There are so many amazing things to do in Hoi An Vietnam but do not feel overwhelmed because this Hoi An travel guide will go over everything you need to know including how to get to Hoi An, things to do in Hoi An, Hoi An restaurants, and more.
I recently visit Hoi An for a few days and it was one of my favourite places in Vietnam that I travel to and I visited 6 cities in Vietnam.
I want you to have an amazing trip to Hoi An like I did and if you follow this Hoi An travel guide you will know everything you need to know to have the most amazing time.
This post is all about everything you need to know before visiting Hoi An Vietnam.
How to Get to Hoi An, Vietnam
Most people visiting Hoi An will be travelling from Ho Chi Minh City as this is one of the main airports in Vietnam and where most people start their Vietnam trip. There are two main ways of travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An and that is by flying or by train.
If you fly I recommend checking out Google Flights. You will book a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang and then have to drive from Da Nang to Hoi An. Flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang are just over an hour long and prices range depending on the flight company but if you fly a budget airline like Vietjet you can find flights for under $100. Then the drive from Da Nang to Hoi An is around 45 minutes long. When we flew into Da Nang Airport we booked a Grab from the airport to Hoi An.
The other travel option to get to Hoi An is to travel by train. The train ride from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoi An takes between 17 hours to 19 hours. Yes this option is MUCH longer but if you are a budget traveller this option is much cheaper costing around $30 which will include your accommodation cost for the night. If you are interested in this transport options you can book these trains on 12GoAsia which is the website I booked all my transport around Southeast Asia on.
Where to Stay in Hoi An, Vietnam
There are two main areas in Hoi An to stay. You can stay in Hoi An Old Town or stay a little outside Hoi An ancient city and be closer to the beach. Most places by the beach are hostels or Airbnbs. If you are looking for hostels more likely they will be in the city centre.
If you are staying with a bigger group of friends or family I highly recommend the Airbnb we stayed at. It was called Lovely 3BRs SeaView Apartment-HoiAn Beach. It had tons of room and it was just a couple minute walk to the beach.
If you are solo travelling or prefer staying in hostels I always book my hostels on HostelWorld. There are so many highly rated hostels in Hoi An right near the city centre including The Imperfect Downtown Hoi An, Fuse Old Town Hoi An, and so many more, so check out HostelWorld to find the best hostel for you.
Best Things to do in Hoi An, Vietnam
@never_ending_travel 5 BEST THINGS TO DO IN HOI AN🏮🧵 #hoian #hoiantrip #hoianvietnam
♬ We Should Stick Together – elijah woods
1. Take a Hoi An Lantern Making Class
Hoi An Vietnam is known for their thousands of lanterns that light up Hoi An Old Town at night. We booked a tour with GetYourGuide where we got to learn how to make these famous Hoi An lanterns. We even got to keep them as souvenirs from our trip. Such a fun activity to do during your trip to Hoi An.
2. Go on the Hoi An Basket Boat Ride
I am sure if you have been researching your trip to Hoi An you can seen videos of the famous basket boat rides. During this ride the boat gets spun around and shaken. These workers paddling these basket boats make it such a fun experience. If you are wanting to join a tour where you get to go on the Hoi An basket boat ride as well as make lanterns and join a cooking class check out GetYourGuide to book this amazing experience.
3. Take a Vietnamese Cooking Class
Vietnamese food is SO DELICIOUS! During your trip to Vietnam I highly recommend taking a cooking class and this one in Hoi An was amazing. We got to go to the local markets to get our ingredients, we learned all about the food we were cooking with, and made so many amazing Vietnamese dishes. If you are wanting to book this tour click here.
4. Get the Famous Hoi An Tailor Clothes
Getting tailor made clothes in Hoi An Vietnam is another very popular activity to do. When you walk around Hoi An old town you will see tons of tailor made shops. I visited Ba-Ri tailor made shop to get a tailor made outfit. I got a tank top and pants set which I LOVE! Another great souvenir from your trip that is also very practical.
5. Walk around Hoi An Old Town
While you are visiting Hoi An Vietnam you NEED to walk around Hoi An Old Town at nighttime. There is the Hoi An night market to walk around as well as the beautiful views as the lanterns light up the city once it gets dark out.
Best Gluten Free Restaurants in Hoi An Vietnam
If you are gluten free like myself and many people in my family you know how hard it can be to find restaurants while travelling. We were so happy to find three amazing gluten free restaurants in Hoi An. Both the Purple Lantern and Miss Ly had amazing traditional Vietnamese food and Bikini Bottom offered more Western food options. All of them were delicious and I recommend for anyone but especially gluten free people to visit.
3-day Hoi An Travel Vlog
That brings us to the end of this Hoi An Vietnam travel guide. This post was all about everything you need to know before visiting Hoi An Vietnam including how to get to Hoi An, where to stay in Hoi An, best things to do in Hoi An, best places to eat in Hoi An, and more. I hope this blog post helps you plan an amazing trip to Hoi An Vietnam. Have an amazing trip and safe travels!
