Issue 01 — The atlas

15.8770° N, 108.3265° E

Explore
Hoi An.

Eleven places, three itineraries and five services you can book. Distances are from the Japanese Bridge, the centre of everything.

Areas of Hoi An

Image: Yellow shophouses on Tran Phu street

i.

0 km · on foot

The Ancient Town

  • UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Lantern streets
  • Heritage houses
  • Tailors

Yellow walls, wooden shophouses and lanterns on every street. Closed to motorbikes 09:00–11:00 and 15:00–22:00, which is when to walk it. One ticket (120.000₫) covers five heritage sites.

Book an old town guide
Image: Wooden boats on the Thu Bon river

ii.

0.2 km · on foot

Thu Bon river

  • Lantern boat ride
  • Photoshoot
  • Sunset

The river is why Hoi An exists. Take a short boat at dusk and float a paper lantern, or go upstream to the craft villages.

What a boat should cost
Image: Deck chairs on An Bang beach

iii.

5 km · 15 min by bike

An Bang beach

  • Sunrise
  • Beach bars
  • Swimming

Wide sand, beach bars with free loungers if you order a drink, and the calmest sea from March to August.

Image: Round basket boats in the coconut forest

iv.

4 km · 12 min by bike

Cam Thanh

  • Basket boat ride
  • Coconut forest
  • Crab fishing

A water coconut forest crossed by spinning basket boats. Go after 14:00 when the coaches have gone.

Book a basket boat tour
Image: Herb beds in Tra Que vegetable village

v.

3 km · 10 min by bike

Tra Que village

  • Farming experience
  • Cooking class
  • Organic herbs

The herbs in your cao lau grow here, fed with seaweed from the lagoon. Home of our favourite cooking class.

Book the class
Image: Red brick Cham towers at My Son at sunrise

vi.

40 km · 1 hr by car

My Son Sanctuary

  • UNESCO World Heritage site
  • Cham temples
  • Sunrise tour

Brick temples built by the Cham kingdom between the 4th and 13th centuries, in a jungle valley. Arrive at opening to have it almost to yourself.

Book the sunrise tour
gomthanhha-anhnguyenkhanh20-1661071600
Image: Potter shaping clay on a wheel in Thanh Ha

vii.

3 km · 10 min by bike

Thanh Ha pottery village

  • Pottery class
  • Terracotta park
  • Craft village

Families have fired clay from the Thu Bon riverbank here for 500 years. Sit at the wheel and take home what you make.

Book a pottery class
Image: Boat place at Cam Kim

viii.

1 km · 5 min by ferry

Cam Kim island

  • Kim Bong carpentry village
  • Local life
  • Bicycle ferry

Take the ferry across the river with your bike. Kim Bong carpenters built the old town’s houses and still carve by hand.

Book a wood carving class
Cham island travel guide - Hoi An Fairy Tour
Image: Crystal clear beach at Cham Island

ix.

20 km · 20 min by speedboat

Cham Island

  • Snorkelling
  • Diving
  • Marine reserve
  • Seafood

A protected marine reserve off Cua Dai. Clear water and coral from March to August; boats don’t run in rough weather.

Book the island trip
Image: Golden Bridge held by stone hands at Ba Na Hills

x.

60 km · 1.5 hrs by car

Ba Na Hills

  • Golden Bridge
  • Cable car
  • French village

A hilltop resort reached by one of the longest cable cars in the world. Go early; clouds often roll in after lunch.

Book a driver
Image: Dragon Bridge - Da Nang

xi.

30 km · 45 min by car

Da Nang

  • Marble Mountains
  • Linh Ung Pagoda
  • Monkey Mountain
  • Hai Van Pass

Your airport, and a full day of its own. Climb the caves of the Marble Mountains, see the 67-metre Lady Buddha at Linh Ung Pagoda on Monkey Mountain, then drive or ride the Hai Van Pass for the coast views.

Book a driver for the day

02

Travel guide Hoi An

How long have you got?

These are the plans we send to friends. The best things come first, so shorter trips miss the least.

24 hours

1

  • 05:30 — Sunrise at An Bang beach
  • 07:30 — Breakfast at the central market
  • 08:30 — Farming and cooking class in Tra Que
  • 13:30 — Coffee with a rice field view
  • 15:30 — Basket boats in Cam Thanh
  • 17:30 — Ancient Town as the lanterns come on
  • 18:30 — Lantern boat on the Thu Bon
  • 19:00 — Dinner at the night market
  • 20:00 — Hoi An Memories show
See the full plan

48 hours

2

  • Day 1 · Temples, clay and lanterns
  • 05:00 — My Son Sanctuary at sunrise
  • 11:00 — Thanh Ha pottery village
  • 13:00 — Lunch and a rest
  • 15:30 — Basket boats in Cam Thanh
  • 17:30 — Ancient Town as the lanterns come on
  • 18:30 — Lantern boat on the Thu Bon
  • 19:30 — Dinner at the night market
  • Day 2 · Farm, craft and a show
  • 05:30 — Sunrise at An Bang beach
  • 07:30 — Breakfast at the central market
  • 08:30 — Farming and cooking class in Tra Que
  • 13:30 — Coffee with a rice field view
  • 15:00 — Lantern making class
  • 18:00 — Hoi An Memories or Teh Dar
See the full plan

72–96 hours

3

  • Day 1 · Old town and river
  • 05:30 — Sunrise at An Bang beach
  • 07:30 — Breakfast at the central market
  • 09:00 — Ancient Town heritage houses
  • 11:00 — Hoi An Silk Village
  • 13:30 — Coffee-making class in the rice fields
  • 15:30 — Basket boats in Cam Thanh
  • 17:30 — Ancient Town as the lanterns come on
  • 18:30 — Lantern boat on the Thu Bon
  • 19:30 — Dinner at the night market
  • Day 2 · Temples, clay and the farm
  • 05:00 — My Son Sanctuary at sunrise
  • 11:00 — Thanh Ha pottery village
  • 13:00 — Lunch and a rest
  • 15:30 — Farming and cooking class in Tra Que
  • 20:00 — Hoi An Memories show
  • Day 3 · Cham Island and the sea
  • 07:30 — Speedboat from Cua Dai
  • 09:00 — Snorkelling or diving
  • 12:00 — Seafood lunch on the island
  • 15:30 — Swim at Cua Dai beach
  • 18:00 — Teh Dar at the Lune Centre
  • 19:30 — Dinner in the old town
  • Day 4 · Optional: pick one
  • 08:00 — Option A: Da Nang day trip
  • 07:00 — Option B: Easy Rider to Hue
  • 09:00 — Option C: A slow day in Hoi An
See the full plan

03

Book a service

Book it here.

Prices are what you pay the supplier, with no booking fee on top. We confirm by email, usually within two hours.

Taxi & private driver

A driver meets you at Da Nang arrivals with your name on a sign, or picks you up from your hotel. Fixed price agreed in advance, luggage included.

  • Duration: 45 min airport to Hoi An
  • Car: 4, 7 or 16 seats
  • Meeting point: Arrivals hall, gate 3
  • Cancellation: Free until 12 hours before

From

$16

per car, airport to Hoi An

Request this
Or email us

Tours & day trips

My Son sanctuary at sunrise before the heat, Cam Thanh coconut forest by basket boat, or the countryside by bicycle with lunch at a farmer’s house.

  • Duration: 3.5–6 hrs
  • Group: Max 10 people
  • Meeting point: Hotel pick-up in Hoi An
  • Cancellation: Free until 24 hours before

From

$22

per person

Request this
Or email us

Show tickets

Hoi An Memories on its island stage, the Lune bamboo circus at the Hoi An theatre, and traditional folk music on Bach Dang street.

  • Duration: 60–75 min
  • Starts: 19:30 or 20:00
  • Meeting point: Venue entrance, e-ticket by email
  • Cancellation: Non-refundable after issue

From

$15

per person

Request this
Or email us

Classes

Cook four dishes in Tra Que herb village, make a silk lantern to take home, or throw a pot with a Thanh Ha potter whose family has done it for five generations.

  • Duration: 2–4 hrs
  • Group: Max 8 people
  • Meeting point: Workshop or hotel pick-up
  • Cancellation: Free until 24 hours before

From

$18

per person

Request this
Or email us

Private tour guides

A licensed guide for just your group. Walk the old town with the stories behind the assembly halls, or plan a full day your way.

  • Duration: Half or full day
  • Languages: English, French, Korean
  • Meeting point: Your hotel lobby
  • Cancellation: Free until 24 hours before

From

$30

per group, half day

Request this
Or email us

Not sure what to pick?

Tell us your dates and what you enjoy. We’ll send back a plan and the bookings to go with it.

Ask a local
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