Walking around the old town at night, enjoying Cao Lau, making clothes right away, cruising on the Hoai River at night, etc. are unforgettable experiences when visiting the land that used to be “the most prosperous port trading in Southeast Asia”.

If one day you visit the “world cultural heritage” Hoi An and struggling to know what to do. Please refer to the suggestions below to feel more deeply about the life and people here.

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1. List of things to do in Hoi An – things to do in hoi an tripadvisor

Hoi An Ancient Town

Walking around Old Town at night – things to do in hoi an at night

A simple experience, you just need to step out into the street and see the old houses, lantern streets of all colors at night. The street prohibits motorbikes, so it is still quiet and free of dust. Only the ringing of a bicycle is asking for directions or hurried footsteps of visitors.

You will think that you are lost in the gala of light, a picture that combines the calm of ancient architecture with the rustic image and the excitement of modern life.

Perhaps the most beautiful is the section along the banks of the Hoai River, where the streaks of color sparkle on the water. Hoi An is even more beautiful when there are no tourists and shops, then the old town really returns to the old, most depressed appearance.

Enjoy delicious specialties – things to do in hoi an ancient town

hoi an shopping

Hoi An specialties

Mrs. Buoi chicken rice, Mrs. Minh on Phan Chu Trinh, Cao Lau, Quang noodles in Hoi An market, vermicelli and fragrant grilled pork on the sidewalk next to Cau pagoda, white rose cake, cake with little thorny leaves, green bean cake … are famous typical dishes not to be missed.

In addition to the familiar dishes, enjoy attractive grilled duck or Cau Mong calf. In the evening, you can enjoy these dishes at Cau Pagoda, where there are small eateries located close to the Hoai River, lit by oil lamps and cool natural wind.

Eat the “most delicious bread in the world” – things to do in hoi an Vietnam

Not long ago, David Farley – BBC journalist specializing in tourism and cuisine commented, “The most wonderful Vietnamese bread in the world” in the article “Is Vietnamese bread the most delicious sandwich gender? ” after eating a total of 15 loaves of bread in various shops throughout Vietnam.

One of them has Hoi An bread. Indeed, in Hoi An, there are very popular bakeries for foreign tourists, namely Phuong bread (Phan Chau Trinh), Madam Khanh bread (Tran Cao Van) and Mrs. Lanh’s bread (Cua Dai).

Hoi An bread with slices of pork, pate, cucumber, herbs and a kind of meat sauce are extremely delicious and attractive.

Enjoy lyrical music on the boat – things to do in hoi an

At night, stop at an interesting baiting shop right at the head of Cam Hoi bridge, get on the boat, to watch the moon, drink fresh beer and listen to folk artists singing sweet songs praising life and love.

If you know the guitar, join the anthem, sing together. The night space is interesting, the guitar notes are picked up, the song falls on the river floating. Go lightly, speak quietly, laugh gracefully to fully enjoy the deep lyrical night.

Coffee in Hoi An – what to do in hoi an for a day

Regardless of the time of the day, from the early morning, the sunny afternoon or in the evening, sit in any café in Hoi An is wonderful. Each café has a unique, delicate and beautiful design style.

If you want to see the Hoai River, choose cafes located on Bach Dang Street. If you want to watch the line of “national” tourists crowded on the street, sit under some flower on Tran Phu street. Quieter, stop at the corner of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street.

If you want to mingle with the crowd of locals, go into the small alleys to find a cafe. A very interesting place is the Hoi An market, where you can sit and watch the river, watch the sellers and see the boatmen play cards in their free time.

Sewing fashion items right away – the best things to do in hoi an

Hoi An has a lot of things to attract tourists from home and abroad, one of which is the shop to cut clothes, shoes, sandals, bags … taken in the day.

Forbes magazine once honored one of the “hot tailoring” shops in Hoi An because of its unique service and professional service. Only after about 4 hours, you can get the item you just ordered. The fashion style in Hoi An is very unique, trendy and the price only ranges from 15 – 100 USD.

Swim and enjoy delicious seafood – things to do in hoi an for a day

Spend a day relaxing on white sand beaches, clear blue water like Cua Dai, Bai Bang … and should ride by bike.

Hoi An also has An Bang to be among the top 50 most beautiful beaches on the planet. An Bang beach is suitable for those seeking free and quiet space.

You can drop your soul at a beach without umbrellas, tables and chairs, only waves, clear water, exposed to the bright sunshine, reading books, enjoying a light wine, or drinking a few bottles of cold beer … one Very personal experience in Hoi An.

In the afternoon, when showering and dressing, come to the seafood shops along Cua Dai beach, enjoy enough delicious and cheap dishes such as shrimp, crabs, squid, etc.

Find old houses – things to do in hoi an old town

hoi an sky

Inside the living room Tan Ky old house

Ancient houses are invaluable heritage that Hoi An preserved after many wars, urbanization and devastation from nature.

Every rainy season is Hoi An flood, there are years of history of a whole rise of a house submerged in water. But through many events, the old houses remain intact as in the beginning, both in architecture and soul.

The most famous is Tan Ky ancient house, the first house recognized as a national monument in Hoi An and this is also the place that has welcomed many domestic and foreign leaders.

Cycling around the street – things to do in hoi an by bike

Hoi An weather in summer is very pleasant in the early morning and afternoon, not too sunny and the wind is cool.

With a rented bicycle costing 25,000 VND / day, you can ride around the small streets in the old town, wandering along Thu Bon River, following the farmers to find Tra Que vegetable village and coming Cua Dai beach or Bai Bang beach.

Another interesting way to ride bicycles is the fields of rice fields, enjoying the sweet scent of rice in the wind.

Scuba diving to watch corals in Cu Lao Cham – best things to do in hoi an

Scuba diving in Cu Lao Cham

Cu Lao Cham Island is about 15 km from Old Town, one of the places not to be missed when coming to Hoi An. Tourism services in Cu Lao Cham are not yet developed, but because of that, Cu Lao Cham retains its wild character.

It is very easy to travel to Cham Island, only VND 120,000 for 20 minutes of canoeing or VND 30,000 for 2 hours on the train to the island. You can go and return during the day, go to the island to play, swim on the most beautiful beaches, snorkel and enjoy rock crabs and snails.

Folk games – best things to do in hoi an vietnam

A very happy experience in Hoi An is participating in folk games. In the evening when you have a walk and need to rest, you can stop at the top of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street or Kazik Park to enjoy yourself in the fun and bustling atmosphere in the card games, the roundabout, etc.

Wandering the corner with a camera – what to do in hoi an 1 day


hoi an town

A glimpse of Hoi An

There are many alleys in Hoi An ancient town passing through each other, creating beautiful green alleys. From the streets, throw in any lane to discover lots of interesting things: a delicious café, an unexpected low-cost tailor shop, a chicken rice restaurant, a hotel or old temples.

With the camera in hand, spend an afternoon in the lovely alleyways.

Take a ferry through Cam Kim – what to do in hoi an 2 days

Once again you can experience the feeling of floating on the river, with only 2,000 VND per turn, you will be seated on a local boat to go through Cam Kim town, where there is a very famous carpentry village in Hoi An.

Although the families of the craft are not much, but sitting on a boat going to Cam Kim, watching the Old Town from afar, breathing cool breeze on Thu Bon River is also a very personal experience.

Buy a lantern as a souvenir – different things to do in hoi an

Lanterns – a typical souvenir in Hoi An

The most common and typical souvenir in Hoi An is probably lanterns. Choose one to give to your loved one or take it home, also an interesting thing to remember about the Old Town.

Arrive in Hoi An on the full moon day – must things to do in hoi an

If you come to Hoi An on the right day of the full moon festival (the 14th day of the lunar calendar), you are really a lucky person. On this day, Hoi An ancient town turned off all the lights and hung up on the brilliant lanterns, dropped flower lights of the river.

It is really a great space for those who love the tranquil beauty of Hoi An ancient town. In addition to the full moon day, you can go to Hoi An on other special days such as Miss Thien Hau, Vu Lan, Lunar New Year, etc. to be immersed in the unique cultural beauty of the land. Hoi An ancient town is small, but will need a lot of time to understand.

2. Some things to avoid when exploring the ancient town of Hoi An – things not to do in Hoi An

Go into the rainy season

The most appropriate time to go to Hoi An is around January to July. Visitors should avoid going to Hoi An during the rainy season at the end of the year.

The old town is located on the Hoai River so it is easy to be flooded when it rains heavily. Hoi An rainy days are often absent and quite gloomy, traveling and eating in small alleys are also inconvenient.

Take a motorbike to the old town

Many streets of Hoi An prohibit motor vehicle travel by the hour. Specifically, the roads of Tran Phu, Nguyen Hue, Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa and the entire street in front of the Square (along Hoai River) are restricted to motorcycles at 9:00 – 11:00 and 15:00 – 21:30 every day of the week.

Hoi An old town is not too big, you can walk, bike or ride a cyclo to slowly explore every corner.

Dressed in disgust

Hoi An has many spiritual relics such as Phuoc Lam, Chuc Thanh, Long Tuyen, etc. so visitors should wear polite attire when visiting the sanctuary. There have been cases where visitors have been denied entry because of wearing pants, skirts are too short.

Jostling, pushing

Peak tourist season, Hoi An is very crowded. Some famous attractions or eateries are often overloaded. If you come to the old town at this time, be patient to wait in line to wait, don’t push.

When strolling around the old town, visitors are also advised not to bring large capacity speakers, avoid noise in public places.

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