Hoi An with Kids

Things to Do in Hoi An, Vietnam

If you’re in Hoi An with kids and wondering what’s available, how you’re going to keep them occupied and whether Hoi An was the best choice for your Vietnam family vacation – well rejoice.  This little town with its magical lanterns is one of the best places to be.

To start, Hoi An’s calm water beaches make it a perfect location for children and families but outside of the beach what else is there to do in Hoi An with kids?

Are you ready?  There are restaurants with pool tables, pubs with swimming pools, cafes with playgrounds and resorts with kids’ clubs. There are the basket boats (the round ones), snorkeling, cycling, mask painting, cooking classes, buffalo rides and theme parks.

And, if you’re looking for more theme parks, illusion museums, cinemas or a bridge on the top of a mountain called the Hands of God, venture a small distance out of Hoi An and they’re are all at your fingertips. So, whether you be in Da Nang with kids or Hoi An with kids or commuting between the two, there are so many things to do that you’ll need a holiday to recover!

But what about restaurants?  Where are the family-friendly restaurants?  Well, we have that covered too.  Hoi An offers a veritable oasis of restaurants for families. You’ll find eateries with outdoor playgrounds, beachside settings and indoor play areas too – you’ll even find kid-friendly vegan restaurants.

Activities

Recommended for: all ages

While it’s no Los Angeles Disneyland, Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An’s 62.4-hectare park still has plenty to offer and is a terrific day out for those in Hoi An with kids. There are five basic attractions: Waterworld; River Safari; the exotic Bird Park, Hoi An Cultural Land and the massive Adventure Land fun park (with Indoor Gaming Room). Some of these rides are seriously heart-stopping. Interspersed, you’ll find souvenir and clothes shops along with restaurants, an Indoor Playzone for little kids, a 4D Movie Castle, outdoor stage and shows and an amazing light and water display at 7.30pm that you just shouldn’t miss.

Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An is highly recommended – and it’s not just the kids that will love it!

Entrance | 500,000 VND / 21.50 USD (adults) 200,000 – 400,000 VND / 8.50  – 17 USD (kids);

Thanh Nien Street, Binh Duong, Thang Binh
8.30am – 9pm

Explore the Rice Fields By Bycicle

Recommended for: 12 years + (individual cyclists)

Much of Hoi An’s charm lies in its outskirts – those seemingly endless rice fields that feel a world away from the Old Town. In fact, you can reach the middle of nowhere in just a 5-minute cycle, and it makes for a great (and cheap!) family day out.

Riding through Hoi An’s rice fields will delight both kids and adults. You’ll see Vietnamese farmers in their Non la hats ploughing fields with their water buffalo, ducks, chickens, dogs and puppies, kittens and ‘Shy Plants’. These cute little plants that grow along the sides of roads and in bushes, shrivel up when you tickle them. Kids love them.

Warning: We strongly advise against children under 12 cycling anywhere in Hoi An. Drivers here are fast and reckless – it is not worth the risk. Rent a bike with a kids seat or join a family bike tour.

Want to do something cultural, educational and creative in Hoi An with kids? Then head out to Thanh Ha Terracotta Park and Pottery Village to paint your very own Vietnamese Theater Mask followed by a bit of pottery and a saunter through a museum that will blow your mind. Thanh Ha Terracotta Park is a visual and sensory feast. Start with the waist high model monuments of iconic buildings from all over the world. From the Taj Mahal, Stonehenge to Sydney Opera House, this a fun game of test your knowledge (or lack of knowledge!) Our kids loved this outing. Not only did they have a fun day, they got to take home their own pottery and painted mask souvenirs.

After Thanh Ha Terracotta Park saunter down to the Pottery Village for a walk back in time to how pottery was made a hundred years ago.

Entrance | 30,000 VND / 1.30 USD (adults) 15,000 VND / 0.65 USD (kids);

Block 5, Thanh Ha Ward, Hoi An, Quang Nam
8 am – 5.30 pm

Cyclo Ride

Recommended for: all ages

There’s no better way to see Hoi An Old Town than by gliding through its streets in a canopied cyclo. A 20-minute cyclo tour will cover all the main areas of Hoi An Old Town from the Japanese Bridge, Central Market to the river front. It’s a great way to quickly see everything the Old Town has to offer. While this snail-paced, sleepy ride may bore some teens and tweens to breaking point, for a couple of exhausted parents, there’s nothing like reclining in a carriage and smugly waving at heat exhausted pedestrians on the brink of fainting point. (Get a cyclo, why didn’t they?!) So, whether the kids want to do this or not, shove them in, push them in or even hurtle them in to the seat: this wonderfully relaxing ride is one the adults need and a little bit of give and take is what nurturing a whingeing child to adulthood is all about. Pity cyclos don’t have portable Margarita bars!

Price | 200,000 VND / 8.60 USD (set price) x 20 minutes Old Town Tour

Hoang Dieu & Phan Chau Trinh Sts, Dao Duy Tur & Duong Ca Hong Lanh & around the Japanese Bridge or simply wave one down

Get Pampered

Recommended for: 5 years +

Our girls like nothing more than getting their nails and toenails manicured and painted. Great. But as this wonderful activity only fills around 30 minutes of the day, what to do then? Luckily Hoi An has enough activities, beauty salons and shops to make your head spin, so we’ve put a few things together to come up with an ideal outing that your daughters – and maybe even your sons – will love!

Start with treating yourselves to a mani-pedi in one of Hoi An’s great salons. Follow this with a browse through the designer children’s wear at the fabulous Copenhagen Delights – for an outfit they’ll love to show off at home. After this, jump in a cyclo for a ride around Hoi An Old Town followed by an ice-cream for the kids (and a cocktail for the adults).

Top it all off by hiring in a sampan for a 30 minute boat ride on the Thu Bon and make all your dreams come true by setting free your very own wish candles.

Craft

The Timing Masks

Recommended for: 5 years +

If you’re looking for an activity that’s educational, creative and rewarding that results in a painted mask souvenir, then consider doing one of The Timing Masks’ workshops in Hoi An’s Old Town. This family run business headed by patriarch, Mr Phong Bui, aim’s to preserve one of Vietnam’s oldest cultural activities: the art of mask making. Inside this amazing workshop filled with masks of all shapes and sizes, you can choose to simply paint a mask or do a full 2 hour mask making workshop. We recommend the more informal ‘Mask Painting’ activity if you have young kids. To see The Timing Masks in action, check out the cultural performance – a colorful mix of dance, folk and theater – held three times a day.

Price | Per person: 200,000 VND (8.60 USD) mask painting & 350,000 VND (15 USD) 2-hour workshop; cultural performance: 100,000 VND (4.30 USD);

 58/7 Le Loi
Hours | 9am – 6pm

Taboo Bamboo Workshop

Recommended for: 7 years +

Unleash your creativity at Taboo Bamboo Workshop, where owner Tan has created a bamboo wonderland including a two-story house, an electric car and even a telephone! Deeply passionate that the traditional bamboo handicraft that’s been in his family for three generations is retained, Tan started the Taboo Bamboo Workshop. In these workshops Tan will teach you about bamboo’s sustainability as a natural product, how resilient and strong it is and just what you can make with it (which seems to be everything!!!). Just visiting this storybook setting is a worthwhile experience but, for an activity that the whole family will love and one that ensures old technologies are not forgotten, why not book in for a workshop? It’s amazing value, considering the unique souvenirs – from toys to speakers – you’ll have to take home … and the fun you’ll have making them!

Price | Per person: 700,000 VND (30 USD)  3 hour workshop;

Thanh Tam Dong, Cam Thanh; Tel | +84 (0) 905 312 812
9am – 12am & 2pm – 5pm /closed Sun;

Tours

Tra Que Water Wheel Cooking Class

Recommended for: 5 years +

Hoi An has many specialty foods – and now, as well as enjoying them, your family can learn how to make them at Tra Que Water Wheel Cooking Class! This family-friendly cooking class has plenty to keep kids from 5+ happy.

From the colorful and chaotic market tour to the cycling trip through Hoi An’s countryside towards Tra Que, this is one of the best cooking classes you can do in Hoi An with kids. On arrival at Tra Que village you and the kids get to dress up in farmers’ clothes, ride a water buffalo and try your hand at harvesting! Then it’s time for the class itself. Here you’ll learn to make rice paper and all kinds of shapes from their collected vegetables – a skill you can later test at home for special occasions.

Highly recommended. You even get a foot massage!

Price | Adults: 900,000 VND / 39 USD (approx), kids 5 – 10 yrs half price;

Tra Que Herb and Vegetable Village
+84 (0) 912 719 079

Hoi An Silk Village

Recommended for: 5 years +

What kid isn’t fascinated by a wriggling worm or two? If this is your family’s thing and you’ve got an hour or so to spare rock on over to Silk Village Hoi An and have a close encounter with hundreds of the wriggly things. Situated amongst lush tropical foliage and replica Ancient houses you’ll get a crash course on Hoi An’s silk trade. You’ll learn about the early Champa period where brocade was favoured over silk to Hoi An’s famous silk mistress. There’s Ancient looms, weavers at looms there’s even a lesson on how to pick real silk as opposed to that polyester rubbish the market ladies always try to pass off as the real deal. (Try and rip me off again with your fake silk why don’t you?). This is a cheap, one hour tour that’s more of a cosmetic history of Hoi An’s silk trade but still interesting especially if you’ve got a kid that goes crazily weird over creepy crawly things. Like ours does.

Price | Per person 100,000 VND (4.30 USD) buy at the entrance

28 Nguyen Tat Thanh
8am – 4.30pm / 7 days;

Lantern Making in Hoi An

Recommended for: 5 years +

Run by a local family in a delightful Ancient house, Pho Hoi Lantern Workshop Hoi An is one of the best value lantern making courses in town. Led by the very personable Mr Hai, you will learn about the origins of lantern making in Hoi An, why lanterns became so popular and the changes in the way they were made. With Hai’s careful guidance, you will learn each step of the lantern making process. Starting with choosing your lantern style, material and colour you will move step by step through each bending, cutting and gluing stage to the final paint job where you get to personalise your lantern with your own design.

Highly recommended. Our daughters (14 and 8) loved it.

310 Nguyen Duy Hieu
8:30am – 5pm, all week

Shows

Recommended for: all ages

From the moment you walk in to Hoi An Impressions Theme Park you will be enthralled. Costumed musicians, side street shows, lanterns, rainbow lit overpasses and a miniature Japanese Bridge are just some of the many delights you will encounter before the Big Event: Hoi An Memories Show. And let me tell you nothing compares to the big event! Featuring a cast of hundreds, this visual extravaganza is nothing short of amazing. Depicting historical snapshots of Hoi An’s past to present, there’s humour, romance and emotional tragedy (the Vietnamese man next to me was sobbing – bless him!) Hoi An be proud! This sensory feast of world class music, drama, choreography, lighting and costume where actors fly through the night sky and gigantic elephants parade the stage, left our entire family open-mouthed and spellbound.

Price | Show: 600,000 VND / 26 USD (adults) & 350,000 VND / 15 USD (kids), Show and Theme Park 800,000 VND / 34.50 USD (adults) & 400,000 VND / 17 USD (kids); Theme Park Hours

Cam Nam Island
Theme Park Hours | 4.45pm – 12.00am, Memories Show Hours | 7.30pm – 8.45pm
Mid-Range

Lune Productions

Recommended for: 7 years +

Lune Show is a rumbustious thrilling experience that will appeal equally to kids and adults (think Cirque du Soleil on bamboo).  Trapeze artists fly through the sky, dancers twirl and jump in frenzied movement and humor and poignancy interlaces the drama at every turn.  As theater goes, this is world class stuff.  There are 4 Lune Productions, PalaoTeh DarAO Show and Lang Toi. Each reflects deep-rooted aspects of Vietnamese culture and folklore, often drawing on everyday activity that stretches back thousands of years.  The productions tell their stories through music and dance incorporating mesmerizing acrobatics and juggling that oscillates between gentle rolling rhythms to abrupt heart-stopping moments. Whilst this may not be for every kid, it kept both our 8 and 14 year old kids glued to the stage for the entire hour.  Both  thought this was one of the greatest shows they’d ever seen.

Price | adults 700,000 – 1,600,000 VND / (27 – 63 USD approx), kids 5 – 12 years 30% discount;

Dong Hiep Park, Nguyen Phuc Chu Street, An Hoi Islet
6pm (70 minutes duration)

Water Activities

Hoi An Beaches

Recommended for: all ages

There is nothing more enjoyable than a day at the beach and Hoi An ‘does’ beaches well.  There’s always plenty of places to recline and umbrellas aplenty for shade.  So ‘slip slop’ your water babies with sunscreen and make a beeline straight for the sea. And what a sea it is – the beautiful coastline of Hoi An provides ample opportunities to splash around.

There are two main beaches in Hoi An: An Bang and Cua Dai. Sadly, erosion has wreaked havoc on the once beautiful Cua Dai Beach.  Whilst it isn’t the expansive sandy stretch it once was it is still a good place to take kids, particularly little kids and babies.  This is due to myriad sandbags lining parts of the beach catching small pools of ocean water.  Whilst these are essentially there to stall further erosion, they make a wonderful (and safe) water playground for young children.

See Kid Friendly Restaurants for some specific beach suggestions, otherwise head straight to An Bang Beach (10 minutes taxi ride from Hoi An Old Town).

Basket Boat Through Cam Thanh Nipa Palms

Recommended for: all ages

For a fun-fueled, high energy outing that the whole family will enjoy, do a basket boat tour through the Jurassic Park-like, Cam Thanh Nipa Palms. Here you will find a spectacularly beautiful, bio-diverse ecological system that is home to a many unique marine species. Once there, float merrily among jungle-like groves of Nipa palms in a bowl-shaped bamboo boat whilst your ‘skipper’ makes you and the kids animal souvenirs from coconut fronds. When you hit the open water, be prepared for a change of tempo. This is where some of the tour guides like to put on a show. With ghetto blasters up to 11 you’ll see them spinning their basket boat at hyper-sonic speed. It can get pretty crowded but don’t let it worry you because this is one of the best things to do in Hoi An with kids. (If you prefer not to do a tour it is easy to bicycle or taxi here instead.)

Price | Per person 30,000 VND (1.30 USD) entrance & 100,000 VND boat ride (4.60 USD total approx)

Tran Nhan Tong, Cam Thanh
Open 24 hours
Low

Snorkling at Cham Island

Recommended for: 4 years +

Dive into the underwater wonderland around the Cham Islands and marvel at the coral and creatures to be found in the turquoise waters just off Hoi An. Drink in the beauty of life under the sea (not literally, of course) with a snorkeling trip or you can choose to do a cultural tour on land visiting pagodas, museums and markets – but most likely, your kids will want to spend the day in the water. And rightly so – the reefs around this pretty island are worth taking a longer look. In these magnificent pristine waters you’ll find around 135 species of coral and over 200 species of tropical fish. Hoi An Diving Center runs a full-day snorkeling trip with a large BBQ lunch on the beach for 1,000,000 VND (4.60 USD). Or, for a truly local experience, why not overnight in a homestay? Either way, snorkeling around Cham Island is a great holiday from your holiday!

Price | 1,200,000 VND (52 USD)

33 Tran Hung Dao
+84 (0) 935 857 578
High-End

SeaTREK

Recommended ages: 8 years +

Getting down with the fishes is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for kids and adults of all ages! Seatrek Vietnam involves wearing a deep sea diver’s-style helmet, walking along the ocean floor and feeding the local sea life, all under the safe watch of an experienced local scuba diver. Given that this is a monitored walking experience, kids – and adults – don’t even need to be able to swim! The recommended age is 8+, but it’s worth checking with the company in advance depending on your child’s height. The helmets are lighter than they look, but may prove unwieldy for very little ones. A Seatrek tour also includes a trip on a traditional sailing vessel, snorkelling off the coast of Cham Island, a big buffet lunch and beach time. The beautiful beach at Cham Island has designated swimming spots and a gentle slope out to sea so it’s great for all ages.

If travelling with your family, mark this tour down as unforgettable!

Price | Adults 1,450,000 VND (63 USD) & 8 – 12 years 1,150,000 VND (50 USD)

High-End

Kayak Through the Nipa Palms

Recommended for: all ages

If you’re not into the ghetto blasting experience of a tour through Cam Nam Nipa Palms by basket boat, take the waterway less traveled and float through relatively unexplored territory with Hoi An Kayak Tours instead. It’s a more serene experience and offers quite a workout too, if that’s what you’re looking for. You’ll also visit a handicraft village.

In addition to kayaking, they have paddle-boarding and trips on motorized long-tail boats, either for rental or as part of a more structured tour. This is a real chance to soak up the peace and beauty of nature with the whole family – no previous kayaking experience necessary. Kids under 5 go for free, too. Ahoy!

Price | Adults 736,000 VND (32 USD), Kids 5 – 10 years 50% discount, Under 5’s free

8.30am – 11.30am
High-End

Parasailing

Recommended for: 12 years +

See the sea from the sky with a thrilling parasailing experience. At the southern end of An Bang beach (next to Soul Beach Restaurant), you’ll find a range of operators that can take one or two people out for a ten-minute flight. Although not the cheapest way to entertain your kids (and maybe not the calmest, as they’re bound to be hyped up on adrenalin after), it does make for a fun and different way to see Hoi An – from above. When you’re back on the firm(ish) ground of the beach again, unwind in one of the many family-friendly restaurants lining the shore. Be aware that ‘take-off’ can happen quickly so lest you get dragged along the sand, be ready! Oh, and it can get cold up there whooshing through the sky, so maybe wear a rash vest.

Price | 1 person 600,000 VND (26 USD) / 2 people  (shared parasail) 800,000 VND (35 USD)

Next to Soul Beach
9.30am – 6pm
High-End

Boat on the Thu Bon (at Night)

Recommended for: all ages

There is nothing like a little bit of magic to get children (or adults!) excited and seeing Hoi An Old Town at night from the water is probably one of the most magical experiences you’ll have in Hoi An. Simply rock down to the river’s edge and hire a little sampan (150,000 VND / 6.50 USD x 20 mins) from one of the many operators lining the banks. Jump in, sit back and immerse yourself in the beguiling view of Hoi An Old Town and let the magic begin. Under the light of the moon, you’re lantern lit chariot will sail passed an array of glimmering lanterns that blur into a riot of mesmerizing colour as the Old Town slowly edges by. On the river around you, a myriad of multi-coloured, lantern-lit boats will pass by aglow with glistening color. If that isn’t enough, you’ll get to make a special on a wish candle and set it afloat on the river. Our 8 year-old daughter loved it. She wasn’t the only one!

Price | 150,000 – 200,000 VND (6.50 – 8.50 USD) per boat x 30 minutes

Bach Dang Street, Hoi An Old Town
Mid-Range

Babies

Recommended for: all ages

While it’s no Los Angeles Disneyland, Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An’s 62.4-hectare park still has plenty to offer and is a terrific day out for those in Hoi An with kids.

There are five basic attractions: Waterworld; River Safari; the exotic Bird Park, Hoi An Cultural Land and the massive Adventure Land fun park (with Indoor Gaming Room). Some of these rides are seriously heart-stopping. Interspersed, you’ll find souvenir and clothes shops along with restaurants, an Indoor Playzone for little kids, a 4D Movie Castle, outdoor stage and shows and an amazing light and water display at 7.30pm that you just shouldn’t miss.

Vinpearl Land Nam Hoi An is highly recommended – and it’s not just the kids that will love it!

Entrance | 500,000 VND / 21.50 USD (adults) 200,000 – 400,000 VND / 8.60 – 17 USD (kids)

Thanh Nien Street, Binh Duong, Thang Binh
3am – 9pm
High-End

Hoi An Beaches

Recommended for: all ages

There is nothing more enjoyable than a day at the beach and Hoi An ‘does’ beaches well. There’s always plenty of places to recline and umbrellas aplenty for shade. So ‘slip slop’ your water babies with sunscreen and make a beeline straight for the sea. And what a sea it is – the beautiful coastline of Hoi An provides ample opportunities to splash around.

There are two main beaches in Hoi An: An Bang and Cua Dai. Sadly, erosion has wreaked havoc on the once beautiful Cua Dai Beach. Whilst it isn’t the expansive sandy stretch it once was it is still a good place to take kids, particularly little kids and babies. This is due to myriad sandbags lining parts of the beach catching small pools of ocean water. Whilst these are essentially there to stall further erosion, they make a wonderful (and safe) water playground for young children.

See Kid Friendly Restaurants for some specific beach suggestions, otherwise head straight to An Bang Beach (10 minutes taxi ride from Hoi An Old Town).

Map Hoi An with Kids

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