Things To Do In Hoian – Discovering The Best Of Hoi An

Hoi An is a city in Quang Nam province, Vietnam. Hoi An Ancient Town used to be a busy international trading port, including architectural heritages dating back hundreds of years, recognized by UNESCO as a world cultural heritage since 1999. This place is famous for its ancient beauty, quiet, mossy with traditional and harmonious architectural beauty of houses, walls and roads.

Discover the charm of Hoi An, a picturesque town in Vietnam, where history, culture, and beauty come together. Here’s a quick guide to some of the things you must do in Hoi An

Hoian Travel Guide – Best Things To Do In Hoian

1. What to do in Hoi an? 21 best attraction must visit in Hoian

Most of Hoi An tourist spots are in the Old Town which you can easily explore on foot.But there is more to seeing and than just walking around the old center. There are so many beautiful rice fields in the surroundings, beautiful beaches, islands and craft villages. The best thing to about Hoi An is there is also plenty to do. So you can cycle around the region, you can take in spots such as museums, ancient homes and pretty temples, and Hoi An also has a delicious local food scene. Let’s check out this list of top 21 attractions in Hoi An and the most popular activities to make clear what to do and see.

If you are traveling in Da Nang City, a Hoi An Day Trip from Da Nang – Private Tour is an ideal choice to fully explore the UNESCO World Heritage Site with the most convenience and privacy with your loved ones within one day! For a friendly budget option, a Day Trip From Da Nang To Hoi An – Deluxe Group Tour is a great chance to meet like-minded friends and explore Da Nang together.

1.1 Walking in Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An is a perfect combination  between French and Asian styles. The visitors can spend hours wandering slowly through the streets and admiring ornate Chinese temples, a Japanese-style bridge, wooden buildings, French-colonial houses and old canals that provides a real nostalgic feeling. Visiting Hoi An ancient towns at night is the best things to do in Hoian where lantern-lit streets give a charming and romantic feel.

1.2 Japanese Covered Bridge

The Japanese Covered Bridge is considered as a place  the most romantic in Hoi An, where many couples come to check-in. The bridge sits over the Hoai river and is famous for its ornate carvings with many delicate motifs, many of which are in the shape of monkeys and dogs. This place has been restored many times, so it has gradually lost the details of Japanese architecture, but instead has Vietnamese-Chinese architectural features.

1.3 Quan Cong temple

This is a typical work of overseas Chinese craftsmen with elaborate statues and decorative works in a colorful temple. The brilliant red, yellow, and green temple with decorative motifs still retains its splendor to this day, which is typical for Chinese temples. 

When visiting, you will enjoy the quiet and peaceful space of this place.

1.4 Join Hue city tour 1 day

When you go to Hoi An, you will probably wonder what to do in Hoi An. I am sure that you should experience the Hue city tour for 1 day. The ancient capital of Hue is one of the famous tourist destinations in Vietnam, which preserves the country’s special historical, cultural and architectural values. When coming to Hue, you will have the opportunity to visit beautiful architectural , scenic spots and enjoy delicious food.

1.5 Bana Hills full day tour

Ba Na Hills is one of the tourist destinations in Da Nang famous for its beautiful natural scenery, monuments and unique architecture and hundreds of unique entertainment games…

Taking the Ba Na Hills tour in a day, you will have opportunities

• Explore the majestic natural scenery from above by cable car and experience the change of 4 seasons of the year in just 1 day.
• Contemplating the unique European architecture in the French village.
• Take a walking tour and enjoy the breathtaking view of Ba Na Hills from the Golden Bridge.
• Experience hundreds of unique games at Fantasy Park, learn about the great festivals of Sun World Ba Na Hills.
• Feel free to enjoy the Asian – European buffet with hundreds of new and interesting dishes displayed in a rich and eye-catching way.

1.6 My Son Sanctuary

My Son Sanctuary is worth visiting when traveling in Hoi An. This place consists of a collection of Hindu temples which are located to the west of Hoi An. When traveling to My Son Sanctuary, visitors will see the characteristics of this architectural form that are stone carvings, statues of Shiva, statues of dancers dancing in the Cham Pa style.

1.7 Hoi an cooking classes

With a long culinary tradition, Hoi An is proud to offer organic products and fresh seafood. Taking a cooking class is a great experience for visitors when visiting Hoi An. Attending the cooking class, you will have an opportunity to travel to the local market where you will learn all about the ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking  as well as how to cook traditional Vietnamese meals such as Banh Xeo, Pho,…

1.8 Visit craft villages

Exploring the traditional craft villages is a things to do in Hoian Vietnam. Each craft village has its own beauty, diverse industries from creating handmade products, silk, feather lamps to casting bronze items… The visitors also have a chance to experience making handicrafts with direct instructions.

1.9 Cam Thanh Coconut Village

When visiting the coconut village, visitors will feel the peace of this place with thousands of coconut trees around. This is a traditional village making coconut paintings, the parallel existence of coconut painting craft and Cam Thanh water coconut forest ecosystem has created a cultural space that attracts domestic and foreign tourists to study, visit and enjoy.

1.10 Take a boat trip

One of the most attractive experiences when coming to Hoi An at night is definitely not to be missed, that is rowing to see Hoai River. When sailing, you will have the opportunity to see the city at night and hear the boatman tell an anecdote that was once called Hoi An.

1.11 Cycling through the countryside

One of the best things to do in Hoi An Vietnam is exploring this beautiful countryside by a bicycle ride along narrow paths through the rice fields. During the cycling journey in Hoi An wandering through the streets, you will have the opportunity to breathe the fresh air, have the opportunity to see new areas, explore the streets and alleys where vehicles cannot enter, immerse yourself in the peaceful and fresh air atmosphere of Hoi An. All of these things bring interesting experiences that can be found nowhere else.

1.12 Shop for local handicrafts

If you like local arts and handicrafts, Hoi An is a destination where you have a lot of chances to choose. Some local handicrafts such as lanterns, To He, silk, wood chopsticks,.. They are sold a lot at the market, or you can also go to traditional craft villages and choose for yourself a variety of products.

1.13 Have a beach day

Referring to Hoi An, most people often think of the ancient and peaceful old town but forget that this place also has beautiful beaches. The visitors can go to the beach to swim and enjoy fresh seafood. Beside that, there are also many beautiful resorts and hotels  with fantastic views over the sea and friendly services.

1.14 Hoian Memories show

Hoi An Memories Show is best things to do in Hoian at night, this is an outdoor art show about the history, culture, and identity of Hoi An which is the soul of its unique cultural heritage.

Taking the idea of Vietnamese traditional Ao Dai as the main language, combined with modern stage production techniques, Hoi An Memoirs has brought viewers back in history to Hoi An in the 16th and 17th centuries . Witness the rise and fall of Hoi An, spanning 400 years of history – the place of cultural interference, the point connecting Vietnam to the legendary maritime Silk Road.

The audience will be able to see 5 performances on a grand scale, this will certainly be an unforgettable performance for the audience.

1.15 Tra Que Village

This is a village with a long tradition of growing vegetables, attracting many domestic and foreign tourists. Vegetables are totally grown by organic methods. Visitors coming here will have the opportunity to be a real farmer, participate in cooking classes in Que village as well as enjoy the taste of vegetables here.

1.16 Hoi An lantern making craft workshop

Hoi An is famous for its beautiful Old Town, decorated by a row of colorful hanging lanterns.Currently, Hoi An tourism is developing strongly, so Hoi An Lanterns become a souvenir with the characteristics of Hoi An Ancient Town. Many tourists come to lantern workshops to see the stages of lantern making. Hoi An Lantern Village is one of the most famous traditional craft villages in Central Vietnam. If you have the opportunity to travel to Hoi An, Quang Nam province, do not forget to visit this special craft village.

1.17 Enjoy Hoi An local food

Hoi An’s cuisine is extremely rich and diverse with ingredients from the mountains, plains and sea.The decoration of the food is very simple and traditional, the restaurants are often decorated with a lot of flowers, paintings, and  art and visitors when coming here will be served attentively.

Some typical dishes are Cao Lau, Mi Quang, Com Ga,… Besides the traditional Hoi An culinary culture, we have many dishes originating from France, Japan, and the West that are also worth trying.

1.18 Join the Hoi An lantern festival

Hoi An Lantern Festival 2024 is held on the 14th day of the lunar calendar every month and is most beautiful on the night of the full moon. Local people will hang colorful lanterns on the front of the house. The city area is bright with many colors all over the alleys. There are many interesting traditional activities such as floating lanterns on the Doai river, and enjoying art performances. Joining the Hoi An lantern festival is an unforgettable experience for anyone when visiting Hoi An. 

1.19 Snorkeling Cham Island

It would be great when swimming in the cool water, seeing and touching the coral reefs with your own hands or exploring the animals under the colorful ocean world.

When visitors come to snorkeling cham island, they will be equipped with protective equipment such as life jackets, oxygen tanks, diving goggles, … to help visitors’ discovery journey be safe and bring an interesting experience.

1.20 Thanh Ha pottery village

Exploring Thanh Ha village, visitors can not only watch the rustic and peaceful village space, but also choose souvenirs for relatives and friends or experience making their own products.  Thanh Ha pottery is special because it is made from brown clay, which is dense, flexible and has high adhesion.

The visitors can observe the process of creating a pottery product made by pottery-makers, they also  have opportunities to make their own pottery and create personal signs for themselves .

1.21 Cua Dai Beach

Cua Dai beach is one of the famous tourist destinations of Hoi An, famous for its endless stretch of white sand, surrounded by tall green coconut trees. 

The visitors not only can enjoy swimming or participating in interesting activities, but also have the opportunity to enjoy the famous fresh seafood dishes here such as grilled stingray with lemongrass and turmeric, fried squid with fish sauce, and steamed chips.

2. Hoi An at night – top things to do in Hoi An at night

In contrast to the day, the night in Hoi An is very active and crowded. If you come to Hoi An during the day, the scenery is very beautiful, you can circle a few times to see the city. At night, here there are many special things for you to discover more.

2.1 Hoi An night market

The night market in Hoi An is one of the new tourist attractions attracting the attention of many tourists. Visitors can visit many large and small night markets such as: Nguyen Hoang Hoi An Night Market, Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa Night Market… Each location has its own characteristics of the form of shopping, so you can visit and find many different products. Visitors also have a chance to try the delicious food that is sold on the night market at a reasonable price.

2.2 Lantern-Lit Streets

At night, locals will turn off the lights and start hanging colorful lanterns in front of their houses. The city is filled with the colors of lanterns that create a romantic and cozy space. Visitors can walk on the street to see the city at night or chill the peaceful space with a coffee or tea in the coffee shop.

2.3 Floating Lanterns on the River

Another traditional culture of Hoi An that is loved by many people is floating lanterns on Hoai river. Anyone coming to Hoi An also wishes to sit on small boats and release lanterns to send many wishes. Visitors can check-in and see the beautiful river with full lanterns and this surely is a wonderful memory when they come here.

2.4 Full Moon Lantern Festival

The Hoi An lantern festival is an age-old tradition that takes place on the 14th day of any lunar month. For the local people, the night of the full moon is the time to honour their ancestors. The 14th day of the lunar month and the full moon night is always the most beautiful and bright festival of the year. All the electric lights from the old houses and shops here are turned off to the lights emanating from the colorful lanterns.

2.5 Traditional Music and Dance Performances

Hoi An also organizes many entertainment activities like traditional music and dance performances. With many special performances, the show has attracted a large number of tourists from all over the world to watch.

For example, Hoi An Memories Show has given visitors wonderful memories with more interesting performances.

3. Is Hoi An worth visiting?

Yes, Hoi An is definitely worth visiting. It is a beautiful and charming town located in central Vietnam. Hoi An is known for its well-preserved ancient town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town is filled with historic buildings, colorful lanterns, and narrow streets that create a unique and magical atmosphere. Hoi An also offers a rich cultural experience, with its traditional markets, art galleries, and local crafts. Additionally, the town is known for its delicious cuisine, with many local specialties to try. So, if you are planning to visit Vietnam, Hoi An should definitely be on your itinerary.

Hoi An is the great destination when you travel in Vietnam, with more beautiful attractions and many interesting things waiting for you to discover and explore when you visit Vietnam.

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