Hoi An Lantern Festival: Dates, Times & Boat Tickets

Featured image: Christophe95, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

What the Hoi An lantern festival is

Hoi An's Full Moon Lantern Festival is a monthly event in Hoi An Ancient Town. It is held on the 14th day of each lunar month. Electric lights in the old streets are dimmed so lanterns and candles take over. Lanterns hang outside homes and shops and along the riverbanks. Most of the action centers on the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Hoai River. Some sources call the same waterway the Thu Bon, so you will see both names. For the wider list of sights, start with our Hoi An things-to-do guide.

When it happens and how to check the date

Festival night falls on the 14th day of each lunar month. That is close to the full moon but not always the same night. Lunar dates and the astronomical full moon can differ by a day. Confirm the exact night before you book flights or hotels. Local calendars list each month's date, and the Vietnam tourism authority site is a sensible place to look for event notices. Timing reports conflict. One source gives 6 PM to 10 PM for the glow. Another says the main festivities start late, around 9 to 10 PM. Crowds begin gathering from about 5 PM. Plan for a 5 PM arrival and treat every start time as approximate.

Where to go: Ancient Town, bridge and river

Activity centers on the Japanese Covered Bridge and the banks of the Hoai River. Boating and lantern release run along about 1 km of river, from An Hoi Bridge to Cam Nam Bridge. Nguyen Hoang night market sits across from the Japanese Covered Bridge, with more than 50 stalls selling lanterns, embroidered paintings, ceramics and souvenirs. Staying in the town center? Walk in. From the beach side, expect a taxi or shuttle ride of roughly 10 to 15 minutes. Ask your hotel how motorbikes and cars are restricted in the Old Town at night, and do not assume door-to-door access. Boarding is easiest just upriver from An Hoi Bridge, where official ticket booths line both banks.

Boat and lantern costs, and how to buy

Prices and hours checked November 2026, using figures local operators report. A boat for 1 to 3 passengers costs ₫150,000. A boat for 4 to 5 passengers costs ₫200,000. Those fares exclude lanterns. Split between 3 people, the smaller boat works out to ₫50,000 each. Five people on the larger boat pay ₫40,000 each. Floating lanterns from riverbank vendors run roughly ₫5,000 to ₫10,000, and handmade lanterns about ₫10,000 to ₫20,000. Prices vary by vendor and lantern type. Tickets come from six official booths run by the Hoai River Tourism Management Board, and you do not need to book ahead. Staff then direct you to a nearby pier. Buy only from official booths, not from vendors who approach you. Walking the festival streets usually needs no ticket. Visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge, old houses and assembly halls requires the Ancient Town sightseeing ticket, reported at about ₫120,000 for international visitors and valid for several days. Hotel guests staying inside the Ancient Town are reported to get entry included, so confirm at a ticket booth.

Best things to do on the night

Six activities fit a festival evening, and two or three are plenty. Boat rides alone cover about 1 km of river.

• Boat and lantern release: ride the stretch between An Hoi and Cam Nam bridges and set your lantern down gently on the water.
• Bai Choi and folk performances: Bai Choi is a Central Vietnamese singing and card game, and stages appear along the Hoai River.
• Street food: look for grilled rice paper, grilled skewers, mango cakes and sweet corn desserts, and save room for cao lau.
• Lantern-making workshop: you build a bamboo frame and glue on silk, so book ahead or confirm hours in advance.
• Night market: Nguyen Hoang is the easiest stop, right across from the Japanese Covered Bridge.
• Photography: shoot from the bridge or the riverbank, and skip the flash.

Pick your plan: timing, boat vs. bank, full-moon night vs. other nights

Lantern release happens on the river most nights, so a festival date is a bonus rather than a requirement. For evenings beyond festival night, our Hoi An at night guide has more ideas. Boat or bank? A boat costs ₫150,000 or ₫200,000 and puts you among the glowing lanterns. That suits couples and small groups splitting the fare. Riverbank release costs only the ₫5,000 to ₫10,000 lantern, which suits solo and budget travelers. Banks near the Japanese Covered Bridge fill up, so expect to wait for a spot. Families with young children may prefer the bank, where nobody has to sit still on a small boat. Three sample evening flows follow, and every time is approximate.

• Arrive early: be in town by 5 PM, eat dinner, walk the lanes, then release a lantern between 7 PM and 9 PM.
• Go straight to the river: reach An Hoi Bridge around 6 PM and buy a boat ticket at an official booth before queues build.
• Stay late: some reports put the main festivities at 9 to 10 PM, so wander Nguyen Hoang night market first and watch the river afterward.

Tips, mistakes to avoid and responsible lantern release

Most problems on festival night come from a handful of avoidable errors. Dense crowds are hard going with strollers, and our Hoi An with kids guide covers family planning. For quieter daytime options, try lesser-known lanes and cafés. Choose paper-and-bamboo lanterns, which biodegrade more readily than other materials. Let your lantern drift with the current instead of blocking the waterway. River staff reportedly collect lanterns after the festival. Rain, humidity and heat are all possible at night, so pack a light poncho. If showers hit, retreat to Nguyen Hoang night market or a lantern workshop.

• Arriving after the main gathering that starts around 5 PM.
• Not checking the exact lunar-date night in advance.
• Buying a lantern or boat ride from unofficial sellers instead of the six booths.
• Wearing slippery shoes on busy, uneven streets.
• Leaving no time for dinner before the crowds peak.