Hoi An in Central Vietnam is a beautiful heritage town along the banks of Thu Bon River. Hoi An Ancient Town is peaceful and fresh during the day time and it glitters with beautiful lanterns in the night as you walk along river side and the streets of old town.
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From 16th to 18th Century, Hoi An used to be a major trading port because of its location along River Thu Bon. Later as river gradually silted up due to continuous flood, Hoi An lost its status of significant trading port but it still stands intact with its exceptionally preserved heritage and architecture.
Hoi An Ancient Town has its own graceful vibe and it is fun to explore around as more than 800 buildings in Hoi An have been preserved making it look as it was centuries ago. Here are the top things to do for your day trip to Hoi An Ancient Town –
1. Visit Hoi An Old Town Japanese Bridge – A Symbol of Japanese Architecture
Japanese Covered Bridge (Cau Chua Pagoda) is major attraction of Hoi An. It was first constructed by Japanese community in 16th century to connect with Chinese Quarters and still stands today. This Landmark wooden bridge is still a resemblance of original Japanese Architecture (Arch restored in 1986) featuring elaborate carvings & a pedestrian passageway.
2. Explore the charm of Hoi An Old Houses
While more than 800 houses have been preserved in Hoi An, 18 of them are open to visitors. It is quite difficult to visit all of them, so you can select few as per your interest and time available. Tan Ky House is the most famous of these Hoi An Ancient Town Old houses. Built some 2 centuries ago, this has been lovingly preserved across 7 generations and has an amalgamation of Japanese and Chinese Architecture. Phung Hung Old House, near Japanese Covered Bridge is another old house that can explore.
3. Enjoy Vietnamese Folk Music and Dance at Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theatre
This is quite unique as you happen to enjoy 30 minute show of Vietnamese Traditional music and dance. This show is included in the ticket of Old Town and worth a walk. Folk artists play melodious music on their traditional instruments while young dancers put all their energy to display dance moves of traditional folklores. There are 3 shows each day ( 10:15, 15:15 and 16:15). There are number of masks on display at ground floor.
4. Appreciate the Unique mix of Architecture at Hoi An Assembly Halls
Hoi An has many Assembly halls with unique wooden carvings and a mix of Vietnamese and Chinese Culture and Architecture. Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation is the most famous of all, now converted to a temple of Thien Hau. There are 3 more Assembly Halls in Hoi An for i) Hainan ii) Chaozhou and iii) Cantonese Chinese Congregation.
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5. Loose your path as you go for Hoi An Old Town Riverside walk
This is the second best experience of exploring Hoi An (Of Course !! best is to watch glittering shadows of Vietnamese silk lanterns on Thu Bon River at night). A road next to the river and then there are these streets which randomly criss-cross through the Ancient Town.
You would love to walk through this stretch of history as you will loose your path more often and gain a part of Hoi An every time. A rustic look of old heritage yellow buildings holding beautiful lanterns and wrapped in creepers climbing on their walls and trees in streets – It all fills the place with a sense of warmth and companionship. And as you take detours to walk out of ancient town, you will land in Hoi An buzzing markets.
Here are the pictures of my day walk through Hoi An Ancient Town –
6. Hoi An Ancient Town at Night – Glittering and Sparkling with Vietnamese Silk Lanterns
This is the best Hoi An experience. As sun sets leaving behind a crimson trail, its place is taken by glowing Vietnamese Silk Lanterns. You will not believe the experience till you see it by your eyes. It is such a soul-soothing sight to see glittering shadow of silk lanterns in river water as boats sail under the bridge. Whole Hoi An Ancient Town gets alive with these lanterns hanging in streets. If you are planning to visit Hoi An, do extend your day visit to evening and then to night for this loving experience.
Here are my pictures of Hoi An Ancient Town glittering with these Vietnamese Silk Lanterns –
Hoi An also hosts full moon lantern festival each month. You may check dates here.
Beyond Hoi An Ancient town, you may also head to Hoi An markets, its museums, tailor shops and also Hoi An beach. Hoi An has a lot to explore beyond its culture and heritage.
Hoi An Old City Entrance Fee/ Ticket Booth
Hoi An Ancient Town (Old City) Ticket costs 1,20, 000 Vietnamese Dongs and it allows you entry for five attractions (old houses, museums, theater, assembly halls etc) within Old City Area. Ticket remains applicable for 2 days (day of issuance and next day) and every attraction you visit, official tears a slip off your ticket. You can buy it from old town ticket booth next to the town bridge (Location here).
Hoi An Ancient Town Opening Hours – Different attractions have varying opening hours but usually most of them open from 8 AM to 5 PM.
Da Nang to Hoi An
Hoi An is around 30 kilometers from Da Nang Airport and is around an hour drive away. I had stayed at Da Nang only and found it quite convenient to drive a rented bike to Hoi An. It is a nice drive all along the beach. In case, you are staying in Hoi An itself, you may directly book a cab from Da Nang Airport or alternately use GRAB (Cab on request) for a drop. GRAB operates cab services between two cities.
Hoi An Old Town Dress Code
There is no prescribed dress code for Hoi An Old Town. Visitors are requested to dress modestly.
We hope that this helps you plan your Hoi An Trip better and enjoy this special heritage town of Vietnam. Please feel free to drop us a comment in case you need any additional details or want to add more to our list.