Hoi An Travelers Recommend

Three days in Hoi An gives you ample time to appreciate the Ancient Town, explore local villages in the countryside, and spend time on the coast. You can also travel farther afield and experience another city in central Vietnam—Hue, Da Nang, and the Hai Van Pass are all within day-tripping distance. See below for the ideal 3-day itinerary.

Day 1: Inside and Outside Hoi An

Kick-start your stay by getting oriented in Hoi An Ancient Town. The pedestrianized zone lends itself well to walking and bike tours, which typically cover top sights such as the Japanese Bridge (Chua Cau) and Quan Cong Temple. If you want to indulge your love of Vietnamese cuisine, opt for a food-focused tour that reveals hidden spots specializing in crusty baguettes and white-rose dumplings. In the afternoon, charter a bicycle and explore the Hoi An countryside, which provides a welcome break from the often crowded Old Town. Cycle past rice paddies and observe locals going about daily life at an entirely different pace. 

Evening activities in Hoi An are varied and typically center around the Ancient Town, which looks even more enchanting at night due to the many lanterns lining its streets and the Thu Bon River. End your first evening in Hoi An on the illuminated river with a sunset cruise. 

Day 2: Discover Da Nang or Historical Hue

Your second day is for exploring farther afield. Day-trip options are plentiful, and private tours give you the freedom to customize your itinerary according to your interests. For history buffs, the imperial city of Hue is the obvious choice: Spend the day exploring the Citadel (Da Noi), a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and cruising down the Perfume River, and stop to admire the scenery of the Hai Van Pass along the way. Nearby Da Nang also offers a wealth of wonders. Only a 45-minute drive from Hoi An, it’s the shortest day trip on offer. Highlights include the ancient temple caves of the Marble Mountains; the Hindu-temple complex My Son Sanctuary, hailed as Vietnam’s answer to Angkor Wat; and Son Tra Mountain (Monkey Mountain), home to several Buddhist shrines. 

Day 3: Culture, Cuisine, and Countryside

Spend your final day immersing yourself in the culture of Hoi An. Rise early to check out one of the town’s morning markets before getting acquainted with Vietnamese cuisine during a cooking class, many of which include a visit to Tra Que Village, an organic vegetable farm in the countryside. Then, dedicate the afternoon to exploring several local villages on a tour that lets you take part in daily activities such as fishing and farming. Alternatively, get off the beaten path during a jeep tour, which allows you to tackle off-road terrain and see a side of the town that most first-time visitors miss.   

Devote your last evening to soaking up the magical atmosphere of Hoi An by night. Enjoy local delicacies such as avocado ice cream and noodle soup at the night market, and snap your last few photos of the lanterns. 

With two days in Hoi An, you can tour Hoi An Ancient Town and explore some beyond city limits. Plan carefully and you can discover the quiet countryside, take a cooking class, and delve deeper in Vietnamese culture. Here’s how to enjoy two perfect days in Hoi An.

Day 1: Essential Hoi An

**Morning:**Spend your first morning getting acquainted with Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that looks almost the same today as it did hundreds of years ago. Make the most of the pedestrian-only zone on a walking tour before escaping the crowds on land during a riverboat ride down the Thu Bon River. 

**Afternoon:**While the Old Town offers a wealth of attractions, the countryside of Hoi An is well worth exploring. Rural villages and farms operate at a completely different pace to the often-crowded center. The easiest way to get around the countryside is on a bike tour, the majority of which make stops at Tra Que Village, an organic vegetable farm.

**Night:**After your bike tour, head back to the Ancient Town to watch Hoi An’s famous lanterns lighting up. Ensure you sample the best of Hoi An’s culinary offerings on a food tour, most of which focus on no-frills street-food stalls that serve classic central Vietnamese dishes such as cao lau (noodles topped with boiled egg and pork). 

Day 2:  Beaches, Basket Boats, and Banh Mi

**Morning:**If you’re keen to beat the crowds, rise early and watch Hoi An wake up on a sunrise tour of the fish market, where you can get an authentic glimpse into local life. If sunrise is a little too early, opt for a morning cooking class instead. Hoi An offers a wide variety of food-focused experiences, which can include a ride on a basket boat or a visit to a fishing village.   

**Afternoon:**Take the afternoon to delve deeper into the culture and history of Hoi An. For a couple of hours of family fun, book a lantern-making class; indulge a love of history at My Son Sanctuary, home to ancient ruins; or, if you’re ready to take a break from sightseeing, head down to An Bang Beach to relax on golden sands.  

**Evening:**Dedicate your final evening in Hoi An to the Thu Bon River, which provides visitors with a magical way to watch sunset and see the Ancient Town light up with lanterns. Couples can opt for a romantic candle-lit dinner cruise, while groups can charter a traditional wooden row boat and release paper lanterns into the water. 

Renowned throughout Asia for its traditional charm, Hoi An is a town untouched by modernization. The pedestrian-only streets of Hoi An Ancient Town lend themselves well to walking tours, making it an easy place to explore in just a few hours. Here’s how to make the most out of even the shortest stint in Hoi An.

Morning: Explore the Ancient Town

Rise early and devote your morning to exploring Hoi An Ancient Town, an open-air museum characterized by colorful heritage houses. Orient yourself on a walking tour, which typically only takes two hours to cover highlights such as the Japanese Covered Bridge (Chua Cau) and sometimes includes a cruise on the Thu Bon River. Some tours focus on the history and cuisine of Hoi An, while others take you to relatively undiscovered parts of town. To enter any of the 18 heritage houses that are open to visitors, you’ll need to purchase an Old Town ticket, valid for 10 days. 

Afternoon: The Taste of Hoi An

No visit to Hoi An would be complete without taking part in a cooking class. In all of Vietnam, Hoi An offers the widest range of cooking classes, which last anywhere from a few hours to a full day. Express classes tend to include a tour of a local market and a couple of hours making classic dishes such as pho (Vietnamese noodle soup), while others include a bicycle tour of Tra Que Village and a ride on a traditional basket boat. 

Evening: Lanterns Light Up the Night

After sunset, Hoi An Ancient Town becomes even more magical, with lanterns lighting up the streets and the river. Although you can expect the Old Town to become crowded, it doesn’t diminish the enchanting atmosphere. Experience the best of Hoi An’s food scene on a food tour, on foot or on the back of a moped, that reveals street-food stalls favored by locals. Alternatively, you can see the Ancient Town from a new perspective during a Thu Bon River cruise by wooden riverboat. Book a cruise that includes a candlelit Vietnamese dinner for a romantic end to your day in Hoi An. 

Hoi An is home to five assembly halls. These intricate structures, which were built as regional gathering spaces for merchants to do business, are protected by ornate entrance gates. They house central courtyards and protect temple shrines. While assembly halls share similar features, each has unique distinctions making it worth the visit. 

Quang Dong Assembly Hall One of the city’s most historic buildings, this Cantonese gathering space was built in pieces and assembled in Hoi An. It is known for its brilliant red entryway and collection of unique Cantonese statues.

Trieu Chau Assembly Hall Built in 1845, this assembly hall in the heart of Hoi An once served as a congregation hall. Today it stands as a remarkable example of Vietnamese architecture where locals can worship General Phuc Ba, who is capable of maintaining peace in the seas. 

Kien Fujian Assembly Hall Perhaps the most impressive, this hall was built in 1690 for use by the Chinese. Courtyard fountains and delicately carved dragons make this one of the city’s most beautiful and photogenic assembly halls. An altar dedicated to the goddess of fertility is often visited by childless couples. 

Hainan Assembly Hall This hall was built as an homage to 108 Chinese merchants who were wrongfully killed after they were mistaken for pirates. It is said that King Tu Duc gave money to build this space so they could be worshiped by the people of Hoi An forever. 

Trung Hoa Assembly Hall Built to worship Thien Hau Holy Mother, this assembly house also commemorates leaders of the Chinese Revolution and soldiers killed in the anti-Japanese resistance war. Today, it functions as a school for Chinese nationals studying in Hoi An.