Hoi An is the trip many people say they love about Vietnam. It’s a UNESCO-listed Ancient Town, lit at dusk by silk lanterns, with many tailor shops that can make custom clothes within a few days, and a noodle dish (cao lau) that is rarely found outside the area. It’s also walkable, slow-paced, and a short ride from a quiet beach.
Three days is a comfortable length. Here’s how to spend it.
Why Hoi An is Different
Three reasons most Vietnamese cities feel chaotic and Hoi An doesn’t:
- A walkable Ancient Town - the historic core is easy to explore on foot, with vehicle restrictions in parts of it. Check the posted rules and hours locally.
- Aesthetic consistency - the Ancient Town has been UNESCO-listed since 1999, so the yellow buildings, shutters, and tile roofs are well preserved.
- Slow tempo - the activities are wandering, eating, getting clothes made, and taking a cooking class. The pace is the point.
Day 1: Arrival + Ancient Town Walk + Lantern Evening
Morning - Arrive in Hoi An
There’s no airport in Hoi An. Most visitors fly into Da Nang and travel on by taxi, Grab or a pre-booked transfer. The UK government advises using Grab or XanhSM rather than hailing unlicensed cabs, and booking the whole journey in the app. Drop bags at your hotel. Ancient Town hotels and An Bang Beach stays are the two main bases (covered in Where to Stay below).
Afternoon - Order Your Custom Clothes (Day 1 is the deadline)
This is the most time-sensitive thing in Hoi An. Tailors need time to make custom clothes, and turnaround varies by shop and by garment, so order on your first day and ask each shop how long your pieces will take, including at least one fitting.
Tips for choosing a tailor:
- Compare a few shops on fabric quality, stitching and how clearly they quote a price and a pickup date.
- Get the price, fabric and pickup time in writing before you pay.
- Ask what the shop will do if the fit is wrong.
What to bring: a photo of the style you want (a Pinterest screenshot is fine), or pick from the in-shop catalog. They take measurements on the spot.
Late Afternoon - Ancient Town Walk
After ordering clothes, walk the Ancient Town. The main sights:
- Japanese Covered Bridge (Chua Cau) - the postcard shot
- Tan Ky Old House - a preserved merchant house
- Quan Cong Temple - a photogenic temple
- Phuc Kien Assembly Hall - a Chinese assembly hall and temple
- Hoi An Central Market - vendors and food stalls along the river
Visitors to the Ancient Town are generally expected to buy an Old Town ticket. Foreign visitors have been charged about 120,000 VND for a ticket that lets you choose five sites to enter, according to several travel reports. Prices and the list of sites change, so check at a ticket booth.
Evening - Lantern Dinner + Boat Ride
The lanterns come on around dusk. Eat at a riverside restaurant or one of the open-air spots near the river, and order cao lau (Hoi An’s signature noodle dish), white rose dumplings, and fried wonton.
After dinner, walk down to the river and hire a lantern boat. Small rowing boats take you on a short float while you set paper wish-lanterns on the water. Agree the price, the duration and the number of people before you board.
The monthly Hoi An Lantern Festival is held on the 14th day of each lunar month (the night before the full moon), when electric lights are switched off in the Ancient Town. Exact dates and lights-off times depend on the lunar calendar and are not always the same in every source, so check locally with your hotel or the Hoi An tourism office.
Day 2: Cooking Class + An Bang Beach
Morning - Cooking Class
A cooking class is a popular activity in Hoi An. The format is similar at many operators:
- Market tour - a guided visit through Hoi An Central Market to learn about Vietnamese ingredients
- Boat to the kitchen - a short ride on the river
- Cook several dishes - a hands-on session
- Eat what you made - lunch
Red Bridge Cooking School is a well-known operator that offers half-day, full-day and evening programs, with a guided market tour and a boat trip on the Hoi An River. Check its site for current prices, schedules and minimum ages for children.
Book ahead, especially in busy periods.
Afternoon - An Bang Beach
An Bang Beach is a short Grab or bike ride from the Ancient Town. It’s quieter and less developed than Da Nang’s My Khe, with a row of laid-back beach bars. Sea conditions vary by season, so check conditions and follow any flags before you swim. Bring towels, as beach-bar showers can be limited.
Evening - Light Dinner + Walk Home
Head back to town in the late afternoon. Take a slow bike ride along the Thu Bon River, have a light dinner, and maybe a banh mi at Banh Mi Phuong or a coffee at one of the town’s cafes.
Day 3: Tailor Pickup + Day Trip
Morning - Pick Up Custom Clothes
Pick up your tailored clothes. Try everything on at the shop and flag any fit issues immediately. Ask about alterations when you place the order, so you know what is included.
Late Morning - Choose Your Day Trip
Options:
(A) My Son Sanctuary (west of Hoi An, by tour or Grab) The My Son Sanctuary is a complex of ruined Cham temple towers. Go in the morning if you can, when it’s cooler. Allow several hours including transit. Entry fees and opening hours change, so check before you go. Some children find ruins less engaging than adults do.
(B) Cham Islands boat trip (from Hoi An, weather-dependent) The Cham Islands are off the coast east of Hoi An, with snorkeling, light hiking and beach lunches on tour. Boat trips depend on sea conditions and are often cancelled in rough weather, particularly in the stormier months, so confirm with the operator the day before.
(C) Just stay in town and do more of Hoi An Often the best answer. Reaching Out Tea House is a tea house staffed by people with disabilities, where customers communicate with staff using written messages or symbols. Hoi An also has cafes, art galleries, and small shops to fill an unhurried afternoon.
Evening - Final Hoi An Night
One last lantern-lit dinner. Walk the river one more time. Then either head back to Da Nang for an early flight, or stay one more night in Hoi An.
Where to Stay
Three distinct zones, three vibes:
- Ancient Town homestays and small hotels - walking distance to the main sights. Best for couples and small families.
- An Bang Beach stays - quieter, beach-focused, with a slower pace and a short ride into the Ancient Town. Best for beach-priority travelers.
- Resorts outside town - large resorts south of Hoi An offer pools and kids’ clubs but are a drive from the Ancient Town. Best for groups who want resort amenities with day trips into Hoi An.
For a multi-family group, ask homestays whether they rent the whole property.
Food
Hoi An’s food is regional and specific:
- Cao lau - thick chewy noodles with sliced pork, herbs and crispy crackers, rarely found outside Hoi An. According to local tradition the water comes from the ancient Ba Le well. Try it at the central market or at a busy local eatery.
- White rose dumplings (banh bao banh vac) - translucent shrimp dumplings shaped like white roses.
- Mi Quang - a wide noodle dish popular in the central region, including neighboring Da Nang.
- Banh mi - Banh Mi Phuong is a famous name in Hoi An and often has a queue.
- Fresh spring rolls + fried wonton - common in restaurants, and cooking classes can teach you to make them.
- Coffee - plenty of cafes in town and along the river.
Pro Tips
- Tailor turnaround: ask every shop for its timeline on Day 1, and don’t plan on same-day pickup.
- Bike rentals: hotels often rent bikes, and biking is a pleasant way to get around, especially between the Ancient Town and An Bang Beach. If you rent a motorbike instead, note that the UK government says motorbike travel in Vietnam is much riskier than in the UK, that helmets are mandatory, and that you should not hand over your passport as a guarantee.
- Crowds: the area around the Japanese Covered Bridge is busiest at dusk.
- Mosquitoes are present, especially near the river at dusk. The UK government lists dengue among the mosquito-borne diseases to check on before you travel, so use insect repellent and check the UK health advice for Vietnam.
- Cash: carry some cash for small vendors and ask your hotel which ATMs are nearby.
TL;DR
Day 1 = order tailored clothes (deadline!) + Ancient Town walk + lantern dinner + river boat. Day 2 = morning cooking class + afternoon An Bang Beach. Day 3 = tailor pickup + My Son or Cham Islands or an unhurried town day + final lantern dinner. Stay in an Ancient Town homestay, bike around, and eat the regional specialties.
Photos: Pixabay (free for commercial use).