Hoi An is located in central Vietnam with a population of over 120,000 people. Hoi An is a UNESCO ancient town with more than 2,000 years of history. Back in the 16th and 18th centuries, it was a major port and where you can see European and Chinese influences around the city. What are the things to do in Hoi An Vietnam?
Hoi An is a historic district called Old Town Hoi An where its buildings and street plan reflect the blend of European and Chinese influences. As well as the architecture around the city you can enjoy the amazing local food, temples, and history. There are plenty of tailor ѕhорѕ, café, and restaurants in the old town. Also there are 2 good beaches where you can relax.
In this post, we will go through things to do in Hoi An Vietnam. Let’s get started!
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Is Hoi An Worth Visiting?
Hoi An is definitely worth visiting for a few days especially if you are interested in relaxing by the beach and exploring the old town. Cua Dai beach is a good beach to visit and relax for the day.
Is Hoi An Expensive?
Hoi An is still quite cheap compared to other places in Vietnam but prices are increasing slowly.
Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam
Hoi An is a popular city in Central Vietnam. The city has an architectural influence dotted around the city from the European and Chinese. As well as there has been a good range of restaurants in the old town.
Here are some of the best things to do in Hoi An Vietnam.
Explore The Old Town
The ancient town of Hoi An is small but is a UNESCO town. It was once the main trading port in the area so has a mix of different influences from the Chinese to the Europeans. When exploring the streets of the ancient town, you will see a clear mix of different cultures from street buildings to temples.
The old town is closed to motorbikes at certain times of the day. This is normally between 9 am-11 am, 2 pm-4 pm, and 6.30 pm-9 pm.
Note, that there is an entrance fee of about US$6 to enter the old town. You should keep the ticket when entering the old town.
They do not check it every time but it’s easier in case. This is not well advertised, it’s not the most professional setup nor are the people you are collecting the money and they don’t act it either.
Relax At The Beach
There are two beaches in Hoi An and the temperature averages around 25°C which is a nice temperature. The first beach is Cua Dai Beach which is about 5 km from the town center, it is a popular beach in Hoi An but for that reason, it is a little more expensive and busy.
Cua Dai beach has a 3 km stretch of white sand and gentle waves, the beach is relatively quiet most of the time apart from weekends and public holidays. The deck chairs on the beach are owned by the restaurants to use these you will have to pay a fee or at least buy dinner or drink.
The second beach is An Bang Beach this is not as busy as Cua Dai but it’s about a 10-15 mins drive outside of Hoi An. It’s relatively unspoiled but restaurants are available when necessary. Taking a deck chair is also free but the nearby restaurants expect that you buy at least a drink or dinner.
Admire Quan Cong Temple
Founded in 1653, this small temple is dedicated to three famous generals. With Quan Cong in the middle and the other two guards. Then Chau Thong the civil mandarin on the right and Quan Binh the administrative mandarin on the left.
The three symbolize bravery, loyalty, and virtue.
See The Monthly Full Moon Lantern Festival
Every 14th day of each lunar month, Hoi An’s old town center changes where lanterns provide the old town with light, creating colorful candlelit lanterns.
For the lanterns festival, the street lights are turned off and the streets become traffic-free. Locals do this to honor their ancestors outside their homes by burning fake dollars.
Visit The Temples Of ‘MY SON’
Yet another UNESCO heritage site in Vietnam, it’s roughly about 50 km outside of Hoi An, it took us roughly 1 hour to get there. My Son temples are a cluster of abandoned and partially ruined Hindu temples constructed between the 4th and the 14th century.
During the Vietnam War, this site was heavily bombed, and almost all temples were partly destroyed. It’s no Angkor Wat which is well maintained, so you can’t compare My Son temples to it. But My Son’s temples won’t disappoint.
Buying a ticket allows for entry was 120,000 dong which allows you to visit five historic attractions. There are several meeting halls and ancient houses to look through.
I would recommend getting a group to gather and get a taxi and spread the cost. 2 hours is plenty of time and if you can, get there early to avoid the crowds. Plus, take plenty of water.
Visit Phung Hung Old House
The house is over 200 years old and has 80 columns on Marble bases. The columns and wood of the house are still in their original condition. The house floods to about 1.2 to 1.5 meters and as such, they have a trap door on the 2nd floor to bring their things upstairs when it floods.
The family that lives there now makes and sells embroidered tablecloths and gifts to visitors to the old house.
Get Tailor-Made Clothes
There are a lot of tailors in the old town that can make custom clothes. If you are not backpacking or traveling for an extended period, may be worth considering.
Plus, getting a tailor-made suit in Hoi An will be a lot cheaper than in Europe or North America. Hoi An has a load of tailors to choose from that can make everything for you, from suits, dresses, shoes, and bags.
But beware, the price and quality can vary between different shops. So it’s best to check Tripadvisor first!
Shop At The Central Market
Vietnam is full of markets and Hoi An is no exception. The Central market is in the Old town. There are always bargains to be found in the market, don’t be afraid to barter.
As a rule of thumb, half whatever price you initially get from the street traders and haggle from there. You can pick anything up from local street food to fragrant spices, tropical fruits to small souvenirs, and even clothes.
USEFUL TRAVEL RESOURCES
Book Accommodation
Booking.com has a large range of properties from hotels, hostels, guesthouses, and resorts where you will find the best deals. Airbnb and Hostelworld also have a good range of places to stay at good prices.
Booking Flight
Skyscanner is a flight search comparison website that searches millions of flights all at once. Ultimately it is the best flight comparison website online at the moment.
Booking Transportation & Things To Do
Rome2rio and 12Go are useful to plan how to get anywhere by searching train, bus, car, and ferry routes. Especially useful in countries like Vietnam or Thailand. While Klook is great for exploring things to do in each place.
Travel Insurance
Travel insurance is cheap and more than likely you will never need to use it but you will have peace of mind if something does happen, you are covered in case of an emergency. World Nomads have great customer service and competitive prices.
Check out our resource page for the best companies to use when you travel.
Wrapping Up
Finally, Hoi An is a beautiful city in Vietnam, and would recommend that you take the time to visit Hoi An. As well as the architecture around the city you can enjoy the amazing local food, temples, and history. There are plenty of tailor ѕhорѕ, café, and restaurants in the old town. All you have to do is choose the stuff you prefer and start enjoying what Hoi An has to offer.
And that’s it for now! I’d love to know if this guide on things to do in Hoi An Vietnam has helped you. Let me know if you have any questions and let me know if there is more to add.
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