A trading port that stayed small
Hoi An was a busy international port long before Vietnam’s big cities took their modern shape. Japanese, Chinese and European merchants settled on the Thu Bon river, and the low tiled houses, assembly halls and shopfronts they left behind earned the Hoi An Ancient Town its UNESCO World Heritage listing in 1999. Today it is one of the most atmospheric places in Central Vietnam: a compact grid of yellow-walled lanes, a Japanese Covered Bridge, rows of silk lanterns, hundreds of tailors and a river that glows in the evening.
Two confusions are worth clearing up before you plan anything.
First, My Son is a Cham Hindu site, not a Khmer one. The brick towers about 40 km inland, also UNESCO-listed in 1999, were built by the Champa kingdom as temples to Shiva. They are often confused with Angkor, but the builders, the style and the history are different. Our My Son guide explains what you are looking at.
Second, Hoi An has no airport. You fly into Da Nang (DAD), which is a few minutes from the city and about 45 minutes by road from Hoi An. Arrange the Da Nang airport transfer in advance or use a ride-hailing app such as Grab.
This page covers the town, the nearby beach, the Cham Islands and My Son, and tells you plainly what the place asks of you. Da Nang’s My Khe beach, the Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills are covered on the Da Nang page, and imperial heritage belongs to Hue.
What Hoi An is actually like
The old town is small. You can cross it on foot in about fifteen minutes, which is both its charm and its limit. Most of the centre is closed to cars and large motorbikes during the day and evening, so you walk, cycle or take a cyclo.
What you will find:
- The Japanese Covered Bridge, a small wooden bridge with a roofed walkway and a tiny temple inside, the town’s emblem.
- Merchant houses and assembly halls, where Chinese congregations and old trading families built carved timber homes, courtyards and shrines.
- The market and riverfront, busy in the morning with produce and cooked food, and busy again at night with lantern boats and street vendors.
- Lanterns everywhere, silk and paper, strung across lanes and floated on the river after dark.
- Tailors, shoemakers and craft shops, which are the reason many visitors come at all.
It is a town to be in rather than a list of sights to tick off. Many people are happiest wandering without a plan, stopping for coffee, and coming back to the riverside at dusk.
How long to stay
The honest answer for most travellers is one to two days in the old town, plus half a day for My Son. That fits a stay of two or three nights, which also leaves room for a morning at the beach or a cooking class.
| Plan | Time | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Quick stop | 1 night | Evening walk, one morning in the old town |
| Standard | 2–3 nights | Old town, An Bang beach, My Son, a cooking class or boat trip |
| Slow | 4–5 nights | All of the above, plus the Cham Islands and a tailor fitting without rushing |
Staying longer is easy to justify if you want a quiet base. Staying one night is possible, but the town’s best hours are early morning and evening, and day-trippers fill the lanes in between. If you are choosing between this town and its larger neighbour, our comparison Hoi An or Da Nang helps you decide, and Hue or Hoi An does the same for the imperial city.
What the town asks of you
Hoi An is lovely, but it is not a hidden gem, and it is better to arrive with accurate expectations.
Crowds. In high season and at weekends, the lanes around the Covered Bridge and the riverfront are packed from mid-morning to late evening. Tour groups, school parties and photographers all arrive at the same spots. Go at first light, or after dinner, and the town feels very different.
Floods. The old town sits low on the river. In some years, usually in October and November, heavy rain and typhoon activity push the river over its banks and parts of the town flood for a day or several. Locals are well practised at this and shops reopen quickly, but it can disrupt your plans. It does not happen every year, so check the forecast close to your dates. For wider context, see our guides to the rainy season and typhoons and typhoon season in Central Vietnam.
Heat. From roughly May to August, midday in the old town is hot and humid. Plan the sightseeing for the morning and evening, and take a siesta.
Tailor pressure. Hoi An is famous for made-to-measure clothing, and some shops are persistent. Budget carefully, compare more than one shop, and do not treat the first quote as the price. The next section explains how.
Tailors: budget with care
Having clothes made in a few days is a genuine pleasure here, and many travellers leave with something they wear for years. It is also the part of a Hoi An trip where costs drift most easily.
A sensible approach:
- Decide what you want first. Bring photos or a garment you like. Tailors are far better at copying than inventing.
- Ask for the total price in writing before any fabric is cut, including fabric, lining, labour and any rush fee.
- Compare fabric and finish, not just price. Cheap cloth saves a little and spoils the garment.
- Expect at least two fittings. A rushed one-day job is where most disappointments come from.
- Check seams, buttons and linings before you pay the balance, and agree on alterations in advance.
- Be wary of commissions. A hotel desk or rider who steers you to one shop is usually earning a cut, which ends up in your price.
Prices are quoted in VND and change with fabric and demand, so treat any number you read online as a rough guide for 2026 rather than a fixed rate. Our guide to tailors and ao dai photoshoots goes into more detail, and the article on getting a suit made in Hoi An covers the practical steps.
An Bang beach and the coast
About 4–5 km from the old town, An Bang is the easy beach day. It has a long stretch of sand, a row of relaxed beach bars and restaurants, and enough space to stay away from the busiest areas. It is not a dramatic beach, but it is a pleasant one, and you can reach it by bicycle in about twenty minutes on a flat road.
Swimming conditions depend on the season. From around February to August the sea is generally calm and warm. In the autumn and winter months, waves and currents can be strong and red flags go up, so follow the lifeguards and local advice.
If you want a bigger resort-style beach, My Khe in Da Nang is further north; see the Da Nang page for that side of the coast.
On the water: basket boats and river cruises
The Thu Bon river and the coconut palm creeks south-east of town are part of Hoi An’s character. Two easy ways to see them:
- A basket boat trip in the coconut palm forest, where a local paddler spins the round woven boat. It is a fun, slightly touristy hour, and works well with children. You can book a basket boat ride in the coconut palm forest in advance, or arrange one locally.
- A sunset cycle and river cruise, combining a pedal through rice paddies and villages with an evening on the river. A sunset cycle followed by a river cruise suits travellers who want to see the countryside without a long day.
For more on boat options and the creek villages, see our basket boat and river tours guide.
The Cham Islands
Offshore, roughly 15 km from the coast, the Cham Islands are a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, which is a different programme from World Heritage. The boat crossing takes around 20–40 minutes depending on the vessel, and the main draws are clear water, snorkelling reefs, quiet beaches and simple seafood lunches.
A day trip is the easiest option. A typical snorkelling day with a seafood barbecue lunch leaves in the morning and returns in the afternoon. Sea conditions are best from roughly March to August; boats can be cancelled when the sea is rough, so build in some flexibility. Our Cham Islands guide has more details.
My Son: half a day inland
My Son Sanctuary lies in a green valley around 40 km from Hoi An. It was a religious centre of the Champa kingdom for many centuries, and the red brick towers and halls, partly damaged during the war, are dedicated mainly to Hindu deities. It is smaller and quieter than Angkor, and more modest, but its setting is peaceful and its history is distinctive.
Practical points:
- Allow half a day, including the drive. Most visits last two to three hours on site.
- Go early. Arriving at opening time beats both the heat and the tour buses.
- Wear comfortable shoes and bring water and sun protection. The paths are uneven.
- Expect partial ruins. Some towers are intact and others are heaps of brick. A guide or an audio explanation makes a real difference.
You can reach My Son independently by car or motorbike taxi, or on an organised trip combining it with the old town. Our Hoi An Ancient Town and My Son tours guide compares the options.
Food and cooking classes
Hoi An’s local dishes are among the best reasons to visit. Look for cao lau, a noodle dish of chewy noodles, pork and herbs traditionally linked to the town; mi quang, turmeric noodles with a little broth; banh mi, the Vietnamese baguette; and white rose dumplings, delicate shrimp dumplings steamed in translucent rice dough. Cafés and restaurants range from simple market stalls to polished riverside dining rooms.
A cooking class is one of the better ways to spend a morning: you visit the market, choose ingredients and cook several dishes. Take a look at our Hoi An cooking classes guide and the street food tours guide.
Lantern nights and festivals
On the full moon of each lunar month, Hoi An dims some of its electric lighting and holds a lantern evening with music, traditional games and candle-lit boats. It is a lovely night, and also a crowded one. The exact dates change with the lunar calendar, so check them near your trip; our article on the Hoi An full-moon lantern festival explains what to expect.
If you do not have a full-moon date, the town is still lit every evening. Floating a paper lantern on the river is inexpensive and photogenic.
Where to stay
You have three broad options:
- In the old town, which is atmospheric and walkable but noisier and pricier, with some small heritage-style guesthouses.
- Between the old town and An Bang, which is quieter, often with pools, and a short bike ride from both.
- Near An Bang beach, which suits beach days, families and anyone who prefers resorts over streets.
Our where to stay in Hoi An guide breaks this down by area and budget.
Getting there and around
| From | Option | Time (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Da Nang airport | Taxi, Grab or private transfer | About 45 minutes |
| Da Nang city | Taxi, Grab or shuttle | About 40–60 minutes |
| Hue | Private car or the road over the Hai Van Pass | About 3–4 hours |
| Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City | Fly to Da Nang, then road | Flight about 1 h 15 to 2 h, plus transfer |
There is no railway station in Hoi An; trains stop at Da Nang. For the overland leg from the imperial city, see Hue to Hoi An transfers. Once in town, walk or cycle; a bicycle is the standard way to get between the old town and the beach.
Money and costs
Prices are in VND and cash is still useful at markets, small cafés and street stalls. Hotels, many restaurants, tour operators and tailors take cards, sometimes with a fee. As a very rough guide for 2026, a comfortable day for one person, covering a mid-range room share, meals, a coffee or two and local transport, runs about 900,000–2,000,000 VND, or around 360–800 NOK. Tailoring, tours and the Cham Islands are extras. For a broader picture, see our Vietnam travel budget guide.
One day around Hoi An: a sample plan
If you only have a full day and an evening:
- Early morning: old town at first light, with a coffee near the river.
- Mid-morning: assembly halls and merchant houses, then the market.
- Afternoon: a rest, or a bike ride to An Bang.
- Late afternoon: a boat or cycling trip as the heat drops.
- Evening: dinner, lanterns and the riverside. If you are interested in an afternoon pairing, a Marble Mountains visit paired with an old-town sunset is an option, and our Marble Mountains guide has the detail.
Frequently asked questions about visiting Hoi An
Does Hoi An have an airport?
No. The nearest airport is Da Nang (DAD), about 45 minutes by road. Transfers, taxis and ride-hailing apps cover the route.
Is My Son Khmer or Cham?
My Son is a Cham Hindu temple site built by the Champa kingdom. It is not Khmer and is unrelated to Angkor.
How many days do you need in Hoi An?
One to two days in the old town plus half a day for My Son is enough for most visitors. Two or three nights makes a comfortable stay.
Does Hoi An flood?
In some years, yes, usually in October and November when heavy rain and typhoons raise the river. It does not happen every year, but check the forecast before you go.
When is the best time to visit Hoi An?
The central coast is hot and mostly dry from roughly February to August. September to December is the rainy season, with flooding and typhoons most likely in October and November.
Are the tailors in Hoi An worth it?
They can be, if you compare shops, agree the total price in writing, allow time for two fittings and check the finish before paying.
Is Hoi An the same as Da Nang?
No. They are separate places about 30 km apart. Da Nang is a modern coastal city with My Khe beach, the Marble Mountains and Ba Na Hills, while Hoi An is the small historic town.
