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Looking for fun things to do in Hoi An? Come along on a vibrant photo tour exploring the charming streets of Old Town Hoi An.

Hoi An Vietnam: A Kaleidoscope of Color 

During our weeks in Da Nang, Vietnam, Bill and I made several day trips over to the nearby town of Hoi An, particularly the Old Town Area. I didn’t know what to expect, but I immediately fell in love with all the bright colors and vibrant sounds. And we discovered so many fun things to do in Hoi An!

The Ancient Town of Hoi An is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, known for its preservation of a South East Asia trading port which operated from the 15th to 19th centuries, and how a blend of local and foreign influences came together to create this magical place. Now you can check this one off your UNESCO Bucket List!

Follow along for a list of fun things to do in Hoi An as part of a day trip from Da Nang!

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#1 – Look for Hoi An Lanterns

Hoi An is well-known as the “City of Lights” because at night, the entire area is glowing with lit lanterns in all kinds of wonderful colors and patterns. Next time I come to Hoi An, I’m going to take class to learn how to make Hoi An Lanterns! Or maybe I’ll buy a few Hoi An Lanterns to take home with me?

Crowds gather to observe a large group of colorful lanterns glowing in the night.
Glowing Colorful lanterns of all colors hang from the rooftops.
Off-white lanterns in lots of different shapes hang from the sky in a yellow alleyway in Hoi An
Colorful lanterns are displayed for sale at a street shop. Looking for lanterns is one of the most popular things to do in Hoi An.
Green, red, pink, yellow, orange and blue lantern hang above the street during the night in Hoi An.
Colorful round lanterns in many different colors hang above the streets.
A display rack features dozens of colorful lanterns, available for purchase.
A dozen oriental themed lanterns hang for display at a storefront in Hoi An.

Here are a couple of lantern making classes for you to choose from:

#2 – Take a Vietnam Foodie Tour

One of my personal favorite things to do in Hoi An was to take a Vietnam Foodie Tour. The one we took was called Hoi An Street Food Tour with Mr Billy. Led by our guide Tommy, we got to sample all kinds of Vietnamese Street food around Hoi An’s Old Town. It was an excellent tour, and we enjoyed sampling so many different foods.

They took us around to 7 locations to sample different foods, telling us about the history of the item and explaining how it was made. Super fun evening in Hoi An with all the lights and lanterns lit!

Small bowls of a Vietnamese delicacy called Bah Beo
Bahn Beo
A white bowl of a Vietnam food called Cau Lau, waiting to be eaten with a fork.
Cau Lau
A hand holding a rolled up Bahn Xeo pancake stuffed with meat, pate and vegetables.
Bahn Xeo
A cut away of the Bahn Mi sandwich, with thick pieces of bread, stuffed with meat, pate and vegetables.
Bahn Mi
The Food Tour Guide Tommy holds up a piece of fried pork with chopsticks as he demonstrates how to make Bahn Xeo.
The Making of Bahn Xeo, demonstrated by our Guide Tommy

There are lots of other Vietnam Foodie Tours to choose from in Hoi An, including these highly rated ones:

#3 – Get a New Outfit Made from the Tailors in Hoi An

Another thing Hoi An is famous for is it’s tailor shops. All along the streets are beautiful storefronts with bolts of bright colored fabrics, mostly silk and cashmere, inviting you to come in and have something completely tailor-made for you.

At any of these shops, you can consult with them to choose a pattern and a fabric. They’ll take a complete set of your measurements. Then you come back the next day to pick up your custom-made outfit!

Colorful dresses displayed on mannequin body forms fill this store's entrance.
Clothing is displayed in front of the Ali Baba Silk and Cashmere shop.
Men's, women's and children's clothes are displayed on mannequin forms at another store front.
Dramatic evening dresses are displayed on golden mannequins in a store front, and these mannequins have heads on them, unlike many others we've seen!

We met a couple from New York while we were wandering around the streets of Hoi An. The wife had ordered some clothing the day before and she was eagerly waiting to go pick up her brand new silk business suit. I believe she said it cost about $100 USD to have it custom made.

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#4 – Visit the Temples in Hoi An

There are lots of ancient temples and Pagodas in Hoi An to visit and admire. We found this one quite by accident, tucked behind some galleries and restaurants when we were looking for some shade to get out of the sun. This beautiful area had trees with benches under them to sit and relax for awhile.

It is called the Ba Mu Temple Gate in English, or Cổng Chùa Bà Mụ in Vietnamese. The actual temple was destroyed in the war so all that remains is the gate which was restored by the city. Later that evening, we found it again and it was all beautifully lit up!

Kari stands in front of the reflective pool in front of the Ba Mu Temple Gate.
The Ba Mu Temple Gate with its sign in front of it. In Vietnamese, the sign says Cong Chua Ba Mu.
A closer look at the brown, gray, orange and pink stones that make up the elegant gate.
A sign on gray stone with gold letters tells the story of the Ba Mu Temple Gate.
In the evening, the Ba Mu Template Gate is lit to glow golden colors, reflected in the reflecting pool.

#5 – Go for a Boat Ride on the Thu Bon River

Flowing right through the heart of Hoi An is the Thu Bon River. Once a vibrant trading port, the river now serves as an entertainment venue which comes alive in the evening. And there is always something happening along the waterfront!

Colorful and bright wooden boats wait to give tourists a ride out on the river. As you walk along the river, the drivers will be eager to offer you their services. In the evening, the tours are offered complete with glowing Hoi An lanterns to guide their way.

A colorful wooden boat in several shades of blue waits to take passengers on out the Thu Bon River. This boat holds 10-12 people where most of the boats are smaller.
Drivers navigate the crowded river in their long wooden boats, painted bright colors of orange, red, blue and green.
Bill stands on the bridge over the Thu Bon River.
Boats are glowing with lanterns on the River in Hoi An - taking an evening boat ride is one of the most popular things to do in Hoi An.
A couple sitting in one of the round boats out on the river. Taking a ride on the river is one of the most popular things to do in Hoi An.

Our friends Scott and Brenda took a boat tour on a recent trip to Hoi An. They said it was super fun!

#6 – Take a Tuk-Tuk Tour of Hoi An

One of the fun things to do in Hoi An is to take a guided Tuk-tuk tour of the old city. The Guides will provide commentary on both the local life in Hoi An as well as the history of this ancient city.

The guides are literally (and eagerly!) waiting along all the streets of Hoi An to offer you their services. No need to reserve ahead of time. Just catch the eye of one of the guides and negotiate your price!

Passenger sits in a single person tuk-tuk, being propelled forward by a driver on a bike - it looks like a giant tricycle, but with the dual wheels in the front instead of the back.
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#7 – Shop the Merchants of Hoi An

All the streets of Hoi An are lined with shops selling fresh and prepared food items, beautiful apparel, shoes and handbags, art and paintings, woven baskets and so much more. And Souvenirs of all kinds for you to take home after your trip.

If you are someone who likes to shop, this is a dream come true for you. Even if you’re not a big shopper, it’s still fun to window shop and admire the handiwork of the local artisans and craftspeople.

Streets lined with stores offer an array of locally produced products and artwork for sale to visitors to Hoi An.
Leather belts rolled up and displayed in rows, available to purchase for the next willing buyer. Shopping for local artisan goods is one of the most popular things to do in Hoi An.
Colorful Fresh fruit and vegetables for sale at a stand along the street in the shopping district.
Corn on the cob and another pizza-like food for sale at the Night Market.
woven reed plates and baskets for sale at a shop along a busy Hoi An Street.

#8 – Take a Vietnamese Cooking Class

Learning to cook the local cuisine is such as fun way to learn about how to prepare and enjoy the food of the region. We have had a blast taking cooking classes in many of the countries we’ve visited in our travels around the world.

There are a wide variety of classes available in Hoi An at different times of the day, different types of cuisine (Vietnamese coffee is one of the local specialties), and at different price points. Take a look at some of these options available through Viator.

Kari cooks stir fry in a hot wok during a cooking class in Thailand.

#9 – Explore Street Life in Hoi An

We spent many, many hours just wandering the streets, alleys and back corners of Hoi An. This gave us a chance to see how the locals live, and admire the colorful flowers and the architecture of the buildings. It was like a Kaleidoscope of colors, patterns and texture – a real visual treat for my eyes!

A peaceful alleyway with neat octagonal pavers on the ground, bright yellow walls on the left, bright orange walls on the right, and palm trees lining both sides.
An elegant bride in white dances with her new husband along the riverway, as she holds up her long skirt to keep it from scraping on the pavement.
Bright yellow buildings line a narrow alleyway filled with motorbikes and flowers.
Lanterns adorn this narrow alleyway that has lots of restaurants showing their menu signs.
Pink flowers show from a dense green shrubbery on the roofs of stores along the road. They are probably covering up a rusty tin roof!
Two Vietnamese men sit on small bright green plastic chairs with baskets of fruit in front of them. I think they are selling the produce to people passing by.
A Vietnamese man sits on the ground in his doorway working with long strands of some type of pasta or grain - there are long slim strands of it all over the floor.
A motorbike ladened with bags and crates and fabric sits alone alongside a fenced area with colorful laundry hanging on a clothesline.
Two young men sit in open windows on the second floor of a bright yellow building, observing the passing traffic on the street below.
A row of 6 colorful motorbikes are parked outside a gate to the city. Most of the Old Town of Hoi An is pedestrian only so motorbikes are not allowed.

#10 – Other Fun Things to Do in Hoi An

There are so many other things to do in Hoi An that we didn’t have time for when we were there, or we learned about them from other travelers after we had left. You could also consider adding any of the following to your list:

  • See the Japanese Bridge Pagoda
  • Hang out and Swim at An Bang Beach – east of town on the coastline
  • Visit the Night Market on the An Hoi side of the river for amazing food
  • Rent bikes and ride around the rice fields
  • Visit the Quan Cong Temple
  • Go to the Cam Pho Temple
  • See the Vien Giac Pagoda

How to get to Hoi An from Da Nang

Now that I’ve enticed you with all these amazing photos, how do you get to Hoi An from Da Nang? There are lots of options at affordable Vietnam prices:

  • Take a Grab – This is the SE Asia version of Uber or Lyft. You’ll want to download the Grab app for your ride-share travel anywhere in SE Asia. And it’s way less expensive than Uber! In March 2024, our 40 minute ride from Da Nang to Hoi An was less than $12 USD each way for 2 of us.
  • Take a Bus – Use the 12Go Asia app for buses, trains and taxis between the cities. A quick check right now shows bus rides from Da Nang to Hoi An taking 45 minutes to an hour for $5 USD each way per person.
  • Take a Shuttle Bus – This option offers transportation between the cities at set times of day – leaving Da Nang for Hoi An at 7:30, 12:30 and 4:30; leaving Hoi An to return to Da Nang at 4:30, 7:30 and 8:30. Currently priced at $3.50 USD per person each way.
  • Book a Guided Tour – These all include transportation from Da Nang, and many also include stops at places such as Marble Mountain and/or Lady Buddha. Each tour offers different experiences, price points and group sizes:

Take a Guided Tour or Go On Your Own?

Should you pay for a guided tour? Or just go on your own and wander around? Bill and I tend to be “go on our own” kind of travelers. But we’re learning that we are likely missing out on unique things a guide would show us.

Pros of Go On Your Own:

  • Maximum Flexibility – we can start and end when we feel like it, we can go where we want to, take a break if we get too hot, and stop for a beverage whenever the urge strikes.
  • No Cost
  • I usually have researched a list of places I want to see or experience in each destination.

Pros of A Guided Tour:

  • The Guide makes sure we efficiently see all the highlights, as well as hidden gems that aren’t in the guidebooks.
  • An experienced Guide has knowledge about the place that we can’t find on our own, including recommendations of places to eat or to watch the sunset.
  • Transportation is often provided in the cost of the tour.

If we are short on time, I would definitely do a guided tour to make sure we get to see everything. And when we’re going to be somewhere for awhile, taking a guided tour at the beginning is great to get an overview of the area. Then we can go back and enjoy selected experiences more deeply later on our own.

Conclusion: Is Hoi An worth it?

Absolutely, 100%. It’s a delightful place to explore in a leisurely and relaxed environment. And there are so many fun things to do in Hoi An, that you aren’t likely to get bored.

Whether you choose to do it as a day trip from Da Nang like we did, or maybe even stay there for awhile, it’s a great place to experience the best of Vietnam.

More Info on Da Nang and Vietnam

Here are links to more posts about Vietnam, including some that I’m still writing. We invite you to subscribe to our email newsletter so you don’t miss out on any tips and travel inspiration, using the form above.

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