Located in central Vietnam, Hoi An is known for its colorful buildings and many lanterns. The town is very charming and therefore a favorite spot for many travelers in Vietnam. Discover below the best things to do in Hoi An, the tastiest restaurants and the nicest accommodations.
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Things to do in Hoi An?
Despite Hoi An being such a nice town, there are few real activities to enjoy. Fortunately, you can have a good time in the area. A walk or bike ride through downtown, because of all the great stores, is also a fine activity.
1. Explore the old town of Hoi An
Hoi An is known for its beautifully preserved old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Stroll the narrow cobblestone streets, admire the historic architecture and visit the many stores, artisan workshops and art galleries. The old town is the center where daily activities take place.
2. Local market in Hoi An
Visit the Night Market or the Central Market to enjoy a wide range of fresh produce, herbs, spices and handicrafts. It is also a great place to sample traditional Vietnamese dishes. You will encounter different products in Hoi An’s market from other places in Vietnam. In addition, this is also a good place to buy original souvenirs.
3. Take a Vietnamese cooking class in Hoi An
Vietnamese cuisine is known for using many fresh and natural ingredients. Learn to make your own delicious spring rolls, soup and salads during a Vietnamese cooking class in Hoi An. We ourselves took a vegetarian / vegan cooking class in Hoi An at the restaurant Nhat Da Vegan. The cooking class begins with a tour of the local market where you buy the ingredients together. Along the way, Lin tells a lot of information about the products and Vietnamese life. Lin can speak good English and tells many interesting things.
Then, together with Lin, you will get to work making 5 different dishes. Step by step, she explains how to peel, cook and steam the produce. After 2 hours, there are 5 delicious dishes in front of you and you get to eat them all. This cooking class in Hoi An costs only 450,000 dong (€18) per person and lasts from 09:00 to 12:30. You can stop by the night before to make an appointment or you can whatsap Lin: +84 903 506 425.
4. Make your own lantern
Hoi An is best known for its many atmospheric lanterns and lanterns. In the old town, you see beautifully lit lanterns every few meters. It gives so much atmosphere to the town, especially in the evenings when the lights are on. You can take a course in making your own lantern where, of course, you can take home your homemade lantern.
5. Visit the precious heritage art gallery
The Precious Heritage Art Gallery is a great museum to visit. The museum is fully decorated with artwork by Réhahn, a French photographer whose mission was to visit and photograph all 54 official ethnic groups of Vietnam. During his years of traveling through Vietnam, he took extraordinary photographs of the people. All of these photographs, with text and commentary, are on display in the museum. We found this to be one of the best sights in Hoi An.
6. Get a tailored made suit in Hoi An
When you arrive in Hoi An, all the tailor stores immediately catch your eye. On every street you will find several tailors where you can have your suit tailored. In addition to suits, you can also have a variety of other custom-made garments such as dresses, shirts, tops, shoes and bags. Many travelers take this opportunity to have a beautiful suit custom-made. Depending on your needs, a two-piece tailored suit in Hoi An will cost between €90 and €140. Get well immersed in the tailor first by checking Google reviews. We ourselves had a suit custom made at Ba Ri Tailor and are very satisfied with it.
7. Make your own Vietnamese coffee
Vietnam is known for its many different coffees: egg coffee, coconut coffee, Vietnamese coffee and salt coffee. During your visit to Vietnam, you will probably try all these coffee specialties, but how much fun is it to make your own coffee? You can do this in Hoi an at Unicorn bowl & coffee. You choose the coffee you want to make. Then the owner will help you with all the steps to make your own special coffee. A fun activity and, of course, very tasty. By the way, you can also eat delicious (and cheap) smoothie bowls here.
8. Eat the tastiest bánh mì in Vietnam
We had the very best bánh mì in Vietnam at Le Hoi Bánh Mì. This street stall sells vegan bánh mì’s for as little as 15,000 dong (€0.60). The ingredients and sauce fit together perfectly. We even had lunch here 5 days in a row because it is SO delicious. You can find the Google Maps location here.
9. Take a boat ride on the Thu Bon River.
Enjoy a relaxing boat ride on the Thu Bon River. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery, see traditional fishing boats and even see floating lanterns in the river during the evening hours. During the day here you can take a seat in a round bamboo boat after which you will be spun around.
10. Walk across the Japanese covered bridge
This is an iconic bridge that graces the old city. Built in the 16th century by the Japanese community, the bridge has a unique architecture. Through this bridge you also gain access to a museum, decorated with beautiful art.
11. Visit the My Son temples
About an hour’s drive from Hoi An you will find the My Son temples, a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating from the 4th to the 13th centuries. These ancient ruins represent the Cham culture and are a fascinating historical site to explore near Hoi An.
12. Enjoy the beach in Hoi An
Hoi An is also right on the beach. Take a trip to An Bang Beach or Cua Dai Beach to relax on the white sand and enjoy the sea. From the old town, you can cycle to An Bang Beach in just 15 – 25 minutes. You can chill on the beach or do a fun water activity: supping or surfing.
Explore the surroundings of Hoi An
Besides the activities in Hoi An itself, there are also a number of fun things to do in the immediate surroundings of Hoi An. Among other things, the popular beach destination of Da Nang is nearby.
13. Marble Mountains
Between Hoi An and Da Nang are the Marble Mountains. The Marble Mountains are 5 hills composed of marble and limestone. Today it has been fairly transformed into a tourist attraction, but nevertheless very beautiful to visit. An entrance ticket costs 40,000 dong (€1.60) and the elevator to the top costs 15,000 dong (€0.60). You can also hike up but you will soon be extremely hot. After all, upstairs is also a lot of stair climbing. So make sure you go early in the morning; the Marble Mountains are open daily from 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
14. Beach of Da Nang
Da Nang is a true beach destination. Along the promenade you will find many (luxury) hotels and on the beach you will find many sunbeds. A sunbed often costs 40,000 dong (€1.60) for a day.
Da Nang beach is also ideal for surfers. You can rent a surfboard from as little as 150,000 dong (€5.90). The best surfing season in Da Nang is from September to March. The other months you can often be on a surfboard as well but the conditions are a little less optimal.
15. Delicious food in Da NAng
Da Nang has some gems of restaurants. The Roots Plant-Based café was our favorite restaurant in Da Nang. Especially delicious is the falafel bowl with fresh olives, grapes, hummus and vegetables. In addition, at Pokeman you eat the tastiest poke bowls in Da Nang.
The best accommodations in Hoi An
When looking for a nice accommodation in Hoi An, you should ask yourself whether you prefer to stay near the beach or in the old town. We have stayed at both places and prefer the old town. In fact, during the day you can easily travel to the beach from the old town by bike, or possibly by Grab cab. In the evening, you then stroll through the atmospheric old town where you can enjoy fine dining and shopping.
Taking a cab in the evening is not recommended. In fact, there is a kind of mafia gang operating here at night, trying to rob you and take money from you. When you are in a car, the doors are locked and they do not open until you pay a certain amount. We ourselves have therefore never taken a cab at night in Hoi An and recommend that you don’t either.
Click on the image below for a list of the nicest hostels in Hoi An and the rest of Vietnam.
Accommodations Hoi An near the beach
Red Flower Cottages is our favorite stay close to the beach. Kim, the hostess, is SO sweet and helps you with everything during your stay. The beach is a 1-minute walk away and the bungalows are beautiful. You can have a room from as little as €30 if you book here.
Ahtenia Boutique Hotel is one of the few budget-friendly hotels near the beach. The rooms are nicely decorated, the bed is lovely and the hotel offers free bikes for the beach and to get to town. A cab to Hoi An town from the hotel costs an average of 100,000 dong (€4).
Accommodations Hoi An in the old town
There are very many nice accommodations in Hoi An’s old town. Our favorite is iHome. This is a beautiful hotel, really nicely decorated with a nice pool. The breakfast is very good and the rooms are great. You can choose from several private rooms or, if you are a solo traveler, the dormitory is also very good.
Furthermore, Hoi An Odyssey Hotel & Spa is also a great place to stay. It is near the old town and offers views of the river. The rooms are large, clean and there is a beautiful pool. Longan Homestay is a great budget stay option just a 1-minute walk from the old town. You can rent bikes here for 35,000 dong (€1.5).
The tastiest restaurants in Hoi An
- Sri Spices Indian Family Restaurant. Great Indian food and a lovely family running the restaurant.
- Quan Chay Nhat Da Vegan. Delicious vegan dishes: from Vietnamese specialties to pita falafel and tacos for a small price. All ingredients are 100% natural and very healthy.
- Other than that, it’s actually most fun to walk around the old town and sit in a cozy spot. There are SO many delicious restaurants and nice cafes in Hoi An that you won’t get tired of it easily.
How to get to Hoi An?
From Hué, you can ride the beautiful Hai Van Pass by motorcycle. In total, the motorbike ride from Hué to Hoi An is 130 kilometers of which you will ride 21 kilometers over the Hai Van Pass in the mountains. Should you prefer not to ride a motorbike yourself, you can also jump on the back of an easyrider.
Are you coming from the south of Vietnam? Then you probably come from the nice (and cold) city of Dalat. You can take the night bus from Dalat to Hoi An, it takes 15 hours and can be booked here. You can also choose to take a five-day motorcycle ride through the mountains of Vietnam with easyrider Quy.
Tip: We have written down all the information about this amazing five-day tour here.
