Hoi An
Hoi An is a 15th-century trading port preserved intact — UNESCO Ancient Town with 800+ heritage buildings, lantern-lit Old Town nights, mass-tailoring 24-48hr suits, beachside An Bang day trips, and the My Son Cham temple ruins 1hr inland. Best paired with Da Nang as a 4-7 night central Vietnam stop.
Min 4 nights · Day 1 Old Town walking + lantern night · Day 2 cooking class + tailoring session · Day 3 An Bang beach + My Son temples day · Day 4 cycling rice fields + final lantern dinner. Lantern-lit nights peak full moon (15th lunar). From $145/day private tour package.
Geography & Districts: Hoi An sits 30km south of Da Nang on the Thu Bon River · Old Town UNESCO core is car-free pedestrian zone · An Bang Beach 4km east · My Son Sanctuary 40km southwest (Cham ruins) · Da Nang airport (DAD) 30km north.
What makes Hoi An distinctive: Only Vietnamese town that survived 20th-century wars architecturally intact · 800+ heritage buildings color-coded by ethnicity (yellow=Chinese · white=French · blue=Vietnamese) · 200+ tailor shops can make custom suits 24-48hrs · lantern manufacturing tradition since 17th-century · full-moon festival 15th lunar each month (most lanterns lit).
Hoi An in pictures
Hoi An quick facts
Best months
Feb-Aug · dry season
Currency
Vietnamese Dong ₫
Language
Vietnamese · EN tourist
Airport
DAD (Da Nang) · 30km / 30min
Time zone
ICT · UTC+7
Plug · Voltage
A · C · F · 220V
Where is Hoi An?
Best time to visit Hoi An
What we always tell Hoi An guests
Full-moon lantern festival
15th lunar each month · most lanterns lit · old town pedestrianised · book hotel 2 months ahead.
Tailoring · pick the right shop
Yaly Couture + Be Be are veteran (40+ years) · skip street-touts · 24hr suit $150 vs $80 = quality difference visible.
Oct-Nov flood risk
Old Town can flood 1-2 days · most hotels offer free rebook · just have flexibility in itinerary.
Cao lầu authenticity
Real cao lầu uses well water from 5 Hoi An sources only · "instant" tourist places use tap water · ask if uncertain.
Mike Nguyen
"Every Hoi An itinerary I personally route · I know the corner-stall owners by name and which routes beat the crowds. WhatsApp me · I'll quote your Hoi An stop in 1 hour."
Build my Hoi An stop
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Hoi An · frequently asked
How many nights in Hoi An is enough?+
Min 3 nights · 4-5 nights ideal to include cooking class + tailoring + beach + My Son day. Add 1 night if visiting full-moon lantern festival.
Hoi An or Hue · which to visit?+
Both if 2-week trip · Hoi An = lantern + tailoring + UNESCO Ancient Town · Hue = imperial citadel + Nguyen Dynasty. Hoi An more atmospheric for first-timers.
Best tailoring shop in Hoi An?+
Yaly Couture (358 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu) · Be Be Tailor (40 Trần Phú) are veteran 40+ year shops. 24-48hr turnaround · suits $150-300 · women's dresses $80-180.
How to visit My Son temples?+
Best at sunrise (avoid heat + crowds) · 40km SW of Hoi An · half-day tour $25-65 · UNESCO Cham ruins from 4th-13th century.
An Bang Beach worth visiting?+
Yes · 4km east of Hoi An · 10-min bike ride · cleaner than Da Nang beach · cafes + beach beds rentable $5/day.
Lantern festival when?+
15th day of every lunar month · 2027 dates: Feb 13 · Mar 14 · Apr 13 · etc. Old Town fully lantern-lit · pedestrianised · most atmospheric night.
Verified sources behind our Hoi An guidance
- Wikipedia · Hoi Anverified 2026-05-20
- Vietnam National Tourism Boardverified 2026-05-20
- CDC Yellow Book · Vietnam health advisoriesverified 2026-05-20
Explore more Hoi An
10 reciprocal-lattice groups · every link city-filtered.