Hoi An Full Moon Lantern Festival

On the fourteenth day of every lunar month, Hội An Ancient Town transforms. The electric street lights go off at sunset. Paper lanterns in red, yellow, and gold take over - strung between the centuries-old shop houses of the trading quarter, swaying above the narrow lanes of the Japanese Covered Bridge district, and floating by the hundreds down the Thu Bồn River on small lotus-shaped paper boats. The June 2026 full moon falls on Thursday, 11 June, making it one of the longest and warmest lantern nights of the year.

This is not a ticketed event staged for tourists. The full moon lantern festival - Hội An’s Đêm Rằm Phố Cổ - has been a monthly tradition here for decades, rooted in the town’s history as a 15th-century trading hub where Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese merchants negotiated by candlelight. Locals gather as much as visitors do: families picnic along the riverbank, couples release floating candles from bamboo boats, and street musicians set up at street corners.

What Happens on the Night

The festival runs from approximately 6pm to 10pm, though the riverbank stays lively until later. The Ancient Town’s roughly 1.2-square-kilometre historic core - a UNESCO World Heritage site - becomes pedestrian-only at dusk on lantern nights. Motorbikes are redirected. The sudden silence, broken only by music and conversation, is one of the more striking things about the evening.

Key areas to walk:

• Trần Phú Street - the main thoroughfare, lined with tailors and silk shops, becomes a corridor of coloured lanterns
• Nguyễn Thái Học Street - equally atmospheric, slightly less crowded
• Bạch Đằng riverside - the best position for watching floating candles and lantern boats on the Thu Bồn
• The Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu) - usually the most photographed spot; arrive before 7pm for the best light
• Hội An Central Market - the market area north of the bridge stays busy with food stalls and lantern sellers

Floating Lanterns on the River

Buying and releasing a paper lantern on the Thu Bồn is the most memorable part of the evening for most visitors. Vendors sell small floating candle lanterns (đèn hoa đăng) for around 20,000–30,000 VND each (roughly USD 0.80–1.20). Larger lotus lanterns with candles inside cost 50,000–80,000 VND. You wade to the river’s edge from Bạch Đằng Street and release the lantern onto the water - the current carries it downstream as the candle flickers.

Bamboo boat rides on the river are also available from the embankment: approximately 150,000–200,000 VND per person for a 30-minute ride, which includes the chance to release a floating lantern from the boat itself. Negotiate before boarding.

Getting There

Hội An is 30 km south of Đà Nẵng - about 45 minutes by taxi (around 250,000–300,000 VND) or 60 minutes by local bus (route 1, approximately 20,000 VND). From Đà Nẵng airport, taxis to the Ancient Town typically cost 280,000–350,000 VND fixed-rate. Grab (the regional equivalent of Uber) operates in Đà Nẵng but generally won’t accept pickup destinations inside the pedestrian zone on lantern nights - arrange your return transport from just outside the old town boundary.

On lantern nights, accommodation inside the Ancient Town fills up quickly. Book at least 2–3 weeks in advance for June dates, when the area is busy with both domestic tourists and international visitors.

Practical Notes

• The festival happens every lunar month, not just June - if your travel dates don’t align with 11 June 2026, check the next full moon date for Vietnam
• Wear light clothing - June in Hội An is hot and humid (averaging 32°C / 90°F by day, cooling slightly after dark)
• The lantern areas attract pickpockets on busy nights; use a money belt for cash and cards
• Photography is unrestricted in the public areas; the soft lantern light rewards longer exposures if you’re shooting on manual settings
• Bring small-denomination VND notes (5,000–20,000 bills) for lantern purchases and street food; card machines are scarce in the festival areas