Romantic lights, colorful lanterns, delicious coffee, numerous shops, boats on the river and colourful houses. This unique charm can only be found in Hoi An. The French, Japanese and Chinese influence is particularly noticeable between the many alleys of the Old Quarter.

Hoi An has long been a UNESCO World Heritage Site and therefore attracts numerous travelers from all over the world every year

In this blogpost you will find everything you need to know when you visit Hoi An. And of course I tell you the best things you definitely have to check out in Hoi An:

Best time to visit

The best time to visit Hoi An is between February and July. This is the dry season, so you can expect little to no rain. However, it can get very hot in Vietnam during this time. In principle, however, it is not a problem to visit Hoi An or Vietnam all year round. Even during the rainy season there are still many hours of sunshine and it usually rains only a few hours a day.

How long will you need

If you would like to explore Hoi An without being in a rush, you should plan three to four nights. But the Old Quarter in particular is so beautiful and offers so much that it is definitely worth staying in Hoi An for more than four nights. I myself spent three nights in Hoi An, which was enough for me personally.

How to get around

There are several ways to get around Hoi An. Since the city and it’s surroundings are not that big its easy to rent a bike at your accommodation and cycle around the area.
If cycling in the heat is too strenuous for you, you can also rent a scooter from your accommodation.
If you don’t dare to ride a bike or a scooter in the chaotic traffic of Hoi An, you can also take a taxi. The cheapest taxis can be found in the Grab app.
Another option to get around is the cyclo. The cyclos are particularly well-known in the Old Quarter of Hoi An. A cyclo is a bicycle that is ridden by a local while the tourist sits in a seat in front. You can relax, lean back and take in all the sights in the Old Quarter.

Where to stay

Since I mainly focus on backpacking and low budget traveling, I will only make recommendations for hostels here. Of course there are also numerous hotels and guesthouses in Hoi An you can find on booking.com!

The best and cheapest hostels that can be found in Hoi An are Bed Station Hostel, Mad Monkey Hostel and Fuse Old Town Hoi An. All these hostels are cheap and not far from the city center. In addition, most backpackers stay there, so it is easy to meet new people. Hostels can easily be booked through Hostelworld.

10 Top Things to do in Hoi An:

Explore the old Quarter

Hoi An is known for its well-preserved old town with its numerous canals, alleys and colorful houses. You can spend hours slowly strolling the streets admiring the French & Asian style houses. In addition, Hoi An is known for its many shops that sell tailor-made clothes at reasonable prices. In just 24 hours, the customer receives their chosen item of clothing, which was specially made for them.

Enjoy a coffee

Vietnam has numerous coffee shops to offer, but the coffee shops in Hoi An have a special charm. Hoi An’s Old Quarter is lined with cute coffee shops. In the Faifo Coffee Shop you can either sit comfortably inside the café or enjoy the view over the roofs of the old town on the roof terrace. Vietnam is best known for its Egg Coffee and Coconut Coffee, both of which you must try.

Join the Coconut Basket Boat Tour

An absolute must do experience in Hoi An is the Coconut Basket Boat Tour. In the Coconut Village, which is only a few kilometers from the city center, you have the opportunity to be paddled across the river by one of the locals in the well-known basket boat, which has the shape of an open coconut.There’s a huge party going on in the middle of the river. Loud music plays and locals dance on stages in the water while tourists watch in the basket boats. You also have the opportunity to get spined in one of these boats.The price to enter the Coconut Village is 30 000 Dong. You have to pay another 150 000 Dong to do the Basket Boat Tour.

Visit the beautiful temples

There are many beautiful temples in the Old Quarter of Hoi An. The Guan Di Temple, which is famous for it’s bright gold and red colours, which is typical for Chinese temples, is particularly worth seeing.
It is also worth visiting the Ba Mu Temple. This temple is an example of the typical style of Vietnamese architecture.
Remember that as a woman you always have to cover your knees and shoulders when visiting temples in Asia.

Join a lantern making class

Hoi An is famous for the many colorful lanterns in the old town. Make and design your own lantern at a Lantern Making Class in the Old Quarter. The Vietnamese see the lanterns as a symbol of luck, happiness, and wealth.In the Lantern Making Class, an experienced English speaking instructor will be by your side and will help you step by step to make your own lantern.

Stroll around the local markets in the Old Quarter

In the Old Quarter of Hoi An there is a huge market with numerous stalls. Here you can experience the hectic life of the locals and get lost in the crowds of visitors and honking motorbikes.From fresh fruit, vegetables and meat to beautiful bracelets and necklaces, Hoi An market stalls have just about everything.

Rent a bicycle and explore the rice fields

Almost every hostel or accommodation in Hoi An allows you to rent a bike to explore the surrounding area. Especially outside of Hoi An town, there are many paddy fields to explore.
If you like, you can also take part in an organized bike tour and not only admire the rice fields, but also take part in a cooking class or get to know the locals in the villages better.

Explore the Lo Gauch Cu

If you are cycling through the rice fields, you should definitely make a stop at Lo Gauch Cu. This is an old abandoned brick factory in the middle of the peaceful rice fields, far away from the hustle of he city. The Lo Gauch Cu Brick Factory is a very cool spot to take pictures. Right next to the Lo Gauch Cu Brick Factory is a cute little coffee shop where you can enjoy the view of the Lo Gauch Cu Brick Factory and the rice fields while drinking a Vietnamese coffee.

Stroll around the old quarter at night

As soon as the sun goes down and the sky gets dark, colorful lights and lanterns appear everywhere in the alleys of Hoi An’s old town. The colorful lights on the river and boats give a romantic feeling. The Old Quarter is the perfect place for a romantic evening stroll after dinner at one of the many restaurants Hoi An has to offer.

Go on a boat tour across the river

Especially in the late evening when the sun goes down and the lights slowly come on everywhere in the Old Quarter, a boat tour on the Thu Bon River, which flows across Hoi An, is worthwhile.
Especially at night you can admire the many colorful lights on the water and in the Old Quarter. A boat tour in Hoi An definitely has a romantic charm.

If you would like to know, what I experienced during my time in Hoi An, please read my blogpost Between the romantic streets of Hoi An – Vietnam Travel Diary.