Hoi An

February to April is the best time. Days are warm and mostly dry, and the sea is calm. May to August is hot and humid, but fine for the beach. September to December is the wet season. Heavy rain is common, and the Thu Bon river can flood the Old Town streets, mostly in October and November.

The monthly full-moon lantern night is the best event to plan around. On the 14th day of each lunar month, the Old Town switches off its electric lights. Lanterns and candles fill the streets, and boats carry floating lanterns on the river.

• Old Town Hội An is the heart of the visit. Most sights sit inside it, and one ticket covers entry to several of them.
• Japanese Bridge is a covered wooden bridge from the 1590s. It linked the Japanese and Chinese quarters and is the symbol of the town.
• National Heritage House of Tan Ky is a merchant home kept by the same family for generations. It shows how traders lived, with Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese details.
• Fujian Assembly Hall is a Chinese assembly hall built by traders from Fujian. It has a decorated gate and a temple inside.
• Quang Trieu (Cantonese) Assembly Hall is the assembly hall of the Cantonese community, with a decorated courtyard.
• Quan Cong Temple is a small temple to a Chinese warrior god, honoured here for protecting travellers.
• Phung Hung Old House is an old merchant house with a traditional wooden structure.
• Museum of Folklore is a small museum about local folk culture.

• Lantern night: Walk the riverside on the full-moon evening. Buy a paper lantern and release it on the water.
• Cooking class: Many classes start with a market visit and a boat ride to a herb village. You cook local dishes such as cao lau and rice paper rolls.
• Tailor-made clothes: Hoi An is known for fast tailoring. Take a photo or a favourite item, and clothes are ready in one or two days.
• Bike through the rice fields: Cycle at sunrise or late afternoon along the paths towards Tra Que and the coast.
• Lantern making: A short class teaches you to make a silk lantern to take home. Hằng Dũng Lantern Making Class & Painting Class offers this.
• Basket boat ride: Small round boats take you through the coconut palms near Cam Thanh village.

Hoi An works well as a base for day trips. The nearest options are first.

• Cham Islands: about 30 min by speedboat from the coast. Good for snorkelling and a quiet village lunch.
• Beaches and rice fields: An Bang Beach is a 15-min bike ride away. Tra Que vegetable village is 3 km from the Old Town.
• Da Nang: about 45 min by car or taxi. Visit the Marble Mountains and the Museum of Cham Sculpture, or ride the cable car to Ba Na Hills.
• My Son Sanctuary: about 1.5 hours by car or tour bus. It is a group of Cham temple ruins in a forest valley, best in the early morning.
• Hue: about 3.5 to 4 hours by car over the Hai Van Pass. Plan it as an overnight stop for the imperial city.

• By air: Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is the gateway, about 30 km north. A taxi or Grab takes 45 min and costs roughly 300,000 to 450,000 VND. Hotels and shuttle companies also run transfers.
• By train: Trains stop at Da Nang station. Take a taxi or Grab from there for the last 45 min. Vietnam Railways
• By bus: Tourist buses and shuttle vans run from Da Nang, Hue and Quy Nhon to the town centre.
• From Hue: Private cars take the scenic Hai Van Pass road. The trip takes 3.5 to 4 hours.

• On foot: The Old Town is small and flat. Cars and motorbikes are restricted in the centre at set hours. Follow the signs.
• Cycling: Bicycles are the best way to reach An Bang Beach and the rice fields. Most hotels lend or rent them for a small fee.
• Old Town ticket: Walking the streets is free. The old houses, halls and bridge need a ticket sold at booths around the Old Town. It costs 120,000 VND and covers five sights of your choice.
• Taxi and Grab: Use these for the airport, Da Nang and evening trips. There is no public transit in town.
• Boats: Small rowing boats and lantern boats leave from the riverside. Agree the price before you board.

• Is a car worth it? No, not for the town. The Old Town is for pedestrians. Use a car with a driver for day trips instead.
• Parking: Park outside the centre. Several paid lots sit on the edge of the Old Town, and most hotels have their own parking.
• Restrictions: Motorbikes and cars are banned from the Old Town centre at certain hours. Check the signs.

Hoi An has its own dishes. Cao lau is a noodle dish with pork and greens. It is made only here. White rose dumplings, crispy pancakes and banh mi are also local favourites. Fresh seafood is good near the beach.

Eat along the street stalls near the central market and the riverside food street. The market on the main road has many small food counters. Tourist restaurants often add a service charge to the bill, so check before you tip.

Hoi An is safe. Violent crime is rare. Watch for bag snatching from passing motorbikes, and keep your phone away from the road side.

• Agree prices in advance with cyclos, boats and photographers.
• Buy tickets only at official booths.
• Tailor shops can be pushy. Compare prices and quality in several shops before you order.
• Drink bottled water. Avoid ice in places that look unclean.
• Heavy rain and floods can happen from September to December. Check weather updates if you travel then.

Hoi An was a major trading port from the 16th to the 18th century. Japanese, Chinese and European merchants all lived and traded here. The Japanese built a covered bridge, now Japanese Bridge. Chinese traders from Fujian, Guangdong and Chaozhou built assembly halls such as Fujian Assembly Hall and Quang Trieu (Cantonese) Assembly Hall.

Later, the river silted up and trade moved to Da Nang. The town stopped growing, and that kept its old buildings. The area survived the war with little damage. UNESCO listed the Old Town as a World Heritage Site in 1999. The Cham ruins of My Son Sanctuary nearby are older, from the 4th to 13th century.

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