Hoi An Old Town Ticket: Price, What It Covers & Where to Buy
Hoi An Old Town ticket explained: whether you need one, the 120,000 VND foreign rate, where to buy, which sites it covers, and how to use it in a day.
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Last updated November 2026: a Hoi An old town ticket is only required to enter paid heritage sites, and the streets themselves are free to walk. Rates checked November 2026 are 120,000 VND for international visitors and 80,000 VND for Vietnamese visitors, sold at booths around the Old Town edge. Below you will find what the ticket covers, which sites deserve your time, and what it does not include.
Featured image: Alexkom000, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Quick answer: do you need a Hoi An Old Town ticket?
No ticket is needed to walk the lanes, follow the Thu Bon River, or browse shops. You need one only at the door of a paid heritage site, where staff check and mark it. If you plan to enter even two or three houses, halls or museums, buying one is the practical way in.
| Traveler type | Do you need the ticket? | Best move |
|---|---|---|
| Free-only walker | No | Stroll the streets and riverside, skip the booths |
| One-day heritage visitor | Yes | Buy at a booth in the morning and use it the same day |
| Slow multi-day traveler | Yes, one per visit day | Buy again on any day you plan to enter paid sites |
What the Old Town ticket is, and what stays free
Think of it as a sightseeing ticket for heritage buildings, not a gate fee. Hoi An has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, and 844 of the 1,107 buildings in the townscape are on the heritage list. Ticket revenue goes toward conserving those buildings, including the Japanese Covered Bridge. Street photography, window shopping and café stops all cost nothing. For the wider area, see our Old Town area guide.
Hoi An Old Town ticket price, validity and how it works
Local operators publish 120,000 VND for international visitors and 80,000 VND for Vietnamese visitors. A ticket is usually valid on the day of purchase, so plan your sites for a single day. Staff mark or validate it at each entrance. Vietnam's national tourism board describes it as entry to five heritage buildings, so expect a capped number of entries rather than unlimited access. Child pricing is based on height, not age, so ask booth staff for the current cutoff when you pay.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| International visitor | 120,000 VND |
| Vietnamese visitor | 80,000 VND |
| Validity | Usually the day of purchase |
| Entries | Tourism board cites five heritage buildings |
| Check point | Each paid site marks or validates the ticket |
| Children | Height-based; confirm cutoff at the booth |
Where to buy the ticket and skip the confusion
Booths sit around the edge of the Old Town. Look near Tran Phu Street, Le Loi Street and the Japanese Covered Bridge. Tickets are sold on the day, and advance booking is not usually needed. Sales are mainly in person at the booths, though some guided tours bundle the ticket in their price. Current rates and notices are posted by the Hoi An Tourism Center.
What the ticket covers: houses, halls, museums and the bridge
Published site lists run longer than the five-building figure, so entitlement is not fully settled. Ask which five entries your ticket allows before you start walking. Sites that take the ticket fall into four groups. Tan Ky Old House dates to 1741 and has sheltered seven generations of one family.
- Landmarks: Japanese Covered Bridge interior temple, Cam Pho Communal House, Quan Cong Temple
- Ancient houses: Duc An, Quan Thang and Tan Ky
- Assembly halls: Fujian, Cantonese (Quang Trieu), Hainan and Chaozhou
- Museums: Trade Ceramics, Hoi An Museum, Sa Huynh Culture and Folklore
Which sites are worth your ticket: picks by traveler type
Choose by interest rather than ticking off every door. Two or three entries fill a relaxed morning. Fujian is described as a major worship center for its community, and each hall reflects a different settler group. Our guide to the Chinese assembly halls compares them in detail.
| If you like | Spend an entry on |
|---|---|
| Architecture | Tan Ky, Quan Thang or Duc An old houses |
| Local history | Hoi An Museum or Sa Huynh Culture Museum |
| Families with kids | Folklore Museum, which covers traditional crafts and includes a performance |
| Short on time | Bridge interior plus one assembly hall |
A one-day route that uses the ticket well
Buy early, since the ticket is valid on the day. Begin at the Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An: Visit Guide, built around 1593 to link the Japanese and Chinese neighborhoods. Then group sites by type to avoid doubling back. A half day suits two or three entries. A full day can use all five allowed entries, but museums tire visitors quickly.
- Morning: bridge interior, then one assembly hall
- Midday: one ancient house, such as Tan Ky or Quan Thang
- Afternoon: one museum, then stop using the ticket
- Evening: free streets and riverside
Attractions not covered by the Old Town ticket
Each place below charges its own admission. Cu Lao Cham is a marine park of eight islands 15 km off the coast, so budget a boat fare as well.
Cu Lao Cham is 15 km off the coast, so the fare to reach it is extra to its 70,000 VND entry.
- Thanh Ha Pottery Village, about 7 km away: 35,000 VND
- Tra Que vegetable village: 10,000 VND domestic, 20,000 VND international
- Bay Mau coconut forest: 30,000 VND, basket boat 150,000 VND for two
- Cu Lao Cham: 70,000 VND entry plus a 20,000 VND ecological fee
- Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An: separate ticket, check the operator's site
Evenings, lantern nights and free things to do
After dark the streets, riverside and lanterns stay free. Lanterns take over on the 14th day of each lunar month, when the moon is full, according to the national tourism site. Browsing stalls at the night market needs no ticket. A river boat is an extra cost, reported at 30,000 to 50,000 VND per boat for two to four people.
Lanterns light the streets on the 14th day of each lunar month. Pair that night with a daytime ticket, since it is usually valid only on the purchase day.
Mistakes to avoid with your Old Town ticket
A 120,000 VND ticket is poor value if you enter only one site. Plan which entries you want before paying.
- Buying a ticket and entering nothing
- Assuming it covers Thanh Ha, Tra Que, Bay Mau or Cu Lao Cham
- Arriving at a site near closing time
- Losing the ticket, since it is checked at each paid site
- Wearing sleeveless tops or short shorts at temples and halls
Useful notes for your Vietnam trip
Optional updates to our guides.
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