Hoi An travel guide: Old Town, lanterns, tailors and where to stay

Inside the Old Town or outside it: choose before you book

The Ancient Town itself is a compact grid of shophouses, assembly halls and family temples along the Thu Bon River, and most of it is closed to motor traffic for much of the day. Sleeping on its edge means you can walk in before the tour groups and walk home after the lanterns are lit, which is the single biggest advantage in Hoi An. The trade-off is noise, busier lanes in the evening and little space for a pool or garden.

The national tourism site describes An Bang as the nearest and most popular beach, a short drive from the Ancient Town, with Cua Dai, where most of the resorts are, further along the coast; it notes that erosion has left Cua Dai's beach narrow. The countryside in between, around Cam Thanh, Cam Chau and the Tra Que vegetable village, also has places to stay among the fields. Both are quieter and cooler at night, but every Old Town visit becomes a bicycle ride, a taxi or a ride-hailing trip. Check the exact distance from the property to the Old Town and whether bicycles are included before you choose a cheaper room out of town.

The Old Town by daylight: the ticket and the houses worth entering

Hoi An traded with merchants from China, Japan and later Europe from the 15th to the 19th centuries, and the result is a townscape that the national tourism site says still follows its original street grid, with 844 of its 1,107 buildings listed. Walking the streets is the main pleasure, but the interiors need a ticket. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the Hoi An World Heritage Conservation Centre's ticket page (posted in 2023) listed a 120,000 VND ticket covering the general Old Town area, one of the Japanese Covered Bridge or the Quan Cong Temple, a museum of your choice and three other heritage buildings, and an 80,000 VND ticket with fewer entries. Keep the stub with you: the centre asks visitors to hold on to it for going in and out of the Old Town.

Use your entries on the places that explain the town rather than on whichever door is closest. The Japanese Covered Bridge (Chua Cau), built around 1593 to link the Japanese and Chinese quarters, is the landmark on the 20,000 VND note. Tan Ky House, built in 1741 and home to seven generations of one family, is, in the national tourism site's words, a great example of an 18th-century merchant's home. The Phuc Kien (Fujian) Assembly Hall is one of the Chinese community halls the national tourism site puts on its shortlist, and the Museum of Trade Ceramics displays the pottery that passed through the port. The same ticket page listed a Japanese tea ceremony at the Japanese culture exhibition house, 06 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, at 09:30 and 16:30 daily.

See the heritage houses in the morning, when the streets are cooler and calmer, and save the riverbank for the end of the afternoon.

Rice fields, Tra Que and Cam Thanh by bicycle

The quickest escape from the crowds is a bicycle. Hotels and street shops rent them, and the national tourism site suggests riding out from the Ancient Town towards Cam Thanh and Cam Chau, past vegetable gardens, duck ponds and rice paddies. Go at sunrise or in the late afternoon: the light is softer, the heat lower and the roads quieter.

Tra Que, a vegetable village with a history going back to the 17th century and known for growing herbs and greens by traditional organic methods, was recognised by UN Tourism as one of its Best Tourism Villages in 2024, as the Hoi An heritage centre reported. It is a working farm community, so stay on the paths between the beds and ask before photographing people at work.

East of the Old Town, the Bay Mau nipa-palm forest at Cam Thanh covers about 58 hectares of waterways, according to the heritage centre, which describes basket-boat rides, net fishing and crab catching among the visitor activities. It is part of the Cu Lao Cham – Hoi An World Biosphere Reserve that UNESCO recognised in 2009.

Lantern evenings without the worst of the crowds

The Ancient Town is at its most beautiful after dark, when lanterns light the streets and reflect on the river, and at its most crowded too. When we checked on 2026-10-03, the heritage centre listed the Old Town walking-street hours as 09:00 to 21:30 in summer and 09:00 to 21:00 in winter, with Phan Chau Trinh Street closed to motor traffic from 17:30 to the same closing times. Outside those hours, expect motorbikes in the lanes.

On the 14th night of each lunar month, the town holds its Old Town Night (Dem pho co), recreating the early-20th-century town: electric lights give way to candles and lanterns, and local groups perform folk songs, traditional music and the bai choi card game. These are the most atmospheric nights and also the busiest; check the lunar calendar for your dates and arrive before dusk.

To enjoy the lanterns with more space, look back at the town from the opposite bank of the river, walk the side lanes away from the riverfront, or take a sampan out on the Thu Bon at sunset, which the national tourism site recommends. Agree the length and price of any boat trip before you step aboard, and wear a life jacket where one is offered.

Tailors and shopping: order on day one

Hoi An is known for its tailors, who make suits, dresses and leather bags to order, and the national tourism site notes that the cost of the fabric is included. Its main advice is to place your order early in your stay so there is time for fittings and alterations. Bring a photo or a garment you want copied, and confirm every detail before paying a deposit: fabric, lining, buttons and zips, measurements and the date of the final fitting.

The Hoi An Cloth Market has more than 50 stalls of fabric and is lively but can be overwhelming; the town's established tailor shops offer a calmer process. If you would rather not wait for fittings, the Old Town also has ready-to-wear boutiques, leather workshops and craft shops that sell lanterns and ceramics, and several places offer lantern-making workshops if you would like to make your own.

An Bang beach and the trips beyond town

An Bang is the beach to pair with an Old Town stay. The national tourism site describes sun loungers, seafood restaurants and water sports at the main entrance, with things growing more relaxed a little further along the sand. The same site notes that mornings are quiet, while late afternoons and early evenings can be busy. In the rainy months, the sea can be rough: swim only where it looks calm and others are in the water, and follow any flags or lifeguard instructions.

Two trips justify an extra night. My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 40 kilometres from Hoi An, holds the temple ruins of the Cham people, dating from the 7th to the 13th century; go early in the morning before the heat. The Cham Islands (Cu Lao Cham), about 15 kilometres off the coast and part of the biosphere reserve, can be reached by speedboat or ferry for a day of snorkelling, or overnight for a quieter fishing village. Boats depend on the weather and sea conditions, so keep a flexible day for them.

A workable three-night plan

This is an editorial suggestion, not a timetable. Check opening times and weather for each day you choose.

• Day 1 — Old Town by morning: heritage houses with your ticket in the morning, lunch, a tailor's first fitting or a rest in the heat, then the riverbank and lanterns at dusk.
• Day 2 — Countryside and beach: an early bicycle ride through Tra Que and the rice fields to An Bang, a long seafood lunch and a swim, and a basket-boat trip at Cam Thanh on the way back.
• Day 3 — Slow day: a cooking class or market visit, final tailor fittings, and a sunset boat on the Thu Bon.
• Day 4 (optional): My Son at opening time, or a day on the Cham Islands if the sea is calm.