Hoi An Travel Guide: History, Tailors, and Lantern Magic
In Hoi An, Vietnam, everything is bathed in yellow. This central Vietnamese city, with its famous yellow-painted ancient town full of shimmering lanterns, sunlit riverbanks, and tailor shops, has plenty of history, culture, and shopping.
Known as the ‘City of Lanterns,’ Hoi An was a major trading port for over 2,000 years and part of the Silk Road. The city’s old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, contains elements of Chinese, Japanese, French, and other cultures from across the globe. Hoi An’s long history as a trading port has left it with a rich tapestry of cultures and influences.
Hoi An is also an incredibly popular tourist destination known for its tailoring services and shopping. When I first arrived in Hoi An, I was a little put off by the crowds of people buying, haggling, and attempting to sell me things ranging from custom-tailored clothes to “tenner” trinkets. It was difficult to get a real feel for the city beyond the endless shops, rowdy bars, and busy streets of the old town.
Hoi An can seem overwhelmingly touristy at first, with its busy streets and bustling markets. But beneath the surface, there’s an authentic charm waiting to be uncovered.
After sipping delicious Vietnamese coffee on cafe rooftops and ducking through narrow alleyways in the old town, I began to see the charm in this contradictory city with its blend of consumerism and Confucianism, old merchant houses and bars blasting ‘Sweet Caroline,’ and fast moving motorcycles and slow moving lantern boats.
I definitely recommend visiting Hoi An and getting to know the less ostentatious side of this popular city. Without further ado, here are my recommendations for top things to do when visiting Hoi An.
Top Things To Do in Hoi An, Vietnam
1. Explore The Bustling Ancient Old Town
The old town in Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage site known for its brightly-painted yellow buildings, vibrant lanterns, and river meandering through the center of everything. Along with many bustling shops, restaurants, cafes, and bars, there are also historical sites scattered throughout the ancient town. If you want to learn more about the history and culture of this former trading port, I’d recommend taking a walking tour. And Hoi An’s ancient town is also magical in the evening with glowing lanterns, lively markets, and boats drifting down the river.
Whether visiting by day or by night, I recommend trying to going during ‘off peak’ times like earlier in the morning. You can sip a Vietnamese coffee on a rooftop high above the bustle and explore the hidden corners and narrow alleys of the ancient city.
Many tourists buy a Hoi An Ancient Town ticket (~$5 USD), which gives you access to 5 out of 22 historic sites scattered throughout the old town (this may be included in your walking tour price). Popular historic sites include: the Japanese-covered bridge (a well-known landmark of Hoi An), Fujian Assembly Hall (intricate 17th century assembly hall where the Fujian Chinese gathered), Tan Ky House (a wealthy merchant house), and Hainan Assembly Hall (another intricate Chinese assembly hall). You can also attend the Hoi An Traditional Art Performance Theatre show with your ticket; this 30-minute, unabashedly kitschy performance showcases traditional songs and dances – you’ll need to check the schedule but there’s generally one show around 10am and another around 3pm.
2. Head to a tailor shop to get custom-made clothing
One of things that Hoi An is most famous for is its tailor shops: you can get custom, tailor-made clothing in a couple of days at much lower prices than you might find in the US or Europe. Whether you’re looking for a suit, dress, or top, you can go from photo inspiration and choosing fabrics to having a made-just-for-you piece of clothing to take home in a couple of days.
I highly recommend the tailor shop Yaly, which has a few locations around the city. It’s a little on the pricier side but they do a great job and have ethical labor practices. I got two dresses and a vest suit made at Yaly and it was an absolute blast. You can also get shoes, purses, jewelry, or even custom eyeglasses made in Hoi An.
Some pro tips: Have an idea of what you want to get made – choosing in-store can be overwhelming. You can generally make bigger changes to the overall design of the outfit during your first fitting or two, so don’t be afraid to speak your mind and flag any issues or concerns. And have fun with it – getting custom clothing made is a creative and exciting process!
3. Grab a delicious Vietnamese coffee and Try Some Local Delicacies
There are plenty of great cafes and restaurants to visit in Hoi An. And you can often escape the crowds (and heat) in a charming restaurant or coffee shop.
Some of my favorite coffee shops include Faifo Coffee (with a great rooftop), Moments Hoi An, and Phin Coffee. There are plenty of cute cafes with delicious coffee all over Hoi An.
Hungry after all your exploring? Some restaurants to try include MET Hoi An, Noodle House, The Hoianian, and Morning Glory. During my old town wanderings I also stumbled across the Secret Garden, which I didn’t try but had a great ambiance. Be sure to taste local Hoi An delicacies, including Cao Lầu and White Rose Dumplings, both of which are made with a special water from the area.
Looking for an excellent bahn mi sandwich in Hoi An? Two popular places are Madam Khanh – The Banh Mi Queen and Bánh Mì Phượng, which was a favorite of Anthony Bourdain’s.
4. Learn about Vietnam’s ethnic diversity at the Precious Heritage Museum
This gem of a museum was founded by famous French photographer Réhahn, who spent over a decade traveling through Vietnam and learning about the various ethnicities and cultures around the country. The museum is free and showcases the 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam through beautiful photography portraits, ethnic outfits, and personal stories. There is also a fascinating documentary on Réhahn that plays on loop showing his journey and experiences in creating the museum. This was one of my favorite activities in Hoi An (and is a great way to escape the heat for a bit).
5. Have a night Out on Hoi An’s Ancient Town
Hoi An’s old town is definitely worth a visit at night. Along with colorful, glowing lanterns on boats and dangling above the busy streets, there are night markets selling everything from food to t-shirts, plenty of bars with drink specials, and even karaoke for those who are so inclined. Some of the more touristy activities to do include taking a lantern boat down the river, setting a lantern adrift along the river, and of course checking out the night markets.
6. Take a bike ride through Hoi An’s rice paddies
Hoi An is surrounded by rice paddy fields. If you want to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city, you can take a bike tour through the paddies. I took a half-day bike tour and it was a great way to get a sense of local life from temples to agricultural practices, spend some time in nature, and see another side of the area outside of the ancient city. My bike tour included a coconut boat ride and a motor boat trip back to the ancient old town.
7. Go for a Spin On a coconut boat ride
The coconut boats are one of Hoi An’s more (in)famous tourist activities. You ride a traditional ‘coconut style’ boat with a local guide down and around the river while wearing traditional Vietnamese hats. Generally two people plus a guide fit in each boat. My coconut boat ride was included as part of our bike tour and was actually quite fun.
You can pay a small sum (~$2 USD in 2025) to get spun around quickly to music (you can look up coconut boat videos online to see what I mean), which I thought was fun but isn’t for everyone. Even if you don’t opt for a crazy spinning adventure, I thought the coconut boats were relaxing and the river scenery was quite pretty.
8. Soak Up The Sun at a beach in Da Nang
Looking for a beach day in the midst of your Vietnam adventure? Hoi An is located ~30 minutes (without traffic) from Da Nang, Vietnam’s fifth-largest city and a popular beach destination. If you’re flying in or out of Hoi An, you’ll fly into Da Nang’s airport. Da Nang has some nice beaches like My Khe Beach and Non Nuoc Beach, where you can relax, grab food and drinks, and enjoy the waves and sand.
Want to spend more time in Da Nang? Da Nang also has some well-trodden tourist sites nearby including the Marble Mountains, with five limestone peaks that are religious sites with temples, caves, and nature to explore, and Ba Na Hills, a theme park that features scenic views, a replica French Village, and an Instagram-famous bridge held by giant hands (I’ve read mixed reviews on whether this is worth the trip, but if you’re a theme-park person, it’s an option to consider).
If I had any advice, it’d be to not to take your first impression of Hoi An too much to heart. Spend some time peeling away the layers of this city and I think that you’ll discover behind the touristy veneer there’s a world of history, culture, and of course, custom-made tailored clothing.
Planning to explore more of Asia? Check out my blog posts on top sights in Taipei, Taiwan, how (not) to plan a day trip to Hakone, Japan and my ultimate guide to surfing in Bali.
