Hoi An is a historic Quang Nam town on the north bank of the lower Thu Bon River, central of Vietnam. This town was an international trading port. So, when traders from all over the world come to Hoi An, they bring a bit of China, Japan, and Europe with them, which mixes with the local culture to make Hoi An what it is today. That’s Hoi An’s beauty. Let’s prepare for your first visit to this charming town.
Where is Hoi An?
Hoi An is a small, beautiful old town in the province of Quang Nam. It’s more than 30 kilometers from Da Nang, and it’s 122 kilometers from Hue. Since it is close to these two cities, you should try to spend some time in Hoi An if you have the chance to visit them. Hoi An is listed in the top 10 places to visit in Vietnam.
How to go to Hoi An?
Hoi An is only 30 km from Da Nang, so the easiest way to get there is to go to Da Nang and then take a taxi, bus, private car, or rent a tour package, or ride a motorbike from Da Nang to Hoi An. In our article about traveling to Da Nang for the first time, we already talked about how to get there.
Da Nang to Hoi An by bus
If you want to take a bus to Hoi An, you can take route 01 from Da Nang to Hoi An. It runs every day from 5:30 to 17:50 and costs 20,000 VND per person. The yellow color of the bus makes it easy to spot, and it goes down all of Da Nang’s main roads. Check the bus stop’s information board to see if the bus goes where you are.
- Frequency: 20 minutes/trip
- Ticket price: 20,000 VND/way
- Number of trips (going and returning) in a day: 38 trips.
- Hours of operation: 5:30 – 17:500
Da Nang to Hoi An by motorbike
For 120,000 to 150,000 VND per day, you can rent a motorbike in Da Nang to get to Hoi An. You should run from My Khe beach to Cua Dai beach along the road that goes along Vo Nguyen Giap beach. At this intersection, go left to get to An Bang beach, and go right to get to Hoi An ancient town.
Da Nang to Hoi An by taxi or Grab
Taxis are also very convenient, but they are very expensive. You can call a car at any time, though. If you can, take a Grab to find out how much the trip will cost and where it will go.
Taxi in Hoi An
- Taxi Mai Linh in Hoi An. Phone: 0235.3929292
- Taxi Mai Linh in Tam Ky. Phone: 0235.3838383
- Taxi Hoi An in Hoi An. Phone: 0235.3919919
- Taxi Faifo in Hoi An. Phone: 0235.3919191
Taxi in Da Nang
- Song Han Taxi Phone: 0236.3.655.655
- Huong Lua Taxi Phone: 0236.3.828.282
- Mai Linh Taxi Phone: 0236.3.525.252
- Airport Taxi Phone: 0236.3.825.555
Take a private car to go to Hoi An from Da Nang
If you’re going with a big group, this will be the easiest and most sensible option. From Da Nang to Hoi An, you can rent a private car with driver. A 4-seater car will cost between 350,000 VND, MVP/SUV will cost you around 450,000 VND.
If you want to take a half-day or full-day trip around Hoi An in a private car, that’s also possible. This Hoi An Private Car Charter service is available for groups of 3, 5, or 12 for the price from 700,000 VND (around $30) . The driver, who speaks English, is very flexible and will follow your plans. Even though they aren’t tour guides, they can tell you interesting things about the town. There is an option to hire a tour guide as an add-on, but in that case, we recommend that you take a private tour instead to make sure everything goes smoothly.
Take a Hoi An Tour from Da Nang
If this is your first trip to Hoi An, you can also take a 1-day tour from Da Nang to Hoi An. The package tour will take you from Da Nang to Hoi An, so you don’t have to worry about getting lost or paying for transportation. At the same time, a guide will show you around and tell you about Hoi An’s culture and history so you can learn more about it. During the tour, you can also do fun things and eat delicious food from the area.
Here are some tour options for you to think about.
When is the best time to visit Hoi An?
The weather in Hoi An is a mix of the South and the North, with clear wet and dry seasons. Each season brings its own beauty to the old town.
The best time to visit Hoi An is in the first three months of the year, when the sun isn’t too hot, the weather is cool, and it sometimes rains a little.
The dry season is rough from April to June, but Hoi An is in the south of the Truong Son mountain range, so the weather there is nice. This is also when the most tourists come. It is still dry in July. In August and September, the weather changes. Still sunny, but now and then it’s raining, and the nights are getting colder.
The last three months of the year are wet in Hoi An. It doesn’t get much sun, it rains a lot, and it can flood. This time, you should bring some warm clothes.
Also, every month on the 14th day of the lunar calendar, a lot of tourists come to Hoi An for a unique event: the locals turn off all the electric lights and light lanterns. When the colorful lanterns are lit up at night, giving Hoi An a unique, mysterious beauty, this will be a trip to Hoi An that you will never forget.
What to do in Hoi An?
Hoi An Old Town and the area around it are the most popular tourist spots because they are a World Heritage Site. The whole town is well-kept and has a unique cultural touch. Every corner, person, and sound could give you a moment you’ll never forget. Here are some places you must visit once you travel to Hoi An.
Coffee shops
Hoi An Town isn’t very big, so when you first get here, don’t forget to find a coffee shop where you can have a drink and enjoy some quiet time. Each tea and coffee shop in the Old Town has its own charm.
Many shops are deep inside old houses that have been there for hundreds of years. Some of the coffee shops are on the roof, so customers can sip their drinks while looking out at the street, or there is a special coffee shop with staff who can’t hear.
Faifo Café is on the third floor of a house on Tran Phu street. People who want to see Hoi An from above can go there. If you want peace and quiet, you can go to Reaching Out Tea Shop or Hoi An Roastery for delicious ice cream and coffee.
Also, if you look hard enough in the old town’s alleys, you’ll find a lot of tea and coffee shops that are both old and new because they cater to foreign tourists.
If you go 4–7 km away from the center of Hoi An town, you can find coffee shops like Roving Chillhouse, Xom Chieu Coffee, Lo Gach Coffee... in the middle of rice fields, where you can enjoy the fresh air.
Wandering around the Old Town
Hoi An Old Town is a peaceful place to walk around. Every street, old street corner, and row of yellow-painted houses is a good place to stop, take pictures, and learn about the culture of the area.
With an entrance ticket that costs 80,000 VND per person and is good for 24 hours, you can visit three of the old town’s most important landmarks. These are the Pagoda Bridge (also called the Japanese Bridge), the assembly halls of Fujian, Quang Trieu, Hainan, and Trieu Chau, and the ancient houses of Quan Thang, Duc An, Phung Hung, Tan Ky… The entrance ticket also gives you access to street art, folk games, night markets, and other activities that happen after 7:00 PM.
Most things to do on Hoai River happen between 6pm and 10pm. For 200,000 VND, you can rent a boat and for 10,000 VND, you can buy a flower lantern.
At night, you can walk across the bridges in the old town and watch the street lights come on. You can also drink coffee and listen to live music in bars, or see famous plays like Morning Mist, A O Show, Teh Dar, or Hoi An Memories.
Beaches in Hoi An
Beside of the Old Town, Hoi An also has some beautiful beaches.
An Bang beach is in the Cam An ward, which is 3 km from the center of Hoi An. The water is blue and clean, and there aren’t too many people around. There’s just enough space for you to feel calm. CNN audiences chose An Bang beach as one of the 100 most beautiful beaches in the world in 2017.
The British Telegraph chose Ha My Beach as one of the 10 most beautiful beaches in Asia in 2017. Ha My beach is 3.5 km from An Bang, 6 km from the Marble Mountains, and almost 7 km from the center of Hoi An. It is not a very well-known beach, but it has a peaceful look and its own charm. Even though Ha My is quite far from the city center, there are a lot of homestays, hotels, and resorts to choose from.
Cua Dai Beach is a well-known place to visit in Hoi An. In 2013, Tripadvisor named it one of the 25 most beautiful beaches in Asia. Cua Dai is 5 km from the center of Hoi An. It is a beach with fine white sand, clear blue water, and small waves that is spread out over several tens of hectares. Visitors can lie on the beach for hours to soak up the sun and listen to the waves crash. They can also go fishing near the shore, rent a boat to float with fishermen, or do water sports.
Cu Lao Cham (Cham Island)
From Hoi An, you can take either a canoe or a wooden boat to get to Cu Lao Cham. Most canoes leave from Cua Dai, and the ride to Cu Lao Cham takes about 20 minutes and costs between 150,000 and 200,000 VND per person. If you want to take a wooden boat from the Bach Dang wharf, it will take about two hours and cost between 50,000 and 80,000 VND per person. If you bring a motorbike, you will have to pay an extra 30,000 VND per person.
In Cu Lao Cham, most places to stay are homestays, motels, or tents. A room for 1-2 people costs between 100,000 and 150,000 VND on average. The price to rent a tent for the night is about 100,000 VND.
Not only do the motels and homestays here offer food, beds, and places to stay, but they also offer services for tourists at Cu Lao Cham beach, such as restaurants, car rentals, boats to visit the island, scuba diving to see coral reefs, fishing, walking on the seabed, and so on.
The Cu Lao Cham Marine Museum, Hai Tang Pagoda, Cham Ancient Well, Tan Hiep Market, Yen Island, Da Chong beach, and Yen’s ancestral temple are some of the things to see and do.
Craft Villages
Tra Que Vegetable Village is famous for its fresh vegetables grown on fertile land. The village is in Cam Ha commune, 3 km from the center of Hoi An. Here, people can learn about a wide range of leafy vegetables and spices.
You can also experience what it’s like to be a real farmer by plowing the land by hand and growing and harvesting vegetables. After that, eat Hoi An specialties made with freshly picked ingredients, such as cauldron cake, mixed mussels, organic shrimp, Quang noodles, Cao Lau,…
Thanh Ha pottery village was built in the late 15th century. It’s about 3 kilometers west of Hoi An’s ancient town, right next to the Thu Bon River. Not only does the village make pots and pans, tiles, and dishes, but it also makes many unique souvenirs. Visitors to the village can learn about the art and make their own ceramics.
Kim Bong Carpentry Village is a village that has existed for more than 600 years. This place is known for making high-quality and one-of-a-kind woodwork, from houses to boats, which are now used as art, decorations, and souvenirs.
The Phuoc Kieu bronze casting village is at least 400 years old. When people go to Phuoc Kieu, they will see a lot of bronze products used in festivals, summer festivals, and as everyday items. Visitors can not only look at the unique and sophisticated items, but also watch people cast bronze and buy bronze as a souvenir.
Cam Phu community tourism village is in Dien Phong commune, Dien Ban town, 15 kilometers from Hoi An. Its cultural traditions include wood carving, flower gardening, and silk farming. Visitors can explore how rural people live, attend carpentry and weaving classes, watch performances on the Thu Bon River, and catch fish and shrimp.
Bay Mau Coconut Forest
From the center of Hoi An’s old town, you can wander along the Hoai River for more than 3 km to get to Cam Thanh commune, where there is a Bay Mau water coconut forest that is over 10 hectares wide. A few years ago, the service of rowing a basket boat to visit the coconut forest started in Cam Thanh. Over time, it has become a “specialty” of Hoi An tourism that can’t be missed. There can only be a maximum of two people in each boat. Each person who wants to see the coconut forest pays 200,000 VND to ride in a basket boat for about an hour through the creeks and green coconut forests.
Visitors can also watch boat dances and learn how to make beautiful small toys out of water coconut leaves, like flowers, locusts, bracelets, glasses, rings, or hats, to give as gifts. In the 8th lunar month, if you go to Bay Mau, you can eat ripe water coconuts with sweet and crunchy pulp.
What to eat in Hoi An?
In Hoi An, which is known for its mix of cultures, there is a lot to look forward to when it comes to food. Please put these irresistible dishes on your list of things to eat in Hoi An ancient town:
Cao Lau – Quang Noodles
Cao Lau is probably one of the dishes that best shows how different cultures mix in Hoi An. Large, soft, sauce-soaked Japanese noodles are served with rice paper, Vietnamese herbs, and Chinese char siu meat.
At first glance, Quang noodle soup and Cao Lau look similar, but they are two very different dishes that you can tell are different as soon as you taste them. Quang noodles are served with shrimp, meat, and small quail eggs that are an essential part of the dish. They are also served with rice paper and raw vegetables.
Address:
- Ba Be Restaurant
- Trung Bac Restaurant
- Price: 15,000 VND – 50,000 VND
Stir-fried mussels – Banh Dap (Crushed rice cracker)
Banh Dap, also known as “Crushed Rice Cracker,” is a unique snack made of both dry and wet rice paper. To eat it, you have to lightly beat it so that the pieces break apart and stick to each other. Banh Dap is often eaten with fish sauce or with mussels fried with onions and lemongrass that give off a nice smell.
Address:
- Cam Nam: 679 Hai Ba Trung,
- Ba Gia Restaurant: Cam Nam commune
- Co Ngay Restaurant: Nguyen Tri Phuong, Cam Nam
- Price: 15,000 VND – 50,000 VND
Hoi An Chicken Rice
The most memorable dish in Hoi An is chicken rice, which sounds easy but is actually quite complicated and hard to make. Sticky rice will be made with chicken broth and turmeric. Turmeric makes the rice smell good, and the chicken broth and chicken fat make the rice juicier. Mixed with salad and onions, shredded boiled chicken is served with shredded papaya, herbs, and sweet and sour fish sauce.
Address:
- Mrs. Buoi: No. 22 Phan Chau Trinh
- Mrs. Ty: No. 25-27 Phan Chau Trinh
- Mrs. Huong: No. 48 Le Loi
- Price: 35,000 – 50,000 VND
Banh Beo Hoi An (Banh Beo)
This little cute dish comes in small bowls with shrimp, meat, a little grease, and green onions. When you eat it, you dip it in fish sauce. This dish make people miss Hoi An even when they just think about it.
Address:
- Mrs. Bay: No. 2 Nguyen Thai Hoc
- Banh beo 17: 17 Dinh Tien Hoang Street
- Mrs. My: At the end of Tran Phu Street, next to Phan Chau Trinh
- Cost: between 3,000 and 15,000 VND
Banh Mi Hoi An
Even though it has been called the national dish of Vietnam and can be found all over the country, Banh Mi in Hoi An still has a strong place in the hearts of foodies. You will love a loaf of big bread with grilled meat, sausages, char siu, pickles, pate, and homemade butter sauce. When the bread was ready to be eaten, the vendor would often put it over charcoal to make it hot and crispy. When you go to Hoi An, you have to try this dish.
Address:
- Phuong Bread – 2B Phan Chau Trinh
- Madam Khanh – 115 Tran Cao Van
- Price: 10,000 VND – 30,000 VND
Read more: A Tour of The Best 28 Hoi An Restaurants
How to move around in Hoi An
There are many different kinds of public transportation in Hoi An, including buses, taxis, motorbike taxis, and cyclos. But most of the places to go out and have fun are in the center, so you can walk or rent a bike to see the beauty of the old town.
- Bike rental price: from 40,000 VND/day
Renting a motorbike to get to places outside of the center of the old town costs between 120,000 VND and 150,000 VND per day.
Hotels in Hoi An
Each season in Hoi An has its own beauty, but the summer is still the most popular time for tourists to visit. So, if you want to go this season, you should find out where to stay and book it as soon as possible, especially on weekends, to get a good deal.
Hotels, resorts in Hoi An
Hotels and resorts in Hoi An are places where you can go on a vacation that is quiet, slow, and easy. You can book rooms at resorts like:
Four Seasons (from 725 USD/villa) (one of the 10 Best Beach Resorts In Vietnam)
Anantara Hoi An resort (from 286 USD/night)
Hoi An Coco River Resort and Spa (from 46 USD/night)
Senvila Boutique Hoi An Resort (from 21 USD/night)
Hoi An Ancient House Village Resort and Spa (from 131 USD/night)
2-3 star hotel
You can choose a 2-3 star hotel instead of a resort hotel if you want to save money. Some of the well-known names on the list like:
The Mansion Hoi An (from 38 USD/night)
Hoi An Village Villas (from 29 USD/night)
The Moon Villa Hoi An (from 22 USD/night)
Homestays
When you visit Hoi An, you can also stay in a homestay, which is a very interesting option. Most homestays in Hoi An are decorated in a beautiful Indochina style. Here are some names that we recommend:
An Bang retreat Homestay Hoi An (from 29 USD/night)
Tue Tam Garden Villa (from 16 USD/night)
Tropical Garden Homestay Villa (from 23 USD/night)
Under the Coconut Tree (from 22 USD/night)
How long should I stay in Hoi An?
No matter how long you stay in Hoi An, you will have a great time. If Hoi An is just one part of your trip to Central Vietnam, you can still visit for a day. A two-day, one-night trip is perfect if you want to spend more time relaxing in your own town. We suggest staying here for 3 or 4 days if you want to see more of the area outside of Own Town, such as beaches and small towns.
There is a short version of a 4 days itinerary:
- Day 1: Move to Hoi An and learn about food, assembly halls, and ancient houses…
- Day 2: See craft villages, watch the sunset, and eat seafood at An Bang beach
- Day 3: Learn about life on Cham Island
- Day 4: Visit the Bay Mau coconut forest
ATM and Money Exchange in Hoi An
Hoi An is a tourist town where a lot of foreigners go, so it’s not hard to find ATMs or places to exchange money. You can easily find one if you just walk down the street or ask someone who lives there.
Local Emergency Contact for Tourists
- 24/24 Hotline to support tourists in Hoi An: 0510.3666.333
- Emergency Rescue: Dial 112
- Police: 113
- Fire Department: 114
- Ambulance and Medical support: 115
- Remember to save your hotel/homestays phone number in case of emergency
Other notes before going to Hoi An
- No motorbike: If you go to Hoi An, don’t ride a motorbike into the old town.
- Stay in line: During the busy season, there will be a lot of tourists, so please stay in line.
- Respect local culture: Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site, so it is important to respect the local culture, customs, and traditions. Especially when going to religious places, dress politely.
- Avoid rainy seasons: Hoi An is beautiful no matter what time of year it is, but rainy seasons and floods can be bad.
- Accommodation: Book your lodging ahead of time to avoid stress at the last minute. Staying in the Old Town area is a good idea if you want to be close to the most important sights and attractions.
- Health and safety: Before you go to Vietnam, check to see if you need any shots. Also, be aware that scams and pickpocketing are common in places where tourists gather.
- Buy tickets: On busy days, it’s hard for the people in charge of Old Town to keep the flow of tourists under control. But don’t skip buying tickets because they help keep the town alive.
- No rush: Hoi An is a quiet town, so enjoy and go with the flow. You can be a little bit lazy.
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