Vietnam's most charming old town — a lantern-lit former trading port of tailors, temples and riverside cafés.
Photo by Ethan Hu / Unsplash
Silk lanterns doubling in the river as paper boats drift by, a wooden merchant house dark and cool against the heat, and a bowl of cao lau noodles found nowhere else on earth.
Hoi An is a honey-toned former trading port on Vietnam's central coast, its lantern-strung old town so pretty it barely feels real — pedestrianised, riverside, and glowing with silk lanterns after dark. Add overnight-tailored clothes, a food scene of local specialities, and beaches a short ride away, and it is many travellers' favourite stop in Vietnam.
Hoi An sits on the Thu Bon river near Vietnam's central coast, just south of Da Nang. Its heart is the Ancient Town, a remarkably preserved fifteenth-to-nineteenth-century trading port of yellow shophouses, temples and assembly halls, largely closed to traffic and lit by lanterns at night. Across a footbridge lies An Hoi and its night market; a few kilometres east are the beaches of An Bang and Cua Dai, and rice paddies and herb villages ring the town. It is small, flat and made for walking or cycling.
Hoi An is home to a UNESCO World Heritage Site — Hoi An Ancient Town — inscribed in 1999.
Hoi An is one of Southeast Asia's loveliest towns — a genuinely atmospheric old port of lantern-lit lanes and old wooden houses, kept car-free and glowing after dark. It has a food culture of dishes unique to the town, a famous tradition of skilled tailors who run up custom clothes overnight, beaches and countryside on the doorstep, and a gentle, walkable charm. Yes, it is touristy and knows its own appeal — but it earns it.
The lantern-lit old town — Hoi An's Ancient Town is the reason to come, and it is at its best after dark, when the traffic is gone and thousands of silk lanterns glow along the lanes and reflect in the river. By day, explore the old merchant houses, the Chinese assembly halls and the little Japanese Covered Bridge; by night, walk the riverfront, float a paper lantern from a boat, and let the whole town glow. On the monthly full moon, the lights are dimmed for the lantern festival. **Getting something tailored** — Hoi An is famous for its tailors, hundreds of them, who will run up a custom suit, dress or coat in a day or two from a photo or a favourite garment. It is a genuine tradition and a highlight for many — choose a reputable shop, allow time for a fitting or two, and set the price and details clearly. Even a single shirt made to measure is a fun, cheap souvenir. **The food, found only here** — Hoi An has dishes you won't find elsewhere. Cao lau — thick noodles with pork and greens, traditionally made with water from specific local wells — is the town's own; the delicate "white rose" dumplings and the crisp Hoi An banh mi are close behind. Eat at the market and the street stalls, take a cooking class in a herb village, and graze the specialities that make the town a food destination in its own right. **Beaches and the countryside** — The old town is small, and part of Hoi An's charm is what's around it — cycle out through the rice paddies to the beaches of An Bang or Cua Dai, visit the Tra Que herb village, or take a basket-boat ride through the water-coconut palms. The flat, green countryside is made for a bike, and the beach is the perfect afternoon off from the lanes.
Hoi An neighbourhood by neighbourhood — the character of each and who it suits.
The preserved old trading port — a car-free grid of yellow shophouses, temples, merchant houses and assembly halls along the river, strung with lanterns and glowing at night.
The islet across the footbridge and the riverbanks — the night market, the lantern-boat jetties, and the buzzing evening scene reflected in the water.
The coast and rice country a short ride from town — the sandy beaches of An Bang and Cua Dai, the paddies, and the herb-growing village of Tra Que.
Hoi An is one of Vietnam's great eating towns, with a clutch of dishes unique to it. Cao lau is the signature — thick, chewy noodles with slices of pork, crisp croutons and greens — followed by the translucent "white rose" shrimp dumplings and the famous Hoi An banh mi, a crisp baguette packed with pâté, pork and herbs. Com ga chicken rice and mi quang turmeric noodles round out the local table. Fresh herbs, from the Tra Que gardens, define the flavours; Vietnamese coffee and cheap fresh beer fuel the rest.
Vegetarians and vegans do well — Vietnamese food has a strong vegetarian ("chay") tradition tied to Buddhism, and many dishes adapt, though fish sauce is common, so ask. Vegan spots are plentiful in the old town. Halal food is limited and best sought ahead; kosher is very limited. Gluten-free is manageable with rice-based dishes; note that banh mi and some noodles use wheat, so confirm.
Staying in or near the Ancient Town puts you in the lantern-lit heart, walkable to everything, though the central lanes can be busy and the riverside lively at night. Many visitors choose a stay between the town and the beach, or right at An Bang, cycling in for the evenings. Homestays and boutique hotels among the rice paddies offer a peaceful, green base. Everything is cheap by western standards, and the town is small enough that nowhere is far.
Pan, zoom and compare live prices — every stay in one map.
The Ancient Town is car-free and entirely walkable, and the whole flat area is made for cycling — most hotels lend or rent bikes. Taxis, ride-hailing apps and motorbike-taxis cover the beaches and the airport transfer. A car isn't needed; a bicycle is the local way.
The Ancient Town and the An Hoi night market are a short walk across the footbridge (~approx). The beaches and countryside are a cycle or short ride of a few kilometres east and around the town.
Ready-made day plans for Hoi An — from a single day to a long weekend.
Explore the Ancient Town by day — the Japanese Covered Bridge, the old merchant houses and assembly halls, and a cao lau lunch — and get measured at a tailor. Cycle out to the rice paddies or the beach in the afternoon, then return for the lantern-lit riverfront, the An Hoi night market and a paper-lantern boat ride after dark.
Give day two to food and countryside. Take a cooking class in the Tra Que herb village, cycle to An Bang beach for the afternoon, collect and fit your tailored clothes, and spend the evening among the lanterns again.
Use day three for a trip out. Visit the Cham ruins at My Son in the hills, or take a basket-boat ride through the water-coconut palms, or a day up to Da Nang and the Marble Mountains, returning for a last lantern-lit evening.
Skip-the-line tickets and small-group tours in Hoi An — compare across our partners.
We're still curating hand-picked tickets and tours for Hoi An. In the meantime, the map above and the nearby cities are a great place to start.
Day-by-day itineraries that take in Hoi An — routes, timings and what to book.
6 Nights Two days in Hanoi's Old Quarter, a night on a junk in Lan Ha Bay among the limestone karsts, then three days in lantern-lit Hoi An — one internal flight, no backtracking.
Price on enquiry
View tripFebruary to May — dry, warm and clear, before the summer heat and the autumn floods
What to expect — Warm and increasingly dry, the best stretch of the year, with comfortable heat and low rain before the summer swelter. Clear and pleasant.
What's best — The best all-round weather, comfortable old-town wandering and beach days, and clear skies — the ideal time to visit.
What to expect — Hot and humid, the beaches busy and the old town sweltering by day, though rain is still limited before the autumn wet. Bright and steamy.
What's best — Beach days at An Bang and Cua Dai, warm sea, and long lantern-lit evenings once the heat drops. Do the town early and late and hit the beach in between.
What to expect — The wet season and, crucially, the flood season — heavy rains through autumn, and the low-lying old town can genuinely flood, sometimes badly. Warm but unsettled.
What's best — Dramatic skies, fewer crowds and lower prices between the rains — but check the flood forecast, as the old town can be underwater in the worst spells. Weigh it carefully.
What to expect — Cooler and drier as the year turns, the floods easing, with mild, sometimes grey days and the odd shower. Comfortable rather than hot.
What's best — Mild temperatures, thinner crowds, and the lanterns at their cosiest against the cooler evenings — a gentler, quieter Hoi An.
Skip the first tailor that hard-sells you on the street → choose a reputable shop by reputation, and allow time for proper fittings.
Skip the tourist-row restaurants on the main lanes → eat cao lau and white rose at a busy local spot or the market.
Skip only seeing the old town by day → its magic is after dark, lantern-lit and traffic-free, so stay into the evening.
Skip a taxi to the beach → cycle out through the rice paddies, which is half the pleasure.
The old town and the Japanese Bridge are busiest in the early evening; go earlier for the light, or later once the day-trippers leave.
The monthly full-moon lantern festival is beautiful but packed — lovely if you plan for it, crowded if you don't.
The Ancient Town charges an entry ticket that funds preservation and includes several heritage houses — buy it and keep it.
Dress modestly in temples and assembly halls — cover shoulders and knees, and remove shoes where asked.
Bargain politely in the market and with tailors, and confirm all details and prices in writing before ordering clothes.
Carry dong in small notes for markets, street food and tailors; cards are for hotels and bigger venues.
Use bank ATMs, and agree taxi, boat and bike-tour prices before you set off.
The riverfront and An Hoi night market are the lantern-lit evening heart — boats, stalls and strolling crowds.
A handful of bars along the river and on An Bang beach have the nightlife; this is a gentle-evening town.
Floating a paper lantern from a river boat is the classic Hoi An night.
Hoi An has no airport of its own — the nearest is Da Nang International (DAD), about forty-five minutes north by taxi or shuttle. Da Nang is also the nearest train station on the scenic north–south line; from there it's a road transfer into Hoi An.
Flights, airport transfers and car hire — search and compare without leaving the page.
Parking, holiday extras, and more — coming soon.
We're lining up parking, holiday extras and activities you'll be able to add to any trip from here.