15 Best Things To Do In Hoi An (Vietnam)

Tailor suit made clothes
Walk around the Old Town
Learn to cook Vietnamese food
Admire the Japanese Covered Bridge
Visit Hoi An Museum
Visit Hoi An Silk Village
Tour the Tan Ky Family House
Sunbathe on An Bang Beach
Take a trip to the My Son Ruins
Shop at Hoi An Central Market
Visit the Fujian Hall Assembly Hall
Explore the local countryside
Visit Phung Hung Old House
Take a boat to Cam Kim Island
Visit Tra Que Village
Scuba Diving & Snorkelling in Hoi An

Hoi An is also located on the Thu Bon River which is flanked by bars, cafes and local markets and you can walk along the banks at night and take in the views across the rippling water. When you walk around the city, you can take in spots such as museums, ancient homes and pretty temples, and Hoi An also has a delicious local food scene. As if that wasn’t enough, the surrounding countryside of Hoi An is equally scenic and you can easily take a day trip out to glorious beaches or ruined cities.

Here is 15 best things to do in Hoi An:

1. Tailor suit made clothes

Hoi An is famous across Vietnam for its textile industry and one of the reasons many people come here is to get clothes tailor made for them.

To that end, you will find amazing tailors all over town and you can choose from a plethora of silks, others textiles and patterns to make your own personalized creations.

Note however that you will probably need to leave around three days to get your clothes made if the design is simple and up to a week for more complicated pieces so plan accordingly to avoid disappointed.

The tailoring industry here is also highly competitive so you will be expected to bargain hard and it pays to shop around so that you get the best deal.

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Recommended guided tours in Hoi an: Click here: Hoi an day trip

2. Walk around the Old Town

Hoi An is something of a rarity in Vietnam as it managed to escape most of the bombing that razed many other cities to the ground during the Vietnam War.

This means that the beautiful buildings here were spared, and so you will still find some gorgeous architecture here in the Old Town which makes the perfect place to go for a walk and take in all the sights.

The Old Town has now been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is said to date back some 2,000 years.

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Recommended things to do in Ho Chi Minh city: Click here

3. Learn to cook Vietnamese food

Hoi An is known for having a number of cooking schools where you can get stuck in and learn all about how to make some local dishes.

One of the more famous schools is the Gioan Restaurant and Cooking School and you can choose between either ordering something to eat here in the restaurant or you can sign up for a class.

These usually include a trip to the local market where you will learn all about the ingredients used in Vietnamese cooking and some of the dishes that you will get to prepare include pho noodles as well as spring rolls and banh xeo which is a kind of Vietnamese pancake.

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Read more things to do in Hanoi: Click here

4. Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge

The Japanese Covered Bridge is located in the centre of the city and is also one of its focal points.

The bridge spans some 12 meters and is famous for its ornate carvings, many of which are in the shape of monkeys and dogs.

This is also a very popular place for amorous Vietnamese couples who come here to take photographs as the bridge is considered a top romantic spot in Hoi An.

Covered bridge hoi an 15 Best Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam

Recommended guided tours in Ho Chi Minh city: Click here

5. Visit Hoi An Museum

If you want to know more about the history of Hoi An then you need to come to its main museum.

Here you will find a huge range of pieces that tell the story of the area including antiques that date from the Cham period as well as the colonial period.

There are a number of galleries here that are filled with drawings, ceramics, paintings and photographs and you can also check out signature pieces like large bronze temple bells.

Hoi an museum 15 Best Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam

6. Tour the Tan Ky Family House

The Tan Ky Family House is one of the most historically significant buildings in Hoi An and is located in the Old Town section of the city.

The family home was built in the 18th century and would have belonged to a family of merchants.

The architecture here is a mix of Japanese, Chinese and traditional Vietnamese design motifs and you can now take a tour of this amazing property.

Some seven generations of merchants lived in the home and you will still find their original furniture and memorabilia here which will give you an idea of how people would have lived in Hoi An in the days of old.

Tan ky house hoi an 15 Best Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam

7. Sunbathe on An Bang Beach

Hoi An has a number of beaches, but locals will tell you that An Bang is one of the best around.

This beach is less crowded than many of the more famous strips of sand in the area and you will find pristine white sands that back on to the water.

If you come here for the day then you will also find a number of charming beachside restaurants here that serve up some delicious seafood.

If you are planning to stay by the beach a little longer then you can also rent a beachside villa here.

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8. Take a trip to the My Son Ruins

If you want to take a day trip out of Hoi An then head for the My Son Ruins which consist of a collection of Hindu temples that were built from the 4th to the 13th century.

The temples are located to the west of Hoi An and it is possible to come here for the day from the city.

My Son is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site and it has been preserved and restored after the temples were abandoned for centuries.

The site sprawls over 140 hectares and you can learn all about how Hinduism would have been a key part of Vietnamese culture in the days of old.

My son santuary ruin 15 Best Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam

9. Shop at Hoi An Central Market

Lying along the lush banks of the Thu Bon River is the Hoi An Central Market which is the best place to shop for handicrafts while you are in town.

You will find a huge mixture of products here including silk pieces and other textiles as well as local foodstuffs and aromatic spices.

Another key reason to come here is to try the toothsome street food which is sold out of carts in the market.

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10. Explore the local countryside

Hoi An is famous for being surrounded by lush emerald green countryside.

As such, if you are staying in the city then make sure that you don’t miss a trip here so that you can take in the rice paddies, hills, and dainty villages firsthand.

You can sign up for a number of tours such as a cycling or trekking tour and you will get to discover pretty secluded beaches, mountain passes and much more.

Hoi an cycling 15 Best Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam

11. Visit Phung Hung Old House

If you are visiting the Japanese Covered Bridge then you can also combine this with a trip to the Phung Hung Old House at the same time which is just a few doors down.

The house is known for its ornate and colorful entrance hall which is covered in lanterns and embroidered wall hangings.

There is a pretty balcony here with some spectacular views and a charming suspended altar.

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12. Take a boat to Cam Kim Island

Cam Kim Island is located around 30 minutes away from Hoi An and you can catch a local ferry over from D Bach Dang.

The main reason people come here is to check out the artisan woodcarvers who are known for having carved some of the most famous public buildings in Hoi An.

You can find the historic homes of many of the master carvers in the village of Kim Bong on Cam Kim Island and you can also pick up some woodcarvings here that make great souvenirs of your trip

Kim island hoi an 15 Best Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam

13. Visit Tra Que Village

Hoi An is known for its delicious fruit and vegetables and with that in mind you can come to Tra Que Village and check out the source in person.

The village is located between Hoi An and An Bang Beach and is made up of a local farming community who grow most of the produce that you will eat during your time in Hoi An.

On a trip to the village you can visit spots such as Water Wheel which has cooking classes so you can learn how the local produce is used, or you can have lunch at places like Baby Mustard which uses the freshest local ingredients.

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14. Visit the Museum of Trading Ceramics

Located in a scenic restored wooden home, the Museum of Trading Ceramics is known for housing a collection of artifacts that come from all over the world.

Some of the pieces here originated in Egypt, and you can learn all about the history of trading in Hoi An in the days of old.

There is also an exhibition here which tells you about the restoration of old buildings in Hoi An which is great if you are interested in ancient Vietnamese architecture.

15. Scuba Diving & Snorkelling in Hoi An

Scuba diving and snorkelling are superb off the cost of Hoi An with hundreds of different varieties of coral and tropical fish thriving in the warm tropical waters.

Additionally, the Cu Lao Cham Marine Park is just 21km from Hoi An old town and comprises eight islands in the South China Sea that are just teeming with marine life, the most exciting of which is Cham Island.