I had wondered if Hoi An was a place I would enjoy. The colours, lanterns and coffee culture is amazing but also it is touristy and Instagram doesn’t help when everyone is doing the same things over and over again.

So I arrived with managed expectations and ended up finding the various things to do in Hoi An that are different from the rest.

I’ll say this: Hoi An is touristy as parts of the Old Town during peak afternoon hours are genuinely packed.

But if you get up early, get on a bike and explore the places at your own pace without checking everything on the list, you will enjoy it. Also, the best thing about this is there is a beach — if everything becomes too much, you can’t go wrong between the beach and having some of the best coffees and cafes to chill at!

I spent several days here in Hoi An. Here's what actually made the cut — and what I'd skip.

Also read: You’ve To Visit Hoi An, Hue & Da Nang On This Itinerary: Food, Culture & Nature

Where To Stay in Hoi An?

Zen Retreat Hoi An (gorgeous place with spa facilities)
Su Retreat Hoi An (a real retreat and nice place to relax)
Dai An Phu Villa (a few minutes away from An Bang beach)
Maison Fleur Luxury Hoi An (right between Old Town & the beach - lovely place)

What You Should Know?

🗓 Best Time to Visit

February to April is dry, sunny, and not yet at peak heat. Avoid October–November which is flood season.

🚲Getting Around

Bike everywhere in town. It's flat, compact, and cars are restricted in the Old Town.

🎫 Old Town Entry

Some attractions require a combined ticket (~120,000 VND). Buy it before heading in. You can get it here.

📍Getting Here

Fly into Da Nang (30 mins away), then grab a private transfer here or taxi to Hoi An. (also read: How To Travel from Da Nang to Hoi An)

A Bit of History About Hoi An

The most important thing you should know about Hoi An is that it was one of Southeast Asia's most important trading ports from the 15th to 19th centuries.

Merchants from Japan, China, the Netherlands, and Portugal all passed through, each leaving their mark on the town's architecture, cuisine, and culture.

If you look deep enough you will find: Japanese merchant houses sitting alongside Chinese clan halls, Vietnamese tube houses, and French colonial facades.

UNESCO recognised it as a World Heritage Site in 1999 and for good reason. Unlike so many "ancient" towns that have been rebuilt and sanitised, Hoi An is atleast tangibly old with those yellow-hued sepia streets.

12 Things To Do in Hoi An: That I Loved & Recommend

1. Wander the Old Town at Night

The Old Town is good during the day but I think you should reserved the day for tours, cycling & cafe hopping.

At night, Hoi An is best for walking around. The lanterns are particularly worth watching at Tran Phu and Nguyen Thai Hoc streets turning the whole place into quite the festive vibe!

During the day, you should also book a Vietnamese coffee making class or walking tour with a local in Hoi An.

📍 Best area: Tran Phu Street & the waterfront

2. Cycle Through the Paddy Fields

gorgeous looking paddy fields that you should absolutely cycle on

Get on a bike and head out of the Old Town. This is non-negotiable. Every hotel and guesthouse provides bicycles, and within ten minutes of pedalling you're out of the touristy centre and into wide open countryside — rice paddies stretching flat in every direction, water buffaloes doing their thing and farmers in conical hat doing their thing.

A good way is to check out the morning countryside bike tour — I thought it was a wonderful way to get off the beaten path.

Head towards Cam Thanh village, or just follow the river roads and see where you end up

🚲 Bikes are free or very cheap from your hotel — just ask

3. Do the Basket Boat Ride in the Coconut Village

bamboo basket boat rides, touristy but you should try it out for fun!

The bamboo basket boats (thung chai) of the Cam Thanh coconut palm forest are one of those experiences that could easily feel like a tourist trap but I think for the fun of it you should still do it. You can book it here for cheap!

The guides spin them like tops to show off and it feels a bit crazy!

Many tours bundle this with a local market visit and a cooking class, which makes for a brilliant half-day. You come away with muddy shoes, a slightly dizzy head, and a new appreciation for whoever invented the round boat.

⏱ Book the full eco-tour: market + boat + cooking class

4. Lose a Morning in the Café Scene

Vietnamese coffee culture is serious business, and Hoi An is one of the best places in the country to explore it. The Old Town is packed with independent cafés: some tucked into historic shophouses, some spilling out onto riverfront terraces.

The cộng cà phê (coconut coffee) is my favourite: intensely strong drip coffee blended with sweetened condensed milk and coconut cream over ice. It's thick, cold, and slightly addictive.

Order one, grab a banh mi from a street cart, find a seat facing the street, and consider that you have nowhere to be.

Cộng Cafe, Rosie's Cafe, and Phin Coffee are all worth your time. But honestly, just follow whichever alley smells most like roasted beans.

☕ Must-try: coconut coffee (cà phê cốt dừa)

5. Cross the Japanese Covered Bridge

Built in the early 1600s by the Japanese merchant community, this small arched bridge is one of the most photographed spots in Hoi An.

The gist of the story is that the Japanese-built structure with a Chinese-style temple built into its side, sitting at the intersection of the old Japanese and Chinese quarters.

Go early in the morning before the crowds arrive and you will have some nice views of Hoi An!

🌅 Go before 7:30am for golden hour and no crowds

6. Try Lantern Making

Silk lanterns are to Hoi An what the Eiffel Tower is to Paris: you simply cannot miss them. But rather than just buying one, take a workshop and make your own (you can book it here). It takes about an hour, it's surprisingly meditative, and you leave with something handmade that will look a lot better on your wall than any souvenir shop purchase.

Lantern-making is deeply tied to Hoi An's heritage as the craft has been practised here for centuries and is considered part of the town's cultural identity.

🏮 Classes widely available in the Old Town (book it here or with a cooking class)

7. Eat Your Way Through the Street Food

Hoi An has a food scene disproportionate to its size, and several dishes here are genuinely unique to the region — you won't find the same thing made better anywhere else.

Cao Lầu is the one not to miss: thick rice noodles with pork, crispy crackers, and herbs, traditionally made with water from a specific local well.

White Rose Dumplings (Bánh Bao Vạc) are delicate, steamed, and beautiful. Bánh Mì Phượng has been called the best banh mi in the world by Anthony Bourdain: the queue tells you everything you need to know. And for something warming, a bowl of Quảng-style noodles (Mì Quảng) hits differently here than anywhere else.

🍜 Don't leave without trying Cao Lầu — it's regional

8. Cycle Out to An Bang or Cua Dai Beach or Bike Hai Van Pass

visit these beaches if you are in hoi an

Hoi An is only about 5km from the coast, which means a gentle bike ride through the countryside drops you at the beach.

An Bang is the more popular of the two, lined with beachfront bars and sunbeds: good for a lazy afternoon. Cua Dai is quieter and less developed, which I preferred. You can sit undisturbed and watch the small fishing boats come in.

Either way, the cycling route there is half the point…. you pass through villages, roadside vegetable stalls and cute cafes.

If you are adventurous, you should also try the Easyrider motorbike option that takes you on a motorbike tour to Hai Van pass.

🏖 Quieter option: Bãi biển Cửa Đại over An Bang

9. Get Something Made at a Tailor

If you don’t know, Hoi An has been a hub of skilled craftspeople since its trading port days as interestingly silk and ceramics were once its main exports which is why you have to get something tailored.

The town is packed with dressmakers and tailors, and having something custom-made is genuinely one of the better things you can do here.

Bring reference photos of what you want, be clear about fabrics and fit, and allow at least two to three days for the process.

For formal wear and suits, A Dong Silk is well-regarded. For casual linen pieces, smaller shops along Le Loi Street are worth exploring. The prices are a fraction of what you'd pay at home, and unlike most souvenirs, you'll actually use what you take back.

✂️ Allow 3 days minimum — bring inspo photos

10 Take a Sampan Boat Ride at Sunset

The Thu Bon River runs along the edge of the Old Town and at sunset it's one of the most atmospheric spots in Hoi An. Traditional flat-bottomed sampan boats line up along the waterfront near An Hoi Bridge — a short 20-minute ride costs very little. You can book it here.

Some boatspeople sell floating candle lanterns you can release on the water.

Cau An Bridge is also worth stopping on as it gives an elevated vantage point over the whole scene, especially once the lanterns start reflecting on the water.

🌅 Best at dusk — start at Cau An Bridge for the view

11. Find a Rooftop Café & Chill

i love their drip filter coffee cafe which you should try

Hoi An's rooftop coffee houses deserve a special mention. Several of the Old Town's historic timber buildings have cafés with terraces looking out over terracotta rooftiles, lanterns, and the odd French colonial facade.

Faifo Coffee is probably the most known for this. 92 Station and Memories are solid alternatives. Order whatever you like, but the Vietnamese phin drip coffee is the right call: very slow, strong, and best enjoyed with nothing to do for the next hour.

☕ Faifo Coffee has the best rooftop views in the Old Town

12. Time Your Visit for the Full Moon Festival

Every month, on the night of the full moon, Hoi An turns off its artificial lights at around 8pm and the Ancient Town is lit only by silk lanterns.

The festival boats come out on the Thu Bon River, floating candles drift downstream, and the whole evening feels pretty surreal!

If your dates happen to align with a full moon, plan to be in Hoi An that night. Check the lunar calendar before you book!

🌕 Check lunar calendar dates before booking your trip

13. Get the Hoi An Old Town Pass

If you plan to visit any heritage sites — temples, old merchant houses, assembly halls, museums — pick up the Old Town Pass first. It costs roughly $5 USD and covers five attractions from a list of around twenty.

The money goes toward preservation of the town, which UNESCO has flagged as one of the most at-risk World Heritage Sites due to flooding and its low-lying position.

The Hoi Quan Phuoc Kien Assembly Hall is one of the best on the list — a 17th century Chinese temple that's genuinely beautiful, and far less crowded before 10am or near closing time. The Old House of Tan Ky is worth a look too, full of antiques and a real sense of what a merchant's life here once looked like.

🎫 120,000 VND for 5 attractions — buy near the Tourist Information Centre or here.

14. Day Trip: Cham Islands for Snorkelling

A short boat ride off Hoi An's coast sits a small archipelago is the unique Cham Islands. I thought it was a nice break from Hoi An! You can book it here.

Clear water, coral reefs, considerably fewer people. Day trips typically include snorkelling, lunch, and a stop on the main island. A good reset if you've been overdoing the cultural circuit.

One caveat: trips only run from around April to August when sea conditions allow so it is worth building your travel dates around if beach time matters to you.

🤿 Only available April–August — book ahead in peak season

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14 Things To Do in Hoi An (From Someone Who Almost Skipped It)