The Top Things To See In Hoi An (The Best Hoi An Tourist Attractions)
Last Updated: December 6 2020
Hoi An is a beautiful romantic city and is a must when travelling through Vietnam. Hoi An’s ancient town is a UNESCO world heritage site and is a Southeast Asian port that dates from the 15th to 19th century. There are so many things to see in Hoi An, and we would love to go back one day.
Imagine beautiful Vietnamese lanterns, the buildings all painted in bright colours and the colourful boats which sit on the Thu Bon river. This is what awaits you in Hoi An, and why it must be on your Vietnam travel itinerary!
In this blog post, we are going to go through the best things to do in Hoi An. We will include the most popular Hoi An tourist attractions and why you need to visit them. We spent a total of 3 nights in Hoi An so we had time to explore this beautiful city.
The Best Things To See In Hoi An
There are so many places to visit in Hoi An, so make sure you have plenty of time to see it all. Here are just some of the spots in this beautiful town that you need to visit.
Thu Bon River
The Thu Bon river runs straight through the centre of Hoi An. It is the perfect spot to have a walk and relax, and you can even go on a boat ride here.
There are also plenty of restaurants located at the side of the river, so the perfect place to grab some local food!
Japanese Covered Bridge, Hoi An
The Japanese Covered Bridge is one of the most popular attractions in Hoi An. The bridge dates back to the 18th century and was built by the Japanese, who once lived in Hoi An. It is a historical piece opened by Nguyen Phuc Chu Lord in 1719.
The bridge has seen some renovations take place in 1986 but it is still a Hoi An must-see. It has two sculptures built into it; two dogs and two monkeys which symbolise the years in which many Japanese Emperors were born.
The bridge is free to look at if you are staying within the town otherwise you may have to pay an entry fee to the ancient town. At night the bridge lights up in lots of different colours and it is beautiful. It is a Hoi An must-see attraction!
An Bang Beach
An Bang Beach is the most popular beach in Hoi An and is found at the end of the main road Hai Ba Trung. The beach has a large number of restaurants and bars making it a nice destination if you want to relax.
An Bang is very popular with tourists and locals alike and can get pretty busy, particularly in the late afternoon. You can hire a lounger at the beach for anywhere between 10,000 to 50,000Vnd (50p-£2) depending on where you go.
The best way to get to the beach is by bicycle or scooter. It doesn’t take too long and the scenery on the way is beautiful. The parking fee for bicycles here is around 5,000 to 10,000Vnd (25p-50p).
Hoi An Night Market
The Hoi An Night Market has over 50 local vendors, who each sell a variety of things and is found on Nguyen Hoang Street. The market sells all sorts, including traditional handmade clothes, jewellery and lots of local cuisines.
Hoi An market is one of the most popular attractions here and a must for any traveller! The food at the market is very tasty too, with Banh Xeo and Banh Mi being popular dishes.
Banh Mi is a tasty sandwich dish which is a baguette filled with meats, spices and vegetables. Banh Xeo is a savoury fried pancake made with rice flour, water and Tumeric which usually have a choice of fillings. For these dishes, you will be looking to pay anything from 10,000 to 25,000Vnd (50p-£1.50) depending on how many fillings you choose.
Another tasty food in Hoi An is the sweet banana pancake, and they are delicious! At the market one thing you need to do is haggle the prices down because vendors try and charge tourists a lot more.
In some circumstances, you will want to try and haggle down to around 60% less than what they are asking. If there aren’t many tourists in the queue with you, they will probably lower the price anyway.
Hoi An at night – The beautiful Vietnamese lanterns
Whilst visiting the night market, you should also take a walk around the rest of Hoi An. The town becomes vibrant thanks to all the lanterns that light up at night. They are all different shapes, sizes and colours which makes for some pretty cool photo opportunities.
It gets very busy in Hoi An at this time of night, but it’s worth it. We suggest you walk along the river and then up to the main street to look at all the lanterns. It is also a good time to find a restaurant and get a nice vantage point from there. The lanterns are one of the best things to see in Hoi An’s ancient town.
Cycle around Hoi An
A lot of Hoi An’s centre is cut off from cars and motorbikes so it’s very safe to travel by bicycle. Most places you stay in Hoi An will have bicycles to rent but they will vary in price.
We stayed at Flower Garden Homestay, and they let us take the bike for free for a few hours instead of charging us for the whole day.
The best cycle route in the centre of Hoi An is probably along the river. The route isn’t very long but it offers great views of the beautiful architecture. There are also some brilliant spots to sit by the river and get great photos.
If you want to go cycling outside of Hoi An you can book a tour from Heaven and Earth Cycle Tours. The tours they offer are suitable for any level of fitness. They offer rides from 9km to 50km. The tours take you through traditional villages and rice paddies.
You can find the tour company at this address in Hoi An: 61 Ngô Quyền, Phường Minh An, Hội An, Quảng Nam, Vietnam. Alternatively, you can check their website out by clicking here!
Take a cooking class
Vietnam has such incredible cuisine and it is delicious. What’s better than taking a cooking class and learning how to make all these delicious dishes!
Hoi An has some great options for a cooking class, with plenty of hotels offering free cooking classes. They even take you to the local markets so you can buy your ingredients.
Where to stay in Hoi An
It is important to stay in the centre if possible so you are close to the attractions in Hoi An. We stayed in a place called Flower Garden Homestay. The lady that runs it is wonderful and the rooms are beautiful. We paid £9 a night for a double deluxe room with an ensuite. This accommodation also lets you organise tours and onward travel.
There are also plenty of great restaurants located nearby. Flower Garden Homestay is definitely the place you should check out first. You can book it by clicking here!
Medium Budget accommodation
Casamia Hoi An Villa- £19 a night for a king room with garden view and breakfast.
A Tran Boutique Hotel- £26 a night for a deluxe double room.
High Budget/Luxury accommodation
Little Riverside Hoi An, A Luxury Hotel & Spa- £75 a night for a king suite with a city view and a superb breakfast.
Anantara Hoi An Resort- £173 a night for a deluxe room with a balcony.
How to get to Hoi An
We made our way to Hoi An from Mui Ne by overnight bus. The overnight buses in Vietnam are amazing because they are super comfortable. Each seat is a long bed instead of just a seat so they are cosy. The journey took 13 hours but we slept for about 9 hours so it wasn’t too bad!
On the journey, you also get given bottled water and some snacks to keep you going. Most bus tour companies also provide you with a blanket.
To book a bus simply ask your hotel, because most of the accommodation in Vietnam can help you book onward travel. If not just head to a local travel agent. You can also travel to Hoi An from Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City among other places.
Onward travel from Hoi An
From Hoi An we got a taxi ride to Da Nang as it was only a 45-minute journey. The lady at our accommodation booked the taxi for us.
You can also travel to the likes of Hue and Ninh Binh from Hoi An by bus. Hoi An is located in central Vietnam, so you can go to a lot of other places from here.
We hope this post has given you an idea of the top things to see in Hoi An city. We fell in love with Hoi An and would recommend anyone travelling to Vietnam to stop off here.
Have you ever been to Vietnam? We would love to know which place was your favourite if you have!
Jack & Abbie
P.S. Why not keep up to date with our travels on our Facebook page by clicking here!
MORE VIETNAM BLOG POSTS!
3 Week Vietnam Itinerary (Ho Chi Minh to Hanoi – The Complete Guide)
Top Things To Do In Mui Ne, Vietnam (Where You Need To Visit)
The Best Budget Travel Accommodation In Vietnam
5 Places You Need To Visit In Hanoi
Where To Find The Best Views Of Hanoi City In Vietnam
Visiting Ninh Binh – A Must-See Destination In Vietnam
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Things To Do In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
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I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
