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Hoi An

Best season Feb–Apr dry · Oct–Nov floods · 25 tips · 11 checked by a local · counted from 4,200 traveller posts & comments

What to eat

Eat
Cao lau
Thick noodles you only find here, made with water from one old well
43 travellers mentioned local-checked
Eat
Wontons & white rose dumplings
Old-town specialities you won't find elsewhere
23 travellers mentioned local-checked
Eat
Banh Mi Phuong
If there's a queue, you found the right place
10 travellers mentioned local-checked

Where to stay

Stay
Inside the old town
Lanterns right outside your door at night.
Stay
Near An Bang beach
Quiet, resorts, 15 minutes by bike into town.

What to do · more

Do
Old town lanterns
Best after 6pm — float a lantern on the river
453 travellers mentioned local-checked
Do
An Bang Beach
Good sand and beach bars, 15 minutes by bike
116 travellers mentioned local-checked
Do
A cooking class
Market trip then cook what you bought; one of the most recommended half-days
88 travellers mentioned local-checked
Do
Bay Mau coconut forest
Basket boats, a short 10-15 minute ride from town.
44 travellers mentioned local-checked
Do
Tailor-made clothes
Order on day one, two fittings, and haggle
26 travellers mentioned local-checked
Do
My Son Sanctuary
Cham ruins — go in the morning before the heat
11 travellers mentioned local-checked

Shopping

Shop
Silk lanterns
The Hoi An souvenir — they fold flat for luggage
190 travellers mentioned local-checked

Day trips

Day trip
Cham Island
Boat out for snorkelling; the last boat back leaves early
28 travellers mentioned local-checked

After dark

Night
Lantern-lit old town
Float a paper lantern on the Hoai river.
Night
Riverside bars
Calmer than the main streets.

Worth knowing · more

Worth knowing
Staying by the beach
Some prefer sleeping by the beach and riding into town.
Worth knowing
Ancient Town core
Historic core is small; many stay a short walk or ride away.
Worth knowing
Is it a tourist trap
People argue whether the town is a genuine place or tourist trap.
Worth knowing
Tailors and custom clothes
Town is full of tailors; quality and price vary by shop.
Worth knowing
Lanterns on the river
Coloured lanterns light the river and streets in the evening.
Worth knowing
Stay overnight, not a day trip
Day trippers say they ran out of time and wished they stayed.
Worth knowing
Floods, typhoons and rain season
Floods and typhoons in rain season cancel activities and muddy the riverside.
Worth knowing
Being asked for tips
Several report vendors and guides openly asking for tips.

Traps to avoid

Careful
Cyclos and roving photographers
Agree the price first.
Heads-up
Careful
Tailors pushing big deposits
Check the fabric, keep the receipt.
Heads-up

Nearby — often compared

Deciding where to go? Travellers often weigh Hoi An against nearby: Da Nang · Hue · Nha Trang · Phong Nha · Quy Nhon