Vietnam

AI may have contributed to this destination’s text and activity data. Confirm opening days, transport, prices and entry conditions with the relevant operator or authority; automatic live-data updates do not verify these descriptions.

Hội An

UNESCO trading port of lanterns and tailors

Visa & entry checker Plan a trip to Hội An Plan a trip around Vietnam

Best time to visit: Feb, Mar, Apr, May
Currency: VND
Time zone: UTC+7
Country: Vietnam

Photo: This Photo was taken by Supanut Arunoprayote . Feel free to use any of my images, but please mention me as the author an, CC BY 4.0

Hội An is a well-preserved 15th–19th century Southeast Asian trading port in central Vietnam, whose Old Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Visitors come for its lantern-lit lanes, Japanese Bridge, riverside cafés, tailors and nearby beaches and Cham ruins.

Largest cities

Ho Chi Minh City
Hanoi
Da Nang
Hai Phong
Can Tho

Quick facts

Figures are rounded recent official estimates.

Country: Vietnam
Capital: Hanoi
City population: 121,716
Population of Vietnam: 96.2M
Country area: 331,690 km²
Official language: Vietnamese
Currency: Vietnamese Dong (VND) · 1 USD ≈ 25,856 VND
Time zone: UTC+7
Calling code: +84
Drives on the: Right
Elevation: 8 m
Plugs: A / C / F · 220V
Emergency numbers: 113 · 114 · 115
Best time to visit: Feb, Mar, Apr, May

Temperatures through the year

Average daily high and low for each month in °C. Months marked with a drop are often rainy.

Temperatures through the year

Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
High	24°	25°	27°	30°	32°	35°	33°	34°	31°	28°	27°	25°
Low	19°	20°	22°	24°	26°	27°	27°	27°	25°	24°	23°	21°

Best time to visitOther months

Approximate daily cost

Per adult per day: food, local transport and half a double room, without activities or flights.

ConservativeSimple stays, free and low-cost sights first.$22
HighComfortable hotels, a balanced mix of sights and trips.$56
LuxuryLuxury hotels, more paid experiences and day trips.$155

Plan a trip to Hội An

Top things to do

≈ $5
Old Town heritage walk
Follow Tran Phu and Bach Dang past Chinese shophouses, assembly halls and the Japanese Bridge; one combined ticket covers several heritage houses, so keep it for the day.
- Half day
- Old Town (Minh An)
- Good for kids
≈ $5
Japanese Bridge
The 16th–17th century covered bridge is the town's symbol and links Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street to the old quarter; go early to avoid the tour groups.
- Half day
- Old Town (Minh An)
- Good for kids
≈ $10
Thu Bon River lantern boat ride
Small boats leave from the Bach Dang riverfront after dark and you release a paper lantern on the water; agree the price first and insist on life vests.
- Half day
- Old Town (Minh An)
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
Free
Lantern Full Moon Festival
On the 14th and 15th of each lunar month motorbikes are barred from the Old Town and traditional games and lanterns fill the streets; expect heavy crowds.
- Half day
- Old Town (Minh An)
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
≈ $25
Cao lau cooking class
Market visit plus a hands-on lesson in the town's signature braised pork noodle and other central Vietnamese dishes; book a day ahead in high season.
- Half day
- Cam Thanh
- Good for kids
- Indoors
≈ $25
Hoi An Memories Show
A large outdoor performance with over 500 performers tracing the port's 400-year history at the Impression Theme Park; buy tickets in advance and take a light rain jacket.
- Half day
- An Hoi islet
- Good for kids
- Good in the evening
≈ $7
My Son Sanctuary day trip
Half-ruined Hindu temple towers of the Cham kingdom in a wooded valley about an hour west; go in the early morning to beat the heat and crowds.
- Full day
- Old Town (Minh An)
≈ $25
Cu Lao Cham islands boat trip
Boat out to the Cham Islands marine reserve for snorkelling, beaches and a fishing village; trips are weather-dependent and often suspended in the rainy months.
- Full day
- Cua Dai beach area
- Good for kids

Before you go

Entry and visas

Many nationalities, including British citizens, can enter Vietnam visa-free for up to 45 days for tourism, with an entry and exit stamp giving the date you must leave by; a 90-day multiple-entry e-visa is available for longer stays. From 15 April 2026, all foreign nationals arriving via Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City are encouraged to complete a digital arrival card online before arrival, and a health declaration may be required from 1 July. Passports need at least 6 months' validity and 2 blank pages, and rules differ by nationality, so check the official Vietnamese immigration guid

Official website

From the airport

The nearest airport is Da Nang (DAD), about 30 km north; a taxi or Grab takes roughly 45 minutes and a shuttle bus about an hour. Trains stop at Trà Kiệu, 15 km away, or at Da Nang station.

Getting around

The Old Town is small and walkable, and bicycles (from about 20,000 dong a day) or rented motorbikes are the usual way to reach the beach and surrounding villages.

Local tips

Dress modestly in pagodas and assembly halls, covering shoulders and knees.
Carry small dong notes for tickets, markets and boat rides; haggle politely and agree prices first.
Motorbikes are banned from parts of the centre at set hours, so watch for traffic when crossing even in narrow alleys.
September to December brings heavy rain and possible flooding; February to May is the driest, mildest window.