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The old town of hoi an is the vibrant center of the city, and this is where the tourists spend the most time. History of hoi an ancient town is a big draw for travelers from all over the world. Lot of visitors come to Old Town as a day trip to hoi an from Danang.
While there, take a walk in the narrow, winding lanes, soak in the architecture of the wooden houses. A slow meandering river passes through the town making the atmosphere even more serene. Note that the Hoi An Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The ancient town is at the top of hoi an attractions.
Here is list of some of the top things to do and see in hoi an:
1. Wander around in the Hoi An Ancient Town
One of the best things to do in Hoi An is to take a walk in the iconic Ancient Town. Scattered all over the Ancient Town are the numerous heritage buildings from the French era, I bet you will love all that shades of saffron and oranges. And did I mention Hoi An’s Ancient Town is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site? While you are strolling through the streets take a look at the Japanese Covered Bridge which is considered the icon of the Hoi An city.
Hoi an ancient town entrance fee: Nil if you aren’t visiting old houses.
2. Take a walk through Thanh Ha Terracotta Park
If you are interested in seeing terracotta sculptures, Thanh Ha Terracotta Park is a top thing to do in Hoi An. Here in the park, you will find beautifully crafted clay replicas of popular buildings around the globe such as Eiffel tower and Opera House.
You can watch the locals as they work on their pottery crafts. The entrance ticket to Thanh Ha Terracotta Park costs 30,000 VND. Surely, the Terracotta park is another one of fun things to do in hoi an.
3. See the Japanese Covered Bridge and the Pagoda
Japanese Covered Bridge is the one of the top attractions in Hoi An Ancient Town. The beautiful wooden bridge dates back to the last decade of 16th century and is one of the most visited landmark in the town.
One of the must do things in hoi an, the Japanese bridge has a small but beautiful pagoda (Chua Cau or Lai Vien Kieu) located toward the center. Both the Japanese bridge and the pagoda were built by the Japanese trader community. The shrine is dedicated to the Taoist deity of storms and weather, named Tran Vo Bac De.
Look carefully to spot the statue of a monkey and a dog at either end of the bridge. There is no ticket needed to cross the Japanese bridge (it’s a bridge after all), but you need one to see the Tran Vo Bac De shrine from inside of the Pagoda. Japanese covered Bridge is the jewel of the hoi an ancient town.
4. Take a walk along the Thu Bồn river in Hoi An Ancient Town
If you are looking for wonderful things to do in hoi an old town, go visit the river front. In the evening you must go on a stroll along the Thu Bồn river particularly near the Bridge of Lights (Cầu An Hội).
You can also enjoy live music and performances in one of the restaurants/ cafes near the Bridge of Lights.
5. Walk around the Hoi An Ancient town at night
At night the temperature in Hoi An is much cooler. The town shuts early (at 21:30), but that should give you enough time to enjoy the live music around town and the beautiful lanterns that lit up the streets.
Seriously, evening walk through Hoi An Ancient town is unmissable. And don’t miss out on taking a selfie against those trademark colorful lanterns. You’d find them aplenty on the other side of the river.
6. Hoi An Lantern Festival
Another one of the best things to do in hoi an is the Hoi An Full Moon Festival. The festival is held on every 14th day of the lunar month (Chinese Calendar).
The Full Moon festival start timing is around 6.00 pm. The whole of Hoi An town is lighted with trademark Hoi An lanterns and the street is filled with people – tourists and locals alike.
7. Hoi An Night Market
Hoi An night market is a typical Vietnamese market where you will find all kind of cheap goods – from clothes to personal accessories. Street vendors line up on the streets and you can easily remember them by stall numbers.
Hoi An night market is the place you can indulge in bit of souvenir shopping, don’t hesitate to haggle! You can also enjoy live performances in one of the restaurants. The Hoi An night market closes around 10:30 PM.
8. Lantern Night Market of Hoi An
The lantern night market in Hoi An is located on the other side of the Thu Bon river, close to the bridge of lights (Cau An Hoi). The colorful lanterns are made from Hoi An Silk and are aptly called Silk Lanterns. Shopping and taking pictures here is one of the best things to do in Hoi An.
The beautiful silk lanterns of Hoi An makes for a great souvenir and an exotic gift to the loved ones. The best time to visit the lantern market is in the evening when thousands of lanterns are lit up, lending a romantic vibe to the whole area. Lantern market is for sure one of the top Hoi an things to do and see.
9. Savor a bite of Banh My
I am a big fan of Vietnamese food, there is just so much variety. Banh My is the Vietnamese version of the French Baguette. There is a vegetarian and a egg only version available too.
You can visit any of the typical Vietnamese food joint such as Banh My Phuong, or better, grab a bite from a local street food vendor. While you are there do try Banh My, one of the top things to eat in hoi an.
10. Grab a homemade beer – Bia hơi
Sit down and have the cheap homemade brewed drink of Hoi An, Bia hơi. A glass of ‘fresh beer’ (as it is called in Hoi An) costs as little as 3000-5000 Dongs ($0.25 U.S.)! Interestingly, in comparison, a 500 ml water bottle will cost you 7000 Dongs here.
The alcohol content in Bia hoi beer is only 3%, you will need a lot more if you intend to get little tipsy. Sitting and sipping Bia hoi is perfect as things to do in hoi an when its raining.
11. Rent a motorbike
Hoi An is a large area with relatively less population as compared to nearby Da Nang, this also mean Hoi An has beautiful countryside. You can easily rent a motorbike in Hoi An and go out to explore the village scenery.
12. Hoi An Handicraft Workshop
Top things to see in hoi an must include a trip to the Handicraft workshop. Irrespective of how many museums or old houses in Hoi An you decide to see, don’t forget to save one last ticket for the Hoi An Handicraft workshop.
The workshop is located inside the Phi Yen old house on the Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. Here in the workshop, everyday there is a folk music performances which lasts for about 20 minutes.
The folk music performance timings are 10:15 and 15:15 daily, with Monday closed. The performance include folk singers and dancers performing in their traditional attire.
The 200-year old building houses a collection of metal, pottery, carpenter, lacquer, bamboo carvings, porcelain and soapstone, as well as larger terracotta pots and sculptures. Checkout the silverware shop toward the end for the beautifully crafted silver pieces.
On the backside, you will see the artisans working on their craft – ranging from lanterns, silk embroidery. You can quietly admire the collection and if you wish you can purchase something at a reasonable price. Remember some of the craft pieces take months to complete, which justifies the prices quoted in the Hoi An Handicraft Workshop.
Spending a day at Handicraft workshop is one of the top things to do in hoi an.
13. Custom Tailoring shops – Hoi an tailor guide
The first time you arrive in Hoi An, you’d be surprised at the number of tailoring shops in the city. Who comes on a vacation get a shirt sewn? Right? In-fact, getting clothes stitched in one of the fun things to do in hoi an.
The reason behind the popularity is the fact that getting custom tailored cloths from Hoi An is quite economical and a great value for money. You can get a nice shirt stitched for as low as $10, or you can go for a lofty suit, tailor made to your taste and fit.
This is how it works – you begin this hoi an activity by choosing the color and material (fabric), next you show the tailor the style you want. You can either take a picture with you and get a replica made or choose from the booklet available with them. Then proceed with giving your measurements, and finally an pay advance.
I will recommended you to pay only a small fraction of the total, reason being it helps you dictate terms later on when the final product arrives. If you are not satisfied with any part of the final product, do not hesitate ask for rework.
You are paying for a custom product and the tailor is obliged to deliver you one the way you want it to be.
Tip: Only order at a tailor shop which has an in-house tailor, many of the shops are nothing but outsourcing fronts which get the tailoring done from someone else.
Some of the recommended tailoring shops in Hoi An include Remy Tailor, Vanda Tailors, Be Be, Yaly Couture, A Dong Silk and Kimmy and Thu Thuy.
