Things to Do in Hoi An (Hội An): 1-Day and 2-3-Day Plans

Hoi An is at its best at either end of the day: early morning, when the lanes are still quiet, and evening, when the lanterns come on along the river. The hot middle of the day suits a tailor's fitting or a cooking class.

Things to do in Hoi An in one day, or two to three #

With one day, we suggest the old town in the morning, a basket boat in the Bay Mau (Bảy Mẫu) coconut forest and an evening by the Hoai River (sông Hoài). My Son and the Cham Islands each need at least half a day; squeeze one in and the old town becomes somewhere you pass through.

With two or three days, give My Son the early morning of day two and the afternoon to Tra Que or a cooking class; order any clothes on day one to leave time for alterations. A third day in the calm-sea months can go to the Cham Islands. Sleep in or near the old town for both the evening and the early morning; from Hanoi (Hà Nội), the train runs to Da Nang (Đà Nẵng) Station and you continue by road.

Hoi An Ancient Town by day: pick a ticket by the sites you want #

An assembly hall, an old house, the bridge and a few side lanes fill a morning. The Da Nang tourism portal's March 2026 notice lists VND80,000 and VND120,000 tickets; check the current options and included sites at the ticket office. Since August 10, 2026, the city's Resolution 98/2026 has set the fee at VND20,000 per person per site. Choose a ticket covering the places you want to see and keep the stub. Save the evening for the river; on the 14th day of each lunar month the town also holds Old Town Night.

The same notice lists traditional music shows at 10:15am, 3:15pm and 4:15pm at Hoai River Square, 01 Cao Hong Lanh (Cao Hồng Lãnh), and a tea ceremony at 9:30am and 4:30pm at 06 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai (Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai).

Hoi An tailors: order early, try on at least once #

VnExpress International (May 2026) reported shirts or trousers taking about three hours and suits about five, though rush jobs mostly serve customers leaving the same day; most people collect within 24 hours. Reported prices ranged from VND600,000 to VND5.5 million (about US$23-209) per item, depending on fabric and design.

Bring a photo or a garment whose cut you like. Ask what the fabric is, whether lining and buttons are included and when the fitting and pickup are, and get all of that on the deposit receipt. At the fitting, check the shoulders, waist, sleeves and inside seams, and have changes made while you are still in town. Look for clear prices, fabric samples and time to decide before paying a deposit.

Basket boat rides in the Bay Mau coconut forest #

The Bay Mau coconut forest in Cam Thanh (Cẩm Thanh), 4-7 km from the old town depending on the entrance, is a web of narrow creeks under water-coconut palms. Checks by Da Nang's tourism department, reported by Tuoi Tre in May 2026, found rides at about VND150,000 per boat for two for around 40 minutes, plus about VND100,000 per person for a spin. Hotels and middlemen usually charge more; confirm whether the price is per boat or per person and what it includes.

Mornings are usually cooler. Dan Tri reported the creeks running low from about 2pm in early June 2026, with boatmen climbing out to drag boats; ask the operator about water levels on your date. If you get motion sickness, have a bad back or have small children with you, ask the boatman to skip the spinning before you push off.

Photo: Chester Ho

Tra Que village and a Hoi An cooking class #

Tra Que lies about 3 km from the old town on the road to An Bang (An Bàng), around 15 minutes by bike. Kenh14 (September 2026) describes visitors hoeing, planting and watering the beds alongside farmers, then cooking dishes served with the village greens, such as banh dap (bánh đập, smashed rice crackers), baby clam salad and cao lau (cao lầu).

Local families run cooking classes in both Tra Que and Cam Thanh. Ask how long the class lasts, whether it includes a market or garden visit and whether it is group or private. Tell your host in advance if you are vegetarian or have a food allergy: fish sauce, peanuts, shrimp and clams turn up in many central Vietnamese dishes.

My Son Sanctuary from Hoi An #

My Son, inscribed by UNESCO in 1999, is a valley of Cham temple-towers built between the 4th and 13th centuries, just under 40 km by map from the Japanese Covered Bridge. Allow about an hour each way by car, including pickup.

My Son opens at 6am. Its official websites give different closing times, 5pm and 6pm; confirm before planning a late visit. Resolution 98/2026 sets the My Son fee at VND40,000 per person per visit from August 10, 2026. On October 26, the ticketing site listed VND148,000 for foreign visitors and VND99,000 for Vietnamese citizens; under-5s go free, and children aged 5-15 need a VND30,000 shuttle ticket. Confirm the total price, included services and whether the VND40,000 fee is already included.

Arrive at opening time if you can: the valley has little shade and gets very hot by midday. The performance hall runs several Cham dance shows a day. Some areas of the E-F group are fenced off for restoration until 2029. Site rules forbid touching or climbing the structures, eating or drinking inside the site and using flash. Dress modestly, wear a hat and ask staff where you can stop for drinking water.

A shared tour saves arranging transport; with a private car, agree on the waiting time in advance. Ride a motorbike only if you hold a license valid in Vietnam. In the September-January rainy season, paths get slippery and the valley can flood; postpone if heavy rain or flood warnings are issued.

Photo: Mustang Joe

Cham Islands: only when the sea is calm #

The Cham Islands lie about 15-18 km off Cua Dai (Cửa Đại); speedboats from Cua Dai tourist port on Au Co Street (Âu Cơ) take 20-30 minutes, usually as part of a day tour with lunch and snorkeling. VnExpress describes March to August as the clear, calm months. Outside this period, rough weather can disrupt sailings; check arrangements for your exact dates.

Even in summer, strong winds can stop sailings. Nearly 300 visitors had to stay overnight on July 16, 2026, so avoid visiting the islands on your last day or on a day when you have a flight. Under Da Nang's Resolution 16/2026, the entry fee since June 10, 2026 has been VND70,000 per person per visit, with exemptions including children under 16 and eligible school pupils; confirm eligibility and any documents needed before booking. Ask whether tours include the fee and what refund you get if boats cannot sail.

Photo: Robert Quan

An Bang Beach #

An Bang, about 5 km from the old town, is best early or late in the day. After the late-2025 erosion, one stretch of beach can look very different from the next. Swim only inside buoyed areas while lifeguards are on duty and the flags allow it, keep away from no-swimming signs, sand cliffs and construction, and stay out of the water when high-wave warnings are issued.

A Hoi An itinerary for 2 days #

Things to do in Hoi An: common questions #