Hoi An: Vacation, Sights, and Practical Information

Imagine a city where time slowed down several centuries ago. Narrow streets with yellow colonial facades, drowning in the light of hundreds of silk lanterns in the evenings. This is Hoi An - a living open-air museum and one of Vietnam's gems, listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. People come here not only for impressive photos but also for unique shopping in dozens of tailor shops, for excellent beaches 20 minutes away, and for that special romantic atmosphere rarely found elsewhere.

But be prepared: over 15 years it has transformed from a quiet town into a popular, sometimes overcrowded tourist resort. In this guide, we will honestly tell you how to get maximum pleasure from Hoi An, avoiding the main pitfalls.

What kind of vacation in Hoi An and why come here

Hoi An is a small city in central Vietnam, on the coast of the South China Sea. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Hoi An is one of Vietnam's popular tourist destinations. The city is located 25 kilometers south of Da Nang, on the banks of the Thu Bon River, and a few kilometers from the coast with magnificent sandy beaches (Hoi An on the map of Vietnam resorts).

Hoi An, also known by its ancient name Faifo, was an important and very busy trading port in the 16th-17th centuries, one of the key trading centers of all central Vietnam. Later, the trading center moved to Da Nang, but in the heart of Hoi An - the old town, the spirit of an ancient trading city has been preserved to this day. Today it is a center of tourist shopping, artists, craftsmen, performers, and also attractive for its large number of tailor and shoe workshops where they can make anything for you.

In 1999, Hoi An was recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage site as an example of a Southeast Asian trading city from the 15th-19th centuries. It is also called an open-air museum city, and for good reason.

To date, there are more than 844 officially recognized objects of historical significance here. Among them are ancient Chinese houses, temples, trading shops, public buildings, assembly halls, and tombs. Here you can spend hours walking along picturesque streets, viewing numerous assembly halls of Chinese communities, charming ancestral homes, some of which are already inhabited by the fifteenth generation of the same family. We can confidently say that Hoi An is one of Vietnam's most romantic resorts, and definitely the most photographed.

You won't be left without excellent beach relaxation either. Hoi An's beaches are magnificent: sandy, not crowded, convenient for swimming. In some places along the shore, palm trees bend right down to the water, and elsewhere there are beautiful casuarina trees. Here, right on the beaches, real round Vietnamese fishing basket boats with gear are stored.

However, you need to clearly separate your goals and travel duration to Hoi An, which is related to the resort's geography. The beaches are far from the center, the closest is 4 kilometers away. So if you're coming here for a couple of days, you can forget about the beaches, as all your time will be spent on walks, visiting sights and excursions. But if you have a week or more, you can settle in the beach area of the resort and additionally go to the center for walks and sightseeing. We talked about this in detail in a separate guide about "Beaches and districts of Hoi An and where to stay", read it and you'll understand everything.

Another type of vacation in Hoi An is diving. Of course, you won't find diving in the city itself, but on the nearby Cham Island (Cham Island) there is a whole diving school, and prices there are considered among the lowest in the world.

Our videos about Hoi An

If you prefer watching videos instead of reading or want to visually understand the resort's atmosphere, we've made a video guide about Hoi An for you:

• 🎥 Breaking down Hoi An, part 1: getting to know the city, hotel, about shopping
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 Breaking down Hoi An, part 2: diving deeper into the city and getting to know the infrastructure
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 Breaking down Hoi An, part 3: sights, single ticket, beaches and conclusions
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 Review of a budget hotel in Hoi An and how much it costs
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 Review of a guesthouse in Hoi An
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 What happened to Hoi An - be sure to watch before your trip
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 Motorbike rental in Hoi An - real price and what you need to know
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 Marble Mountains of Da Nang: what they don't show tourists
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• 🎥 My Son ruins and how to visit them
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video
• ❤ All our Vietnam playlist
  Watch on: RuTube | VK Video

Hoi An Infrastructure

Hoi An can safely be classified as one of the most developed tourist places in Vietnam, and it can easily even give a run for their money to such famous resorts as Mui Ne or the Bikini Beach areas of Phan Thiet. The city is packed with guesthouses and hotels, travel agencies, transport rentals, offers of all kinds of tourist services, from massage to car rental with a driver. Tourist services here have developed so strongly and are offered so actively that already on the first day of walking around the center, you'll get tired of persistent touts and sellers. But this is if we're talking about the center. If you stay in Hoi An not in the center, but somewhere on the outskirts in the countryside or in a hotel near the beach, then the situation there might be completely different, more modest. About everything in a bit more detail:

Shopping in Hoi An: markets, tailor shops, and souvenirs

There are no large shopping malls in Hoi An (the nearest ones are only in Da Nang), but there are plenty of small stores where you can buy everything you need. If you need electronics, go to the chain store Thegioididong.com (at the intersection of Hai Ba Trung and Ly Thuong Kiet) or small local stores, they have everything. For cheap groceries, drinks, ice cream in chain supermarkets WinMart, Bach Hoa Xanh (cheapest) or local Moonmilk.

But the most magnificent shopping is offered by local craftsmen, because that's what this city of artisans is famous for. There is a huge variety of souvenirs, clothing, shoes, household items, jewelry and all this is very inexpensive if you buy correctly. All this is sold in countless shops and at the main clothing market or tailor market (on the map). Clothes are also made to order there, they can make anything. Souvenirs are sold at every step, during excursions, but special places of concentration are the embankment near the market and the night market on An Hoi island.

If you want to buy fruit, the biggest variety is at the local market Cho Hoi An (on the map) or at the Cho Ba Le market in the village (on the map). Prices at Cho Ba Le are lower than at Cho Hoi An, but overall both are almost 2-3 times more expensive than what you can buy at the market in Da Nang. But even with that, by our standards everything is very cheap.

Travel agencies, rentals, tickets

There are plenty of both in the center or historical area of Hoi An. The main concentration of them is on the river embankment and the parallel Nguyen Thai Hoc street, Hai Ba Trung street (many motorbike rentals here), Tran Hung Dao street. but in principle, you'll find all this on any street or alley in the center. If you stay not in the center but on the beaches, you can order excursions, rentals, and bus tickets through the hotel reception or guesthouse hosts, but you won't have a choice and comparison of prices in different places, so you'll probably have to overpay a bit.

Food in Hoi An: where and what to eat, prices in cafes and markets

As in any place in Vietnam, public catering in street cafes, restaurants, food courts and night markets is excellently developed in Hoi An. Moreover, for Hoi An, cuisine is more than just food, it's part of the cultural program of your stay. In numerous atmospheric cafes and restaurants, which light their Hoi An lanterns in the evenings, you can taste incredible delicacies, because this is a city of artists and craftsmen, and chefs here are also a kind of artists. But now let's get down to earth and talk about the details:

The town used to be proud of its pleasant and relaxed atmosphere of family restaurants, many of which have been feeding visitors for several generations. But in recent years, the situation has changed. The city has been flooded with mass tourists, including local vacationers, and from calm romantic establishments, some restaurants (let's face it - most of them) have turned into overcrowded canteens. You won't be able to dine leisurely and enjoy the view of the river with lantern-decorated boats. There will be noise and commotion nearby, scurrying tourists, screaming children, and with all that, you might even be rushed to eat faster and free up the table.

The reason is that in the evenings, a "tourist landing" is brought to Hoi An from Da Nang on dozens of large buses, and therefore after 5 pm finding a free seat in a restaurant on the embankment or even in a rundown local cafe is not easy. But what's even worse, by 8 pm some establishments start closing their kitchens because everything has been eaten.

We know all this and are telling it from our experience of the last two trips to Hoi An over the past year at different times, and before it was different. Of course, you won't go hungry here and you can always find something to eat somewhere. But we personally encountered this situation a couple of times when we weren't prepared for it and, not having managed to eat in a cafe in time after 8 pm, we were forced to go far into the residential area and look for local cafes there. Perhaps your experience will be different or the situation will change, but you just need to be prepared for this.

Now about prices and specific places we've tried where you can eat:

• The main Thu Bon river embankment from the center side on Bach Dang street on the map - a place with the most beautiful and historical family establishments. You should eat here at least once, the views here are stunning and very fun (now even too much). Prices here are above average for Hoi An, check per person from 150,000 dong (5.7 USD).

  

• Night market on An Hoi island (on the map). The main feature here is street food from stalls. Barbecue from sausages, seafood, fresh fruits, shakes, cocktails and a bunch of other interesting things. At the end of the night market there is a street food court with tables and mobile kitchens. You can eat at the food court from 100,000 dong (3.8 USD), but on street fast food you can unnoticeably spend 200,000 (7.6 USD).

  

• An Hoi island embankment (on the map). This is where establishments with the most beautiful views of the Main Embankment from the center are located. It used to be cheaper and quieter, but now many noisy bars have opened here and everything is packed to capacity, prices have risen sharply. Check per person - from 150,000 dong (5.7 USD).

  

• Food court inside Cho Hoi An market (on the map). This is a simple inexpensive food court with local flavor. This is one of the cheapest places in the center where even locals eat, but prices here are still a bit higher than at other similar food courts at other resorts. You can eat with a drink from 80,000 dong (3.04 USD).

  

• Anh Xi Cafe (on the map). A tiny family cafe in a narrow alley where they cook simple but tasty Com Ga (chicken rice) for only 25,000 dong (0.95 USD). The place is dirtycolorful, with plastic tables and chairs, but super popular. We visited it several times, and in the evenings it was always packed with local tourists, so sometimes we couldn't even get a free table there. What the secret of its popularity is, we don't quite understand, but visit it and try to figure it out yourself.

  

• Food court near Cho Ban Le market (on the map). Located about 3 kilometers from the center, but we 100% recommend visiting it if you want to immerse yourself in local flavor and eat like locals. You'll have to eat at plastic tables outdoors or under an umbrella, but it's really tasty and inexpensive here. For 40,000 (1.52 USD) you can get an excellent portion of rice with chicken, for 50,000 with seafood, and for 80,000 they'll make a grill for you. Plus, dishes are served with salad, herbs, rice paper and sauces.

  

Where to buy a SIM card

In our experience, it's most convenient now to buy a SIM card online (physical or esim) with pickup at the airport or delivery to the hotel. We've tested this method, it works great with pickup at Da Nang airport. You'll overpay a bit compared to the official price at a mobile store, but it will be cheaper than buying at the airport or in travel agencies. Also, online payment will allow you not to exchange money at the airport at a not very favorable rate.

• Buy esim in Vietnam on trip.com
• Buy a physical card on trip.com with delivery to the hotel or pickup at Da Nang airport

If you couldn't buy at the airport, you can:

1. Buy at street travel agencies or trading shops (recommended for short vacations up to 2 weeks). SIM cards with tariffs are sold everywhere, just walk around the center streets and pay attention to the signs. They are sold with a markup and not registered in your name, but for a short vacation of a couple of weeks this is not a problem at all.
2. Buy at an official mobile operator store (makes sense for independent travelers on a long term). More tariff choices, cheaper price, registered with your passport. But you'll first have to find an official operator office, and spend 30-60 minutes there. In central Hanoi, there are official offices of local operators, you can find the nearest one on Google Maps)

All about tariffs, which one to choose and how to buy we told in a separate guide about SIM cards in Vietnam.

Currency exchange and bank cards

There's plenty of currency exchange in Hoi An. They exchange in all trading shops and at the market. But the best rate is in jewelry stores and workshops near the market. If you have amounts from $300, we advise going there immediately. Larger amounts from $1000 make sense to exchange in Da Nang at exchange offices again near the central market, Han market, etc. But we told about this in more detail and where these points are in a separate article about Da Nang.

Bank cards are widespread, there are many ATMs. You can pay with cards without commission in chain stores and large centers, at gas stations. Small shops and stores, even hotels and guesthouses usually add an extra 3-5% to the bill for card payment.

Russian Unionpay cards work well, Mir cards are not accepted anywhere in Hoi An. You can withdraw money from a Mir card only in Da Nang, but the conversion rate and commissions are unfavorable. We honestly and reliably told about all these issues in separate updated guides, we advise you to read them:

Hotels and accommodation in Hoi An, where to stay

A budget guesthouse of the "to spend the night" type with air conditioning, free Wi-Fi and hot water can be found for $15-20 for a double room. Some hotels manage to "squeeze" simple breakfasts into this cost. From $25 you can even find a hotel with a pool, but only on the outskirts or near the beaches, since in the old town there are almost no hotels with pools.

Booking in advance in the low season may not be necessary, but it's clearly more convenient than wandering the streets looking for accommodation on the spot. In the high season from January to August, we definitely advise taking care of accommodation at least a few days in advance, especially if you have specific preferences for hotel services and quality and the trip falls on holidays or weekly weekends.

You can find and book accommodation in Hoi An with online payment by bank card on these reliable tested sites:

• 🛌 Search for hotels in Hoi An on Trip.com (👍 Mir cards work)
• 🛌 Search for hotels in Hoi An on Yandex.Travel
• 🛌 Search for hotels on Ostrovok.ru

How much does a trip to Hoi An cost? Budget for 2026

Based on current prices, we have compiled an approximate daily budget for different travel styles. Important clarification: accommodation prices in the table are given for a double room, and the final daily budget is already calculated per person (i.e., the room cost is divided in half). Other expenses are individual.

Prices are shown in Vietnamese dong (VND) and approximately converted to rubles at the current exchange rate. Note that these are expenses in Hoi An itself, excluding flights and expensive intercity excursions (e.g., to My Son or Ba Na Hills).

Approximate daily budget per person in Hoi An in 2026 (in Vietnamese dong, VND)

Expense Item	Budget Option	Comfort Option	Notes
Accommodation (night, price per person)	120,000 – 300,000 dong (4.56-11.4 USD)	400,000 – 1,000,000+ dong (15.2-37.99 USD)	Guesthouse away from center; 3-4* hotel with pool near beach or boutique hotel in center. Price per room.
Food (breakfast, lunch, dinner, water)	150,000 – 250,000 dong (5.7-9.5 USD)	350,000 – 600,000+ dong (13.3-22.79 USD)	Street food, markets, simple cafes; restaurants with river view, seafood, coffee in atmospheric places.
Transport (per day)	20,000 – 50,000 dong (0.76-1.9 USD)	80,000 – 200,000 dong (3.04-7.6 USD)	Walking/bicycle, occasional taxi (Grab); motorbike rental, frequent taxi rides.
Entertainment (per day)	0 – 120,000 dong (up to 4.56 USD)	120,000 – 500,000+ dong (4.56-19 USD)	Walks, beach; Single ticket for sights (120,000 dong), excursions, cooking class, spa.
Souvenirs, communication, miscellaneous	50,000 dong (1.9 USD)	200,000 dong (7.6 USD)	Water, SIM card, small purchases; buying souvenirs, clothing, accessories (without major custom tailoring).
TOTAL per day per person*	340,000 – 770,000 dong (12.92-29.25 USD.)	1,150,000 – 2,500,000+ dong (43.69-94.98 USD.)	*Assuming two people sharing a room. Excluding transport to Hoi An and airfare.

Weather in Hoi An by month: when is the best time to go?

Hoi An, along with Da Nang and Hue is located in central Vietnam, and accordingly these cities have the weather of central Vietnam. It is a year-round resort, but at certain periods of the year there is a time when vacation may not be very comfortable.

• 🌞 Dry season (high season) from January to August, and the ideal time to visit is the period from May to August.

• ☔ Rainy season (low season) from September to December, sometimes even through January - not the most successful time for Hoi An. There can be frequent rains, most precipitation falls in October and November. It is precisely in the period from September to January that you can seriously save on your trip, as hotels drop prices sometimes up to 30%. But the bad thing is that sometimes in September-October typhoons, heavy rains and floods can hit central Vietnam, so this period is not recommended for purely beach vacations.

Tourist seasons in Hoi An

Current weather in Hoi An and forecast for the near future:

How to get to Hoi An

Hoi An is located 770 kilometers from Hanoi and 800 from Ho Chi Minh City, and 20 kilometers from the nearest major city and resort Da Nang (Hoi An on the map). Da Nang most often is the main entry point to Hoi An, as it houses the main transport hub of central Vietnam: Da Nang International Airport, railway station, and a large bus station, which even receives international buses.

However, this does not mean at all that you always have to get to Hoi An only through Da Nang. Direct scheduled buses go to Hoi An from major cities and resorts in Vietnam, and also in local travel agencies you can buy convenient tourist tickets with transfers between different types of transport and delivery from hotel to hotel or at least from district to district, which is very convenient. In general, transport in Vietnam and in Hoi An in particular is very well developed, so there won't be big difficulties getting here from any point, you just need to plan your route correctly. To start, here are short instructions by directions:

• From Da Nang. With a group or individual tour (now this is the most popular way), or independently by taxi, bus, rented transport. You can visit Hoi An from Da Nang within a day by any means.
• From Da Nang airport, railway station or bus station. Taxi from 400,000 dong (30-40 minutes) or with transfer on city buses for 38,000 dong in total (can take 2-3 hours).
• From cities in Russia, CIS and other countries. It's best to fly directly to Da Nang airport by international flight. But if you can't find tickets or the price doesn't suit you, you can fly to Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi or Nha Trang, and from there by bus, train or again by plane on local airlines.
• From Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. It's best to fly (1 hour 20 minutes) to Da Nang, and from there by taxi. You can also go overland by direct bus (cheapest, 14 hours on the road), or by train to Da Nang.
• From Nha Trang. From Nha Trang there are direct flights (1 hour) to Da Nang, trains to Da Nang, or direct bus to Hoi An (10 hours).
• From Da Lat. There are direct flights (1 hour) to Da Nang, or bus (13-14 hours).
• From Mui Ne/Phan Thiet. From the Mui Ne resort area there are no buses here. From Phan Thiet bus station there is a direct bus (13-15 hours) to Da Nang. Or go to Ho Chi Minh City airport and take a plane to Da Nang there. But considering the time to get to the airport, it won't be much faster.
• From Phu Quoc. By plane direct flight 1 hour 45 minutes to Da Nang. It makes no sense to travel overland, as it will take at least two days.
• From Hue. There are direct bus services, you can buy them in travel agencies and hotels, travel time 3 hours.
• From other cities in Vietnam. From almost any place you can get/fly to Da Nang, and there transfer to a taxi, and in 30 minutes you'll be in Hoi An.
• From Laos. There are direct buses from Vientiane to Da Nang.

This is just a brief overview of possible routes. Read more about all ways to get to Hoi An, including the intricacies of transfer from the airport, schedules and buying tickets for trains and buses, in our full guide on routes to Hoi An.

Transport in Hoi An and how to get around the city and surroundings

The small size of Hoi An and the developed tourist infrastructure provide several convenient options for getting around. The choice depends on your plans: sightseeing in the historical center, trips to the beach, or exploring the surroundings. Here is a brief overview:

• Walking is the best way to get acquainted with the old town. Hoi An is safe at any time of day. Note that in the evening some streets by the river become completely pedestrianized, and bicycle entry there is prohibited.
• Bicycle rental is an inexpensive option (from 50,000 dong, 1.9 USD). Ideal for trips to the beach (about 4 km from the center) or rides around the outskirts. In the center itself during rush hour it can be crowded. Many hotels offer bicycles for free, but their condition often leaves much to be desired.
• Taxi and motorbike-taxi are convenient for longer trips. Grab and Xanh Sm apps work. Approximate fares: ride within the center - from 40,000 dong (1.52 USD), to the beach - from 60,000, to Da Nang or the airport - from 400,000 dong. Motorbike-taxi will cost about half as much.
• Motorbike (scooter) rental - in our opinion, this is the best way for independent trips around the surroundings: to Da Nang, Marble Mountains or My Son ruins. Rental costs from 120,000 dong (4.56 USD) per day, with rental for several days you can negotiate a discount. For legal driving on the roads, an international driver's license with category "A" will be required.
• Cyclo (rickshaw) - this is more of a tourist entertainment and photo experience than practical transport. A short ride around the center costs from 100,000 dong, but the price needs to be actively discussed.

These are just the key points. In our full article on Hoi An transport you will find details on the best rental places, parking tips in the center, current prices.

Hoi An sights, what to see

It's hard to single out any separate sights in the city of Hoi An, since its entire center as a whole is a sight, because there are more than 844 officially recognized monuments of historical significance here. Many of the old buildings in the city preserve such features of traditional architecture that are rarely seen today elsewhere: for hundreds of years, shop facades have been closed at night with traditional wooden shutters; the roofs of some houses are made of red "Yin and Yang" tile slabs. And in the rainy season, due to high humidity, lichens and mosses on the tile slabs and building walls come to life, painting the walls bright green.

In addition to independent sightseeing in Hoi An, excursions around the city and its surroundings are offered by street agencies and hotels. Among the most popular are trips to the Marble Mountains, visiting My Son ruins, bicycle tours around the surroundings, city tour, Hoi An silk village, diving or snorkeling tours to Cham Island, fishing, cooking classes, lantern making workshops, silk village, Ba Na Hills and Golden Bridge on hands, tour to Da Nang, riding in a round basket boat, river cruises. The choice of excursions is huge, and it's hard to recommend something specific, it all depends on your preferences. But you can focus on real tourist reviews about excursions in these online booking systems, and book the tour you like right there:

• 📷 Excursions in Hoi An on Trip.com (accepts Mir cards 💳)
• 📷 Excursions in Hoi An on GetYourGuide
• 📷 Excursions in Hoi An Sputnik8
• 📷 Excursions in Hoi An Tripster

If you decide to get acquainted with Hoi An closely and in detail on your own, and especially with the Old Town, then you will need to buy a single ticket. It allows you to visit 25 of the most popular sights included in a single route through the historical part of the city. Separate one-time tickets for their visit are not provided.

The ticket can be bought online on trip.com (accepts Russian cards), or for cash at pavilion ticket booths around the city. The ticket costs 120,000 dong, comes with a map and description of the main tourist locations.

Here is our TOP-5 places to visit with the Hoi An single ticket:

• Traditional Show (Hoi An Traditional Performance House). Shows at 10:15, 15:15 and 16:15.
• Hoi An Museum
• Ancient Tan Ky House (Tan Ky Old House)
• Quan Cong Temple
• Minh Huong Communal House

In addition to historical places, here you can and should visit one of the large-scale and unique shows, take an evening cruise on the Thu Bon River, release a night lantern on the water, ride in a round basket boat, take a cooking course, make your own Hoi An lantern, straw hat or fan, order tailoring of a fashionable item or a pair of shoes from local family workshops. And that's not all. We told about all the sights and tourist activities in a separate article "What to see and do in Hoi An (complete list)", and also see our separate selections via these links:

• Where to go and what to see with children in Hoi An
• Where to walk in Hoi An and the most beautiful locations for photos
• Top-10 sights of Hoi An: what to see first
• Ready-made routes around Hoi An for 1-3 days, so you don't miss anything

🕒 3 May, 2026