Hoi An travel, the insider’s edition
Hoi An guide by locals
Hoi An, without the guesswork.
Plan your Hoi An travel the local way: where to eat, what a taxi should cost, which show is worth the ticket. Read the local guide, then book the taxi, tour or class right here with suppliers we use ourselves.
Phan Chu Trinh Street, 18:10
15.8770° N, 108.3265° E
01
What to do in Hoi An
Pick how long you stay. Each day of this Hoi An travel plan builds on the one before, in an order that works with the heat and the lanterns. Every stop links to its guide and booking.
Itinerary 1 of 4
24 hours: only the best
One day, the essentials only. Start with the sunrise, slow down in the midday heat and finish under the lanterns.
- 05:30
Sunrise at An Bang or Cua Dai beachEarly bird
Fishermen bring the basket boats in before 06:30. Just 15 minutes by bicycle from the old town.
- 07:30
Breakfast in Hoi An
Banh mi, cao lau or a bowl of noodles with Vietnamese coffee: Hoi An won’t let you down at breakfast.
- 08:30
Walk the old town and dive into its story
Buy the entrance ticket and visit the assembly halls and merchant houses of this UNESCO World Heritage town before the crowds arrive.
- 13:30
Coffee with a rice field view
Coconut coffee in a cafe on the paddies while the midday heat passes.
- 15:30
Basket boats in Cam Thanh
The coconut forest is best in the late afternoon, when the sun is gentler.
- 17:30
The old town as the lanterns come onMust-see
Start at the Japanese Bridge and watch the whole town light up.
- 18:30
Lantern boat on the Thu Bon
Fifteen minutes on the water is enough. Choose your boat and buy the ticket in advance: the price is fixed.
- 19:00
Dinner in the lantern town or at the night market
The old town offers both: a romantic dinner by the river or street food at the night market.
- 20:00
Hoi An Memories show
500 performers on an island stage. Book a day ahead in high season.
Itinerary 2 of 4
48 hours: heritage and hands-on
Two days lets you add the temples, a craft village and a great show, without rushing the old town.
Do Day 1 first, then add this day.
- 05:00
My Son Sanctuary at sunriseEarly bird
Cham temples in a jungle valley, almost empty in the early morning light.
- 11:00
Thanh Ha pottery village
Sit at the wheel with a local potter and make your own souvenir.
- 16:00
Rooftop coffee in the old town
Coffee, a soft drink or a snack on a rooftop above the tiled roofs.
- 18:00
Teh Dar showMust-see
A must-see cultural show in Hoi An, and in all of Vietnam: bamboo acrobatics and music from the Central Highlands.
- 19:30
A drink by the river or the night market
After the show, have fun at a bar by the river or stroll through the night market, just 100 m away.
Itinerary 3 of 4
72 hours: a day of exploring
A third day for the slower side of Hoi An: quiet bike rides, local crafts and long, easy evenings.
Do Day 1–2 first, then add this day.
- 05:30
Cycle around Hoi An at dawnEarly bird
The town is silent and picturesque at this hour. Don’t skip the rice field paths next to Hai Ba Trung street.
- 08:00
Learn a local craft
Dive into the art of the locals: coffee making, lantern making or wood carving in a beautiful village on the edge of town.
- 12:00
A slow afternoon: shops, sun and sea
Go shopping, enjoy the sun at the beach and try the lovely coffee shops in the fishermen’s village at An Bang.
- 19:00
Dinner in a centuries-old house
Explore the old town’s best restaurants, from Vietnamese fusion to Western cuisine in houses hundreds of years old.
- 20:00
A no-plan night
Feel free to wander and see what Hoi An’s little alleys have to offer.
Itinerary 4 of 4
96 hours and more: island or coast road
With a fourth day, pick one of two adventures: a night on Cham Island, or the coast road to Da Nang.
Do Day 1–3 first, then add this day.
Option A
Cham Island: reef and sunset
- 08:00Speedboat from Cua Dai to Cham Island (boats leave at 8–9 am and return around 1 pm for day trips)
- 10:00Snorkel over the coral, swim and enjoy a seafood lunch
- 16:30Rent a motorbike to the west of the island and watch the sunset from the cliffs
- 20:00Stay the night: a quiet beach walk under the stars, back to the mainland the next day
Option B
Da Nang and the Hai Van Pass
- 08:00Marble Mountains and the Lady Buddha on Monkey Mountain (Son Tra)
- 11:30Drive the Hai Van Pass and stop for seafood at Lang Co Bay
- 16:00Back to Da Nang city and rest at a sleepbox hotel to recharge
- 20:00Rooftop bars by the beach, or watch the Dragon Bridge breathe fire (weekend nights)
02
Hoi An recommendation, booked
Six things we can book for you.
Every supplier is someone we have ridden with, eaten with or learned from. You get a confirmed time, price and meeting point by email.
01
Taxi & private driver
Airport pick-ups, Da Nang transfers or private driver to tourist spots (My Son, Ba Na, Vin Wonders, etc..)
From $11.5 (≈ 300,000₫) · fixed price
02
Tours & day trips
Discover unforgettable Hoi An tours and day trips to My Son, Ba Na Hills, Cham Island, and more. Experience authentic local adventures and create timeless memories with us!
From $19 (≈ 495,000₫) – For both individual and small groups
03
Show tickets
Hoi An Memories, the Lune bamboo circus and folk music at Hoi An theatre.
From $20 (≈ 520,000₫) per person
04
Classes
Cooking, lantern making, pottery in Thanh Ha, coffee making and more!
From $8 (≈ 210,000₫) per person · 2–4 hrs
05
Private tour guides
Licensed local guides for the old town, My Son or a full custom day.
Fully explore the story of Hoi An
06
Travel shop
Tourist SIM cards, rain ponchos, adapters and the small things you forgot.
Delivered to your hotel in Hoi An
03
Hoi An travel blog
Hoi An travel guides: read first, then book.
Every Hoi An travel guide ends with the booking it talks about, so you never have to search twice.
Getting around
Grab, metered taxi, shuttle bus or a driver holding your name. We tried all four in one week.
By the Hoi An Fairy Tour team · 7 min read
04
Price check
What you should pay.
Fair local prices for the things tourists get overcharged for most. Screenshot it before you go out.
Service
Fair price
Walk away above
Note
Taxi, Da Nang airport to Hoi An
Fair: 250.000₫ – 300.000đ (≈ $9.6–11.5)
Walk away: 400.000₫ (≈ $15.4)
Fixed price with a booked driver. Meter is similar.
Boat ride on the Thu Bon, 15 min
Fair: 170.000₫ (≈ $6.5)
Walk away: 300.000₫ (≈ $11.5)
Per boat, up to 2 people. Lantern not included.
(Row boat ticket can only be bought at official ticket booth)
Basket boat, Cam Thanh
Fair: 100.000₫ – 150.000₫ (≈ $3.8–5.8)
Walk away: 200.000₫ (≈ $7.7)
Per person. Tips for the singing rower or boat spinning are optional.
Bicycle hire, full day
Fair: 30.000₫ (≈ $1.2)
Walk away: 60.000₫ (≈ $2.3)
Many hotels lend them for free. Ask first.
Banh mi from a street stall
Fair: 25.000₫ (≈ $1)
Walk away: 50.000₫ (≈ $1.9)
The famous shops charge a little more, and that’s fine.
Tailored cotton shirt
Fair: $30-38 (≈ 780,000–990,000₫)
Walk away: $45 (≈ 1,170,000₫)
Two fittings. Pay a deposit only, the rest on collection.
Prices checked by our team in September 2026. 26.000₫ is roughly $1.
05
How booking works
Three steps, no app.
1
Read the guide
Find what you want to do and what it should cost. No sign-up, no pop-ups.
2
Send us a request
Use the form, email or Facebook. Tell us the date, time and how many of you there are.
3
Get your confirmation
We reply with the supplier’s name, the price, the meeting point and the cancellation terms.
Start with the guide. Book when you’re ready.
Most of our guests read two or three stories, then book their airport taxi and one evening out.
See you under the lanterns.
Hoi An Fairy Tour
A Hoi An guide written by people who live here. Read the guide, then book the taxi, tour, show or class with a local supplier we know.
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Contact
- [email protected]
- facebook.com/hoianfairytour
- Hoi An Ancient Town, Da Nang, Vietnam
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Made in Hoi An