We often find ourselves in UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and Hoi An was one such location. Along the coast of Vietnam, the ancient city of Hoi An was founded as a trading port in 1595. This picture-perfect town blends Chinese, Japanese and European influences with modern-day Vietnamese culture and traditions. The town is exceptionally well-preserved, which makes its vibrant yet old architecture very authentic. In fact, the layout of Hoi An reminded us of an Asian version of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia – click here to see photos and see what we mean.

How to get to Hoi An?

Surprise! There is no airport or train station in Hoi An. Instead, you’ll need to plan on arriving at the city of Da Nang which is a little less than an hour north from Hoi An. You can then choose to stay in Da Nang, or head over to Hoi An for the rest of your time here. If you do fly into the Da Nang Airport and need a ride to Hoi An, try booking through DanangTransfer here. It’s just one less thing to worry about.

Getting Around

Before heading to Vietnam in general, here are things to consider. First, invest in a 24/7 mobile 3G WIFI device from KLOOK. Why is this important? Well, unless you have a local phone and sim card, chances are you won’t have internet. And that may be alright for some travelers, but I personally prefer to have some internet access in case of emergencies, to use a mobile navigation system or to even look up restaurants.

The KLOOK team made the transaction remarkably smooth, and that’s in addition to being very reasonable. The WIFI device was dropped off at our hotel the day before our arrival and all we had to do at the end was leave it with the reception at departure. Bonus: we arrived at a different city than the one we left from, yet another reason we loved this service and the flexibility of pick-ups/drop-offs. Here’s the service we highly recommend – if you’re interested, sign up on KLOOK here and get $5 off.

The second thing you’ll want to do is to download Grab. Grab is the equivalent of a local Uber or car-sharing service. The application is very easy to use and gives you the option to pay in cash or via card.

Getting around in Hoi An itself is pretty simple since it’s mostly a pedestrianized zone. Walking hours around the ancient town are 8:30 am – 11:00 am and 3:00 pm – 9:00 pm – although they can change depending on the season. What does that actually mean? If you’ve been traveling through Vietnam already, you must have noticed the millions (not an exaggeration) of vespas and motorbikes. During walking hours, all motor vehicles are prohibited, which makes it very easy to walk freely.

Where to stay in Hoi An

One of the most important aspects of visiting a new city is locating the best place to stay. Here’s what we wish we knew before traveling to Hoi An. Remember that Da Nang is a little less than an hour away from downtown Hoi An. You’ll need to decide if it’s more important for you to stay near the airport/train station, or if you’d rather be in the middle of all the action in Hoi An itself.

There are definite pros to staying in Da Nang. First, you’re going to be incredibly close to the beach, which is always a bonus. Second, again if you’re relying on flying or taking a train to get around Vietnam, Da Nang has easy access to both.  Where to stay in Da Nang? The city is massive, so we’ll focus on accommodations near the beach. You’ll find many boutique hotels and chic villas around the coastal town. Here are our favorites: The very budget-friendly John Boutique Villa is our top choice, mostly because of their “out of this world: complimentary breakfast menu, otherwise a wonderful upscale option is the oceanfront Premier Village Resort.

The pros of staying in Hoi An don’t really need to be spelled out. But do know that the hotels surround the downtown area, versus being scattered throughout the town itself. Here’s where we would have stayed to be near the ancient city: MaiChi Villa, since it’s very cozy and less than a ten-minute walk to city center. We don’t recommend staying right on the water since it can get pretty busy & loud in the evenings.

What to do in Hoi An

Our favorite thing to do in Hoi An was genuinely just walking down the colorful streets and getting lost in the alleyways. There are plenty of important sites and historic buildings in town that you’ll need to check out. But first, Hoi An is a preserved World Heritage Site, which means that it’s constantly being restored to maintain its authentic charm. Although not required, it’s highly recommended to purchase an entry ticket into Hoi An – think of it as a donation. You can find small booths on the outskirts of the town that sell passes for as little as $5. The passes also allow you to explore and enter the temples you’ll find while wandering the streets.

Notable buildings you might pass are the Japanese Bridge, the Fujian Assembly Hall or the Quang Trieu Cantonese Assembly Hall, all within a very short time wandering. Hoi An is also incredibly popular for its affordable tailor-made clothes. You can seriously find tailors at every corner of the town.

You will undoubtedly stumble upon the central market, which is incredibly chaotic and fun at the same time. The stalls offer a variety of different foods and home goods – from cooking utensils, to fresh fish and fruits, and even all types of noodles. Don’t worry, you can learn more about the market in one of our favorite Hoi An tours – just keep reading.

Now, let us tell you about a very unique activity to experience in Hoi An. If you have some time to spare, and by some time we mean 4-5 hours – DO NOT, I repeat, do not pass up the opportunity to go on a coconut boat tour. The tour is jam-packed with a cruise down the river, a ride in a coconut basket boat, crab fishing and a mouthwatering cooking class.

What’s a coconut boat? These nifty bamboo-woven boats are used by locals for fishing, and have many names including coconut boats, basket boats and bamboo boats. The legend is that when the French took control of Vietnam in the 1800s, they imposed hefty taxes on all fishing boats. Locals outsmarted the system by designing the coconut boats and argued that they weren’t boats at all, but just floating baskets. The French government actually accepted this argument and relieved the fishermen from paying the taxes.

The tour starts off at a pickup point in city center, then through the famous central market. This is where you’ll pick up your fresh vegetables, noodles, and other necessities for cooking. Thankfully, your guide will explain everything along the way, and will do the haggling for you. Here, you’ll also sample some traditional Vietnamese snacks and witness the everyday hustle of local vendors.  After the outdoor grocery shopping experience, you’ll head to the pier and enjoy a cruise down the Thu Bon River in a real boat. Afterwards, you will reach the Coconut Boat Village in Cam Thanh, just east of Hoi An. Here you’ll learn how to make the best traditional Vietnamese dishes. Book the same tour we did here!

Right as the sun sets, Hoi An completely transforms into a magical lantern-lit extravaganza. Remember that in this little city, you’ll constantly be surrounded by water and lanterns. Imagine combining the two into one activity. Try going on a short boat ride down the river to light and release a lucky lantern. If this isn’t for you, you can always marvel at the rainbow-colored lanterns from a distance over one of the many bridges.

Hoi An comes to life in the evenings – things get especially fun at the night market! Hundreds of pop-up shops and vendors line the streets at night, selling everything from souvenirs to street food. This is also prime time to vendor-hop and pick the perfect lantern to take home.

Where to eat in Hoi An?

Luckily you cannot go wrong with Vietnamese food, even in one of the most tourist populated cities in the country. What should you expect to eat in Hoi An? Well, first of all, we think that Vietnamese coffee deserves its own recognition. The sweet and refreshing mélange of coffee and condensed milk, whether hot or cold, is unbeatable – and very unique to this region.

The main traditional dishes to try are Pho (obviously), Banh Xeo, a crispy savory turmeric pancake, Banh Mi, a cold-cuts baguette sandwich with secret sauces, and Cao Lau, a signature dish of Hoi An, which is essentially all of the contents of Pho but without the broth. Here’s where we went for coffee breaks and delicious meals around Hoi An.

For caffeine-chasers and coffee-lovers, one of the most popular rooftop cafes is Faifoo Coffee. Its location is prime, with a terrace overlooking Hoi An. And of course, they serve great Vietnamese coffee. If you’re after a western breakfast, Rosie’s Café is an incredible choice. Next for light snacks and refreshing juice options, is The Bird House. This little shop is right on the river and only a few steps away from the famous Japanese Bridge – a must try.

Onto the good stuff. Here’s a list of some great sit-down restaurants that serve warm traditional meals. The two most traditional, and delicious, meals we had in Hoi An were at Miss Ly and Wrap & Roll.  For yet another city view, 92 Station Restaurant & Café is a good choice both for the food and ambience.

Excursions

Hoi An is a little former trading port, and despite that, it’s packed with history, beauty and entertainment. But don’t miss out on taking a few day trips around town. Be sure to visit Marble Mountain, which is located in Da Nang city. This is yet another fascinating place in central Vietnam. This attraction is actually a group of 5 marble and limestone hills that make up one large mountain that are peppered with pagodas, temples, caves, tunnels and shrines. It’s quite an overloaded hike, so remember to dress appropriately for the event.

To get to the summit of Marble Mountain, you can either climb up 156 steps or save your energy for exploring and opt to take an elevator. We chose the elevator option to go up and walked down instead. Views from the top are remarkable and directly oversee the Non Nuoc Beach. Besides the many opportunities for panoramic views, another signature stop on the mountain is the Huyen Khong Cave – and they’re all well worth the trek.  

If you prefer to be picked up in Hoi An and hike the mountain with a guide, here’s the tour we recommend.

One day trip we really wish we went on was the My Son Sanctuary excursion. This is the tour we had our eyes on, but we heard from some locals that it wasn’t worth the drive. We’re still not sure if skipping it was the right decision.

And that’s a wrap from one of the most colorful towns in the world – and our new favorite city in Asia. Are you traveling to Vietnam? Make sure to hop on over to our adventures up in Sa Pa here. Below is a list of a variety of tours to check out in Hoi An as well – safe travels.

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