Hoi An’s Old Town is not only a great place in which to wander, eat, drink and be romantic – you’ll also find a huge choice of tours there too. From guided visits to the Old Town’s cultural buildings and museums to food-based tours, walking or cycling excursions and river trips, it really helps to have some local-expertise on hand for your first visit to Hoi An. Many tours are available by day or by night and many tour guides will offer individual trips as well as those designed for groups.
You can also easily put together a DIY tour taking in major sites such as the Japanese Bridge, the Central Market, the Old Houses and the Chinese Assembly Halls. At night, the Lantern festival and the Night Market pull hundreds of visitors.
There are also two great shows on the fringes of the Old Town – Teh Dar by Lune productions and The Hoi An Memories Show.
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Organized Tours
Many organized tours are available. They range from inexpensive 2-hour orientation walking tours to deep-dive historical tours that visit Old Houses, Assembly Halls and Museums with expert guides at the helm. Photography tours are also available as are riverboat tours that set off from Hoi An Old Town. Other options have a food focus with visits to the Central Market and food stalls in different locations.
For tours with a historical focus Local Buddy Tours is highly recommended. Another well-regarded option is ToursByLocals. For Photography tours see our options in the Photography Tours section. On the culinary side Eat Hoi An has a great reputation as does Hoi An Street Food Tour with Billy. And for those who want to take a ride along the river try Hoi An Lantern Boat Tours.
DIY Sights and Shows
Below is a list of sites to visit and shows to attend. Click on ‘Hoi An Ancient Town’ for a comprehensive overview.
Chinese Assembly Halls in Hoi An’s Ancient Town
Hoi An’s Chinese Assembly Halls are the most significant historical sites in Hoi An’s Ancient Town. The Fujian and Cantonese Halls are the standouts.
Hoi An Night Market
For those wishing to take home a piece of Hoi An’s lanterned charm, the Night Market on An Hoi Islet (across the river from Hoi An Old Town) provides a large array of inexpensive souvenirs and snacks from which to…
Hoi An Lantern Festival
Updated May 2024 If you are planning a trip to Hoi An but want to decide on a good time to go, consider planning around the Hoi An Full Moon Lantern Festival. This is an enchanting time to experience Hoi…
Hoi An Ancient Town
The Hoi An Old Town or Hoi An Ancient Town, as it is often called, is Hoi An’s most prominent attraction. Historically it was a trading port dating back to the fifteenth century: an important stop on the Silk Road…
Hoi An’s Top 5 Museums
With its picturesque Old Town, river, coastline and countryside, Hoi An is a bustling paradise for tourists. But just a few centuries ago, the region bustled in a different way, being a major trading port. The Thu Bon River, running…
Museum of Trade Ceramics
The Museum of Trade Ceramics is one of several ancient houses that can be visited in Hoi An’s Old Town. The majority of the city’s yellow-painted houses date back to the French colonial era, whereas the ancient houses – often…
Hoi An’s Top 5 Ancient Houses
With Hoi An being known as the Ancient Town (or Old Town), it’s no surprise that it contains many ancient houses! Most of the buildings you’ll pass by within the Old Town are historical, and many show influence from the…
The Japanese Bridge in Hoi An
One of the most emblematic attractions in Hoi An – and dare we say in the whole country of Vietnam – is the Japanese Bridge. It’s so popular that some people come to Hoi An just to get to see…
Cloth Market
Looking for the best bargains on materials and dressmaking but afraid of aggressive sellers? Check out this guide to navigating the Hoi An Cloth Market.
Hoi An Central Market – A Complete Guide
Hoi An Central Market is the granddaddy of the town’s markets, in terms of scale and the sheer quantity of local and foreign visitors it receives.
