Hoi An is small enough to walk across in half an hour and rich enough to occupy a week. The Ancient Town on the north bank of the Thu Bon River is the best-preserved trading port in Southeast Asia β Chinese merchant houses, Japanese covered bridges, and French colonial buildings occupy the same narrow lanes. Beyond the town itself, the surrounding countryside offers bicycle rides through rice paddies, a long sandy beach less than 5km away, and a full cooking school scene built on one of Vietnamβs most distinctive regional cuisines.
Ancient Town Walking
The Ancient Town of Hoi An became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Entry requires a combined ticket sold at booths throughout the town: 120,000 VND (approximately $5) covers admission to any five heritage houses, museums, assembly halls, and the Japanese Covered Bridge from a printed list of around 20 options. The ticket is valid for one day.
The Japanese Covered Bridge (Lai Vien Kieu) on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street is the most photographed structure in town β built by the Japanese community in the early 17th century and later adopted by the Chinese, it retains dog and monkey carvings at each end marking the years of its construction. Most of the Chinese assembly halls (Phuc Kien, Quang Trieu, Trieu Chau) are included in the heritage ticket and reward a quiet 20-minute visit each.
The lanes around Tran Phu Street and Bach Dang Street are most atmospheric in the early morning before 8am, before tour groups arrive and before the souvenir stalls open. The same streets after 7pm, strung with lanterns above the restaurant tables, offer a completely different atmosphere.
Lantern Festival
On the evening of each lunar full moon, the Ancient Town switches off its electric lights and the streets are lit by hundreds of silk lanterns. Boat paper lanterns are released on the Thu Bon River. The festival runs from around 6pm to midnight and is one of the most visually striking events in Vietnam. Entry to the town itself requires the 120,000 VND heritage ticket, though the river and surrounding streets are free.
The fixed dates shift each year as they follow the lunar calendar; check the current yearβs dates before planning travel around this event. Accommodation in Hoi An fills quickly on full moon evenings.
Bicycle Hire and the Surrounding Countryside
Hoi An is the best city in Vietnam for cycling. Hire a bicycle from any guesthouse or travel shop for 40,000 to 60,000 VND ($1.60 to $2.40) per day and the rice paddies, vegetable gardens, and river villages of the surrounding countryside are immediately accessible.
Tra Que Vegetable Village (3km north of the Ancient Town) is a working farm that supplies much of Hoi Anβs restaurant scene with organic herbs and vegetables. Independent visits are free; guided farm-to-fork tours cost approximately 150,000 VND ($6) and include hands-on planting, watering, and a short cooking demonstration. Electric bike hire covers this distance comfortably and costs 100,000 to 150,000 VND ($4 to $6) per day.
The Thu Bon River cycling loop south of town passes through small villages and wooden bridge crossings. Total loop distance is about 25km. Allow three to four hours and carry water.
An Bang Beach
An Bang Beach sits 4km northeast of the Ancient Town β a 15-minute bicycle ride or a 50,000 VND ($2) xe om (motorbike taxi) ride. The beach is long, sandy, and far less developed than Da Nangβs beach strip to the north. Sun loungers rent for 50,000 VND ($2) including umbrella from the beach cafes that line the shore.
The water is calm from February to August; swells and occasional jellyfish make October and November less ideal for swimming. Several beach restaurants serve excellent seafood β a grilled catch-of-the-day meal with rice and vegetables costs roughly $8 to $12.
Hoi An Cooking Classes
Hoi An has one of the strongest cooking school scenes in Vietnam, capitalising on a regional cuisine that is distinct from both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City β cao lau noodles, white rose dumplings, and banh mi with a different bread texture are all Hoi An-specific dishes.
Red Bridge Cooking School (4km east of town, accessible by boat and bicycle) runs morning market sessions followed by hands-on classes from about $35 per person. Classes typically cover four to five dishes over three to four hours including a boat transfer along the Thu Bon River.
Morning Glory Cooking School in the Ancient Town, run by local chef Trinh Diem Vy, runs shorter two-hour market-to-kitchen courses from $30 per person. Her restaurant Morning Glory on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street serves the same regional dishes for $5 to $12 per plate if you prefer eating without cooking.
Booking 24 to 48 hours in advance is advisable for both schools, particularly from November to March.
My Son Sanctuary
My Son is a group of Hindu temple ruins built by the Cham civilisation between the 4th and 14th centuries β Vietnamβs answer to Angkor, though on a smaller scale. Located 35km southwest of Hoi An in a valley surrounded by jungle, the site is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the most significant Cham archaeological site in the country.
Entry to My Son is 150,000 VND ($6). Tours from Hoi An run from approximately $25 per person including transport and an English-speaking guide; the full round trip takes around five to six hours. Self-drive motorbike is possible β hire from $8 per day in Hoi An β and the ride through the countryside takes about 45 minutes each way.
Go early: the temples face west and the best light is in the morning. Tour groups from Da Nang typically arrive after 10am.
Marble Mountains
The Marble Mountains (Ngu Hanh Son) are five limestone outcrops with Buddhist caves, pagodas, and a marble-carving village at their base, located 20km north of Hoi An near Da Nang airport. Entry is 40,000 VND ($1.60) for the hills; the elevator to the top of Thuy Son (the most visited peak) costs an additional 15,000 VND.
Getting there from Hoi An by Grab car costs approximately $7 to $10 one way. Local buses (route 1) run from Hoi An bus station for about 15,000 VND and take 45 minutes, though connections back can be unreliable in the late afternoon.
Thu Bon River Boat Rides
Short boat trips on the Thu Bon River depart from the riverside at Bach Dang Street throughout the day. A one-way trip to Cam Kim Island (traditional carpentry workshops) and back by rowing boat costs roughly 150,000 to 200,000 VND ($6 to $8) for a shared boat, negotiated directly with the boat operators. Evening lantern boat rides β particularly popular on full-moon evenings β run from 50,000 VND ($2) per person for a 30-minute float.
Getting Around Hoi An
Within the Ancient Town, everything is within comfortable walking distance. For the beach, vegetable village, and surrounding countryside, a bicycle is the most practical option at 40,000 to 60,000 VND per day. Grab motorbike is available but less commonly used than in larger Vietnamese cities β xe om motorbike taxis are the typical local alternative for short journeys, at around 30,000 to 50,000 VND for most town-to-beach rides.
The Ancient Town itself is closed to most motorised vehicles during the day; arriving by motorbike requires parking outside the zone (free parking areas are marked at the town perimeter).