15 Best Things to Do in Hoi An 2026: Lanterns, Food, Beaches and Day Trips
Hoi An is Vietnam’s easy pretty stop: lanterns, old streets, food, tailors, beaches, basket boats, cooking classes and day trips. It is touristy, but still excellent when you slow down and choose activities well.
The best Hoi An trip is two or three nights with food, lanterns, one hands-on activity and a beach or day trip. Do not only visit for one lantern photo. Hoi An works because the pace is softer than the rest of a Vietnam route.
The 15 best things to do in Hoi An
Wander the Ancient Town
Best for: classic Hoi An
Hoi An’s Ancient Town is the centrepiece: old houses, lanterns, temples, shops, cafes and riverside lanes.
Good to know: Go early for quiet and return at night for lanterns.
Plan your visit: Give the old town two visits if you can: a quieter early walk and a later return for food and lights. Check the current heritage-ticket arrangements for buildings you want to enter, rather than assuming every historic house or hall is included.
Suggested time: 2–3 hours for a first walk
See the lanterns after dark
Best for: evening atmosphere
The lanterns are touristy but still beautiful. The trick is not expecting solitude; enjoy the glow, then step into quieter side streets.
Good to know: Avoid blocking walkways for photos.
Plan your visit: Walk the riverfront before deciding whether to take a boat. Confirm the price and what is included before boarding, then step into a quieter lane when the busiest stretch starts to feel crowded.
Suggested time: 1–2 hours after dark
Book a food tour
Best for: best first night
Hoi An food is excellent, and a food tour helps with cao lau, white rose dumplings, banh mi, markets and local snacks.
Good to know: Do it early so you can revisit favourites.
Plan your visit: Compare the actual dishes and number of tastings rather than just the tour length. Tell the operator about dietary needs before paying, and do this early in your stay so you can return to the places you liked.
Suggested time: Around 3 hours; follow your operator’s schedule
Take a cooking class
Best for: hands-on food
Cooking classes often include a market visit and a meal, making them one of the best-value Hoi An activities.
Good to know: Choose small-group classes if you want to cook, not just watch.
Plan your visit: Check whether the class is hands-on, how many people share a cooking station and whether the market visit is included. Pick a menu you want to learn, and leave room to eat what you cook.
Suggested time: 3–4 hours; varies by class
Ride a basket boat in Cam Thanh
Best for: touristy fun
Basket boats are not a secret local experience anymore, but they can be playful and memorable if you book well.
Good to know: Skip loud party-style versions if that is not your thing.
Plan your visit: Choose a calmer boat trip if you want the waterways rather than the music and spinning demonstrations. Confirm transport, time on the water and any extras in advance, and wear the life jacket provided.
Suggested time: 1–2 hours including local transfer
Go to An Bang Beach
Best for: slow beach day
An Bang is the easiest beach reset from Hoi An and works well after a run of cities, buses and sightseeing.
Good to know: Check weather and sea conditions.
Plan your visit: Plan this as a proper break, not a quick beach photograph between tours. Check the sea conditions before swimming, agree any lounger or food arrangement clearly, and keep a dry-weather alternative if the coast is stormy.
Suggested time: 2–4 hours
Cycle through rice fields
Best for: slow travel
Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s easiest places to cycle gently through rice fields and villages.
Good to know: Go early or late to avoid heat.
Plan your visit: Ask for a quiet route through Cam Thanh or Tra Que and test the bicycle’s brakes before leaving. Go early, carry water and stay on established paths; the fields and gardens are people’s workplaces.
Suggested time: 2–3 hours
Get clothes tailored carefully
Best for: shopping and souvenirs
Tailors are a classic Hoi An experience, but quality varies. Bring references, allow fittings and do not expect miracles overnight.
Good to know: Start early in your stay if tailoring matters.
Plan your visit: Bring clear reference photos and agree on fabric, lining, pockets, price and delivery before paying a deposit. Leave time for more than one fitting, and inspect the finished garment in good light before settling the balance.
Suggested time: Several fittings across 2–3 days if possible
Visit My Son Sanctuary
Best for: Cham history
My Son adds a different historical layer and works as a half-day trip from Hoi An or Da Nang.
Good to know: Go early; it gets hot and exposed.
Plan your visit: Leave early enough to enjoy the ruins before the hottest part of the day. Take water and sun protection, stay on marked visitor paths and avoid climbing the brickwork; a guide can make the temple groups easier to understand.
Suggested time: 4–5 hours including travel
Take a lantern-making class
Best for: easy creative activity
Lantern-making is a simple, low-pressure activity and a good rainy-day option.
Good to know: Good for couples, families or travellers who want a break from walking.
Plan your visit: Ask whether the class starts with a ready-made frame or includes building it, and check the finished lantern’s packing size. A smaller project is easier to carry onward than a beautiful souvenir that fills your backpack.
Suggested time: 1–2 hours
Eat cao lau properly
Best for: local dish
Cao lau is Hoi An’s signature dish and worth trying more than once.
Good to know: Do not judge it from a bland tourist-restaurant version.
Plan your visit: Try cao lau when you are hungry enough to notice the noodles and toppings rather than adding it after a huge food tour. Check the ingredients before ordering if you avoid pork, and compare another version later in the stay.
Suggested time: 30–60 minutes
Use Da Nang airport smartly
Best for: logistics
Hoi An has no airport; Da Nang is the transport gateway. Plan transfers instead of pretending the airport is in town.
Good to know: Leave buffer time for flights and traffic.
Plan your visit: Da Nang Airport has separate domestic and international terminals. Confirm the terminal, pickup point and luggage space with your driver, and add traffic and airline check-in buffers instead of treating the transfer estimate as a guarantee.
Suggested time: Allow transfer time plus the airline’s check-in buffer
Day trip to Marble Mountains
Best for: nearby scenery
Marble Mountains can fit between Da Nang and Hoi An or as a short day trip.
Good to know: Expect stairs and crowds.
Plan your visit: Marble Mountains can work on a transfer day if you arrange luggage storage or a waiting driver. Keep valuables with you and allow enough time for the stairs and caves rather than leaving only a roadside photo stop.
Suggested time: 2–3 hours at the site, plus travel
Stay outside the busiest streets
Best for: better sleep
The prettiest streets can be noisy and crowded at night. A guesthouse slightly away from the centre can be better.
Good to know: Check walking distance and flooding/rainy-season notes.
Plan your visit: Check the actual walking route from the guesthouse to the places you will use at night, not only the distance on a map. Ask about recent flood access and noise, then decide how much quiet is worth a longer walk.
Suggested time: 20–30 minutes of location checking before booking
Use Hoi An as a route breather
Best for: better Vietnam pacing
Hoi An is ideal for laundry, beach time, food and slowing down between northern and southern Vietnam.
Good to know: Do not fill every hour with tours.
Plan your visit: Leave one morning or afternoon without a tour: do laundry, sit by the river and choose a meal without a deadline. Keeping that space often makes the booked activities on either side feel more enjoyable.
Suggested time: Half a day to a full rest day
Quick picks for Hoi An
| If you want… | Prioritise this | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Best first evening | Ancient Town lantern walk | Pretty, atmospheric and the reason most people come. |
| Best paid activity | Cooking class and market visit | Hands-on, food-focused and easy to fit into a half-day. |
| Best touristy-but-fun activity | Basket boats | Worth doing with the right expectations and a good operator. |
| Best reset | An Bang Beach | Good when Vietnam’s cities and buses start feeling intense. |
Before you book
Hoi An is easy to book badly if you choose the wrong base. Decide whether you want Ancient Town walkability, beach time or a quiet rice-field stay.
| Need | Useful move |
|---|---|
| Stay | Compare neighbourhoods and accommodation on Trip.com. Book the base first, then build days around it. |
| eSIM | Install Saily Vietnam eSIM before flying so maps, bookings and messages work when you land. |
| Insurance | Price SafetyWing Travel Insurance before the trip. It starts from about $2/day and trips need to be at least 5 days. |
| Tours | Use GetYourGuide Hoi An Tours for timed-entry sights, food tours, day trips and activities where local logistics matter. |
| Money | Carry a backup travel card. Wise is the simple international fallback for card spend, cash withdrawals and transfers. |
| Transport | Use 12Go for listed Vietnam train, bus and transfer options around Da Nang, Hoi An and onward routes. 12Go. |
Book the practical pieces for Hoi An
Lock in the things that change the trip: where you sleep, how you get online, the tours that are hard to DIY, insurance and any transport legs that need advance planning.
Find Hoi An Stays on Trip.com Get a Vietnam eSIM Get SafetyWing Cover Open Wise for Travel Money Check 12GoTours and bookings worth comparing
You do not need to book every activity in advance. Compare the ones where timed entry, transport, queues, cancellation terms or local context make a real difference.
Cooking and Basket Boat Tours
The most natural Hoi An combo if you want one easy half-day booking.
My Son Day Trips
Useful when you want Cham history without arranging transfers yourself.
Where to stay in Hoi An
- Ancient Town edge: best for first-timers and short stays.
- An Bang Beach: best for beach time and a slower stay.
- Tra Que/rice fields: calmer, scenic and good with bikes.
- Riverside: atmospheric, but check noise and flood notes.
- Da Nang: better for beach-city stays, not the same as sleeping in Hoi An.
Getting around Hoi An
Walk in the Ancient Town, cycle for nearby countryside/beaches and use taxis/Grab/private transfers for Da Nang airport or station.
Read the Vietnam transport guide and Vietnam itinerary before booking the route.
A simple first-time itinerary
Hoi An quick stop
Ancient Town, food, lanterns and one cafe/market block.
Balanced Hoi An
Add cooking class, basket boats or beach time.
Slow Hoi An
Add My Son, cycling, tailoring and a proper beach reset.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Only staying one rushed night: Hoi An is better with time.
- Booking tailoring too late: fittings need buffer.
- Expecting untouched local life: Hoi An is very touristy.
- Ignoring Da Nang logistics: your airport/train station is not in Hoi An.
Best time, budget and what to skip
Hoi An works best when weather is dry enough for walking and beaches, but heat and rain can shape the day. Budget for food tours, cooking classes, tailoring, transfers and a beach day.
If time is tight, keep Ancient Town, one food experience and one lantern evening. Cut My Son or basket boats first if they make the route rushed.
Final advice
For a first Hoi An trip, stay two or three nights, eat well, book one hands-on activity and leave enough time for lanterns without turning the visit into one photo stop.
For Hoi An, I would book in this order: accommodation first, then eSIM/insurance, then the few tours or transport pieces that would be annoying to organise on arrival.
Trip.com Stays | Vietnam eSIM | Travel Insurance | Tours and Activities | Wise | 12Go
FAQ
How many days do you need in Hoi An?
Two nights is the minimum that feels worthwhile. Three nights is better if you want beach time, a cooking class or My Son.
Should you book tours in advance?
Book anything timed, crowded, capacity-limited, transport-heavy or expensive to miss. Leave ordinary neighbourhood wandering, simple food stops and flexible cafe time open.
Is Hoi An good for backpackers?
Yes. Hoi An is backpacker-friendly, easy to walk and full of cheap food, though the prettiest central stays can be pricier.
Disclosure: This guide contains affiliate links. Plans, prices and provider terms can change, so treat the checkout page as the final price before buying.