Hoi An is a former trading port on the Thu Bon River in central Vietnam, and it has kept its street plan almost intact. From the 17th century Chinese and Japanese merchants settled here, and for a couple of centuries it was among the busiest trading posts in Southeast Asia. The port declined in the 19th century, when the river mouth silted up and nearby Da Nang took over the shipping. That long quiet is why the old centre survives: about 30 hectares of tiled-roof shophouses, family chapels and assembly halls, listed by UNESCO in 1999.
Administratively, Hoi An was a provincial city of Quang Nam until Vietnam's 2025 reforms, when Quang Nam was merged into Da Nang. Older books and maps still show Quang Nam, and you may see either name on signs and bookings.
The Old Town is small enough to cover on foot or by bicycle, which makes Hoi An one of the gentler places in Vietnam for families and for older parents. Streets are largely level, the main sights are close together, and the river path gives you somewhere to sit. The honest trade-offs are heat from about May to August, heavy rain and occasional river flooding from about September to December, and evening crowds on the lantern streets.
Plan around three kinds of day: a heritage morning in the Old Town, a slow half-day on the water or at An Bang beach, and one longer trip, either to the Cham ruins at My Son or by boat to the Cham Islands. Add a night for the lantern boats or the monthly Full Moon Festival if the dates line up. Food needs more planning for vegetarians than the town's reputation suggests, and the Food section below explains how.
Before you plan
Hoi An at a glance
- Best months
- February to May is the most…February to May is the most comfortable window: dry, sunny and warm. June to August is hot. September to December is the rainy season, wettest around October and November, with a risk of river flooding and typhoons.
- Ideal trip length
- 2 to 3 days for the Old Town and a…2 to 3 days for the Old Town and a river or beach half-day; 4 to 5 days if you add My Son, the Cham Islands or Da Nang and Hue
- Airport
- Da Nang International AirportDa Nang International Airport (DAD), about 30 km away; roughly 45 minutes to 1 hour by taxi or transfer. There is no airport at Hoi An itself.
- Railway station
- None in Hoi AnNone in Hoi An. Tra Kieu station is about 15 km away but only some trains stop; Da Nang station on the north-south line is the more practical railhead.
- Getting around
- The Old Town is walkable and flatThe Old Town is walkable and flat; bicycles, app taxis (Grab) and electric shuttle buses cover the rest. Motorbike rental is best avoided: foreign licences are generally not valid and insurance often excludes accidents.
- Daily budget
- Local meals and stall food are…Local meals and stall food are inexpensive by Indian standards; hotels, tours and tailoring drive the total. Prices are quoted in dong and change, so check current rates before you budget.
- Senior comfort
- Good: a compactGood: a compact, mostly level Old Town with shaded houses and river seating. The main cautions are midday heat, uneven old floors and thresholds, and rain-season flooding.
- Language
- VietnameseVietnamese. English is widely understood in hotels, restaurants and tour offices; carry your hotel's address in Vietnamese for taxi rides.
Prices, opening hours and weather change. Recheck live details before booking.
Best time to visit Hoi An: March, April. Month-by-month weather →
How many days do you have?
Hoi An itinerary
One good day
1 day in Hoi An
Start early, before the heat and the day-tripper crowds, at the Japanese Covered Bridge, then walk Tran Phu Street past the assembly halls and Quan Cong Temple. Visit Tan Ky Old House and the Museum of Trade Ceramics, then have a long lunch and rest at your hotel through midday. In the late afternoon walk the Central Market area and the riverfront, and finish after dark with the lanterns along the river, either on foot or on a short lantern boat ride.
Day-by-day plan →Two days
2 days in Hoi An
Cover the Old Town in the morning: the covered bridge, Tan Ky Old House, an assembly hall and the Museum of Trade Ceramics. Rest at midday. Visit the Central Market in the late afternoon, then take a lantern boat on the Thu Bon River after dark.
Day-by-day plan →Three unhurried days
3 days in Hoi An
Walk the Old Town early: covered bridge, Tan Ky Old House, Phuc Kien Assembly Hall and Quan Cong Temple. Rest through midday and visit the Museum of Trade Ceramics and the Central Market in the afternoon.
