Popular Tours & Experiences in Hoi An

Hoi An Ancient Town Night Market offers a rich variety of unique souvenirs. Visitors can find handmade silk products, lanterns, leather goods (such as shoes and bags), wood carvings, ceramic handicrafts, and traditional paintings. Hoi An lanterns are particularly recommended, available in various colors and shapes, perfect for taking home as decorations. Additionally, local tailor shops offer quick custom-made services for clothing, which is also a popular experience. Don't forget to sample local snacks and soak in the lively atmosphere of the night market.

Hoi An offers many activities suitable for family fun. You can take your children to a lantern-making class to experience the joy of traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship and bring your handmade lantern home. Enjoy a boat ride on a traditional bamboo basket boat through the coconut palm waterways, admire the unique water scenery, and watch fishermen demonstrate fishing and net casting. In the evening, releasing lanterns on the Thu Bon River is a romantic and meaningful experience. Renting bicycles to cycle through the ancient town or the surrounding countryside paths is also a great way to explore Hoi An's charm.

The Hoi An Lantern Festival takes place on the 14th day of the lunar calendar each month, which is the best time to see the vibrant lanterns. During the festival, the ancient town switches off electric lights and illuminates various traditional lanterns, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. The best viewing spots include the banks of the Thu Bon River, around the Japanese Bridge, and along the streets within the ancient town. You can rent a small boat on the river to enjoy the lights on both banks and participate in releasing water lanterns. Even outside of the festival, many lanterns are lit every night in the ancient town, offering equal charm.

There are several transportation options from Da Nang to Hoi An. The most convenient is taking a taxi or using ride-sharing apps (like Grab), with a journey time of approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour, suitable for travelers who want to reach their destination directly and save time. For budget-conscious travelers, local buses are an option, taking about 1 hour with fixed schedules, but you'll need to walk or transfer after alighting outside the ancient town. Many hotels or travel agencies also offer shared minivan or private transfer services, providing comfortable and flexible choices.

Choosing accommodation within the Ancient Town or in the Beach Area depends on your travel preferences. Staying in the Ancient Town allows you to explore historical sites, experience the night market, and enjoy the lively evening atmosphere on foot, with convenient amenities, but it can be relatively noisy. Accommodation in the Beach Area (like An Bang Beach) offers a peaceful and relaxing environment, with resort facilities and beautiful sea views, ideal for travelers who enjoy beach activities and a leisurely pace. It takes about 15-20 minutes by car from the Beach Area to the Ancient Town, usually accessible by taxi or hotel shuttle service.

Hoi An boasts a wealth of unique experience activities. You can take a boat trip on the Thu Bon River to admire the riverside scenery and sunset. Explore the coconut palm forests with a unique basket boat tour, guided by local boatmen to experience the traditional fisherman's life. Hoi An is also famous for its tailor-made clothing, where you can design and have a custom outfit made. For food lovers, joining a cooking class to learn how to prepare authentic Vietnamese dishes is an unmissable cultural experience.

Besides Hoi An, Central Vietnam has other cultural relics worth visiting. Hue, the former imperial capital of Vietnam, features the magnificent Imperial City, royal tombs, and numerous ancient temples, such as the Thien Mu Pagoda, showcasing the glorious history of Vietnam's feudal dynasties. Another is My Son Sanctuary, a Hindu temple complex of the Champa Kingdom, designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its ruins are shrouded in mystery, testifying to the exquisite architecture and carving art of an ancient civilization.

Hoi An offers a variety of traditional handicraft and cooking experience classes. For handicrafts, you can join a lantern-making class to assemble and decorate Hoi An's iconic lanterns yourself. Some workshops also offer pottery or silk painting classes, allowing you to delve into local traditional arts. As for cooking experiences, they typically include a trip to the local market to buy ingredients, followed by instruction from professional chefs to prepare several classic Vietnamese dishes, such as Hoi An specialties (Cao Lau noodles, White Rose dumplings, Fried Wontons) or spring rolls, providing a great opportunity to understand Vietnamese culinary culture.

The rainy season in Hoi An typically runs from September to January each year, with significant rainfall, sometimes accompanied by typhoons or brief floods. It's advisable to closely monitor weather forecasts before your trip and prepare lightweight raincoats, umbrellas, and waterproof shoes. Some outdoor activities or river excursions might be adjusted or canceled due to weather conditions, so flexibility in your itinerary is important. Despite this, Hoi An in the rainy season has its own unique charm; the humid air and reflections in the ancient town create a different kind of beauty, and many indoor activities can proceed as usual.

When in Hoi An, you absolutely must not miss the diverse local specialty dishes. Must-tries include 'Cao Lau,' a unique noodle dish with roasted pork and fresh vegetables; 'White Rose' dumplings (Banh Bao Vac), delicate steamed shrimp dumplings shaped like roses; and the famous 'Hoi An Chicken Rice' (Com Ga Hoi An). Additionally, the local street-side 'Banh Mi' (Vietnamese baguette) is extremely popular. You can savor these authentic dishes at local eateries, markets, or riverside restaurants within the ancient town, embarking on a culinary journey through Hoi An.