Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business Hoi An is a small riverside town in central Vietnam whose old quarter looks much as it did when it was one of Southeast Asia's great trading ports.
Beyond the heritage core you can cycle out to herb gardens and rice paddies, paddle a round basket boat through palm-lined waterways, relax on a long sandy beach and visit the ancient Cham temples of My Son. This guide covers where to go, what to eat, when to visit and how to get around.
From roughly the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, Hoi An was a busy port where Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Dutch and other traders came for silk, porcelain, spices and timber.
Hoi An is also a rewarding place simply to slow down. It is easy to explore on foot or by bicycle, the food is among the best in Vietnam, and the countryside, river and beaches are all close by.
The heritage zone covers a grid of streets including Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc and Bach Dang, which runs along the river. An Old Town ticket is sold at booths around the zone and gives entry to a set number of heritage sites, with tear-off coupons checked at the door of each one.
The Japanese Covered Bridge, known locally as Chua Cau, is the symbol of Hoi An and appears on a Vietnamese banknote. Built by the Japanese trading community around the turn of the seventeenth century, it has a small temple attached to its north side and statues of a dog and a monkey guarding either end.
The Japanese Covered Bridge, or Chua Cau, dates to the late sixteenth or early seventeenth century. Photo: Steffen Schmitz (more photos), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tan Ky Old House on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street is a merchant home that has been lived in by the same family for generations. Its dark timber interior shows Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese carpentry styles, with carved beams, mother-of-pearl inlay and a courtyard open to the sky.
Tan Ky Old House blends Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese elements in its timber structure. Photo: P. Hughes, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Chinese merchants formed community associations organized by their home province, and their assembly halls are some of the most ornate buildings in town.
The Fujian Assembly Hall was built by Chinese merchants from Fujian and honors the sea goddess Thien Hau. Photo: Chainwit., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
As the sun sets, the riverbank along Bach Dang Street and the An Hoi islet across the water fill with lantern sellers, small boats and people releasing paper lantern candles onto the river. Riding a rowed boat for a short loop on the water is the classic Hoi An experience, and it takes about twenty minutes.
Silk lanterns light the streets and riverbanks of Hoi An after dark. Photo: Christophe95, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
At the eastern end of the old town, the Central Market is where locals shop for fish, vegetables, fruit and spices. Inside there is a food hall where cooks serve noodle dishes and other specialties, and an upstairs area with fabric for tailoring. Mornings are the liveliest time; plan on an hour.
Hoi An Central Market sits at the eastern end of the old town beside the Thu Bon River. Photo: Gary Todd from Xinzheng, China, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
A few kilometers north of town, Tra Que is a farming village where families grow herbs and greens in neat beds fertilized with seaweed from the nearby lagoon.
Tra Que village supplies many of the fresh herbs used in Hoi An kitchens. Photo: Andre Hospers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
East of town, in the Cam Thanh area, a maze of waterways runs through groves of nipa palm. Here you can ride a round bamboo basket boat, traditionally used by fishermen, and some boatmen like to spin the boats to entertain passengers.
Round basket boats carry visitors through the nipa palm waterways of Cam Thanh. Photo: Chester Ho chesterho, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
An Bang is a long stretch of sand about five kilometers north of the old town, an easy bicycle ride. It has beach bars and seafood restaurants along the shore and is a good place to swim between spring and summer, when the sea is calmer.
An Bang Beach lies a short ride north of the old town on the coast of the East Sea. Photo: Alexkom000, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Just west of town, Thanh Ha has made pottery for centuries, and you can watch potters at work and try the wheel yourself in about an hour. Out at sea, the Cham Islands, or Cu Lao Cham, are a protected marine area reached by speedboat from Cua Dai.
About forty kilometers west of Hoi An, My Son Sanctuary is a valley of brick temple towers built by the Champa kingdom, mostly between the fourth and thirteenth centuries, for the worship of the Hindu god Shiva.
My Son Sanctuary preserves Hindu temple towers built by the Champa kingdom over many centuries. Photo: Chainwit., Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Hoi An has several dishes you will not find done the same way anywhere else. Cao lau is the most famous: thick, chewy noodles served with slices of pork, crisp croutons and fresh herbs in a small amount of rich sauce.
Banh mi is a serious subject here. Banh Mi Phuong on Phan Chau Trinh Street has been famous for years and still draws long lines, but many street stalls make excellent versions too.
Popular dishes to try in Hoi An
Ancient Town and its edges. Staying within walking distance of the old town lets you enjoy it early and late, when it is calmest.
Among the rice paddies. Homestays and villas set in the fields between town and the beach offer peace, birdsong and free bicycles.
An Bang and the coast. Beachfront stays are ideal if you want sea views and swimming, with the old town about fifteen minutes away by bicycle or taxi.
Where to stay in Hoi An
The most pleasant period is roughly February to April, when days are warm and mostly dry and the countryside is green.
From around September to December central Vietnam has its rainy season. October and November in particular can bring heavy rain, storms and floods, and the old town streets along the river are sometimes under water.
The nearest airport is Da Nang International Airport, with domestic and international flights, about forty five minutes by car from Hoi An. Taxis, ride-hailing apps and hotel transfers are all easy to arrange.
In town, walk or cycle. Motorized traffic is restricted in the core of the Ancient Town during much of the day and evening, and most hotels lend or rent bicycles.
Start early at the Japanese Covered Bridge and use your Old Town ticket for Tan Ky House, the Fujian Assembly Hall and Quan Cong Temple.
Cycle through the rice fields to Tra Que for a morning in the gardens or a cooking class, then continue to An Bang Beach for lunch and a swim.
Leave at dawn for My Son Sanctuary and return by midday.
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