Hoi An
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1. An Bang Beach
The locals' favorite beach, An Bang is one of the few remaining public beaches on the long Hoi An–Danang coastline. Locals flock here for sunrise swimming and sunset family picnics, leaving this lovely stretch of beach almost deserted during the day. The beach offers stunning views of the neighboring Marble Mountains, Danang Bay, and Cham Island. A row of palm-thatched restaurants borders the clean, sandy beach, offering free use of beach loungers and umbrellas if you buy food or drinks. Competition is fierce and staff can be pushy. Development has been slow but steady, with only a few homestays and holiday cottages, but plans for large resorts at both ends of the beach are set to change this over the next few years. Amenities: food and drink; showers. Best for: swimming; sunsets; families; surfing; walking.
D. Hai Ba Trung, An Bang, Quang Nam, Vietnam -
2. Cham Islands
The Hoi An coast is flanked by eight small, coral-fringed islands featuring beautiful seascapes, deserted white sandy beaches, and some of the best microdiving sites in central Vietnam. Despite their beauty, the islands have never been developed for tourism, and it wasn’t until their 2009 designation as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO that anyone took any interest. Those that did were dive companies, limiting visitors to just a couple of dives. From April to September, daily junk and speedboat services run the 18-km (11-mile) route between Cua Dai dock and Hon Lau Island, where you can arrange a homestay or camp on two of the main island beaches—though few visitors do, which makes it one of the most tranquil respites from the touristy beaches of Hoi An and also one of the most beautiful places to watch the sunset from your own private beach. Activities available include snorkeling, diving, swimming, camping, fishing, and trekking. Local tour offices and hotels can arrange island tours. For camping, visit Cham Island Divers (Nguyen Thai Hoc Street) or the Blue Coral Diving (Nguyen Hung Dao Street) in Hoi An.
View Tours and Activities -
3. Japanese Covered Bridge
On the west end of Tran Phu, Hoi An's most celebrated icon was built in 1593 by Japanese merchants to connect the Japanese quarter with the Chinese neighborhood on the other side of the river. This unique symbol has been rebuilt several times since, but still retains the original ornate roofing, arched frame, and small temple housed inside. Legends surround the functions of the bridge, the most popular being that it was built to disable a disaster-causing dragon, with the small altar inside dedicated to the worship of Bac De Tran Vu, a northern god in charge of wind and rain. The pair of spirit dogs on the east side of the bridge are thought to be protective deities, placed on altar stones to exorcise bad omens. If you look closely you'll notice they are different sizes: a boy and a girl. Some say the monkeys here represent Japanese emperors. What is not widely known is that the monkeys are copies carved by the carpenters of Kim Bong Village; the original pair were swept away during a flood and washed up beyond repair 20 years later.
View Tours and ActivitiesWest end of Tran Phu St., Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in the 120,000d tourist-office ticket -
4. Old House of Tan Ky
One of the oldest and best-preserved private houses in Hoi An, this structure has remained largely unchanged in the 200 years since it was built in 1741. Seven generations of the Tan Ky family have lived here. The house incorporates Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese styles. Chinese poetry is engraved in mother-of-pearl on the walls, each character formed in the shape of birds in various stages of flight. Look up into the eaves and you will see symbols of dragons, fruit, crossed sabers, and silk intricately carved into the wooden framework. The back door was constructed to open onto the river so that waterborne goods could be easily transported into the house; look out for the marks etched in to the wall recording the height of the annual flood waters.
101 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in 120,000d Old Town ticket -
5. Precious Heritage Museum and Fine Art Gallery
This museum offers a wonderful look into the cultural identity of Vietnam’s ethnic minority communities. Each placard gives facts about the region, population, and traditions of several minority groups in English, French, and Vietnamese. The museum’s curator, Réhahn, is a professional French photographer who has been snapping portraits of these amazing individuals and collecting their stories and artifacts since 2013. The coffee shop inside sells K’ho coffee, harvested by the K’ho people in the central highlands.
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6. Assembly Halls
As part of their cultural tradition, the Chinese built assembly halls as a place for future generations to gather after they migrated to new countries. Once a major Southeast Asian trading port, Hoi An is home to five such halls that date back to the 16th and 17th centuries; however, exact dates for the buildings are unclear from historic records as most have been subjected to newer 18th- and 19th-century improvements. Recognizable by their Chinese architecture, the assembly halls generally feature ornate gates, main halls, altar rooms, and statues and murals in honor of gods and goddesses. Four of Hoi An's assembly halls—Fujian, Hainan, Cantonese, Chinese—are located on Tran Phu Street near the river. The Chaozhou assembly hall is situated in the French Quarter, a short stroll east of Old Town on Nguyen Duy Hieu. Among them, the Fujian Hall, Phuc Kien, is considered the most prominent. Entrance to each assembly hall is one coupon from the five included in the Old Town ticket.
46 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in 120,000d tourist-office ticket -
7. Central Market
This is one of the most enjoyable fresh markets in Vietnam, covering a large area, snaking its way around the French-colonial food hall, Cho Hoi An, down to the river on Bach Dang, with feeder lanes sprouting off down mossy side alleys. The merchants are friendly and a large selection of merchandise is available, but barter hard to strike a good deal—expect to come in at the midway point and haggle upward to around a third off the starting price. The stalls that surround the market are lined with fruit and flower sellers, while the small local shops opposite specialize in bamboo baskets and household wares; this is the best place to pick up the pretty blue-and-white dishware popular in Hoi An. The fish market down by the river is best avoided during the pungent hours of midday; the best time to visit for ambience and photos is just before sunrise as the conical-hatted traders descend upon fishing boats laden with colorful fish, squid, and giant prawns. Made famous by Anthony Bourdain, Banh Mi Phuong has a small stall here serving quite possibly the best banh mi in Vietnam. To find it walk 50 meters around the outside of Cho (Market) Hoi An, to the left of the well.
Intersection of Nguyen Hue and Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam -
8. Chaozhou Assembly Hall
Of all Hoi An’s Chinese architecture, this assembly hall founded by the Chaozhou Chinese community in 1776 exemplifies Chinese wood carving of this period at its finest. Intricate wood carvings spin a tale of time forgotten through the building's wooden frames, highlighted by ceramic reliefs depicting folk legends of the Trieu Chau settlers who would visit the house at night to pray to at the main altar (which portrays General Phuc Ba and Bon Dau Quan, the god of mastering waves). The two altars on either side depict the gods of wealth and luck.
157 Nguyen Duy Hieu St., Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamNo phoneSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in 120,000d tourist-office ticket -
9. Chinese All-Community Assembly Hall
Built in 1741 as a meeting place for Cantonese, Chaozhou, Fujian, Hainan, and Hakka families living in Hoi An, this temple is dedicated to Thien Hau, the Goddess Protector of Seafarers. For budding photographers, this is a great hall to visit as red-lacquered, demonic deities and brightly colored murals sit beside the main temple in a haze of smoky incense coming from the hundreds of coils hanging from the ceiling.
64 D Tran Phu St., Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamNo phoneSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in 120,000d tourist-office ticket -
10. Chuc Thanh Pagoda and Phuoc Lam Pagoda
Head north on Nguyen Truong To Street for approximately 1 km (½ mile) to the end, turn left, and follow the path until you reach Chuc Thanh Pagoda, the oldest and most revered pagoda in Hoi An. Founded in 1454 by Minh Hai, a Chinese Buddhist monk, the pagoda contains several ancient religious objects, including bells and gongs made of stone and wood. On the way back, stop at the Phuoc Lam Pagoda, built in the mid-17th century. Note the interesting Chinese architecture and the large collection of ceramics on its roof.
Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamSight Details
Rate Includes: Free -
11. Cua Dai Beach
Ten minutes from the Old Town is Hoi An's main public beach, where clear water and warm surf beckon tourists and locals alike. This 3-km (2-mile) stretch of white, powdery sand makes for a perfect place to bask under the sunshine. Though the area has been developed and resorts have been built along the shores, there are still a few quieter stretches. The public beach area to the north has retained much of its sand and the beach is clean. It's the perfect spot to escape the sweltering humidity of Old Town during the hottest months. Walking beach vendors can be a problem, heckling people to buy fresh fruit and crafts, but most are easily rebuffed with a firm "no, thank you." Food shacks sell fresh fish, squid, and shellfish, and offer amenities. Bikes can be rented for about 20,000d per day; Jet Skis start at 1,200,000d for half an hour. Amenities: food and drink; parking (free); toilets; showers; water sports. Best for: surfing; swimming; walking. If Cua Dai Beach is crowded, walk or bike 3 km (2 miles) north to An Bang beach.
View Tours and ActivitiesCua Dai Beach, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam -
12. Ha My Beach
A little way outside of Hoi An, this peaceful beach, located midway between the award-winning Nam Hai and Le Belhamy resorts, is the best place to head to escape the hawkers and crowds that frequent the more famous Cua Dai Beach. With just a few incredibly good seafood restaurants and a couple of loungers and umbrellas, this regularly cleaned, gently shelving beach offers great swimming conditions, a chilled-out atmosphere, and plenty of space for children to run around safely. Amenities: showers; toilets; food and drink; parking (free). Best for: swimming; walking; solitude; sunset.
Dien Duong Village, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam -
13. Hoi An Ancient Town Entrance Ticket
Visitors age 16 and up are required to buy a ticket at 120,000d to enter Old Town, unless you are simply shopping, though each ticket (despite being printed with the words "valid for 24 hours") is valid for the duration of your stay. The ticket has five tear-off coupons. These are for entrance to your choice of five of the 21 ticket-only sites in Old Town. Eighty percent of the ticket proceeds go directly back into Old Town renovations and paying the guides and families who open their private homes to visitors. There are four ticket offices scattered around the ancient city blocks.
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14. Hoi An Arts and Crafts Manufacturing Workshop
One of the local attractions offered through the Heritage Pass, this 200-year-old house has 30-minute musical performances daily. In the workshop, children and adults can make Hoi An's traditional silk lanterns or paint masks at additional costs. Tickets are available on the corner of Bach Dang and Chau Thuong Van beside the Japanese Covered Bridge. The hour-long craft workshops run daily (bookable on-site), and are great for kids.
9 Nguyen Thai Hoc St., Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam0235-391--0216Sight Details
Rate Includes: Included in the 120,000d Old Town ticket -
15. Hoi An Lantern Festival
Every month on the 14th day of the lunar calendar, Hoi An closes Old Town to traffic, switches off its lights, and hosts the magical Lantern Festival. Domestic travelers flock to the streets, and temples and pagodas open their doors for ancestor worship. Most people choose to watch the festivities from a restaurant balcony, but to really get the best experience you need to tackle the crowds head on and mingle with the locals at street level. Festivities start at sunset and this is the best time to visit the candlelit pagodas (which are free to enter on full moon) and take in the street entertainment, pop-up poetry reading groups, and live music. As darkness falls, approach the small river boats that line Bach Dang and arrange for a half-hour cruise, ending at An Hoi, where a short stroll on quieter streets lined with restaurants leads you to the glowing night lantern market where you can pick up souvenirs and grab a taxi back to your hotel.
Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam -
16. Hoi An Night Market
As dusk falls, the area directly opposite the walking bridge connecting the Old Town to An Hoi Peninsula is lit by hundreds of silk lanterns, spilling out from little wooden chalets that wouldn't look out of place at a European Christmas market. In the daytime you can come here to watch the lanterns being crafted from wafts of silk and bamboo, but it's not until night, when the lantern sellers are joined by a whole host of mobile craft, jewelry, and souvenir stalls, that this area really comes alive. The night market has the biggest selection of lanterns in town and you can even design your own. While the stalls in between are not particularly notable, you can pick up cute little trinkets as souvenir for very reasonable prices.
Nguyen Hoang St., Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam -
17. Japanese Tombs
Erected in the 1600s, these are the few remaining tombs of Hoi An's old Japanese community. Although the tombs—tombstones, really—are not nearly as grand as those in Hue, it's worth the trek if only to see the "suburbs" of Hoi An. En route you'll encounter families sitting in their front yards and field workers harvesting rice. Buried in the first tomb along the dirt path clearly visible in the front yard of a family home is a Japanese merchant named Masai. About another 1,500 feet ahead is the most famous of Hoi An's Japanese tombs, the burial place of a Japanese merchant named Yajirobei, who died in 1647. Perched right in the middle of a working rice field, his tomb has an almost supernatural feel. The main tombs are easily accessible by bicycle---just head along Hai Ba Trung Street and go north of Old Town. To find the tombs, keep your eyes peeled for the white-and-yellow signs positioned along the right side of the road. (Cars are not recommended because the tombs are at the end of narrow, rugged paths.) Continue 5 km (3 miles) to the end of Hai Ba Trung for a refreshing dip and lunch at one of the bohemian seaside shacks on An Bang beach.
Hai Ba Trung, Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam -
18. Museum of History and Culture
This small museum—housed in just one large room—provides a small insight into Hoi An's history and culture. On display are ancient bowls, cups, and other ceramics, many of them archaeological artifacts dating back to the Cham. A collection of traditional Chinese objects includes pagoda bells and the "watchful eyes" placed above doorways for protection. Information is scant, so you are likely to leave underwhelmed and none the wiser, but the old black-and-white photos of 20th-century Hoi An make for an interesting comparison to the town today. The connecting door to the back of Quang Ong Temple provides a more interesting view.
7 Nguyen Hue St., Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in 120,000d Old Town ticket -
19. Museum of Trade Ceramics
The ancient Diep Dong Nguyen House has been converted into a small museum dedicated to the history of ceramics in Hoi An. The collection includes ancient wares, some of them recovered from shipwrecks in the surrounding waters, and a large assortment of household objects, such as bowls and vases. Possibly the most interesting thing you'll find here are the maps that date back as far as the 13th century, detailing the various marine trade routes. There are also detailed architectural drawings of the restored town houses, which provide helpful explanations of the different architectural influences throughout the Old Town.
80 Tran Phu St., Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in 120,000d Old Town ticket -
20. Quan Cong Temple
Founded in 1653 by the Chinese community, this impressive temple is dedicated to Quan Van Truong, a revered general of the Chinese Han dynasty. The temple is divided into four parts: the front hall, the left and right sections, and the main sanctuary. The entrance leads through a large garden to the temple, where the main altar is, along with a gilt-and-papier-mâché statue of the general standing between two life-size, jolly-looking horses. Quan Cong lends itself to contemplation and meditation, and you get a real sense of that in the rear courtyard, gazing up at the unicorns and dragons perching on the colorful ceramic tiled roof or watching the small school of fish that happily dart around in the pond out front. The carp, symbolic of patience in Chinese mythology, is displayed throughout. Every year, on June 24 of the lunar calendar, Hoi An organizes a ceremony for Quan Cong, and pilgrims, especially merchants, come to the temple to make offerings.
24 Tran Phu, Hoi An, Quang Nam, VietnamSight Details
Rate Includes: Included in 120,000d Old Town ticket
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