Hoi An Ancient Town
Tranquil, beautiful, and cozy are how people say about Hoi An Ancient Town – one of the best ancient towns in Vietnam. Coming to Hoi An, you will never forget the butterflies in your head when standing beside Hoi An riverside at night when lanterns are lit up.
Hon An can be considered as a living museum of Vietnamese old-town architecture, being a major Southeast Asian post in the 16th and 17th centuries once long ago. The ancient town is actually a complex of various buildings, including pagodas, Vietnamese wooden shop-houses, Japanese bridges, Chinese temples, French-colonial houses. The unique town has been successfully restored and preserved its charm, which attracts tourists from all over the world, not to mention being declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site in December 1999.
Hoi An Ancient Town
The town is actually quite small, enough for you to wander around the whole place on foot. Motorbikes are only allowed on some of the streets, while the center area is opened for pedestrians only. Walking along the roads, travelers are exposed to many different kinds of handicrafts, souvenirs, clothing, and restaurants. Although many old houses have been converted to modern business, they still prior preserving the ancient look for the place. Fortunately, this is the place where you can enjoy both visiting tourist attractions and experience local culture within walking distance. You might want to see the Japanese Covered Bridge, Chinese Assembly Halls, the museum of history and culture, Guan Yin Temple, Tran family home, and chapel. If you are not so much interested in walking, then cycling around is also a good idea to explore the UNESCO World Heritage town. The ancient town also offers cultural experience, such as traditional art performances, water puppet shows, Thanh Ha Pottery village, … These kinds of traditional arts have been grown since 1996 and have a long history.
Explore Hoi An Town at Night
Boat Dock in Hoi An Town
After a tour around the town, you definitely want to try Hoian Ancient Town’s variety of food choices. The town can well-serve you with both street-foods at the cheapest price to the finest dining restaurant, which also serves locals and Western cuisines. Don’t forget to try prawn dumplings and "Cao Lau" (Hoi An’s port noodle specialties). They also offer cooking classes in English for tourists. There are many big lounge bars and balcony dining sections at most of the up-market restaurants.
Read more about Cao Lau Hoi An
Nightlife in Hoi An is such a special experience for any travelers who come for the first time. Beautiful lanterns with various shapes and colors are lit up at night, covering the old yellow houses, which makes Hoi An sure does look like paintings. Many coffee, bars, and restaurants welcome tourists with happy hour offers and friendly hood. Imagine chilling out in a century ancient shophouse with a beer and some snacks, what can go wrong at such a place?
Hoi An Street Food
For those who are more into sporty activities, 2 lovely beaches are waiting for you only about 5km away from Hoi An town center. A few good dive centers are also ready to assist sportive travelers. Or you can just lie down and relax, a holiday within a tour.
It takes only 20 to 30 minutes from Danang to Hoi An by bus, private car, taxi, or motorbikes. Those are plenty of choices for you to choose from. If you can spare a night at a unique place to enjoy its vivid nightlife, there are also many homestays or resorts, hotels located nearby, or even within the center for you to choose from.
Discover Hoian Ancient Town with our half-day walking tour
Trip that visit Hoi An Ancient Town
