10 Unique Things to Do in Hoi An, Vietnam

During my 10-day trip to Vietnam, I spent 4 days exploring the magical city of Hoi An. Once a bustling trading port between the 15th and 19th centuries, the city attracted merchants from China, Japan, and Europe, which left behind a unique blend of cultural influences. You’ll find this history throughout Hoi An, from the preserved wooden shop houses to the Japanese-style bridges that still exist in the Ancient Town. Hoi An is so well-preserved that it’s now recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and draws travelers from all over the world who come to wander its picturesque, lantern-lit streets.

Today, Hoi An, Vietnam is a vibrant hub for culture, food, and creativity. It’s famous for its tailor shops, street food stalls, colorful festivals and the glowing lanterns that light up the town every night. While the city is becoming quite tourist, it has kept its charm that makes it one of Vietnam’s most popular destinations.

In this blog post, I’ll share everything you need to know to make the most of you trip to Hoi An. I’ll tell you how to get there, how to get around, where to stay and the best things to do in Hoi An, with plenty of tips and personal insights from my trip to help you plan yours.

And if you’re planning a full trip to Vietnam, check out my other helpful posts about the country!

• Complete Guide to the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam
• 10-day Vietnam Itinerary: Hoi An, Ha Giang and Hanoi
• Ba Na Hills Day Trip from Hoi An, Vietnam

Is Hoi An Good for Solo Travelers?

Absolutely! While I didn’t visit solo, I know I would feel safe travelling in Hoi An as a solo traveler. It’s very touristy town, which means there are always people out and about, even late at night. My friend and I wandered through the Old Town after dark, as well as in quieter areas near our hotel, and never felt unsafe.

That said, like many places in Southeast Asia, shopkeepers and street vendors can be a bit pushy when trying to get you to stop at their stalls. It can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re by yourself. Just remember that a polite but firm. “No, thank you” goes a long way.

As always, trust your instincts and take basic safety precautions: use a crossbody bag to keep your valuable close and try to stick to well-lit streets at night. But overall, Hoi An has a very welcoming and tourist-friendly vibe, making it a wonderful place to explore solo.

Getting to Hoi An

Hoi An doesn’t have its own airport, but it’s super easy to get to from Da Nang International Airport (DAD), which is about 45 minutes away by car. Da Nang is a major hub in central Vietnam, so you’ll find plenty of domestic flights and international flights. We flew to Da Nang from Chiang Mai, Thailand, and from Da Nang to Hanoi.

Once you land in Da Nang, you have a few options for getting to Hoi An:

• Grab car: Grab is an app just like Uber that lets you order taxis on demand. It’s the fastest and most convenient option. Expect to pay around 300,000–400,000 VND ($12–$16 USD) for a one-way ride.
• Private Transfer or Shared shuttle: Many hotels and hostels can arrange a private transfer or shared shuttle, or you can book one yourself here on GetYourGuide. The private transfer will likely cost the same or a bit more than a Grab.

If you’re travelling solo and arriving late at night, I always recommend booking a private transfer in advance for peace of mind. Read my blog post 5 Things I Always Splurge on as a Budget Solo Traveler for a safe and comfortable trip!

Getting Around Hoi An

Once you’re in Hoi An, you’ll be able to walk almost every where you’ll want to go. The Ancient Town, where you’ll likely be staying, is walkable and mostly car-free. And walking is the best way to explore and soak up the history and architecture!

Biking is also popular in Hoi An. You can bike through rice paddies to the beach or to nearby towns. Many hotels offer free bikes or rentals.

If you need to go farther, order a Grab (either a motorbike or car). It’s affordable, easy and safe to use.

Where to Stay in Hoi An

There’s no shortage of accommodation options in Hoi An, from affordable hostels to historic hotels.

I stayed at Hoianese Center Hotel, and it was perfect. The rooms were beautiful, the staff were friendly and informative, and it was still budget-friendly. It’s located just outside the Ancient Town, within walking distance to all the key sites. The hotel also offered a range of tours and activities, which the staff explained to us when we checked in. We ended up booking a walking tour and cooking class through the hotel (more on these below!)

For solo travelers on a budget, I recommend choosing a hostel in the city center, such as The Imperfect Downtown or Hoi An LoveLy Hostel. They cost about $5 a night for a dorm room, and you can’t get much more budget friendly than that!

How Long to Stay in Hoi An

Hoi An is a small city, but with all the history, activities, food and day trips, you can stay there for a week without running out of things to do. I would recommend staying a minimum of 3 days to do everything in the city. Add an extra day for a day trip to Da Nang or Ba Na Hills.

We were planning on staying in Hoi An for 3 nights, but changed it to 4 since we knew we wanted to get clothes made and wasn’t sure how long it would take. In reality, the clothes only took about 48 hours (more on this below), but I’m glad we had the extra day in Hoi An. 4 days gave us time to do everything we wanted without rushing.

Things to do in Hoi An

1. Take a Lantern-Making Workshop

Hoi An is famous for its lanterns, and you’ll see them hanging everywhere throughout the city. So one of the best experiences you can have in Hoi An is actually making your own lantern to take home.

We did a class at Pho Hoi Lantern Workshop, and it was a fun, hands-on experience. First, we got to choose the color of our fabric and the instructors helped us glue it onto the lantern frame. Then we got to decorating. You can paint your lantern however you’d like, and there’s no rush. The whole process took about 2 hours, but we took our time while decorating.

The best part is that the lanterns close up making them easy to pack in your suitcase. It’s one of my favorite souvenirs from my whole trip to Asia!

2. Try a Coconut Coffee

If you try one new drink in Vietnam, it must be coconut coffee. I became obsessed with it during my trip. It’s creamy coconut milk blended with condensed milk and ice. Then they pour over a shot of super strong Vietnamese coffee, and it all melts together into a coffee coconut slushy. (In case you don’t like coconut, they also have something called egg coffee which is supposed to be just as good.)

My very first coconut coffee was at HoaChampa Coffee & Tea, a cute little café we stumbled upon on our first day. But you’ll find amazing cafes all over Hoi An, so don’t be afraid to try a few different spots. A coconut coffee is the perfect mid-morning pick me up!

3. Get Custom Tailor-Made Clothes

Hoi An is known as one of the tailoring capitals of the world, so getting clothes custom-made here is a rite of passage. My friend had been planning what she was going to get made for weeks before our trip, and since I was there I decided to get something made too. She got a matching linen top and pants set, and I opted for a top and shorts.

The tailors work very quick, and if you go early in the morning they could have clothes made for you by the afternoon. However, you should plan for the process to take at least two days, or three if you expect you’ll want adjustments. This was our three day process:

• Day 1: We brought in photos of what we wanted and were each assigned a tailor, who drew a quick sketch and made some suggestions. We chose fabrics, had our measurements taken, and agreed on a price.
• Day 2: We came back to try on the nearly finished pieces. We requested a few adjustments where the pieces didn’t fit us perfectly.
• Day 3: We paid for and picked up our completed outfits!

I paid about $75 USD for both pieces, which was more than I expected, but for custom-made clothing, I think it was worth it. We went to 45 Thu Tailor and I highly recommend them. But with there being so many tailoring shops, don’t be afraid to shop around and negotiate prices.

4. Go on a Lantern Boat Ride

One of the most popular things to do in Hoi An is taking a lantern boat ride along the Thu Bon River. In the evenings, the water comes alive as hundreds of paper lanterns float gently downstream (you can release one of these lanterns from the side of the river). For just 50,000 VND (about $2), you can hop on a small lantern boat for a short ride. Being surrounding by the glowing lanterns and the colorful lights of the Ancient City is so magical, especially if you go around sunset.

5. Explore the Ancient Town on a Walking Tour

Hoi An’s Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for good reason. It’s stunning and is packed with centuries of history. I would highly recommend doing a walking tour of the Ancient Town to learn about the history, architecture and significance of certain landmarks.

Our hotel offered a free walking tour, which ended up being one of my favorite experiences. We visited iconic spots like the Japanese Covered Bridge, Phap Bao Pagoda, Ba Mu Temple Gate, the Ancient Well, and Fujian Assembly Hall. Our amazing guide shared fascinating stories about the city’s history and how Hoi An was influenced by both Chinese and Japanese merchants centuries ago. It gave me a much deeper appreciation for the beautiful architecture and unique mix of cultures in the city.

6. Ride in a Coconut Boat

Another essential Hoi An activity is taking a coconut boat ride through the Bay Mau Coconut Forest. These round basket boats are a traditional Vietnamese fishing method, but today they’re mostly used for tourism.

This is a very touristy experience, but still so much fun. You can choose a calm ride through the mangroves or, if you’re feeling up to it, you can let your guide spin the boat super fast for a dizzy ride. It only costs a few dollars, and you can prebook the experience here.

7. Take a Vietnamese Cooking Class

One of the best ways to immerse yourself in Vietnamese culture is through the food. We took a Vietnamese cooking class where we learned to make several traditional dishes from scratch, including homemade rice paper, spring rolls, peanut sauce, banh xeo (Vietnamese pancakes), and a cold rice noodle salad.

As a vegetarian, I was so happy to be able to make meat-free versions of all these dishes. By the end of the class, I was so full and had a whole new appreciation for Vietnamese cuisine.

We booked our cooking class through our hotel, Hoianese Center Hotel, and it also included the coconut boat ride, since the school was right by the coconut forest. It was very similar to this tour on GetYourGuide.

8. Eat Banh Mi at Banh Mi Phuong

You can’t leave Hoi An without trying one of Vietnam’s most famous dishes, banh mi.

We went to Banh Mi Phuong, a very popular spot which was once visited by Anthony Bourdain. The place was very crowded, but we didn’t have to wait too long for our sandwich and were able to snag seats upstairs. I got the vegetarian sandwich which was packed with flavor!

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to Banh Mi Phuong. There are countless other spots serving delicious Banh Mi Sandwiches around Hoi An!

9. Take a Day Trip to Ba Na Hills Sun World

If you have extra time in Hoi An, I highly recommend a day trip to Ba Na Hills Sun World. It’s a fun theme park located in the mountains, about 1 hour from Hoi An. I have a full blog post about it here, with all the information you need to know about visiting!

To get to Ba Na Hills, you can either take a Grab, or book an organized tour like this one.

Once you arrive, you’ll take a cable car up the mountain, which offers jaw-dropping views of the surrounding mountains and the ocean. At the top you’ll find the Golden Bridge, the iconic pedestrian bridge held up by giant stone hands. It’s a must-see and makes for some epic photos.

The amusement park itself is very whimsical, with themed lands, beautiful gardens, and fun rides. There’s no big rollercoasters, but there are a few alpine coasters and carnival rides. My friend and I spent a few hours just wandering, taking pictures, eating snacks and enjoying the rides.

10. Bike to An Bang Beach

An Bang Beach is just a 15 minute bike ride from the old town. It’s the perfect place to relax after sightseeing. The beach has golden sand, calm waves, and plenty of little restaurants and cafes where you can grab lunch or a fresh coconut.

On the way there, you’ll bike through farms in the countryside with lush rice paddies. Most hotels and hostels offer free bikes or rentals since its such a popular activity in Hoi An.

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Final Thoughts

I hope this guide was helpful in planning your trip and gave you some inspiration for all the wonderful things to do in Hoi An. It’s truly a place that should be on everyone’s Vietnam itinerary, whether you’re traveling solo or with friends.

If you’re looking for more Vietnam travel inspiration, be sure to check out my other Vietnam posts:

• Complete Guide to the Ha Giang Loop in Vietnam
• 10-day Vietnam Itinerary: Hoi An, Ha Giang and Hanoi
• Ba Na Hills Day Trip from Hoi An, Vietnam

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