Hoi An

For about three centuries, Hoi An was one of the most commercially significant ports in Southeast Asia. Chinese, Japanese, Dutch, Portuguese, and Indian merchants maintained permanent warehouses and residences here; the Thu Bon River gave access to the interior highlands where silk, cinnamon, and precious woods were produced. Then the river silted up in the late 18th century, trade shifted north to Da Nang, and Hoi An was largely bypassed by the industrial age. That economic abandonment is precisely why the old town survives intact.

UNESCO listed Hoi An Ancient Town in 1999 as an exceptionally well-preserved example of a small-scale trading port, reflecting the fusion of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and European influences that accumulated between the 15th and 19th centuries. The Japanese Covered Bridge, built in the 1590s by the Japanese merchant community, is the most photographed structure; it originally served as a link between the Japanese and Chinese quarters and functions now mainly as a symbol of the town’s international history. The Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, built in 1697 by Fujian Chinese merchants, is more ornate and historically revealing.

The Ticket System

Entry to the historic buildings inside the old town requires purchasing a ticket from the yellow ticket booths positioned around the outer edge of the old quarter. As of 2025, the ticket costs 120,000 VND (approximately USD 5) and includes five tearable stubs, each redeemed at one of 22 eligible historic sites. The ticket is paid for in cash (Vietnamese dong); some booths accept cards but cash is more reliable. The ticket is valid across your entire stay in Hoi An, not just the day of purchase, though the booths are sometimes unclear about this. Children under 16 enter free. Staff in traditional dress check tickets at each site entrance and tear a stub.

The system means you must choose which five of the 22 sites you enter. The Japanese Covered Bridge, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, Tan Ky Old House, and the Museum of Trading Ceramics are consistently the most informative choices. The rest of the old town streets, the riverfront, and the food vendors are freely accessible without a ticket.

Getting There

The nearest airport is Da Nang International, approximately 30 km north. Taxis take around 40 minutes and cost 300,000 to 400,000 VND depending on negotiation. Ride-hailing apps (Grab, Be) offer fixed prices and are generally cheaper; expect to pay around 200,000 to 250,000 VND. There is no train station in Hoi An; the nearest is Da Nang, and many visitors combine both cities on a central Vietnam itinerary.

What to Do

Walk the old town in the early morning or after 19:00. Between roughly 09:00 and 18:00, the central streets are crowded with tour groups. The town looks and feels entirely different at 07:00 when locals are going about their routines and the lanterns are still lit from the night before.

The Thu Bon River at dusk. Lanterns are released on the river on the 14th and 15th of each lunar month, creating a genuinely atmospheric scene. The Full Moon Festival nights draw crowds but are worth timing a visit around if the calendar allows.

Cooking classes. Hoi An has dozens of cooking schools. Most include a market visit in the morning to buy ingredients, then an afternoon session learning to make cao lau, white rose dumplings, and banh xeo (sizzling rice pancakes). Morning market visits start early; this is one of the best ways to see the non-tourist side of the town.

Tailor shops. Hoi An’s tailoring industry is genuinely skilled. Clothes can be made to measure in 24 to 48 hours. The quality varies: shops on the main tourist streets are more expensive and inconsistent; recommendations from other travellers who have collected their order are the most reliable guide. Budget at least two fittings if ordering anything structured.

An Bang and Cua Dai beaches are 5 to 10 km from the old town and reachable by hired bicycle or motorbike. An Bang has more character and a range of beach bars and restaurants; Cua Dai has been affected by significant beach erosion over the past decade and is less appealing. Check current conditions before heading there.

Where to Eat

Cao lau is the dish most specific to Hoi An: thick rice noodles served with char siu-style pork, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and crispy rice crackers in a small amount of broth. The noodles are traditionally made with water from a specific well and ash from a local island, which supposedly gives them their texture. Most locals maintain that authentic cao lau can only be made here. Try it at any small noodle shop away from the main tourist streets.

Banh Mi Phuong on Phan Chau Trinh Street was made famous by Anthony Bourdain and now has queues from 07:00. The banh mi is very good and the queues move quickly; the fame is at least partly deserved.

White rose dumplings (banh bao vac) are made by a single family in Hoi An who supply most of the town’s restaurants. They are thin-skinned steamed dumplings with shrimp filling, served with crispy shallots and a dipping sauce. They appear on almost every restaurant menu in the old town.

Morning Glory on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street is reliable for a sit-down meal with English menus and a representative selection of central Vietnamese dishes at mid-range prices.

Where to Stay

The old town has accommodation across all price ranges, though the most atmospheric guesthouses fill quickly in high season (February through April, and July through August). Staying inside or immediately adjacent to the old quarter means being able to walk everywhere without transport.

For budget options, the cluster of guesthouses along Nguyen Thi Minh Khai and Ba Trieu streets offers clean rooms from USD 15 to 25. Mid-range boutique hotels along the Thu Bon River charge USD 50 to 120 and often include pools. Anantara Hoi An Resort and the Palm Garden Resort at Cua Dai Beach represent the high-end options.

Flood Season

This requires a direct warning: from late October through December, Hoi An floods repeatedly. The Thu Bon and Hoai Rivers overflow following typhoons and heavy rains, and parts of the old town can be ankle to knee deep in water for days at a time. This is a recurring and predictable event, not an anomaly. Visiting between November and mid-December carries real risk of significant flooding. The dry season runs from February through August, with the period from February to April being the clearest and coolest.