Hoi An is an ancient city located on the bank of the Thu Bon River, and it is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in Vietnam. Hoi An's old town is as photogenic as it comes, and you will find yourself surrounded by all kinds of old yellow-painted traditional houses, Chinese-style temples, and many more beautiful structures, waiting for you to explore.
Not just that, Hoi An is also known for its delicious street food, beautiful countryside, and a great base to explore the ancient ruins of My Son. Within this article, you will find all the information you need to have a great time here.
Without further ado, here are the 10 best things to do in Hoi An and why you should not skip the place while you are in Vietnam.
- Hoi An Things To Do Itinerary Map
- Where to Stay in Hoi An?
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10 Best Things to Do in Hoi An
- Stroll Around the Streets of Hoi An Old Town
- Admire the Beauty of the Japanese Bridge
- Support the Reaching Out Cafe
- Drop By Ba Mu Temple Gates
- Visit Hoi An's Night Market
- Relax by the An Bang Beach
- Try The Best Bahn Mi in the World
- Learn To Cook Vietnamese Food
- Explore the Countryside on a Bike
- Visit My Son Ancient Ruins
- More Hoi An Activities
- Vietnam Travel Video
- Further Reading for Backpacking in Vietnam
Hoi An Things To Do Itinerary Map
| ❤️ Must Visit: | Old Town |
| ☀️ Best Day Trip | My Son Sanctuary |
| 🚘 Get around: | By Bike |
| 🌤️ Best Time: | January-March |
10 Best Things to Do in Hoi An
1. Stroll Around the Streets of Hoi An Old Town
Hoi An is an ancient city that has been established for many centuries. During its glory days, the place was one of the most popular trading posts in the entire region and brought prosperity to the people living here.
After many years have passed, much of its Old Town's vibe and its indigenous and foreign blended structures still remain pretty much intact and well preserved, making it one of the most historically rich places in the country that was not completely destroyed by the Vietnam War.
- Tribee Bana Hostel (Budget)
- PaPa Villa Homestay (Mid-Range)
- Little Riverside Hoi An . A Luxury Hotel & Spa (High-End)
- Hoi An/ Da Nang - Ba Na Hills - Golden Bridge Deluxe Small group (9 hours)
- Hoi An Eco Cooking Class(Local market, Basket boat, crab fishing& cooking class) (4 hours)
- Cooking Class Hoi An:Local Market, Basket Boat, Fishing & Cooking (4 hours)
Exploring the crisscrossing streets of Hoi An Old Town is a delight, as you will find yourself surrounded by all these beautiful, old traditional houses, all painted in yellow. Additionally, you will find plenty of shops, art museums, and cafes where you can indulge yourself.
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There are many sights that I highly recommend you check out, like the Bamu Temple Gate and the Japanese Bridge. But if you really want to do the city justice, I highly recommend you go on an organized walking tour so that you can get firsthand information on where the city came from and what Hoi An is really about.
Where to Stay in Hoi An?
2. Admire the Beauty of the Japanese Bridge
One of the important landmarks in Hoi An is the ancient wooden Japanese Bridge that was built by Japanese merchants in the 17th Century, and it is a great example of how prosperous the ancient Hoi An city was as a regional trading post.
The bridge's foundation is built using bricks and stones, while the bridge itself was built with pieces of wood and covered with an intricately designed roof that will certainly grab anyone's attention.
Despite its name, the Japanese Bridge is also considered to be a pagoda where people can enter and pray in a prayer room inside the bridge. To enter, you will have to pay an entrance fee, or you can go on an organized walking tour in which the guide will also dive deeper into the history and the legends surrounding the bridge.
3. Support the Reaching Out Cafe
While you are in Hoi An, be sure to also drop by Reaching Out teahouse for a cup of tea or coffee, which is a popular cafe set inside an old rustic structure located right in the middle of the Old Town.
What makes this establishment so special is the fact that they only employ people who are deaf and mute, giving them jobs and supporting their careers, while providing us with wonderful service and a cozy atmosphere for us to relax in.
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4. Drop By Ba Mu Temple Gates
Ba Mu Temple is a newly reopened but old temple complex known for its elaborate three-entrance gate design. The gate was originally constructed in the 17th Century elsewhere and has since been moved here and renovated.
After the reopening of the temple, the gate has since attracted quite a crowd and has become one of the many Instagram hotspots in Hoi An. Despite having been renovated, the gate still retains its ancient look and feel that resembles the palaces in Hue.
If you are exploring Hoi An's Old Town, be sure to drop by the temple and check out this beautiful gate. A walking tour that you join should also take you here for photos, and they should be able to explain the in-depth history of the temple to you.
5. Visit Hoi An's Night Market
If you think Hoi An is pretty during the day, wait until you see it at night. Every night, the entire old town is converted into a night walking street market filled with shops, street food restaurants, and performances, while the streets are illuminated with all sorts of colorful lanterns the city is known for.
Visit Hoi An Old Town right before sunset to see the ancient town come alive and behold the sight of the ancient city illuminated by all the colorful lanterns from houses and shops that sell them. If you are interested, you can also learn how to make these colorful lanterns with a lantern-making class.
You will also find all kinds of street food stalls popping up all over the old town that you can enjoy. If you are a little confused about what you should eat in Hoi An because there are a ton of options for you to choose from, I highly recommend you go on the Hoi An's food tour by night, which will take you to all the cool places to eat in Hoi An.
You can also get on one of the many wooden boats you see along the canal and cruise along the river at sunset while you watch the city come to life, which is best seen from the water.
6. Relax by the An Bang Beach
If you are tired of the bustling old town, you can also spend a day relaxing by An Bang Beach, a 4-km strip of sandy beach only a few minutes' bike ride away from Hoi An Old Town.
At the beach, you will also find many bars with sunbeds and deck chairs right by the beach, where you can indulge yourself. It is a great place to take a break from all the crowds in Hoi An, all the while enjoying the abundant sun of Southeast Asia.
7. Try The Best Bahn Mi in the World
If you are looking for the best spots in Hoi An to try the best Bahn Mi in the world at an affordable price, I highly recommend you go for lunch or dinner at Bánh Mì Phượng restaurant, a local restaurant that is extremely popular among locals.
Keep in mind that this place really serves some of the most delicious Bahn Mi out there, and due to how affordable it is, you might see long queues in front of the place. You will likely have to wait in line for quite some time, but I can assure you the Bahn Mi here is well worth the wait.
8. Learn To Cook Vietnamese Food
If you love Vietnamese food and would like to learn a thing or two about their world-renowned cuisine, I highly recommend you join the Sabirama cooking class and learn the secret sauce of Vietnamese cuisine, known for its deliciousness.
With a cooking class tour, you will start learning from the beginning with a market tour to learn how to source the ingredients for Vietnamese cuisine. From there, you will be taught by a local chef and learn how to cook Vietnamese delicacies.
With this cooking class, you will be able to bring the cooking skills you learned here to use at home and integrate the healthiness of Vietnamese food into your everyday meals.
9. Explore the Countryside on a Bike
Hoi An is not very big, and most places, even the further ones like An Bang Beach, can all be reached by bikes. Hoi An is also known for its beautiful countryside, full of rice paddies, all waiting for you to explore.
The best way to see the countryside of Hoi An is to go on a Bike Tour where you will pedal through some of the most stunning parts of Hoi An's countryside and you will be able to learn the locals' way of life that you would likely miss if you were to only stay in the old town.
For those of you who are interested in learning more about Hoi An and not just being done with seeing only the surface of Hoi An like most tourists do, I highly recommend going on a tour and exploring the countryside on the back of a bike to truly see what Hoi An is actually like.
10. Visit My Son Ancient Ruins
Last but not least, if you have a day to spare in Hoi An, I highly recommend you go on a day trip to My Son Sanctuary, an ancient spiritual capital city of the Champa empire, which occupied much of what is now central and lower Vietnam back between the 7th and 10th centuries.
My Son Sanctuary, although not as well maintained as other ancient ruins in the region, is still a fun day trip to make from Hoi An. You can stroll around this ancient ground and imagine what it must have been like in central Vietnam when the Champa Kingdom reigned over the area.
The tour to My Son is quite far, and it should take around half a day to get there and back, with a few hours to roam around the ruins. If you are interested in the long-forgotten history of this region, there is no better place to be than My Son Sanctuary.
That is it for the 10 Awesome Things to Do in Hoi An, Vietnam for First-Timers. Have we missed anything? Have you found the guide useful? Let us know in the comments below!
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to plan your trip to Hoi An, Vietnam! Here are some resources to help you get your trip going:
Are you planning to travel to Hoi An, Vietnam independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Backpacking in Vietnam
Are you looking for more information about traveling in Vietnam? Here are a few more articles that can help you with your trip to Vietnam:
- Looking for a comprehensive travel guide and itinerary for Vietnam? 2 Weeks Itinerary for Vietnam.
- Are you planning to travel to Vietnam as part of a big Southeast Asia trip? Check out our 3-month backpacking itinerary for Southeast Asia.
- Planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City and not sure where to begin? Here are the 10 Best Places to Visit in Ho Chi Minh City.
- Hoi An is known for its beautiful lanterns that illuminate the entire town at night. If you want to see what it is like in Hoi An at night, check out: The Colorful Lanterns Of Hoi An's Ancient City.
- If you are looking for an off-the-beaten-path destination in Vietnam, do not miss a chance to go caving in Phong Nha, and there is no better place to do that than Paradise Cave. Here is a complete hiking guide to Paradise Cave and Dark Cave in Phong Nha.
- Ninh Binh is only an hour away from Hanoi, and it is a great place to escape from the bustling city and be among nature. Here are the 8 Best Things to Do in Ninh Binh.
- If you love mountains, cool breeze, and rice terraces, you are going to love Sapa. Here is the 9 Best Things to Do in Sapa.
- Not convinced by my words about Vietnam? Here are 33 photos that will inspire you to visit Vietnam now.
- You can see all my Vietnam-related articles on my Vietnam Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides like this, visit my Destinations page.