Top Things To Do In Hoi An & Attractions In Hoi An
Hoi An is an absolutely beautiful area and is very popular with locals or tourists alike. From the UNESCO city, to the beach and laid back country life, it seems to have it all! Exploring this amazing city is one of the best things to do in Vietnam!
When in a new place I constantly find myself googling “what to do in Hoi An? things to do in Hoi An? how to spend three days in Hoi An?” and I always find these articles extremely helpful.
I have rounded up my personal favorite things to do in Hoi An and I hope to inspire you to visit this magical city which has something for every type of traveler!
How I Book Cheap Transport In Vietnam: 12.Go Asia
Hoi An Old Town
With no doubt exploring the Old Town is the number one thing to do in Hoi An. It was previously used as a trading port between the 15th and 19th century. Now days it is considered one of the most beautiful places in Vietnam. This fact is proven true by it being granted a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Walking through Hoi An Old town you will be in awe. With over one thousand well preserved timber frame buildings that have brick or wooden walls, it feels like you have stepped back in time. The area of the old city is even motor free, so for once you don’t have to be concerned about being run over, which is a common thought when exploring Vietnam.
Though, I will say it has become like a ‘Disneyland’ for tourists. I honestly cant tell you how many bar job offers I received simply because I spoke English! There is enough here to keep you busy all day, either eat at one of the amazing restaurants, take a boat out onto the river and explore the many alleyways. Though, by the end of it you will probably get over having to dodge all the crowds and will be ready for a good nights sleep.
My Son Sanctuary
My Son Temple Complex is certainly something I did not expect to stumble upon when visiting Vietnam. Though, when we checked into our Home stay and asked our host what to do in Hoi An and she recommended My Son.
We booked a sunrise tour which was very affordable and it was an easy hour drive to reach My Son. Surrounded by the morning mist, a rising sun, lush deep Vietnamese jungle and amazing temples rich in history it was certainly a highlight in Hoi An.
My Son stretches on for 2 kilometers within a valley and the contrast between the restored and crippled structures is amazing. They are beautiful worn in every single way.
Thanh Ha Pottery Village
Easy to reach on bicycle or motorbike is Thanh Ha Pottery Village. It is an integral place of Vietnamese history and the skilled craftsmen that live here even contributed pieces in the Imperial City of Hue when it was under control of the Nguyen Dynasty.
These days it is the perfect way to spend a few hours and perhaps even learn some new skills when looking for things to do in Hoi An. You will witness hundreds and hundred of pots which looks exactly the same, though are each handmade. Seeing how the ladies here do it is just incredible. If you manage to time your visit right you can even see the locals using the kiln which is only fired up once a month.
Check Out The Night Markets
Located within the Hoi An Old Town in the Night Market where you could find any Vietnamese souvenir your heart requires. Held every night from 5pm-11pm you will no doubt be spending your nights exploring the many stalls.
Whether you want to try some street food, try on clothes or pick up some knick knacks you can easy spend hours here. One of the greatest things here is definitely the personality of the vendors. They are always down to smile and laugh, even if they are doing it at your obnoxiously sad haggling techniques.
Head To The Beach
This coastal town is lucky enough to be close to some amazing beaches, so you will have no problem finding things to do in Hoi An. The most popular beach is definitely An Bang as it is close proximity to the old town so you can just bike there. Though, I will say this beach is extremely touristy so be prepared to pay for beach chairs, be offered numerous boat rides and the constant shouting of sellspeople.
If you are after something a bit more relaxing I recommend hiring a motorbike and following the coastline until you find something which better suits your style. It is super easy to getting around Vietnam and you will have no problem finding somewhere to hire a motorbike! We went about 15 minutes further south and found a much more beautiful place with a lot less people and gorgeous white sand.
Eat Amazing Food!
I love Vietnamese food and I must say that Hoi An definitely had my favorite assortment of restaurants. This is a foodies paradise! When checking out where to eat in Hoi An, make sure to try the famous banh mi to the top burger bar among backpackers, Jims Snackbar.
Being a vegetarian Hoi An was the best place for me to find delicious meals. There seemed to be an excellent vegetarian restaurant around every corner serving one of my favorite foods, tofu! If you are a foodie like me, you will be in heaven!
Tra Que Vegetable Village
Sometimes you just need to get out of the city and a visit to Tra Que Vegetable Village is the perfect way to do this! It is extremely accessible and soon enough you will find yourself in a slower pace of life surrounded by workers and delicious produce.
What makes Tra Que Vegetable Village so special is the rich soils and the absence of chemicals. Rather algae is collected from a nearby lagoon and is used to fertilize the plants.
I highly recommend taking one of the cooking lessons in Tra Que Vegetable garden which will allow you to work with the amazing produce a well as pick up some new Vietnamese techniques.
Hire A Bicycle
The perfect thing to do in Hoi An is to hire a bicycle and discover the beauty of it yourself. The roads here are a lot less chaotic than in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi so no need to worry about the motorbikes. I felt so safe on the roads in Hoi An. It is actually where I learned to ride a motorbike for the first time!
If you don’t know where you are going just follow all the other tourists on the bicycles and trust me there will be plenty. It is extremely easy to cycle to the rice fields, the beaches or to local villages. You can even cycle around the old town without having to worry about vehicles! This is because nothing with a motor is allowed in.
Visit A Tailor
Vietnam is known for cheap tailor made clothing and the most popular place to get this done is Hoi An. The streets here are lined with tailor shops and you will constantly hear the screams of “new suit, new dress?” It becomes a part of daily life here in Hoi An.
Even if you are only in town for a couple of days, you still have amount of time. Just go into a store, check out their designs and get measured up. Thanks to the quick turn around time you will have your pieces unimaginably fast. Everything from dresses, suits and pants to bags, wallets and belts can be made. I know what you are probably thinking, there’s no way I will be able to afford that! Well prices here are amazingly cheap, especially considering you are receiving something which is custom fit to your body!
Just remember to do your research before settling on a store as not all tailors produce high quality pieces.
How I Book Cheap Transport In Vietnam: 12.Go Asia
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Vietnam seems to be so much fun, such beautiful photographs.
Hi there, thanks for this great article! Cheers Björn
I love this! Your pictures are absolutely beautiful. The ruins and the pottery market look like a ton of fun. I adore your suggestion of going to a tailor and having something unique handmade. Such a unique idea and I would be thrilled to do that.
Head to the beach? You don’t have to tell me twice :) Between that and the food, sounds like I definitely need to add Hoi to my bucket list.
I got so many things made from a tailor when I went to Saigon that I’ve been dying to return to Vietnam for that reason alone! Well that and the fact that the people, food and scenery are incredible—and I still need to make it to Hanoi and Hoi An, too!
Wow it looks sooo adorable <3
We’re planning to go to Hoi An after the beginning of the year, and I’m so looking forward to it. I’d definitely love to see the Vegetable Village!
Thanks for sharing all your advice here. I am going to Hoi An next year and there are definitely some additional things on my bucket list now!
Oh wow! Pottery Village and the night markets sound amazing! I’m pretty sure I would blow all of my travel cash between those two spots. I would love to learn some pottery skills too!
These are beautiful photos! When I first saw the heading MySon, I thought you were writing about your child! Duh!
Vietnam is on our list, though a little farther down. I’ll definitely keep this in mind though! Thanks for sharing your adventures!
Also looks like a place I would love to visit. Adding to the Vietnam list!
I only made it to Hanoi last year and am dying to get back to Vietnam and Hoi An in particular. Your post only makes me want to go back more! Great tips and beautiful pictures.
Hoi An is my favorite city in all of Vietnam!!! love love love!
I am considering going to Asia for my honeymoon and will definitely add this to my list. I love the idea of renting a motorbike and following the coastline to find the less touristy beaches, too!
My Son gives off lot of Angkor Wat vibes and I love it Shame that I had to cancel my flight to vietnam this year but I’ll make sute to travel there in the future!
So many people have been visiting Hoi, Vietnam lately. It looks so rich in culture and history. I would definitely love to visit the next time I travel to Asia.
Ahh man, I LOVE Hoi An so much and this has brought back some real memories! Hiring a bike is definitely a highlight. Totally agree about the beach – we cycled north a little way and found “Hidden Beach” (with a big sign so not very hidden lol) which was AMAZING! No sales touts, free sun chairs, free parking, cheap drinks! I definitely need to go back for that temple complex, I didn’t know much about it until I read your other post!
Great list. Hoi An is one of my favourite places I’ve visited. Great memories!
Ok, I adore absolutely everything on this list! The sunrise temple tour, seriously?! Since I am planning a trip to Vietnam next winter I will definitely return to this post for some advice :) :)
Would love to visit Hoi An, it definitely looks verrry different from Hanoi and HCM! Other than seeing the lanterns, cycling and visiting the Vegetable Village seem like a good idea =)
Great post with so many details, which can make planning easier for a traveler.
Hoi An is definitely on my list if I make it to Vietnam in 2018. I would love a day or 2 at the beach, plus I have to see My Son temples.
This is perfect! We’re just planning the SEA leg of our trip around the world (currently in NZ) and Hoi An is high on our list already :-) Do you happen to know if the bicycle rental shops have child seats available?
ahh looks so lovely!! Vietnam is so high up on the list of places I want to visit!!
Your photography is to die for! So stunning! xxx
I’d love to get here one day. I’ve seen so little of SE Asia, I really need to get back there.
This is a great list of things to do. I had no idea that motorized traffic wasn’t allowed. I love to bike but I’m usually scared of traffic so this sounds great.
The old town, the temple complex and the night markets are the kind of things I’d love to explore as well. Thanks for this comprehensive guide, I’ll bookmark it for when I plan my trip.
Hoi An is such a vibrant old little town. One of my friend has just been to Vietnam and is gaga about Hoi An :) Great list. Bookmarked it!
I love Hoi An so much – we ate all the food and enjoyed the beauty of the Old Town, but never made it out to My Son. So I guess I need to go back!
Sure is adventurous to visit Vietnam these days! Great post and nice list!