Overview
General Information
Known for
Tailors & silk lanterns
Old Town entry
Ticket ₫120,000
Hoi An is one of the best-preserved trading ports in Southeast Asia — a compact town of yellow-ochre merchant houses, Chinese assembly halls, Japanese covered bridges and centuries-old tailoring workshops that operated continuously from the 15th to the 19th century. UNESCO inscription in 1999 protected the Ancient Town's extraordinary architectural fabric, which today glows every evening under hundreds of hand-sewn silk lanterns.
Travellers tend to arrive for two or three days and stay for a week. The spell Hoi An casts is hard to explain and harder to break: morning coffees watching basket boats on the Thu Bon River, afternoons at the tailor being measured for a custom suit, evenings walking candlelit streets where the smell of incense and jasmine mixes with charcoal smoke from street grills. It is one of the most seductive destinations in all of Vietnam — possibly in all of Asia.
Climate
Weather
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Hot & dry season
Wet season (flooding risk)
Ideal months
Hoi An shares Da Nang's dry/wet pattern, but with greater flooding risk in the Oct–Dec wet season — the Thu Bon River regularly inundates the Ancient Town's ground-floor streets, sometimes knee-deep. January to April is the best period: warm, dry, and with the Lantern Festival (held on the 14th of each lunar month) at its most atmospheric. May to August is hot and sunny — excellent beach weather at An Bang, though July and August can see temperatures above 36 °C. October and November carry real flood risk; some years the Ancient Town is impassable for days.
Planning
When to Go
⭐ Best months: February — April
February to April is Hoi An's golden season. Temperatures hover at 22–28 °C, rain is rare, and the Ancient Town at its most photogenic. The Lantern Festival (14th of each lunar month) is spectacular in these months — especially January and February around Tết — when thousands of candle-lit lanterns are floated on the Thu Bon River and the Ancient Town goes vehicle-free from sunset.
If you plan to have clothes made by a tailor, allow at least 48–72 hours in Hoi An and bring a reference garment or photos. First fitting typically happens within 24 hours. December to January is busy but good weather-wise; book accommodation at least 3–4 weeks ahead during Christmas and New Year. October and November: accept possible flooding as part of the experience or avoid entirely if you're inflexible about weather.
Transport
Getting There
✈️
Via Da Nang Airport (DAD)
Hoi An has no airport. The nearest international airport is Da Nang (30 km, 40–50 min). From Da Nang airport, take a Grab (~₫150,000–200,000, ~$6–8) or a pre-booked hotel shuttle. The local bus (route 01 from Da Nang bus station) costs ₫30,000 and takes 45 minutes — board at Da Nang central bus station, not the airport.
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By Bus from Da Nang or Hue
Local bus 01 runs between Da Nang and Hoi An every 15–20 minutes, 5 am to 6 pm — the cheapest and often fastest option (₫30,000, 45 min). From Hue, express bus or open-tour bus takes 3–4 hours (~$6). Direct sleeper buses from Saigon (18h, ~$15–20) drop at Hoi An bus station, a 15-minute walk from the Ancient Town.
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Via Da Nang Train Station
Take the Reunification Express to Da Nang, then a taxi or bus to Hoi An. From Hue to Da Nang: 2.5 hours ($5–12). From Saigon to Da Nang: 16–18 hours ($15–40 sleeper). The train-then-bus approach for the Hue–Hoi An segment (crossing the Hải Vân Pass by train, then busing south from Da Nang) is a great scenic combination.
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By Bicycle (within & around Hoi An)
Once in Hoi An, bicycles are the ideal way to move. Hire one from your guesthouse (~$1–2/day) and ride to An Bang beach (5 km), Tra Que herb village (3 km), or the rice paddies around Cam Thanh village. The Ancient Town itself is car-free in evenings and compact enough to walk in 20 minutes.
Sightseeing
Things to Do & Visit
1
Ancient Town Walking — Evening Lanterns
The Ancient Town is best experienced on foot, after 5 pm when vehicle traffic is restricted. Buy a combined Ancient Town ticket (₫120,000 — valid for 5 selected sites from a list of 22) at the ticket booths on Hoang Dieu Street. The streets of Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Bach Dang are the most beautiful, especially once the lanterns are lit at dusk.
2
Japanese Covered Bridge (Lai Viễn Kiều)
Built by the Japanese merchant community around 1593, this 18-metre roofed wooden bridge is Hoi An's most recognisable symbol — depicted on the 20,000₫ banknote. The small temple inside the bridge is dedicated to the deity who controls weather and earthquakes. Included in the Ancient Town ticket; most crowded at sunset — visit at 7 am for solitude.
3
Chinese Assembly Halls
Five clan assembly halls built by different communities of Chinese merchants between the 17th and 19th centuries. The Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (Fujian) is the most ornate, with a stunning green-tiled entrance gate and golden altars to Thien Hau (Goddess of the Sea). The Cantonese (Quang Trieu) and Chaozhou (Trieu Chau) halls are quieter and equally beautiful.
4
Custom Tailoring
Hoi An has over 400 tailor shops. Have a suit, dress, silk blouse or tailored jacket made in 24–72 hours. Bring reference photos from Pinterest or a garment to copy. Reputable shops: Yaly Couture (high-end, multiple locations), Bebe Tailor (reliable mid-range), A Dong Silk (good for women's clothing). Budget $40–200+ depending on fabric and complexity. Always ask to see the fabric before agreeing.
5
Lantern Festival (14th of the Lunar Month)
On the 14th night of each lunar month, the Ancient Town turns off electric lights and glows entirely by lantern light. Candles float down the Thu Bon River, incense burns at every doorway, and the town becomes the most romantic place in Vietnam. The biggest festivals are in January and February. No ticket required; simply be in the old town from 7 pm.
6
An Bang Beach
Five kilometres east of the Ancient Town, An Bang beach is a long stretch of uncrowded sand with a handful of excellent beach bars and restaurants. Hire a bicycle from your guesthouse and ride through rice paddies and fishing village lanes to reach it. Soul Kitchen and La Plage are relaxed beach clubs with sun loungers and good food. Open year-round; best from February to August.
7
My Son Sanctuary (Day Trip)
The most significant Cham ruin in Vietnam: a valley of 8th–13th century Hindu temple towers, 50 km southwest of Hoi An. A UNESCO site since 1999, it was extensively bombed during the American War but several tower groups remain atmospheric. Book a morning tour (~$15–25) or hire a motorbike (allow 3 hours for the drive each way). Visit early — it's hot by 10 am.
Immersion
Local Experiences
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Lantern Making Class
Learn to make a silk lantern — bamboo frame, silk covering, decorative tassels — in a 2-hour workshop. Reaching Out Arts & Crafts (run by hearing-impaired artisans, on Tran Phu Street) is the most recommended. Cost ~$15–20 including materials. Your lantern is yours to take home or add to the river on Lantern Festival night.
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Cooking Class at Morning Glory
Hoi An has Vietnam's best cooking school scene. Morning Glory (by celebrity chef Ms Vy) offers a morning market tour followed by preparation of 5–6 classic Hoi An dishes in an open kitchen above the restaurant. Red Bridge Cooking School offers a more extensive half-day programme with a boat trip included. Both cost ~$30–45 per person.
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Bicycle to Trà Quế Herb Village
Three kilometres north of the Ancient Town, Tra Que is a cluster of vegetable gardens that supply Hoi An's restaurants with fresh herbs, including the unique rau ram and kinh gioi that make Hoi An food taste as it does. You can walk through the gardens with a farmer guide (~$5), join a cooking class on-site, or simply cycle through and buy herbs directly.
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Basket Boat Ride in Cam Thanh
The round woven bamboo basket boats (thuyền thúng) of Hoi An are iconic — and a ride through the coconut palm water forest in Cam Thanh village (4 km from the Ancient Town) is a genuinely fun experience. Boats spin, drift and occasionally perform a playful 360-degree rotation at the boatman's paddle command. Tours cost ~$8–15 per person including transport.
Cuisine
What to Eat
Hoi An's cuisine is hyperlocal — several of its signature dishes cannot be made authentically anywhere else in Vietnam because of specific local ingredients: a particular well, a specific river fish, a variety of herb grown nowhere else.
Cao Lầu
Hoi An's most famous dish — and its most mysterious. Thick square-cut noodles (made with lye water drawn from a specific Hoi An well and rice soaked in ash water), topped with sliced pork, crackling croutons, bean sprouts and aromatic herbs. Slightly chewy, smoky and impossible to replicate outside this town. Best at the stalls inside Hoi An Central Market (under $2).
Bánh Bao Vắc (White Rose Dumplings)
Sheer, translucent rice-paper dumplings shaped like rose blossoms, filled with minced shrimp or pork and steamed, then topped with crispy fried shallots and a sweet-sour fish sauce. Made exclusively by one family whose recipe has been kept secret for three generations — all White Rose sold in Hoi An comes from their workshop. Ethereally delicate.
Bánh Mì Phượng
Barack Obama called it "the best sandwich I've ever eaten" on TV. Bánh Mì Phượng at 2B Phan Chu Trinh has operated since 1974: a crusty baguette split and filled with pork pâté, multiple cold cuts, fermented daikon and carrot, fresh cucumber, spring onion and house chilli sauce. Extraordinarily good for ₫25,000. Queue before 8 am or at lunch.
Cơm Gà Hội An (Chicken Rice)
Cold shredded free-range chicken over fragrant turmeric-tinted rice, accompanied by chicken broth soup, fresh mint, and a dish of chilli-ginger dipping sauce. Cơm Gà Bà Buội on Phan Chu Trinh Street is the most celebrated version — simple, deeply flavoured and a complete meal for ₫35,000.
Bánh Đập (Grilled Rice Crackers)
Two sheets of rice paper — one steamed soft, one grilled crispy — pressed together and served with a fermented shrimp paste (mắm nêm) dipping sauce. Snapped apart tableside and dipped with abandon. Available at street stalls throughout the old town for ₫15,000–25,000 per portion. The mắm nêm is an acquired taste — aggressively funky and strangely addictive.
Accommodation
Where to Stay
Staying inside or adjacent to the Ancient Town means walking everywhere — perfect. An Hoi Peninsula (across the Thu Bon River) is quieter and slightly cheaper. For beach access, look for hotels between the Ancient Town and An Bang beach (4–5 km east).
Budget · Under $15/night
Old Town edge & An Hoi
- Hoi An Backpackers Hostel
- Tribee Hoi An Hostel
- Hoi An Central Hostel
- The Blue Moon Hotel
Mid-Range · $30–120/night
An Hoi & surrounds
- Ancient House Village Resort
- Little Hoi An Central Boutique
- Hoi An Trails Resort & Spa
- La Siesta Hoi An Resort
- Essence Hoi An Hotel & Spa
Luxury · $200+/night
Ha My & An Bang beachfront
- Four Seasons The Nam Hai
- Anantara Hoi An Resort
- Rosewood Hoi An
- Victoria Hoi An Beach Resort