forest products with fish and salt. If want to visit My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An before the sun is high, we recommend seeing Thanh Ha Fish Market for a while. Its location is on the left bank of Thu Bon River, at the entrance of Thanh Ha Village (Duy Tan street) and under the new Cam Kim Bridge. See more information & details
HOIAN DAY TRIP Company daily organizes tours and transfers to Thanh Ha Fish Market/Thanh Ha Pottery Village. 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!
Duy Hai Fish Market
Duy Hai Fish Market is on the right bank of Thu Bon River, near its estuary (around 10 km away from the Hoi An Ancient Town). This place gets very busy throughout the fishing season, particularly from April to September. Boats and fishermen arrive here from 4 AM every morning, to offload fishes and a plenty of other seafood they catched. When come here, visitors have the chance to see different sea creatures, the life of the people, and take amazing photographs in the sunrise. Duy Hai is the biggest fish market in Hoi An. 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!
Thu Bon River & Local Cultures in Hoi An
In some villages on the bank of Thu Bon River, people have worshiped the ‘Thu Bon Goddess’ who blesses them with a good life. According to them, in the past, there was a princess riding the horse to the area to escape from enemies. Unfortunately, she fell from the horse and then passed away. Her body floated on the river (today Thu Bon River) to a village on its bank. After that, people in that village buried her and constructed a tomb. Since then, she has appeared and helped them many times. That’s why she becomes a goddess in their belief. On 12nd day of the second lunar month, a festival (‘Thu Bon Goddess festival’) takes place to commemorate her. Today, her tomb and temples are not too far from My Son Sanctuary, the holy land of Cham people who owned Champa kingdom during many centuries.
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 Thu Bon River in Hoi An
– 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 Thu Bon River in Hoi An
Here are beautiful photos and videos about Thu Bon River in Hoi An:
