Floating paper lanterns and a wooden boat on the river in Hoi An at night

Things to Do in Hoi An

15 experiences worth your time

Hoi An packs a lot into a small town: a UNESCO-listed Old Town, a river full of lanterns, beaches, rice fields and some of Vietnam’s best food, with mountains, caves and temples within easy reach. Here are the fifteen things most worth doing, in town and on day trips.

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In Hoi An itself

  1. Walk the Old Town early. Before 8 am the yellow merchant houses, the Japanese Covered Bridge and the assembly halls are almost empty and the light is soft. The Old Town ticket (120,000 VND for foreign visitors at the time of writing) includes entry to several historic houses.
  2. Take a lantern boat ride at dusk. A short wooden-boat ride on the Hoai River, ending with a paper lantern set on the water. Best on full-moon lantern nights.
  3. Spin in a basket boat. The round bamboo boats of the Cam Thanh coconut forest are the most-booked experience in town, and great fun.
  4. Take a cooking class. Market shopping, then cooking spring rolls, banh xeo and noodle soups. Compare the options on our cooking class page.
  5. Make your own silk lantern. A two-hour workshop, and the lantern folds flat for your suitcase.
  6. Learn to make Vietnamese coffee. Egg, coconut and salt coffee, in a small Old Town workshop.
  7. Eat your way around town. Cao lau noodles, banh mi, white rose dumplings and Quang noodles; a food tour takes you to the best stalls.
  8. Get a tailor-made outfit. Hoi An is famous for its tailors; allow two or three days for fittings.
  9. Cycle through the countryside. Rice paddies, the Tra Que herb village and buffalo, on a gentle bike tour.
  10. See the Memories Show. A huge outdoor performance on the river island; details on our Memories Show page.

Day trips from Hoi An

  1. Ba Na Hills and the Golden Bridge. The cable car, the bridge held by giant stone hands and the French Village. See Ba Na Hills tours.
  2. The Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha and Am Phu Cave. Caves full of shrines and a 67-metre statue above the sea. See Marble Mountains tours.
  3. My Son Sanctuary. Cham temple ruins in a jungle valley, best at sunrise. See My Son tours.
  4. Hue via the Hai Van Pass. One of Asia’s great coastal roads and the imperial capital. See Hai Van Pass tours.
  5. Snorkelling at the Cham Islands. Coral, clear water and a fishing village, from March to September. See Cham Island tours.

Hoi An by budget

Hoi An is one of the cheapest places in Asia for guided experiences. A basket boat ride starts around $4, a lantern boat around $8 and a cooking class with market tour from about $6. The bigger day trips cost more because of entrance fees and transport: around $15–20 for My Son or the Marble Mountains, and about $45–50 for Ba Na Hills, where the cable car ticket is the main cost.

Save your budget for one big day. The town experiences cost little. If you only splurge on one thing, make it Ba Na Hills or an Easy Rider trip over the Hai Van Pass.

Experiences we would book first

Four of the best-rated activities in Hoi An itself. The day trips have their own pages below.

Traveller making a silk lantern during a combined cooking and lantern class in Hoi An
All-in-one

Cooking Class with Basket Boat, Coffee & Lantern Making

★★★★★ 4.9 · 2,095 reviews

  • 4.5 hours
  • from $30
  • 4 activities in one

An all-in-one half day: basket boat, a Vietnamese cooking class, a coffee-making lesson and a lantern-making workshop with a lantern to take home. Ideal if you have only a day or two and want the classic Hoi An activities in one booking.

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Colourful silk lanterns made in a lantern-making class in Hoi An
Keepsake

Vietnamese Foldable Lantern Making Class

★★★★★ 4.9 · 4,678 reviews

  • 1.5–2 hours
  • from $10
  • Take your lantern home

Build your own silk lantern in a small Old Town workshop, from bamboo frame to silk panels. The lantern folds flat for your suitcase. Easy, calm and a great keepsake from Hoi An.

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Cooking class table with Vietnamese dishes after a market tour in Hoi An
Best value

Market Tour, Cooking Class & Dancing Basket Boat

★★★★★ 4.9 · 3,457 reviews

  • 1–4 hours
  • from $6
  • Market + boat + cooking

Shop for herbs and vegetables at a local market, ride a basket boat through the coconut forest and then cook three or four classic dishes such as fresh spring rolls and banh xeo. One of the best-value experiences in Vietnam; choose the shorter or the full version when booking.

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Gate of the Imperial City in Hue, visited on a day trip from Hoi An
Day trip to Hue

Hue Imperial City Tour via the Hai Van Pass

★★★★★ 4.8 · 1,491 reviews

  • 8–11 hours
  • from $16
  • Hoi An or Da Nang pickup

A full-day group tour from Hoi An or Da Nang over the Hai Van Pass to Hue: the Imperial Citadel, a royal tomb and Thien Mu pagoda, with photo stops on the pass and Lang Co lagoon. The most popular way to see Hue as a day trip.

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Questions travellers ask

Its UNESCO-listed Old Town of yellow merchant houses, its lanterns and full-moon lantern festival, its tailors and its food, especially cao lau noodles and banh mi.

Yes. It is one of the most atmospheric towns in Vietnam and the best base for Ba Na Hills, the Marble Mountains, My Son and the Hai Van Pass.

Take a lantern boat ride on the river, walk the lantern-lit Old Town and night market, see the Memories Show or join an evening food tour.

Cooking, coffee-making and lantern-making classes are all indoors, as are the Old Town’s historic houses and museums.

Very. Basket boats, lantern making, cooking classes, cycling and the beach all work well with children.

Start with the most loved experience in Hoi An

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