Hoi An tourism: A guide from A to Z (Updated July 2022)
Only 30km away from Da Nang city, Hoi An is considered a precious “jewel” of the Central region of our country, with East-West cultural values intersecting, reflected in its characteristic architecture, diverse cuisine, and simple people.
In addition to cultural values through diverse architecture, Hoi An also preserves a rather massive intangible cultural foundation. The daily life of the local people with customs, religious activities, folk art, cultural festivals along with poetic natural landscapes, specialty dishes … make Hoi An more and more attractive and get famous from over the world.
Nội Dung
Plan a trip to Hoi An
The best time to visit Hoi An is from February to April every year, with little rain and a pleasant climate. Avoid going to Hoi An in the summer because the temperature is so high, it’s very hot. The rainy season from October to November also has the disadvantage that the space is wet due to heavy and heavy rain, sometime the ancient Hoi An city might be flooded.
You should visit Hoi An on the 14th, the full moon of the lunar month to attend the old town night. On this occasion, you will have the opportunity to see with your own eyes the bright red lanterns spread all every corner, a typical scene of Hoi An on holiday.
Transportation to Hoi An
Plane
Hoi An belongs to Quang Nam, but the nearest airport is in Da Nang (Hoi An is 30km away from Da Nang). Currently, airlines such as Vietnam Airlines, Jetstar, and Vietjetair, Bamboo all operate routes from Ho Chi Minh City, and Hanoi to Da Nang. If you want to buy cheap tickets, you should book about 3 to 6 months in advance.
Other means of transport: Car, train
• From Hanoi or Saigon, there is a train route to Da Nang (North – South route), the fare varies depending on the type of train and the type of seat. You can consult and book tickets here. It takes 14 to 20 hours to travel from these two cities to Da Nang by train.
• Coach:
+ In Saigon, there are many bus companies: Hoang Long Limousine, Tang Tin Limousine, Hung Dinh Limousine… You can refer to the bus lines to Da Nang here.
+ In Hanoi, there are garages: Duong Vu sleeper bus, Thien Trung Limousine, Tan Kim Chi Limousine… You can refer to other bus lines to Da Nang here.
Travel time: it takes about 18-20 hours from Hanoi/Saigon to Da Nang.
Because the transit point to Hoi An is mainly the Da Nang pier and bus station. From there you can catch a bus/taxi to Hoi An very conveniently.
Note: There are two ways to get from Da Nang city to Hoi An.
+ Follow Highway 1 about 27km south to Vinh Dien Street, then turn left and go for another 10km to Hoi An.
+ The second road is closer and quieter, going from the center of Da Nang across the Han River bridge, to the provincial road Da Nang – Hoi An, about 30km to Hoi An.
Means of transportation in Hoi An
• Hoi An has a full range of transportation services such as bus, taxi, motorbike taxi, cyclo.
• Motorbike rental price: depending on the type of vehicle, the price is different. Ranging from 150,000 – 1,000,000 VND/day. ($8 – $50/day).
• But the most interesting thing when visiting Hoi An is walking or renting a bicycle around the ancient city to feel the special features of this place. The price of renting a bicycle is only from 30,000 VND.
Tourist attractions not to be missed in Hoi An
Bridge Pagoda
Bridge Pagoda is like a gem in the heart of Hoi An. The bridge was built in the late 16th century and is known as the Japanese bridge. In the middle of the bridge there is a small temple worshiping Huyen Thien Dai De. The Bridge pagoda is quite unique with decorative textures and motifs showing a harmonious combination of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and Western architectural styles.
Bridge Pagoda-Hoi An
Temple of the Tran family
The Tran’s temple was built in 1802 by a mandarin of the Tran family (a large family from China who migrated to Hoi An in the 1700s) in 1802 according to the traditional feng shui principles of the Chinese and Vietnamese. Located on an area of about 1500 square meters, there are many items: the temple of ancestors and the display of relics related to the family, the house… The ancient temple of the Tran Hoi An clan is an ancient temple in style. The ethnic temple of the Vietnamese people from thousands of years ago still has its ancient architectural form intact.
Location: No. 21, Le Loi street
Museum of History and Culture
Established in 1989, the museum displays 212 original artifacts and valuable documents in ceramics, porcelain, bronze, paper, wood, etc., reflecting the development stages of the city and commercial port of Hoi An since the time of Hoi An. The period of Sa Huynh culture (from the 2nd century AD) to the period of Cham culture (from the 2nd to the 15th century) and the Dai Viet and Dai Nam culture (from the 15th to the 19th century).
Location: No. 13, Nguyen Hue
Hoi An Handicraft Workshop
The workshop gathers most of the traditional handicrafts of Hoi An and Quang Nam such as mat weaving, cloth weaving, pottery, lacquerware, etc. Visiting the workshop, visitors will find a peaceful and quiet scene of a village image. Vietnamese hometown; witness firsthand the skillful hands and excellent skills of artisans, creating sophisticated and unique fine art products. Visitors can participate in a few stages in the production process of the craft and buy some products as souvenirs.
Location: No. 9, Nguyen Thai Hoc
Some attractions out of Hoi An ancient town
Cua Dai Beach
Cua Dai is a beautiful beach, with white sand, clear blue water, small waves and available fresh seafood restaurants with cheap prices. Coming to Cua Dai beach in the evening is also great because at that time the beach was vast, shimmering under romantic oil lamps.
Location: 5 km east of Hoi An ancient town.
An Bang Beach
Coming to An Bang beach, you will feel the wonderful freshness when walking along the sandy slopes, catching the sun up, watching the pristine beauty at dawn on the sea surface.
Location: Located in Cam An ward, about 3 km east of the center of Hoi An ancient town.
Thanh Ha Pottery Village
In the 16th and 17th centuries, Thanh Ha was a very prosperous village, famous for its ceramic and terracotta items that were exchanged and wholesaled throughout the central provinces of Vietnam. The village’s pottery craft originated from Thanh Hoa, after absorbing some technical capital, the pottery village was formed as it is today. The main products are utensils for daily life such as cups, bowls, jars, jars, vases, ornamental pots, shapes of breeds … with many designs and colors. Especially, They are lighter than other similar local products.
Location: Located 3km west of Hoi An
Cuisine of Hoi An tourism
Although Hoi An ancient town is small, the culinary culture is extremely rich. Here are some delicious dishes and addresses for you to enjoy when coming to this special place:
Hoi An Chicken Rice – Ba Thuan Chicken Rice
Ba Thuan chicken rice is truly for chicken lovers. The chicken meat is very fatty and fragrant. As in other rows, chicken rice is served with a cup of water made from chicken broth and intestines consisting of liver and blood.
Address: Ba Thuan chicken rice – New number: 685/4, Hai Ba Trung, Minh An ward, Hoi An, Quang Nam (old number 17/4).
Cao Lau
Many people who have lived in the old town for a long time say that Cao Lau appeared in Hoi An in the 17th century. Perhaps that is why this dish is heavily influenced by Chinese cuisine as well as Udon cold noodles of the Japanese. However, Hoi An Cao Lau still has its own bold character and only Hoi An has the right Cao Lau dish.
Address: It is very easy to find Cao Lau Hoi An, from street vendors to restaurants on Tran Phu street
Banh beo Hoi An
To make Banh beo, people choose delicious rice, the filling of banh beo is shrimp and meat. When customers enter the restaurant, the owner arranges many cups of cake on a tray, scoops up the filling, adds oil, chili sauce, and fragrant onions and then puts it on the table. Eating banh beo must use a “bamboo knife”, which is a sharp blade-shaped bamboo stick. This type of eating also arouses curiosity for guests and is the difference between banh beo and other Hoi An delicacies made with rice.
Address: Ba My – Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Minh An ward, Hoi An, Quang Nam
Quang Noodles (Mi Quang)
From the outside, Mi Quang are almost like Cao Lau, but just taste it once, you will see that these are two completely different dishes. Mi Quang are often eaten with shrimp, meat, quail eggs… All of them are soaked in spices. When eating, it is also indispensable for crispy grilled rice paper and accompanying vegetables.
Dumplings, white rose
Dumplings – white rose cakes are two types of cakes with similar ingredients and methods, often eaten together on a plate of cake. Another is the rose cake which is made from crushed ground shrimp mixed with a little pepper, garlic, onion, lemongrass and esoteric spices. The dumpling filling is made from pork, cat mushrooms, thinly sliced scallions and then sautéed with that esoteric spice. Perhaps this spice is also a reason why dumplings – rose cakes can only be eaten well when in Hoi An.
Address: White Rose Restaurant – 533 Hai Ba Trung Street, Cam Pho Ward, Hoi An, Quang Nam. Here, you can see firsthand the elaborate cake making process of the shop.
