Hoi An is everything I pictured when I was planning our trip to Vietnam. The charming and colourful Hoi An Ancient Town with yellow facades, colourful lanterns and ancient timber-framed buildings was what I pictured all of Vietnam to be like.If you land in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City you will of course see that the reality is very different and these bustling cities are busy, huge, chaotic and charming in their own way.
So by the time we got to Hoi An, it definitely felt like a respite from the busy HCMC or the frantic Hanoi.
That’s not to say that Hoi An is this serene, hidden gem - Hoi An is one of the most famous places to visit in Vietnam, and for good reason! The entirety of the Ancient Town area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and there is so much to see and do in Hoi An.
In fact, we spent 4 months based in Da Nang which is just 30 minutes from Hoi An and we visited Hoi An at least 10 times during that 4 month period.
All this to say, I want to share this huge list of the best things to do in Hoi An, Vietnam. I’m not suggesting you should do ALL OF THESE THINGS, that would be ridiculous if you’re just visiting Hoi An for a few days.
This list is a culmination of everything I did during those 4 months in the area, from the top attractions in Hoi An, to must do things in Hoi An, to unique things to do in Hoi An. I’ve also included a few days trips from Hoi An and activities around Hoi An that are worth considering.
I hope these ideas come in handy and you have an amazing trip!
Hoi An waterfront
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Facts about Hoi An and how to get there
Hoi An is located on the central coast of Vietnam and the nearest airport is around 30 minutes away - Da Nang International Airport which has flights from all other airports within Vietnam and other cities in Asia including Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Seoul.
The Hoi An Ancient town in Vietnam is one of the best preserved Asian trading towns in the world and dates back to the 15th century when it was an active trading port for silks and ceramics.
That’s why to this day you will find many skilled tailors and craftspeople in the town.
The entirety of Hoi An old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site, with 1,107 timber frame buildings and the third oldest Chinatown in the world. However UNESCO has also classed it as one of the most at risk World Heritage Sites due to climate change and the town’s position at/below sea level.
The Ancient Town area is car free so walking and cycling are the best way around. Scooters are only allowed through the streets at certain times of day.
Hoi An means “peaceful meeting place” and with the lanterns, old buildings and boats on the river, you can certainly find some peace there.
Each month there is a full moon and the ancient town celebrates by turning off artificial lighting at around 8pm and the town is lit only by the colourful silk lanterns for the Hoi An Full Moon Festival. The biggest New Year festival is called Tet and happens around February, however this is a big holiday for Vietnamese people and many will go home and businesses will close so it might not be the best full moon festival to experience!
What is Hoi An famous for?
Hoi An is famous for its tailors and skilled craftspeople including pottery, ceramics, clothing, decor and lanterns.
Hoi An is also famous for its Ancient Town, charming streets and beautiful lantern-lit streets.
When is the best time to visit Hoi An?
Hoi An has a dry season from around May-August and a wet season from October-January.
February-April and September can be considered shoulder seasons.
Generally February onwards until September is the driest and the highest temperatures will be in June-August, however these are also the hottest months with temperatures frequently 35C or over when we visited.
I advise against visiting in October-January as the rainy season can often mean typhoons which flood Hoi An Ancient Town, sometimes under several metres of water.
Read my detailed guide on the best time to visit Hoi An.
What to do in Hoi An: 30+ ideas
1. Explore the Hoi An Ancient Town
It sounds so simple but I highly recommend taking some time to just wander around the Hoi An old town area.
The charming timber frame houses, yellow painted buildings, colourful hanging lanterns, pink bougainvillaea blowing in the street and people cycling in traditional Vietnamese cone hats just makes exploring the town so unique and magical, unlikely anywhere else in Vietnam or the world!
Take in the different stores and crafts people selling lanterns, silks, leather goods and souvenirs. Enjoy the smell of Vietnamese coffee and the hustle and bustle of the market area.
I’ve spent so much time wandering around the streets in Hoi An, discovering new alleyways with tucked away cafes and bars, finding beautiful shops I’ve not seen before and the Hoi An world heritage site always looks different and you see different things depending on the time of day you’re exploring.
Hoi An
2. See the Hoi An lanterns after dark
Of course seeing and exploring Hoi An after dark is a must to enjoy the colourful lanterns lit along the streets, around doorways and strung across roads.
Head down to the riverfront where Cau An Bridge is and see the traditional sampan boats floating in the river, lit by hundreds of different coloured lanterns. People along the water and in the boats will also light candles in colourful boxes to float in the water.
My favourite time in Hoi An is at sunset until just after dark, the pink sky and vibrant lanterns are absolutely breathtaking - it’s a must see in Hoi An.
Hoi An Lanterns
Hoi An at night
3. Take a Sampan boat ride on the Thu Bon River
While you’re by the river, don’t miss the chance to take a traditional sampan boat ride - it’s a must do in Hoi An.
Sampan boat rides cost 150,000 VND (£5) for 1-3 people in a boat and last for around 20 minutes. You can find the boats along the riverside next to An Hoi Bridge and there are also people selling the candle lanterns for you to float.
Hoi An boat
4. Visit the Assembly Hall of Fujian Chinese / Hoi Quan Phuoc Kien
Completely by accident, we visited this temple in the heart of the Ancient Town right before it closed. I would recommend doing this or visiting before 10am as when we walked by the next day during the middle of the day it was packed with tour groups!
I think it’s a small, beautiful temple worth seeing, but it was definitely more enjoyable without huge tour groups in there with us!
This temple dates from the 17th century and was built for Chinese residents of Hoi An to have a place to worship.
Hoi Quan Phuoc Kien
5. See the Japanese Covered Bridge
You will probably walk past the Japanese Covered Bridge at some point, it’s worth seeing and snapping a picture and reading some of the informational signs but I’ll be honest and say there’s not much else to do there.
However, seeing the elaborate decorations and carvings is pretty cool. I can’t actually show you a picture of it as it was under scaffolding for renovations for the entirety of our 4 months in Vietnam and reviews suggest it may stay that way for another year.
Be warned, it seems that some people try to sell you a ticket to see the bridge. The bridge is in a public area, you can just walk up to it and see it - you do not need a ticket to see it.
6. Buy souvenirs at the Hoi An market
Hoi An is definitely the place I bought the most souvenirs while we were in Vietnam!
I bought everything from hand woven coasters and table placemats to lanterns, incense burners, trinket boxes and clothes.
I also bought loads of lanterns to use at our wedding. If you want to take home a lantern or two but you’re worried about the size, most of the Hoi An lanterns collapse down into a narrow cylinder shape so you can easily pack them.
The prices here are just incredible and I would recommend leaving space in your suitcase to bring some things home.
My mum has been looking for round, woven placemats for ages and in the UK the cheapest she found them for was £4.99 each. In Hoi An I got her a set of 6 for 100,000 VND (£3.20) all together!
Hoi An Souvenir shop
Hoi An Vendors
7. Have some clothes tailored
Speaking of leaving space in your suitcase, you might also want to leave some room for having clothes made.
I had a linen waistcoat made along with a sundress and I also had my two wedding dresses made! Custom clothing from high quality tailors at a fraction of the price!
If you are thinking of having clothes made, I recommend you have some pictures or screenshots of what you want, including style, colour and length so you can show the tailor and they can recreate it for you.
Generally you should allow 3 days for this, although for simple items like my sundress and waistcoat, they were ready the next day. But 3 days allows for the style and measurements to be taken on the first day, the second day it’s either ready or if it’s something more complex like a suit, you may need to go back for fittings and then it’s ready for you to pick up on day 3.
For my wedding dress I had 4 fittings and visited 6 times in total over 2 weeks which was no problem as we were staying in the area. One dress cost $250 to make, the other cost $450.
Hoi An tailors are famous for their suits, if you’re looking for a two-piece or three-piece suit you can pick your fabric and style and have a suit custom made from as little as $150-250 USD (depending on style and the fabric you choose)
If you’re looking for the best tailor in Hoi An, there are so many so I can only recommend the ones I used. For suits and formals, I recommend A Dong Silk (where I had my dress made). For casual outfits, I loved Izi Wear Le Loi - they made my Linen waistcoat and had gorgeous skirts, shirts, sundresses and casual mens outfits too.
Hoi An Tailor
Leather goods store
8. Hire a bike to explore and cycle through the Hoi An rice fields
Hoi An Ancient Town is pedestrianised which is why hiring a bike is a great way to get around if you don’t feel like walking.
Biking is a great option if you for getting around what to see in Hoi An in a shorter space of time.
But a bike is also a great way to get around the countryside just outside of Hoi An too.
Hoi An is surrounded by rice fields and at sunset in particular they are magical.
Cycling along the trails between the fields you’ll see water buffalo, birds and people at work in the fields. It’s a beautiful way to see a side of Hoi An that not many people experience.
You can hire a bike from any of the multiple bike rental shops you’ll see around Hoi An or you can go as part of a cycling tour like this one.
Helena with a hired bike
9. Visit Cam Thanh Coconut Village and ride in a traditional basket boat
The coconut village is famous for its basket boats, the traditional round boats that can be spun around in the water - you may have seen them on social media.
However the village tucked in the coconut groves, the waterways and the cute cafes and restaurants alongside the water are all worth seeing as much as a basket boat ride is!
There are a couple of options for how to get to the Coconut Village, we just took a Grab taxi which cost around £6 for both of us and we chose to explore at our own pace and pay for a basket boat ride which was around 150,000 VND each. The coconut basket boat ride is definitely amped up for tourists but it was a lot of fun to cruise through the coconut groves and on the open water. They will ask you if you want to spin or not - it’s not mandatory so don’t worry if you get motion sick!
If you’d prefer to go as part of a tour or to take the longer boat ride from Hoi An out to the Cam Thanh village, here are some options:
Ba Tran: Hoi An Basket Boat Ride
Coconut basket boat
10. Visit Thanh Ha Pottery Village
In my honest opinion, if your time in Hoi An is limited, I would maybe skip this one. While the village is quaint and there’s lots of shops that are great for buying souvenirs, it feels like just an extension of Hoi An in a small village.
If you do go, I recommend the Terracotta Park which has spectacular terracotta sculptures and a history museum.
If you go to the village, they sometimes have demonstrations and you can also book your own pottery classes if you’re interested in taking home a souvenir you’ve made.
11. Get prescription glasses or sunglasses made
I had no idea about this until I arrived in Hoi An, but they have very affordable opticians and make glasses and sunglasses very cheaply - both prescription and non-prescription.
Depending on how bad your eyesight is, this is a really great opportunity to get cheap glasses at an affordable price. My short-sighted eyes are -5.00 with an astigmatism. Due to that I need high strength, thinner lenses (because my eyes are so bad that the glass is too thick to fit in glasses) and astigmatism correction. I also like to get UV protection too. At home, I can easily pay £200+ for one nice pair of glasses with all these features.
In Hoi An, I got two pairs for £90. Now I have two spare pairs and a pair of sunglasses!
Taylor got a pair of glasses too, his eyes are much better, only around -0.75 and his glasses cost £30.
There are quite a few opticians to choose from but we went to Nam A Optical - Google Maps location here.
12. Make your own traditional lantern at a lantern making class
A lantern souvenir from Hoi An is a must, so why not make your own!
This lantern Making class is a great way to learn about the culture of Hoi An, the traditional crafts in the area and to make your own souvenir.
Hoi An lantern shop
13. Try the famous Banh Mi
Okay, huge caveat incoming…
Banh Mi is the famous Vietnamese traditional dish which is basically a sandwich with any number of fillings, the more traditional is pate or pork but you can get beef, chicken, cheese - anything really!
Bánh Mì Phượng is the most famous Banh Mi shop in Hoi An because Anthony Boudain went there and made it famous by featuring it in his show Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations.
We went there at least 3 times during our time in Hoi An, however not long after we left, the shop hit Vietnam news outlets due to a huge food poisoning scandal in which 300 people (many of them tourists) got food poisoning from the shop and some were hospitalised.
The shop was closed down for a while but seems to be back up and running with positive reviews and the line at peak times is as long as ever!
We loved the Banh Mi’s here, super simple and incredibly cheap, but I couldn’t share this place with you without sharing the full story. Unfortunately, incorrectly stored food is common in Vietnam and we saw many news articles similar to this one during our stay - so it’s not unique to this store.
If you’re apprehensive now (I’m sorry!) there’s an alternative that’s a little outside the Ancient Town but has incredible reviews, called Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen.
Bánh Mì Phượng
14. Check out one of the oldest houses in Hoi An
A lot of places claim to be the oldest house in Hoi An, but if you happen to pass by Old House of Tan Ky, this is an preserved old merchants house and the rooms are packed with antiques and stunning old furniture - worth a quick stop while you’re exploring the Ancient Town.
15. Enjoy snacks from the night market
I love a night market, sometimes I don’t even buy anything but I just love how lively it is at night with the sounds, smells and colours.
Hoi An night market is no exception, there’s food, crafts, souvenirs and the option for taking a boat ride on the river too.
We bought a lot of souvenirs from the night markets and just be warned that a lot of sellers will pull a price out of thin air to see how much they can get for an item. I feel uncomfortable haggling because it’s usually only for the equivalent of a dollar/pound or two which doesn’t make a huge difference to me, but does to them.
But after being charged 300,000 VND (£10) for an ornament on our first visit, I then went back and bought another one at a later date and got it for 90,000 VND (£3) - so I realised that haggling a little is probably the best way to find the true price of an item!
16. Enjoy a coffee with a view on one of the Old Town’s famous cafe rooftops
Vietnamese coffee culture is huge, while I wouldn’t say the Robusta bean is my favourite, it certainly creates some unique coffees to try in Vietnam!
In Hoi An, the traditional coffee houses are simply stunning, with dark wood features, ornate decor and many of them in the old town have rooftops from which you can enjoy your coffee and get a different vantage point of the city.
These are my favourite coffee shops with a roof terrace:
Faifo Coffee
92 station restaurant & cafe
Memories
Market Bar
Other coffee shops I also loved:
Hoi An Roastery Espresso & Coffee House
Reaching Out Teahouse is a silent tea house and the tranquillity is a welcome relief! They employ Vietnamese deaf people or or disabilities, your patronage supports them to provide employment opportunities and support for these people
Phin Coffee
Coffee shop rooftop
17. Visit the most unique craft beer brewery
If you know me by now, you might know I’m a beer lover and specifically craft beer. So I always try to find local breweries when we travel. It's a great way to support local, try the local (beer) produce and we often meet interesting locals too. Plus many have great food!
In the heart of Old Town Hoi An is 7 Bridges Taproom.
The original 7 Bridges comes from Da Nang (just 30 minutes up the coast) but unfortunately it was closed due to storm damage a few years ago, so we were only able to visit the Hoi An branch (we’ve also been to the one in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi).
But 7 Bridges Hoi An is one of the most unique breweries I’ve ever visited, it’s in one of the heritage yellow buildings, with dark wood, yellow walls, a winding maze or rooms and a terrace garden in the back. When so many breweries are modern, this one just oozes charm, a rustic kind of patine, with culture and history!
Inside is cozy, calm and cool - a welcome relief from the busy and hot streets and I still think about their Yuzu Wheat Beer regularly.
7 Bridges Brewing Taproom Hoi An
18. See Ba Mu Temple
Worth a quick stop and a photo if you’re walking down Hai Ba Trung street. The aged, cracked and faded temple frontage is definitely eye-catching and at the right time of day, it’s perfectly reflected in the lily pond in front of it.
19. Spend an afternoon on An Bang Beach
Many people visit Hoi An and don’t even realise that it’s 15 minutes from the coast, and this coastline is famously white, sandy beaches.
While neighbouring Da Nang City is most famous for its beaches, the same coastline reaches all the way down to Hoi An and is taken up by many beachfront hotels (most of which are derelict or unfinished!)
But you can stay in some of these hotels and have beachfront access, famous names along this beach include The Four Seasons Hoi An,, Citadines Hoi An and Wyndham Royal Hoi An
However staying at these hotels isn’t the most convenient for getting to Hoi An (although most hotels have shuttles), but you can get to An Bang Beach for free and just for an afternoon by taking a Grab taxi to An Bang beach (location here) and spend the afternoon on the beach in the sun with cheap loungers, food and drinks.
Wyndham Royal Hoi An Villa
Wyndham Royal Hoi An pool
As I mentioned above, May-September the water is usually calm, almost no waves, clear and blue. However during the rainy season peak (October-January) you likely won’t be on the beach due to the weather. But in February-April, the weather can be fair, warm and not too humid, it was actually our favourite time of year to be on the beach in Da Nang.
However the winds are higher in Feb-April and the waves are bigger, this makes Da Nang and this coastline popular with surfers but potentially dangerous for families with children and those who don’t understand rip currents - please be aware of this if you visit the beach in Feb-April.
20. Visit the Vietnamese food court at Vy’s Market Restaurant
We found this place on our last night after we’d already eaten and I was so sad we didn’t actually get to eat there!
This is a really cool indoor food court with gorgeous decor and loads of traditional Vietnamese foods you can try - the atmosphere is great and it’s a fantastic way to try loads of Vietnamese food cooked by actual chefs in a restaurant, rather than the chaos of buying food at a street food market!
Vy’s Market Restaurant
21. Spot the Mr Bean Bar
I almost didn’t include this on the list, but some people really love Mr Bean so…
There is a Mr Bean themed bar in Hoi An along the waterfront of the River Island where a lot of the bars and loud music are (if you wander around at night you’ll find/hear this area)
Honestly this is the only area we got annoyingly hassled in Hoi An by everyone trying to get us into their bar for “Happy Hour” deals. We had a couple of drinks at the Irish bar and got street food but only walked past the Mr Bean Bar - so make of that what you will…
22. Walk across Cau An Bridge at night
Cau An Bridge is the main bridge from Hoi An Ancient Town to the island on the Thu Bon RIver. It’s also the best vantage point to see the sampans, water candles and the lantern festivals from.
The bridge does get super busy at night. I would recommend sunset and dusk to get beautiful colours from the sky and the colourful lights of the lanterns.
It’s a great photo spot and landmark in Hoi An.
View from Cau An Bridge
23. Enjoy a sunset drink along the riverfront
I personally prefer the riverfront on the Hoi An Ancient Town side over the riverfront on the island (where the Mr Bean Bar is that I mentioned above)
Again I recommend strolling along the Ancient Town riverfront (Bach Dang) at sunset and stopping for a drink at one of the bars here. They are all gorgeously decorated with lanterns, vibrant colours and streamers. Happy Hour deals around sunset are usually good and most have outdoor seating or a terrace so you can watch the sunset and the sampan boats lit up with their lanterns on the river. It’s one of the best places to visit in Hoi An just to enjoy the sheer beauty of the place.
We stopped at two places along here which I can’t find marked on Google Maps but I’ve put pictures of them below.
Waterfront bar in Hoi Aa
Waterfront bar Hoi An
24. Use the Hoi An Pass to visit some of the temples and museums
Honestly the city does not do a good job of promoting that this exists.
We only found out about it because we tried to visit the Assembly Hall and the man at the entrance told us it was better value to get the pass if we planned to visit more than one place. The pass is the best thing to do in Hoi An if you want to visit lots of the heritage sites like temples, museums, pagodas etc
The Hoi An Ancient Town pass costs 120,000 VND (£4/$5) and allows you to visit 5 attractions (of a possible 20) within a 24 hour period and all the proceeds go to the preservation of the town. Attractions include museums, temples, the old houses and more. Ask for a map when you get your ticket so you can see what’s included.
Also be mindful of closing times in Vietnam - places close for lunch breaks and many attractions close 4-5pm, some even at 3pm - so check timings to plan your 24 hours.
I had read that you needed these tickets just to enter Hoi An, however that information seemed to be outdated as we didn’t buy tickets to enter the old town area (there was nowhere obvious to buy them from) and no one asked us for a ticket the whole time we were there.
You can buy the Hoi An Old Town Pass at a few different stalls on the streets around the old town and we honestly had a nightmare finding the stalls because again, the info online listed 10+ places and most of them weren’t there. But the stall we got our ticket from was at this location - outside the Hoi An Tourist Information Center.
Temple Gate
Temple interior
Street in Hoi An
25. Try the famous Mot drink
Mot is a herbal tea drink and honestly I’d never heard of it until we saw a massive queue outside this famous Mot store in the old town.
Obviously we had to get some and see what the fuss was about and honestly I’m not sure what the fuss was about, it was a very nice flavoured herbal tea but I feel like maybe I missed the reason why it was worth the massive queue outside the shop!
It’s a traditional chinese medicine recipe I believe, although served over ice with lemongrass and ginger, it’s very refreshing on a hot day and I think the bamboo straw and pink lotus petal probably makes the experience a bit more exciting for people!
If you’d like to give it a try, a cup is only 18,000 VND (60p) and this is the location of Mot Hoi An.
Mot Hoi An
26. Visit during the full moon festival
I’ve already mentioned this briefly but the full moon is hugely important in Vietnamese culture and there is a full moon each month. They also celebrate Tet which is the Lunar New Year - usually around the mid to end of February.
During every full moon, Hoi An is the most spectacular place to see.
From 8pm all artificial lights are turned off in the Ancient Town, so it’s only lit by the colourful lanterns. It’s truly so magical to experience, ride a sampan and light a floating candle.
The festival boats are usually out on the river between the Ancient Town and the island, so the Cau An bridge or the riverbank are great viewing points.
Check Google for full moon dates in Vietnam to see if any coincide with your trip.
Restaurant in Hoi An
27. Go to the Bamboo Circus
We unfortunately never got the chance to see the bamboo circus but I have heard a lot of people recommend it.
This is a small circus performance at the Hoi An Lune Center with performers, musicians, acrobats and dancers performing traditional and acrobatic routines with bamboo structures, props and instruments.
The tickets cost 70,000 VND, just £2.60 for a unique night of entertainment and one of the most fun tourist attractions Hoi An has to offer.
28. Stay at one of the beautiful resorts
I’ve already mentioned the beach resorts which are, of course, gorgeous and perfect if you’re looking for a beach holiday.
But closer to Hoi An centre, there are also plenty of resorts and hotels with stunning, tranquil grounds which are a beautiful addition to your trip.
29. Do a food tour or a cooking class to learn about regional famous foods
I love Vietnamese food and there are so many regional specialties so a food tour in Hoi An is a great way to try central Vietnam dishes!
This Hoi An night food tour is a great way to try some of the famous local foods, restaurants and bars in the Ancient Touw.
This Basket Boat experience also includes a Vietnamese cooking class.
Restaurant in Hoi An
Morning Glory
30. Take a day trip to Ba Na Hills
Another caveat but this experience won’t be for everyone!
SunWorld Ba Na Hills is a theme park located in the Ba Na Hills, around 1 hour inland from Hoi An.
I wanted to go here to ride the longest single track cable car in the world which takes you from the car park to the top of the hills where the park is located. I also wanted to see the famous Golden Bridge - the two stone hands holding up the bridge in the mountains.
SunWorld Ba Na Hills is essentially a French Village recreated in the mountains of Vietnam. It has a plastic Notre Dame, cobbled streets, European style colourful old town buildings, a square complete with fountain and it’s honestly a popular place for many Asian people to visit who may never get to see Europe for themselves.
It’s a popular photo destination for Koreans and Vietnamese people in particular and there are also a few rides like the Tower Drop, a fun mountain luge and there are some temples and walking trails too.
We actually chose to stay overnight at the only hotel in the park, Mercure Da Nang Ba Na Hills which allows guests to see and enjoy the park without the crowds both after closing and at sunrise.
I loved being in the park after it closed and getting to see the Golden Bridge at sunrise without the crowds. Honestly we had a lot of fun exploring the park but it did get super busy by 11am so I’m glad we were there mostly in the late afternoon and early morning.
Golden Bridge
If you want to do the same thing and visit independently, we took a Grab taxi from Da Nang to Ba Na Hills which cost us £13 for us both. Hoi An is a bit further so I’d guess maybe £15-20 but it’s worth it if there’s two or more of you.
Tickets aren’t cheap, 900,000 VND for adults (£28.31/ $35.46 USD) / 750,000 VND for children (£23.60/ $29.55 USD) but you do get a discount if you stay at the hotel when you buy your ticket on arrival.
Tickets include park entry and your cable car ride - which honestly for us was a highlight, rising up through the clouds on the longest single track cable car in the world - 6.2km long!
If you’d like to visit, you can read my full guide about Ba Na Hills including how to get there, which cable car to take up the mountain (there are 3), and the 3 options for buying tickets depending on how you’d like to visit.
31. Have a beach day at nearby Da Nang
We rented an apartment and spent just over two months living in Da Nang so I definitely have a soft spot for the city!
I grew up in the UK, miles from any beaches and to see a city like this with such stunning beaches and a backdrop of mountains with clear blue water, all completely free for the public to enjoy, was just so exciting for me! We lived in an apartment just 1 block from the beach and walked along the beach every day.
Da Nang is a lot less touristy that Hoi An, there’s more of a long term expat or digital nomad community there, but I honestly think it’s an up and coming beach destination to rival some of those in Thailand - it’s cheaper than Thailand on all fronts, it’s close to Hoi An, it has a great international airport and there’s loads of day trips to do plus loads of great hotels in Da Nang.
I recommend a day on My Khe beach, enjoy Paradise Beach Bar or head up to East West Brewing for a craft beer on their terrace - the only beachfront brewery in Southeast Asia.
Get inspiration from my Danang Beaches guide!
My Khe beach
32. Take a day trip to My Son sanctuary
This is another one that I didn’t actually go to because someone said to me “If you’ve been to Angkor Wat, you will be disappointed” - make of that what you will
I wish we had made time to get to My Son Sanctuary, this is an ancient temple complex which is apparently fascinating, however it was badly damaged and not restored from the Vietnam War. Pictures of it look beautiful though!
There are plenty of day trips and tours to get there such as this one.
33. Visit the Marble Mountains
Visiting the Marble Mountains in Vietnam massively exceeded my expectations. I thought it was just a cave in a hill but it is a whole complex of caves, tunnels, hikes, trails and temples. From the roadside it looks like a big rock - how it’s so huge I cannot understand but we ended up spending around 2.5-3 hours here.
The Marble Mountains are in Danang and about a 20 minutes taxi ride from Hoi An.
Am Phu Cave and Huyen Khong Cave are the most famous caves in this area of Vietnam with stunning caves, winding stone staircases and colourful temples inside. Am Phu Cave is the only one accessible from the car park for 20,000 VND. To visit the whole complex is 40,000 VND (£1.30) and you can take the stairs to the top which is free, for pay 15,000 extra for the lift (50p)
The whole complex is steeped in mythology with Hell Cave, Heaven Cave as well as unsettling sculptures depicting scenes of wrath from gods. The caves and complex are fascinating and beautiful, the views from the panoramic viewpoint at the top are great too.
Definitely recommend this one!
Heavenly Cave
Heavenly Cave
Marble Mountains
34. Do a boat trip to the Cham Islands
If you’re looking for a tropical island getaway for some snorkelling and marine life spotting, the Cham Islands are just off the coast of Hoi An and you can easily take a boat trip to the Cham Islands from Hoi An.
This trip is only available during the summer (April-August) usually as conditions are not always favourable for the rest of the year.
But it’s a great contrast from the heritage and history (and the heat!) of the Ancient Town, to get out on a boat and see the coral reefs and marine life.
Summary: the top things to do in Hoi An, Vietnam
There’s no shortage of things to do and things to see in Hoi An, it really is one of the most unique places I’ve ever visited, from the heritage and culture, to the crafts, souvenirs, unique lanterns and traditions and so much more.
Hoi An is a must do in Vietnam and I hope this Hoi An travel guide has given you plenty of ideas and inspiration for your trip!
