Hội An means "peaceful meeting place" in Sino-Vietnamese and the city certainly lives up to that name. Its old-world architecture, cobbled streets and distinctive yellow shop fronts make it a feast for the eyes. The city was awarded Asia's Leading Cultural City Destination at the World Travel Awards in 2021.
It was part of the Silk Road’s maritime route and a meeting place to exchange goods and ideas from the 15th-19th centuries. The thriving port traded with Southeast and East Asian countries, as well as with the rest of the world. Today visitors flock to the town in droves, which makes tourism the city’s biggest economic activity. You can spend hours walking its streets and nipping into souvenir shops to find the choicest silk goods.
The best time to visit is March to May but June to August is alright too if you don’t mind the heat. The rainy season is from October to January. Here’s our guide on what to do there.
Hội An Ancient Town
Hội An Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is situated in Quảng Nam province near the Thu Bồn river. It preserves the mercantile character of the city over an area of 30 hectares. The port declined in the late 19th century but to this day the town reflects a fusion of indigenous and foreign cultures such as Chinese, Japanese and European influences. The more than 1,000 timber-framed buildings have brick or wooden walls and the place retains its original street plan.
Three buildings you must visit during your tour of the Ancient Town are the Tan Ky Old House in which seven generations of a Vietnamese merchant family lived; the Fujian Assembly Hall, also known as Hoi Quan Phuoc Kien, which is a temple dedicated to Thien Hau, the goddess of the sea who protects sailors from danger; and the Museum of Folk Culture, which has a range of artefacts showcasing local customs in a 150-year-old Chinese trading house.
An Bang Beach
No visit to Hội An will be complete without a visit to An Bang Beach (Bãi Biển An Bàng). It’s one of Vietnam’s most picturesque beaches with a dazzling stretch of fine sand and an enormous horizon. Visitors can gaze at the distant Cham Islands, surf and relax after a day of exploring the city. The beach has lots of tree cover and eateries galore to satisfy your hunger.
The Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum
French photographer Réhahn has spent years taking large-scale portraits of Vietnam's ethnic groups so he decided to showcase his work in one place. Visitors learn the stories and wonder at the heirlooms and costumes of over 50 ethnic groups in a 19th-century French house spanning 500 square metres. Entry is free.
Try Your Hand At Pottery
The Thanh Hà village used to be famous for its pottery, bricks and tiles. Its unique ying and yang tiles can still be seen on many roofs in Hội An Ancient Town. The Thanh Hà Terracotta Park pays homage to the village quite literally as it is modelled after a potter’s wheel.
Guests can book a tour in this 500-year-old village, have a go at mask painting on terracotta (and take their designs home as a souvenir), peruse the on-site store for traditionally-made terracotta items, play the “breaking the pot” game blindfolded (a familiar ritual in the Vietnamese countryside), and of course, sit in front of a pottery wheel and shape their own designs.
Sample Hội An’s Coffee Culture
Vietnamese coffee is popular with connoisseurs around the world and while Hội An does not grow its own coffee it does know how to brew them for an enjoyable taste. The streets of the city are populated with Vietnamese cafés and street food vendors selling the liquid gold, so much so that the aroma of black coffee permeates the town. We recommend you try the blends unique to Hội An and speak with your barista for suggestions.
Some notable cafés to visit are The Hội An Roastery Espresso and Coffee House, a welcoming breakfast place with delicious coffee. The Phin Coffee Restaurant opened relatively recently in 2017 and offers coffee classes in its cosy quarters. Faifo Coffee roasts their own beans and is a local favourite.
Watch A Cultural Performance
Lune Production is a contemporary circus, dance and musical troupe which regularly holds shows at the Hội An Lune Center for the Performing Arts. It’s a riveting spectacle of artistes performing everything from ballets to enactments of countryside life.
The Hội An Memories Land theme park also hosts dance and cultural performances with cutting-edge technology. They have 10 different minishows among which is the Luo Oi, a performance to honour the traditional silk-making profession of the Vietnamese people, and the Wedding Ceremony of Princess Ngọc Hoa.
Hội An’s night market has plenty of street food and authentic Vietnamese offerings which you must taste such as cao lầu (rice noodles with pork and greens), the iconic bánh mì (a short baguette), hoành thánh (egg noodle soup) and mì quảng (noodle soup).
Some of the best places to eat in the city are Thành Nam Quán, an affordable and loved restaurant whose butter garlic shrimps are very good, the Bao Han Restaurant, which has many vegetarian options, the Hoi An Heart Restaurant, Mango Mango and Soul Kitchen, a bar on An Bang Beach serving delicious food.
For a luxurious vacation book your room at the Almanity Hoi An Wellness Resort and the Lasenta Boutique Hotel. Those looking for a budget-friendly stay should consider Vietnam Backpacker Hostels and Saclo Villa and Hostel. The Dong Nguyen Homestay Riverside and the Qua Cam Tim Homestay are good places for a homely experience.
Land at Da Nang International Airport (DAD) and take a shuttle bus, taxi or rental motorbike to Hội An which is 28km away.