Traveling to Hoi An ancient town but don’t know where to go or what to do? See details of tourist attractions in Hoi An ancient town, reviews from A to Z about accommodation, transportation,… and necessary travel experiences!
Traveling to Hoi An ancient town, you will not only discover cultural values through nostalgic architecture, folk art activities or poetic natural scenery, but also have the opportunity to enjoy specialties that “please visitors and satisfy visitors”. Pocket the destinations, accommodation, transportation and the most complete travel experience in Hoi An ancient town to make your trip smooth and complete!
1. Introduction to Hoi An Ancient Town
Traveling to Hoi An Ancient Town is an interesting and memorable experience for many domestic and foreign tourists. Hoi An Ancient Town is a famous tourist destination about 30km southwest of Da Nang city center. Not noisy and bustling, Hoi An has a peaceful and ancient beauty. The attraction of the more than 400-year-old city comes from the ancient architecture, moss-covered tiled roof houses, colorful lantern streets…
In addition, Hoi An is also famous for its unique traditional festivals such as: village tutelary god festival, commemoration ceremony for the founders of professions, celebration of religious saints,… and folk games such as Ho Khoan, Ho Pounding Rice, Bai Choi,…
Not only immersing yourself in the simple beauty of the ancient town, when traveling to Hoi An Ancient Town, you can also explore the intersection between Eastern cultures from Japan, China and Vietnamese culture. Because Hoi An was the most crowded and bustling trading port that existed under the Nguyen Dynasty about 200 years ago, it was the trade between Vietnam and other countries (Japan, China,…) that created a multicultural, colorful Hoi An that exists to this day…
2. When is the best time to visit Hoi An ancient town?
The best time to visit Hoi An ancient town is from February to April every year because at this time the spring weather is cool, Hoi An has little rain and light sunshine, very suitable for tourists to visit and explore.
May to August is sunny, although the period from May to June has some hot sunny days, so you need to be a little patient, but in return, this is a great time to dive and see coral at Cu Lao Cham.
Besides, if you plan to travel to Hoi An in other months, you should proactively follow the weather forecast to have the most favorable trip!
3. Means of transport in Hoi An ancient town
To explore the tourist areas of Hoi An ancient town, you can choose one of the following means:
Motorbike: this is the personal vehicle you prefer. With 120,000 – 150,000 VND/day, you can take a tour of Hoi An ancient town as you like, turn into every big and small alley, stop to check-in and visit whenever you want.
Taxi: if you know the way and do not want to spend time finding the way, a taxi is the most ideal choice to travel to Hoi An tourist attractions.
Xich lo: going around the ancient town by cyclo is an interesting and memorable travel experience you should try. If you want, take a cyclo on Tran Phu or Phan Chau Chinh street, the price is about 150,000 VND/car/hour.
Bicycle: This is an ideal choice for you to stroll around and explore the peaceful beauty of Hoi An ancient town. Some hotels have free bicycles for you to use while staying, or if you need, you can rent a bicycle for only 40,000 VND/day.
4. Must-see tourist attractions in Hoi An ancient town
Explore the tourist map of Hoi An ancient town, you definitely cannot miss the famous & attractive places below!
4.1. Ancient houses with unique ancient architecture
Phung Hung ancient house: The house of the richest merchant in Hoi An at that time, known as the largest and tallest house in the area. The house is completely built of good ironwood, precious wood, with traditional architecture and showing a well-off life.
Tan Ky ancient house: The ancient house is extremely famous in Hoi An, attracting tourists to stop by to visit and check-in. After a century, even through the historic flood in 1964, the house is still intact. Tan Ky ancient house is a combination of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese architectural styles in every pattern. Every detail in the house is built meticulously and delicately, making it a tourist destination in Hoi An that attracts many visitors.
Duc An Ancient House: This is a house with a strong oriental style in Hoi An. The special feature of Duc An Ancient House is the use of kieng kieng wood – a type of wood that can only be found in Quang Nam. Not only is it attractive because of its quiet beauty, but this wooden house also preserves many furniture, books… with an arrangement reminiscent of a long time ago.
4.2. Famous ancient assembly halls in Hoi An ancient town
Quang Dong Assembly Hall: Located right in the center of Hoi An ancient town, the Quang Dong Assembly Hall is very notable. The assembly hall was originally a place for business meetings, built by a Chinese Guangdong merchant association, so it has a unique Chinese architectural style. The building is a delicate combination of wood and stone, with intricately carved dragon and unicorn motifs.
Chao Chau Assembly Hall: also known as Ong Bon Pagoda. The elaborate architecture, decorative motifs according to folk legends, especially the embossed motifs made of porcelain create a unique feature of the Trieu Chau Assembly Hall.
Phuc Kien Assembly Hall: known as the largest and most beautiful assembly hall in the Hoi An tourist area. Behind the three-door gate, there is a large garden, a rockery with a carp statue jumping over the dragon gate. When coming to Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, don’t forget to visit the main hall worshiping Thien Hau Thanh Mau, Chua Sinh Thai, and 12 Midwives. In addition, in the back chamber, visitors can light large incense coils, often hung with a piece of paper containing information, to pray for health and fortune.
4.3. Hoi An Bridge Pagoda – A check-in spot for everyone
When visiting Hoi An ancient town, you must definitely stop at the Bridge Pagoda – a unique check-in spot here. The Bridge Pagoda stands out with its wooden pillars, painted red, meticulously carved and most especially, built on a stone bridge with a soft arch.
Hoi An Bridge Pagoda is a highlight of Hoi An land, having gone through 400 years but still standing majestically across a quiet branch of Thu Bon River. In the past, this place was a bustling trading port, so there is a bold architectural exchange of Vietnam and East Asian cultures such as China, Korea, and Japan. At night, when the Bridge Pagoda lights up, the pagoda’s shadow is reflected on the water, shimmering and shining amidst the hustle and bustle of Hoi An.
4.4. Tran Family Temple
The Tran Family Temple is a typical family temple of the ancient Vietnamese family temple. After 200 years of hardship, the Tran Family Temple still retains its ancient architecture. The temple was built and decorated very artistically, carefully according to feng shui with a harmonious combination of Vietnamese, Japanese and Chinese architecture.
Another highlight of the Tran Family Temple is the 1,500 m2 garden, surrounded by high walls, green trees and a hundred-year-old star fruit tree.
4.5. Hoi An Market – Culinary Paradise voted by Lonelyplanet magazine
Besides Tsukiji fish market-Tokyo-Japan, Borough market-London-UK, La Pescheria market-Sicily-Italy, La Boqueria market-Barcelona-Spain, Mercado central market-Santiago-Chile and New World Central market-New York-USA, Hoi An market is honored to be in the top 7 culinary paradises that attract both locals and tourists voted by Lonelyplanet magazine.
The most attractive thing for anyone visiting this market is the food court. Countless stalls of specialty dishes are displayed next to each other, not only delicious but also affordable. Therefore, this is an indispensable place in your Hoi An tour!
4.6. Handicraft workshop in Hoi An
Handicraft workshop in Hoi An is a place to preserve and develop 12 traditional crafts of Vietnam including: carpentry, pottery, lanterns, mat weaving, weaving, embroidery, sewing, rattan and bamboo weaving, lacquer hat making, wood carving.
The extremely beautiful handmade products from the meticulous and delicate hands leave a special impression on visitors, making you even more proud and respectful of the Vietnamese people.
5. Experience of traveling to Hoi An ancient town: what to eat, where to eat delicious food?
Hoi An ancient town not only attracts tourists by its ancient architecture, quiet beauty bearing the mark of the past, but also captivates many tourists by its unique cuisine.
5.1 Hoi An chicken rice
Chicken rice sounds very familiar, but Hoi An chicken rice has a very different flavor. Delicious, sticky rice served with chicken, onions, Tra Que herbs and sour papaya; adding a bowl of rich soup to eat makes the dish more attractive.
Reference address:
Ba Buoi Chicken Rice No. 26 Phan Chau Trinh
Mrs. Huong Chicken Rice – Sica Alley
5.2 Banh dap – stir-fried mussels
Banh dap is made from fragrant, crispy sticky rice; stir-fried mussels with delicious, rich flavor combined together is the dish that “pleases guests coming, pleases guests leaving” in Hoi An. Each layer of wet rice paper is added with a layer of grilled cake with mussels, dipped in a bowl of salty, spicy fish sauce, the taste is truly irresistible.
Reference price: from 15,000 – 50,000 VND.
Reference address:
Cam Nam Hoi An Banh Dap Shop No. 679 Hai Ba Trung, Hoi An
Ba Gia Hoi An Banh Dap Shop – Cam Nam Commune, Hoi An
5.3 Banh Xeo Hoi An
Banh Xeo Hoi An attracts you with its golden, crispy appearance and the delicious smell of fresh shrimp and meat. The skillfully prepared dipping sauce, combining just the right amount of rich soy sauce and fragrant peanuts, has won the hearts of many food lovers at home and abroad.
Reference address:
Banh Xeo Quan Gieng Ba Le – 45/51 Tran Hung Dao
Banh Xeo Hai Dao No. 160 Ly Thai To, Cam Chau, Hoi An
5.4 Banh Beo Hoi An
Banh Beo Hoi An is prepared quite meticulously. To make delicious banh beo, the maker needs to choose good rice, prepare shrimp and meat. When customers come to eat, the owner arranges the bowl on a tray, adds fillings and fragrant scallions. To enjoy banh beo, you use a “bamboo knife” (a bamboo stick sharpened into a blade shape), this is also a special feature that stimulates your curiosity when enjoying this Hoi An specialty.
Reference address:
Banh Beo Ba Bay – 2 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoi An
Banh Beo 17 – 17 Dinh Tien Hoang Street, Hoi An
5.5 Che bap – Delicious and cheap Hoi An snack
Che bap is a rustic dish with a natural sweet aroma from the famous Cam Nam corn of Hoi An. Hoi An corn sweet soup is not cooked with coconut water like Southern sweet soup, but only uses coconut water poured on top when eating to increase the fat content, so the sweet soup always retains the original flavor of freshly picked corn.
Reference address:
Sidewalk of Tran Phu Street, Le Loi, Hoi An. Reference price: 7,000 VND/bowl.
5.6 Cao Lau
According to the old people in the old town, Cao Lau is a dish that has been around for a long time, around the 17th century and is heavily influenced by Chinese and Japanese cuisine. Cao Lau attracts tourists with its rich flavor from meat, shrimp and spices mixed with delicious, irresistible noodles.
Reference address:
Thanh Cao Lau Restaurant, No. 26 Thai Phien, Minh An, Hoi An
Lien Cao Lau Restaurant, No. 21B Thai Phien, Minh An, Hoi An
Ba Be Cao Lau Restaurant, No. 19 Tran Phu, Cam Chau, Hoi An
5.7 Mi Quang
At first glance, Mi Quang looks like Cao Lau, but in fact, just try one bite and you will immediately feel the difference between the two dishes. Mi Quang has a rich flavor, eaten with meat, shrimp, quail eggs and typical side dishes such as grilled rice paper and vegetables.
Reference address:
Mi Quang Ong Hai Hoi An: No. 6A Truong Minh Luong, Hoi An
Mi Quang Di Hat: No. 4 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An
6. What to buy as gifts when traveling to Hoi An ancient town?
What to buy as gifts when traveling to Hoi An ancient town? Here are some ideal suggestions for you!
To he: When traveling to Hoi An ancient town, many people choose to buy to he as gifts for family and friends. Hoi An to he is not only eye-catching but also a symbol of the ingenuity of the artisans, the memories of the youth of Hoi An people and also the traditional folk culture of the nation.
Silk: Hoi An is famous for its 300-year history of exporting silk to Asian and European countries. Hoi An silk is not only precious because of its soft quality from natural silk but also contains many valuable cultural and historical beauties of Quang Nam. Therefore, when traveling to Hoi An, you often choose to buy silk, a Hoi An specialty, as gifts for your family.
Lantern: Lantern is a very familiar symbol in the space of Hoi An ancient town. Nowadays, in addition to traditional lanterns, Hoi An people have created lanterns that can be folded and carried easily, suitable for everyone to buy as gifts for friends and relatives.
7. Things to know when traveling to Hoi An ancient town
To make your trip to Hoi An smoother, take note of some notes and experiences of traveling to Hoi An ancient town!
Some tourist attractions in Hoi An ancient town require tickets. If you want to visit inside, you should proactively buy tickets at the Hoi An Tourist Guide Office.
Hoi An in the morning is extremely quiet and peaceful because at this time only Hoi An people are preparing to welcome the new day. This is the most suitable time for you to explore and enjoy the fresh air and simple beauty here.
On special occasions such as Tet or the full moon, the number of tourists increases, so you should proactively book a hotel room in advance to make sure you have a room to stay.
Hoi An is easily affected by storms and floods. Although not too severe, you should still carefully monitor the weather forecast to make your trip smooth.
Bach Dang wharf has cultural boats performing folk music every night, come and feel it!
Summary
The above is detailed information about destinations, transportation and accommodation for all visitors when traveling to Hoi An ancient town. In addition to the above information, visitors can visit VietTravelGuide.com to find more ideas and experiences for their trip!
