14 Best Things to Do in Hoi An: Old Town to Day Trips

Featured image: Steffen Schmitz (more photos), CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Pick Your Plan for Things to Do in Hoi An

Geography decides the best plan. The Old Town is one walkable cluster. The river and rice paddies sit east of it, An Bang Beach is on the coast about 10 minutes out, and the big sights need a half-day or more. Start any stay of two nights or longer by placing a tailoring order, because fittings take days. The table shows what we would combine for each time budget.

14 Best Things to Do in Hoi An, Grouped by Area

Prices and hours checked November 2026. Items 1 to 5 sit inside the Old Town, items 6 to 8 are on the river, items 9 to 12 cover the countryside, tailoring and coast, and items 13 and 14 are evening and day-trip picks. Each entry gives what it is, who should skip it, and what it costs where a figure exists.

1. Old Town walk and heritage ticket

Hoi An Ancient Town is a UNESCO-listed, car-free maze of yellow-fronted shophouses, assembly halls and merchant homes. Official ticket booths sell the heritage ticket at 120,000 VND, and it covers 5 of 22 sites. Keep the stamped ticket for your whole stay, and ask the booth how multi-day use works today.

Our pick is two passes: early morning for empty lanes, then after dark when the lanterns are lit. Budget a half-day for the loop. Crowd-averse travelers should stay with the early pass, since the riverfront fills after dark.

2. Japanese Covered Bridge

Chua Cau, the Japanese Covered Bridge, links the Chinese and Japanese quarters over a small waterway. At about 59 feet (18 m) long, it is a short stop rather than a destination. Published construction dates differ widely, so we say only that it is centuries old.

Arrive at first light for still water, reflections and few people. Evening visitors share the span with a steady crowd. Anyone wanting calm photos should pick dawn over dusk.

3. Tan Ky Old House and Fujian Assembly Hall

Tan Ky Old House is a well-preserved merchant home where guides walk you through the timber rooms. Fujian Assembly Hall, known locally as Phuoc Kien, is a Chinese temple dedicated to a sea goddess. Quan Cong Temple, Phung Hung Old House and the Museum of Trade Ceramics sit in the same cluster.

A 5-site ticket goes furthest if you pick one house, one hall, one temple and one museum. Cover shoulders and knees at every temple and hall. Museum-fatigued travelers can leave out everything except Tan Ky and the assembly hall.

4. Central Market and Night Market

Central Market sits at the corner of Hoang Dieu and Tran Phu Streets. Floors are sorted by product, and the outer lanes sell produce, spices and chilies. Fish and vegetables look best early in the day. Night Market, typically open 6 pm to 10 pm, lies just past the Bridge of Lights.

Many stalls sell identical items, so compare two or three before paying. Start well below the first quoted price and hold firm, because overcharging is common. Shoppers who hate haggling should use fixed-price stores instead.

5. Banh mi and cao lau

Banh mi is the best-value meal in town, at 10,000 to 60,000 VND per sandwich. Banh Mi Phuong and Madam Khanh are the two shops that recur in local recommendations. Cao lau, the thick-noodle dish tied to the town, pairs with a look at Ba Le Well, the best-known of roughly 80 old wells. A guided food tour runs about 2.5 to 3 hours on foot, so wear sneakers.

Vegetarian banh mi uses tofu, so ask when you order. Reserve sit-down restaurants early, since tables get scarce after 6 pm. Anyone wary of street-side stools should book a restaurant instead.

6. Vietnamese cooking class

Local classes center on cao lau noodles, white rose dumplings and crispy banh xeo pancakes. Most begin with a market visit to pick ingredients, then move to hands-on cooking in a garden kitchen. Some add a short boat ride first. Restaurants advertise classes at the door, so you can book the day before.

We'd slot one into a 2- or 3-day stay, in the morning before the heat peaks. Cost sits in the mid tier, well above a street-food lunch. Travelers who would rather eat than cook get more dishes from a food tour.

7. Thu Bon River boat and lanterns

Small wooden boats wait near the Bridge of Lights, and the Thu Bon River is the best place to see the Old Town glow. We'd board around sunset, before the crowd thickens. Vendors sell paper lanterns you float on the water, a cheap ritual that needs no booking. Choose a licensed boat and agree the price before you step in.

For a longer plan, see our notes on Hoi An after dark. Full-moon nights, held on the 14th day of the lunar month, are busier; read about the full-moon lantern night before you plan around it. Skip full-moon evenings if crowds spoil the mood for you.

8. Cam Thanh basket boat

Cam Thanh lies in the river-and-countryside zone east of the centre. Round basket boats called thung chai carry passengers through water-coconut groves. Rides last about 20 minutes, and boatmen spin the boat and perform tricks.

Expect a staged, touristy show, and expect to get a little wet. Children tend to enjoy it, and our family ideas for Hoi An add more. Pass on it if you want a quiet paddle with no performance.

9. Bike ride through the rice paddies

A flat ride east from the Old Town reaches green rice fields within minutes. The road toward An Bang Beach is about 3 miles (5 km), an easy trip on a rented bicycle. Ride early or in late afternoon, because midday heat makes it tiring.

Scooters honk to announce themselves, not to push you aside. Side lanes and small river islands reward detours, and our guide to quieter corners of Hoi An covers some. Riders uneasy sharing roads with motorbikes should book a guided tour.

10. Tra Que vegetable village

Tra Que is a vegetable-growing village within a bike ride of the centre. Farmers fertilize the beds with seaweed compost, and you hear the method explained on site. Tours let you plant herbs or harvest greens, and some end with a farm-to-table lunch.

Pair it with the paddy ride for one full morning. Travelers who want ruins, markets or beaches only can drop it without regret.

11. Tailor-made clothing

Tailors line the streets and approach passersby, so go in with a plan. Order on arrival, bring a photo or a favorite garment, and choose fabric before talking price. Quick jobs come back in 24 to 48 hours. Good results with fittings take 3 to 4 days, and a week is possible.

Add at least one spare day for alterations. Many shops ship finished clothes home, which suits backpackers. Quality varies by shop, so test with one simple piece first. Anyone leaving tomorrow should skip this one.

12. An Bang Beach

An Bang Beach is about 10 minutes from the centre, roughly 3 miles (5 km) away. Casuarina trees, seafood restaurants and loungers line the sand, and swimming works year round. A ride-hailing car costs about 80,000 VND one way. Walk well down the beach from the entrance for cheaper loungers, and lock any bike you park.

Cua Dai, to the south, has suffered coastal erosion, so we'd pick An Bang. Arrive early, before the sun turns harsh. Nightlife seekers will find the Old Town livelier.

13. Hoi An Memories Land show

Hoi An Memories Land stages an outdoor production with more than 500 performers telling the town's story. Its theme park is about 1.2 miles (2 km) from the Old Town, a 30-minute walk or a short ride. Park gates open at 4 pm, and the show runs 8 pm to 9 pm.

Book tickets online ahead and compare platforms. It is a staged, touristy spectacle, not a local event. Travelers who prefer free evenings by the river can leave it out.

14. My Son Sanctuary

My Son is a UNESCO-listed Cham sanctuary of red-brick towers in a forested valley. Entry costs 150,000 VND. War damaged much of the site, but several buildings survive. Thanh Ha pottery village sits on the way if you drive yourself.

Rent a motorbike or join a tour, and leave early for cooler walking. Anyone expecting Angkor-scale ruins will be disappointed. With only two days in town, spend them on the Old Town and the coast.

Day Trips From Hoi An Compared

Marble Mountains lie about 12 miles from town, with entry at 40,000 VND and an elevator for a small extra fee. My Son costs 150,000 VND to enter. We'd pair those two in a single day by motorbike or tour. Cost tiers below are relative, since fares change by operator.

Where to Stay by Neighborhood

Choose by trade-off rather than brand. The Old Town is compact, so even staying a kilometre out costs only a short bike ride. Evenings are easiest on foot from inside the walkable core.

• Old Town: walkable, loud at peak evening, best for short stays.
• An Bang beachside: about 3 miles out, good for beach days, needs a ride into town.
• Riverside edge: a short walk from the lanterns with fewer crowds.
• Countryside homestay: paddy views and quiet, best with a bicycle.

Getting There, Getting Around and Weather

Da Nang airport is about 19 miles (30 km) away, and Hoi An has no airport or station of its own. Taxi, ride-hailing app, private car and bus all work, ranked here from easiest to most effort. Inside the Old Town, walk. Motorbikes are reportedly barred 9 am to 11 am and 3 pm to 9:30 pm, and rules change, so ask your hotel. Spring is the milder sightseeing window, and summer turns hot. September to December is monsoon, with typhoon and flood risk, and October and November are the wettest. Check seasonal updates through Vietnam's national tourism authority. Many small eateries take cash only.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Most regrets here come from timing, not money.

• Ordering tailoring on the last day, leaving no time for fittings.
• Skipping the heritage ticket, then being turned away at a site.
• Biking or walking in midday heat.
• Assuming rain-free months, when flooding and typhoons can occur from September to December.
• Booking unlicensed boat rides on the river.
• Expecting a quiet Old Town at peak evening.

A Rainy-Day Plan for Hoi An

Rain should change your order of activities, not ruin the day. September to December brings monsoon conditions, with the highest rainfall usually in October and November. Keep beach time, cycling and river rides flexible during this period.

Use a wet morning for the Old Town’s covered attractions. A 120,000 VND heritage ticket admits you to 5 of 22 listed sites, so pair Tan Ky Old House with Fujian Assembly Hall and a museum. Carry a light rain layer and wear shoes with grip; tiled lanes can be slippery.

A cooking class is another practical fallback. Many classes begin with a market visit, then move indoors for hands-on dishes. Food tours also work in light rain, but choose a restaurant-based meal if you do not want to walk between stalls. If forecasts show heavy rain or flooding, ask your hotel about current road access before heading to the beach or countryside.