10 Great Reasons Why Hoi An is a Must-see Destination in Central Vietnam

Learn about reasons to visit Hoi An, Vietnam. Get tickets to see Hoi An Ancient Town. Find out what to do in Hoi An on a trip to Vietnam.

Hoi An Vietnam is a town frozen in time. Dating back to the 15th century, Hoi An exudes medieval charm. Located in the center of Vietnam, Hoi An is definitely worth a stop whether you are traveling from North to South or South to North. 

Hoi An's Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and you must buy a ticket to enter (120,000 Dong or about $5 USD at the time of writing). The ticket includes entrance to up to 5 of 21 attractions in Hoi An. 

We had a great time exploring Hoi An and found that it was an excellent respite from Vietnam's frenetic urban centers like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Here are ten reasons why I think Hoi An is a must-see destination in central Vietnam.

1. The Old Town Lanterns

Hoi An simply lights up after the sun goes down and the town's colorful lanterns are its most defining feature. Even by day, the festive lanterns add to the historic atmosphere of the place.

2. B1G1F Cocktails and People Watching

Hoi An has a decent bar and restaurant scene. Many places offer two-for-one cocktails in the early evening. Sit outside and do a bit of people watching.

3. Great Places to Get a Coffee with a View

Vietnam as a whole is known for excellent coffee and Hoi An is no exception. There are many fun places to get a cuppa in Hoi An. Make sure to seek out one of the places along the main shopping streets with an upstairs balcony.

4. Hoi An's Stunning Temples

We used 3 of our 5 attraction tickets to see some of Hoi An's stunning temples. I especially liked the ones with a colorful dragon motif.

The level of detail on the gates and inside the temple complexes was pretty amazing to behold.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Southeast Asia is an amazing part of the world to explore, but where should you go (beyond all the cool places we've talked about in Vietnam, of course!): Cambodia is a must visit destination in Southeast Asia. Discover off-the-beaten-track things to do in Phnom Penh and dive into Cambodia's tragic history with a visit to the Killing Fields and Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum. There are plenty of things to do in Siem Reap City. Discover the mysterious Angkor Wat temples with a private car and driver and then take a Siem Reap food tour. Find out the pros and cons of visiting Cambodia during the Khmer New Year. If city breaks are more to your liking, discover things to do in Singapore (as a first or second time visitor), Kuala Lumpur, and Bangkok.

5. Historic and Well-Preserved Merchant Houses

Hoi An is a historic trading port and thus features a number of merchant houses. The merchant houses were sturdily built and feature opulent furniture.

6. The Japanese Bridge

Hoi An's iconic Japanese Bridge is well-known to visitors. You'll have to use one of your attraction tickets to cross the bridge. The bridge itself features a small temple and guardian dogs at each end.

The front of the Japanese bridge is typically overrun by visitors so I thought I'd share this quieter rear-view instead.

SIDEWALK SAFARI SPOTLIGHT: Want to know the best thing we did in Hoi An? We left the city behind and did a ride through the countryside with Heaven and Earth Bicycle Tours.

7. You Can Learn How to Cook in Hoi An...

Hoi An is known for amazing food. You can even learn to cook Vietnamese cuisine at one of many cooking schools in town. We booked ourselves a lunch-time cooking experience at Gioan Family Cookery.

We started by cycling to the market to check out the various ingredients on offer. We didn't actually buy anything though. Our hosts at the cooking school had bought all the freshest ingredients at about 5 am that morning. You snooze, you lose in Hoi An!

Over the course of two hours, we cooked a four course meal with Vina, our quirky host. We learned to make spring rolls, papaya salad, fish in banana leaf and pho. 

We got started at 12:30 pm and had the place mostly to ourselves. Many guests come earlier in the morning so the food is ready at a more traditional lunch hour. We ate our amazing meal around 3 pm and there was no need for dinner later!

8. ...Or Just Eat Cau Lau

Cau Lau is the signature dish of Hoi An. We sampled delectable noodles and pork with cracking on top at a small, unassuming restaurant that doubled as someone's house. The dish is simply delicious.

9. You Can Walk and Cycle in Hoi An

Crossing the street in Vietnam's major cities can quickly become an exercise in running for your life. Hoi An was a refreshing change. 

The streets of the ancient town were car free and the surrounding streets were less crowded as well. We had much less fear of being mown down by a car or motorbike in Hoi An than we did elsewhere in Vietnam.

10. You Can Spend the Afternoon at An Bang Beach

An Bang beach is just a short taxi or Grab ride away from the center of Hoi An. Voted one of the top beaches in the world, we sipped a drink and watched visitors frolick in the water or sun themselves. An Bang beach is a relaxing spot to spend an afternoon outside of Hoi An.

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