Hoi An is a quaint charming little town located on the coast of central Vietnam. It’s known for beautiful lanterns, yellow-painted walls, textiles, and delicious food. It’s one of my favorite little towns in Vietnam, dare I say the world. There are so many unique things to do in and around Hoi An, that you should definitely plan to spend at least 3 full days here exploring. I’ve crafted up a full guide with everything to see and do plus the best places to eat and where to stay!
Keep reading 👇 for my Ultimate Guide to Exploring Hoi An!
Things to Know Before You Go
Every month for the full moon, Hoi An celebrates with their lantern festival. Accommodations can book up quickly and be a little more expensive during these few days. Be mindful of when the Lunar New Year Festival falls if you’re planning to travel during January or February. Vietnam celebrates Tet holiday and things can get busier and more expensive.
Climate: It’s a very tropical climate with warm weather nearly all year round. Hoi An experiences two seasons, dry and wet seasons. The dry season is typically from February to August and wet season is September to January.
Best time to go: It’s naturally going to be more crowded during the dry season. If you want to avoid the crowds and rain, it’s best to go during shoulder season [January or September].
Language: Vietnamese but you’ll often find people that speak a little English
Money: Vietnamese Dong (VND). ATMs are located all over the city in Vietnamese and English. Many hotels, restaurants, and stores take VISA and AMEX cards.
Travel Insurance
SafetyWing is truly an insurance company for Nomads, by Nomads. It’s designed to meet the medical and travel needs faced by Digital Nomads and other remote workers while they are outside of their home country. Coverage is mainly intended for long-term travelers which makes it ideal for Digital Nomads!
In terms of payment, SafetyWing uses a subscription-based payment system on a monthly basis instead of all up front and the rates can be as low as $42/month. Therefore, it’s truly a budget-friendly option!
Get a quick quote for your travel dates 👇
One of my favorite features is that SafetyWing may even offer you some medical coverage in your home country which is extremely rare in travel insurance and makes SafetyWing stand out from the rest.
Pros of SafetyWing Travel Insurance
- The monthly subscription model
- Can cover medical expenses when overseas
- Up to 2 children under 10 per family (1 per adult) can be included on your insurance free of charge
- Limited medical coverage in your home country
Cons of SafetyWing Travel Insurance
- Not as many travel insurance perks as other companies
- No coverage for personal electronics
Read this post The Best Travel Insurance for Every Type of Traveler for an in-depth review of the top 3 travel insurances.
How to Get to Hoi An
✈️ Airport: Da Nang International Airport is located about 1 hour from Hoi An. It’s super easy to arrange a ride with your accommodation, use the Grab APP, or flag one of the many taxis outside of the airport. On average, it’s about 300,000 VND ($12 USD) from Da Nang to Hoi An. Anything more than 380,000 is a rip-off! There are many direct flights to Da Nang domestically within Vietnam as well as from Bangkok, Taipei, Seoul, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Chiang Mai, and Tokyo.
🚌 Bus: Buses run between Da Nang and Hoi An twice a day in the morning and afternoon. The cost is roughly 250,000 ($10.80 USD).
🚂 Train: Trains within Vietnam in general [plus surrounding Thailand, Laos, & Cambodia] are a very common and safe form of travel. The train arrives in Da Nang and you’ll have to arrange transportation with your accommodation, use the Grab APP, or flag down a taxi from the train station.
Getting Around Hoi An
Depending on where you are staying, Hoi An is quite a walkable town. As a solo female traveler, I can say that it is safe to walk around at night. There are a few things spread out further or day trips that you may not want to talk to, so here are some other options:
🚲 Bicycle: Most accommodations in Hoi An offer bicycles for guests to borrow or rent. If yours doesn’t, there are plenty of bike shops around town to rent from.
Grab is the Vietnamese version of Uber. There are 2 options when you’re using the APP – Car or (Motor) Bike.
🚙 Grab Car: Grab Cars are a great option if it’s raining, there are multiple people, you have a lot of stuff, or you’re simply not comfortable jumping on the back of a motorbike.
🛵 Grab Bike: Grab Bike is definitely the most budget-friendly option for getting around. It’s usually only 15,000-30,000 VND ($.60-$1.20 USD) depending on the time of day and how far you’re going.
Where to Stay
Flora Villa Boutique Hoi An is in an ideal location; less than a 10-minute bicycle ride to An Bang Beach and less than a 15-minute bicycle ride to Hoi An Ancient village. The surrounding area is quiet making it the perfect place to enjoy some downtime. Trust me, there are plenty of ways to relax at Flora Villa Boutique without even leaving the property.
As you step behind the white Flora Villa wall, you’ll enter an oasis of lush greenery with accents of bright pops of hot pink and yellows surrounding the pool. Take a dip in the pool, book a massage in the open area studio looking over the pool, or lounge around the pool and read a book. There are so many adorable cozy little spaces.
where you’ll sleep
Flora Villa is a great location for a yoga retreat or a relaxing girls’ getaway as there are only 8 bedrooms. Each room is equipped with all the necessities for a cozy stay -including strong fast WiFi for remote workers and AC + a standing fan. I absolutely loved the minimalist design with soft lighting, wicker lighting fixtures, and pops of local art. The high ceilings and natural light flooding into the room made me feel like I was waking up in paradise each day – which I guess I kinda was! The rooms on the top level have a big patio to enjoy the sunrise/sunset (depending on which side you’re on) and I enjoyed reading and journaling out there. [Don’t forget your bug spray!]
the community
One thing that I found unique about the villa that you don’t find at other boutique hotels is the emphasis on building community. There are big long tables for family-style eating, an open shared kitchen for home cooking, and a pool table in the entryway. It’s so subtle but if you know me, I absolutely loved this aspect.
While in Hoi An, I was traveling solo and eating all of the local food. But for a long stay or a retreat, it’s ideal. It would be lovely to shop at the local markets, cook, and eat as a group at the villa.
the area
There are plenty of things to do outside of the Old Town. Staying at Flora Villa Boutique is a great happy medium to explore all that Hoi An has to offer.
- Right down the street is the Tra Que Vegetable Village. A unique experience to interact with the local farmers and see what’s growing!
- A 10 minute bicycle ride from An Bang Beach, local shops, and restaurants.
- Bike 15-minutes to get to Hoi An Old Town for a day of exploring.
Where to Eat
Download this map 👇 for all the best places to eat during your visit to Hoi An!
Learn to Cook Like a Local
This is the second time I’ve joined Coconut Tours for their Hoi An Eco Tour and Cooking Class, so I think that in itself is a fantastic review. It’s one of the best tours I’ve done and one of my favorite things to do while visiting Vietnam. The tour includes a market tour, a basket-boat ride with local fishermen, and a cooking class. Read my full review in this post here.
A Taste of History at UNESCO World Heritage Sites
The Old Town of Hoi An was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. While all of Hoi An is quite charming, you might not know when you’re in the right area. The best way to tell you’re in the cultural heritage area is the lack of motorbikes. There are signs at the beginning of streets indicating it’s a walking and biking street only.
It’s free to walk around Old Town but if you want to check out the attractions you’ll need to purchase a ticket for $6 USD. The Old Town entrance ticket includes the 6 family old houses and communal houses, museums, temples & pagodas, and the Japanese Bridge.
Make Your Own Lantern Souvenir
If you’re looking for a unique experience to take a piece of Hoi An back with you, a lantern-making workshop is it! There are a few options depending on how much time and effort you want to put into the workshop. The first option requires about 2.5 hours and is roughly $15 USD (350,000 VND). A guide will assist as you assemble bamboo pieces and build your lantern frame plus the material around it. The other option is about 1 hour and costs $9 USD (200,000 VND). The frame is already pre-assembled, so you’ll just work on the material outside.
The lanterns fold up quite small, so they are easy to transport back home in your suitcase. They make a great souvenir or gift from your travels!
Wander the Streets for Photos
As you walk through Old Town you’ll see yellow walls, unique architecture, and of course…colorful lanterns! Any time of day is nice to enjoy Hoi An’s Ancient Village. But if you want to grab photos like this 👇 then you’ll want to get an early start. The crowds start as early as 8am and in busy season, tour buses roll in with hundreds of people. Plan an early morning for the sunrise and catch the glow across the river and snap photos without anyone in them.
If you’re solo, it’s best to go early because you can set up your tripod and set your stuff down without worrying about the crowds of people. Obviously, still keep an eye on your stuff!
Relax at the Beach
An Bang Beach is a short 15-minute bicycle ride from Hoi An Ancient Village. You’ll find smoothie shops, restaurants with local dishes and Western dishes, and several vendors offering lounge chairs on the hot white sand. If you’re looking for a little more peace and quiet, head further down the beach past the lounge chairs.
Watch the basket boats arrive with fresh catch of the day, boats out on the water taking tourists parasailing, and vendors selling artwork and jewelry strolling down the beach.
Design a New Wardrobe
Hoi An has specialized in tailoring for hundreds of years. Known for their textiles along the Silk Road in the 15th century. It’s the best place to get custom-made clothing but with over 500 tailors here, it can be overwhelming to pick one. I visited Thuong Tailor based on a personal recommendation. I was blown away by the quality, choices of designs and fabrics, and the turn-around time.
Arriving with pieces I wanted to be duplicated as well as pictures of a set I wanted to be made, I was a bit hesitant about how the pieces would turn out. But Ty & Anh were so fun to work with that I left feeling super confident. When I returned the very next day for a fitting, I couldn’t believe that all 11 pieces were done. I had a few alterations and they said they’d be finished in 5 hours if I wanted to pick them up!
Eat the Best Banh Mi in Town
Anthony Bourdain put Banh Mi Phuong on the map when he said it’s the best Banh Mi in the world. Since then, you’ll easily be able to find this spot. Just look for a long line out the door and a packed restaurant. The line moves quickly and is 100% worth it! Grab a seat outside or on the first or second floor. (A lot of people have no idea that there’s an upstairs).
I chose a different route than copying Anthony Bourdain’s famous order of “special with a little bit of everything”. I got the Tofu and Avocado…I know, I know this isn’t traditional. But I’ve eaten so many Banh Mi’s in Vietnam and like to mix it up. It was honestly the best Banh Mi I’ve ever had in my life! Packed with melt-in-your-mouth flavor with a crispy fresh baguette stuffed full to the brim, it was worth the 50,000 VND ($2 USD).
There is also a rival Banh Mi spot. Madam Khanh the Banh Mi Queen comes in a very close second with Banh Mi Phuong in my opinion.
Day Trip to My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage Site of abandoned ruins of Hindu temples. They’re some of the most impressive in SE Asia and definitely worth a visit. Located just an hour outside of Hoi An, it makes the perfect half-day trip. Book a guided tour here to get the full experience of My Son Sanctuary. It includes a hotel pick-up in an AC bus, an English-speaking guide with a full history lesson, an Apsara dance performance, a local lunch, and a boat ride back to Hoi An .
Explore Ancient Village Lanterns at Night
It’s an absolute must to visit the Ancient Village of Hoi An during the day and night! The colorful lanterns you see during the day light up the town at night. Every restaurant, building, and even boat is decked out with lanterns. The river glows with all of the long boats making it a picture-perfect moment on shore or by water. Grab a ticket from one of the street kiosks for $6 USD (150,000 VND) and take a picturesque boat ride. Walking through Old Town you’ll find live music, street vendors painting and carving, and different night food snacks. Some of my favorites include banana nutella pancakes, mango cakes, and ice cream rolls.
Head over the bridge to find the buzzing night market. You’ll find everything from food vendors, clothing, trinkets, souvenirs, and even Insta-worthy lantern walls. Take a photo like this 👇 for $.50 USD (15,000 VND.
Is Hoi An on your travel list now? Check out more of my posts below about living in and traveling around Vietnam!
