Hoi An
★ 4.8🇻🇳 Hoi AnSuggested visit 1-2 daysBest season February to April, dry and pleasant
World HeritageOld townLantern nights
A preserved Southeast Asian trading port, its yellow walls and lantern-lit evenings the most photogenic town in Vietnam.
Overview
On the Thu Bon river in central Vietnam, Hoi An was a major international trading port from the 15th to the 19th century, home to Chinese, Japanese and European merchants. The old town preserves timber shop-houses, assembly halls and the Japanese covered bridge, and joined the World Heritage List in 1999. Lanterns are lit at night and floating candles are set on the river, with An Bang beach and tailoring and lantern workshops nearby.
History
It rose with maritime trade from the 15th century and peaked in the 17th and 18th, then declined as the harbour silted in the 19th — which spared the old town from later rebuilding.
Highlights
- •The Japanese covered bridge
- •The lantern market and river candles
- •Assembly halls and old houses
- •An Bang beach and tailoring shops
Practical tips
- •The old town core requires a ticket, with some houses extra
- •Flooding occurs in the rainy season — check the weather
Practical information
- Best time
- February-April
- Tickets
- Old town ticket about VND 120,000
- Opening hours
- Old town open all day; ticket booths roughly 8:00-17:30
- Local food
- White rose dumplings, cao lau, Vietnamese coffee
- Getting around
- About 45 minutes by road from Da Nang.
- Visa
- A visa is required and an e-visa is available.
Traveller reviews
…