Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most enchanting towns — a beautifully preserved 15th-century trading port where lantern-lit streets, tailor shops, and riverside cafés make for a genuinely low-key, atmospheric change of pace from Vietnam’s bigger cities. It’s a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and rightly so.
Ancient Town by Lantern Light
Hoi An's Ancient Town is at its most magical after dark, when thousands of colourful silk lanterns illuminate the riverside streets — particularly striking during the monthly Lantern Festival, held on the full moon, when the town switches off electric lighting entirely.
My Son Sanctuary
A striking cluster of Hindu temple ruins built by the Cham people between the 7th and 13th centuries, set within a lush jungle valley outside town. A sunset visit is often recommended for fewer crowds and better light.
Cooking Class & Market Tour
A half-day cooking class, typically starting with a local market visit to source ingredients, is one of the most rewarding ways to properly engage with central Vietnamese cuisine — genuinely different from the food further north or south.
Basket Boat Ride, Cam Thanh Coconut Forest
A playful, slightly surreal experience — being spun and paddled through a coconut palm forest in a traditional round basket boat, often with a fisherman demonstrating traditional net-casting along the way.
Cham Islands Snorkelling
A short boat trip from Hoi An, the Cham Islands offer genuinely good snorkelling and a quieter, less-developed alternative to a full beach day in town.
Hoi An has no airport of its own — most visitors fly into nearby Da Nang (around 45 minutes by road) and transfer from there.
Yes — an e-visa arranged online in advance is the simplest route. We're happy to guide you through this as part of booking.
Very much so — Hoi An is famous for its tailor shops, where custom clothing can often be made within 24-48 hours, alongside excellent leather goods and lantern craftsmanship.
February to July offers the driest, most reliable weather. Later in the year (October-December) brings a higher chance of rain and occasional flooding, worth avoiding if possible.
Very easily — the two sit less than an hour apart, and combining a stay in each is one of the most popular ways to experience central Vietnam, pairing Hoi An's heritage charm with Da Nang's beach resorts and skyline.
The Ancient Town itself is easily walkable, but Grab covers Hoi An too for anything further afield - worth setting up alongside an eSim before you leave the UK so you're connected from the moment you land.
Where to stay
From an entirely villa-based beachfront icon to a riverside base in town, here are three of Hoi An's finest addresses.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai
Widely considered Hoi An's — and one of Vietnam's — very best resorts, an entirely villa-based property set along a stretch of pristine beach, each villa with its own pool. Home to genuinely excellent dining and a real sense of scale and privacy.
Hoiana Hotel & Suites
A newer, large-scale beachfront resort just outside Hoi An proper, Hoiana pairs spacious rooms with an extensive range of on-site dining and entertainment, a strong choice for anyone wanting more resort infrastructure alongside beach time.
Anantara Hoi An Resort
Set on the banks of the Thu Bon River within walking distance of the Ancient Town, Anantara offers a genuinely central, riverside alternative to the beachfront resorts further out — colonial-style architecture and easy access to Hoi An's lantern-lit streets on foot.