HOI AN

TASTE OF Hoi an

3 DAYS IN HOI AN

Hoi An can be all you expect from an Asian destination.
Historic, authentic, romantic, cosy and everything is within walking distance.
Moreover, Hoi An is surrounded by ideal things you would want from travel; one of the most famous ancient temples My Son, white sand tropical beaches and numerous local villages specialised in different arts or crafts, coconut mangrove forest where you can get unexpected experiences on basket boat.

Even if Hoi An is not more important than Hue historically, Hoi An is the biggest tourist attraction in Central Vietnam. It is a small and cosy ancient village with some Japanese feeling as it used to be a Japanese town.

You can visit houses built with traditional architecture, find chic shops as well as marketplaces selling souvenirs designed with traditional arts and crafts, enjoy the atmosphere of the cosy restaurants and cafes and take a boat tour on the river, especially romantic late at night. Though in the evening it gets crowded and relatively kitch with the exaggerated number of lanterns and lights on the riverside, it has its charm.
Lanterns cover everywhere and illuminate every night in Hoi An City. But there is still a way to go crazy, every full moon also the sky is covered with beautiful lanterns during Hoi An Lantern Festival.

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

BRIEF ONE-DAY ITINERARY IN HOI AN
A 3-DAY-ITNERARY IN HOI AN
5 COOL THINGS TO DO IN HOI AN
WHERE TO EAT IN HOI AN
5 BEST SITES TO VISIT IN ANCIENT TOWN OF HOI AN
HOI AN VS. DA NANG CITY WHICH ONE IS BETTER TO STAY?
3 MUST TRY COFFEE & TEA HOUSES IN HOI AN

BRIEF ONE-DAY ITINERARY IN HOI AN:

A quick guide to how to spend a day in Hoi An

MORNING

Start your day early by visiting My Son before the hot weather and tourist buses arrive.
You can try a delicious breakfast at the cafe inside the ruins.

AFTERNOON

Have a delicious seafood lunch on the An Bang beach and relax on the white sand.
Take a basket boat tour at the Coconut Forest

EVENING

Enjoy the cosy atmosphere of Hoi An town centre.
Do some shopping
Dinner at the Morning Glory Restaurant
Try egg coffee, a Vietnamese Speciality

THREE-DAY ITINERARY IN HOI AN

DAY 1

DISCOVER
THE ANCIENT TOWN

Discover Ancient Houses, Temples, Pagodas and markets of Ancient Hoi An on foot. Convenient ticket price for 5 entrance 120.000 VND person (4,5 EUR)

TRY HOI AN
COFFEE AND TEASHOPS

Try Hoi An special drinks like coconut coffee or egg coffee in one of the cosy coffee shops suggested in below section.

Take
a boat tour

Take a late-night boat tour after dinner to avoid the crowds. Do not forget to make a wish while sending away floating lanterns on the bridge.
Fixed price 150.000 VND/boat for 20 min. (5 EUR)

day 2

MY SON
SANCTUARY

Take an early motorbike ride of 1 hour to the UNESCO Heritage My Son Sanctuary also called the Mini Angkor Wat, before the hot weather and tourist buses arrive to admire the impressive temple ruins and beautiful stone sculptures surrounded by tropical jungle.
Ticket price 150.000 VND/person only cash accepted!

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RELAX
ON THE BEACH

If you have the sunshine, do not miss the opportunity to relax on the white sand beaches and enjoy seafood. An Bang Beach, Hidden Beach or Cua Dai Beach are just 3 km.s from Hoi An town centre and can be reached by bike.

HOI AN
NIGHT MARKET

Just across the bridge to enjoy the fresh food stalls and shopping at the night market.

RELATED READ:
Hoi An Street Food Guide and 8 amazing specialities!

DAY 3

CYCLING TO CAM KIM COUNTRYSIDE

Enjoy an easy bike ride to the beautiful countryside of Cam Kim Island, surrounded by rice fields, farms and gardens and get to know the culture and hospitality of local villages.

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BASKET BOAT ride
aT THE COCONUT FOREST

Just 5 km. outside Hoi An town, discover the incredible Bay Mau Coconut Forest where the coconut trees grow literally inside the water.
Enjoy a traditional circular basket boat ride and strange attractions.
150.000 VND/boat

last shopping and PANORAMIC dinner

Enjoy the last shopping opportunity. This is the best place to purchase quality souvenirs in Vietnam. Enjoy a nice dinner on the balcony of Morning Glory Signature Restaurant looking over the river.

5 COOL THINGS TO DO IN HOI AN

EXPLORE CHAM ISLAND CORALS

If the weather is good, go on a day tour of Cham Island to explore marvellous corals by diving or snorkelling (from February to October only)

Golden hand BRIDGE

Between Hoi An and Danang (40 min. from both) inside an amusement park, you will find this instagram famous bridge. You need to take a cable car to reach the hill and pay 750.000 VND (30 EUR) per person and go as early as 7 o'clock to avoid crowds.

EXPLORE MARBLE MOUNTAIN

Just 20 km from Hoi An, close to Da Nang City, the Marble Mountain is a cluster of marble and limestone hills which will take your breath away with its fascinating temple caves, pagodas views and the steps and stairs to reach them.
Entrance ticket 40.000 VND/person.
Lift costs 15.000 VND per person.
Totally 55.000 VND - 2,5 EUR/USD

makE your own souvenir LANTERN

You can learn how to make a lantern in a day class and take your own souvenir home. Lantern symbolizes luck, happiness and wealth.

TOP GEAR MOTORCYCLE CHALLENGE
FROM/TO HUE

You can travel by motorbike of your choice from/to Hue/HoiAn on the famous Hai Van Pass. Your belongings will be transported by a truck. You can either drive or sit behind a professional driver.
Look for "Family Riders" or "Easy Riders" for reliable tours.
Tip: Marble Mountain Visit included (except the entrance fee) as well other attractions and seafood lunch.
Cost 900.000 VND/motorbike all included

Where to eat in hOI AN

As in all the tourist places, also in Hoi An, you can spend a lot of money at the charming restaurants, and not eat good or authentic food.
It is especially sad here because Hoi An cuisine is one of the best in Vietnam.
We have tried some cosy restaurants in the old HoiAn, where Vietnamese food was sadly adapted for tourists.
If you would like to dine in a romantic, cosy place with authentic Vietnamese food and spend the right amount, then you must try the most famous of all, The Morning Glory Restaurants. Hopefully, there are two of them with different locations and the same but wide range of menus. The first one is called The Morning Glory Original which is found at 106 Nguyễn Thái Học Street, located in a nice building and on a cosy street. You can choose to sit either outside tables or inside the restaurant. The second one is called The Morning Glory Signature, which is just after the bridge and has a view from the second-floor balcony.
Another good choice can be Little Faifo Restaurant. Faifo is Hoi An's antique name but the cuisine is a fusion of past and future, let's say experimental Vietnamese.
If you want to choose what you eat in an open buffet, you can try Vy's Market Restaurant, a sterile market place experience.
If you want to try good food on a budget, you should try the night market which is held every night on the opposite side of the river with delicious and fresh food.
Not far from the entrance on the right, try the local vendor Luan Hien and the famous dishes of Hoi An, Cao Lao, Mi Quang or Banh Dap, each plate costs 30.000 VND (1 EUR).
Just next to it, at Mrs Tuyet's stall, you can try the original and best Banh Mi Bread Sandwich.

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5 Best Sites to visit in
Ancient Town of Hoi An

If you have one full day in Hoi An ancient town and you would like to discover the history and feel your self back in time, you shouldn't miss these 5 highlights of this old town:

1- Japanese Bridge
2- Phung Hung Ancient House
3- Fujian Assembly Hall (Hoi Quan Phuoc Kien)
4- Tan Ki Ancient House
5- Chaozhou Assembly Hall ( Chinese Congregation)

1 ticket for 5 sites at a cost of 120.000 VND (5 eur)
You will be pleased to know that the ticket fee will go for local community support to maintaine and preserve the old town.

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HOI AN VS. DA NANG CITY
WHICH ONE IS BETTER TO STAY?

There is no doubt, it is better to stay in Hoi An because it is a picturesque and ancient town full of ambience.
Da Nang is a big city developed behind wide sandy beaches. But it is not walkable like Hoi An and not easy to find attractions inside the city.
From Hoi An you can easily reach the attractions outside the town by renting a motorbike or tour. While in Da Nang you have to reach first by overcoming the city traffic.
My Son , An Bang Beach, and The Marble Mountain are all within the same distance between Hoi An and Da Nang.
If you need to take a plane, train or bus from Hoi An, you need to arrive in Da Nang City. It takes around 45 to 60 minutes.
Here are the transportation options to reach the Danang Airport, all hotels and guesthouses or any local tour operator will help you with the arrangements.
For any transportation options, it is better to go for a private car if you are 2 to 4 people.
HOI AN - DA NANG AIRPORT
Shuttle Bus: Depart every 3 hours and take 1 hour. 150.000 VND
Private Car with a driver of up to 4 people: 45 minutes 300.000 VND.
HOI AN - DA NANG CENTRAL BUS STATION
Shuttle Bus: Depart every 3 hours and take 1 hour. 150.000 VND
Private Car with a driver of up to 4 people: 45 minutes 300.000 VND.
HOI AN - DA NANG TRAIN STATION
Shuttle Bus: Depart every 3 hours and take 1 hour. 150.000 VND
Private Car with a driver of up to 4 people: 45 minutes 300.000 VND.

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MAP of HOI AN, DA NANG and NEAREST ATTRACTIONS

3 MUST TRY COFFEE & TEA HOUSES
IN HOI AN:

Hoi An MUST TRY Special Coffees:
Coconut Iced Coffee
Lime Syrup Coffee
Egg Coffee

mot hoi an

This a MUST TRY drink in Hoi An, traditional herb tea, served on ice. Mot Hoi An is the most popular place to try it!

reaching out tearoom

A cafè run solely by the hearing and speech impaired. Tea house as well as teashop and arts&crafts gift shop; providing opportunities for people of disability (PWD’s) to learn skills and gain meaningful employment.