The Perfect 3 day Hoi An Itinerary

Last updated on March 15th, 2024

If you’re planning a trip to Hoi An, we have the perfect Hoi An itinerary for you. In this guide we’re giving you a detailed 3 day Hoi An itinerary, with all of our favorite stops and eats in the city!

Located on Vietnam’s Central Coast lies Hoi An, a historic city that from the 15th to 19th centuries was one of the most prosperous trading ports in Southeast Asia. And today it is a UNESCO World Heritage site!

While Hoi An is most known for its well preserved Ancient Town, with its yellow, historic buildings and colorful lanterns, it’s so much more than that! You can find golden sand beaches just a short bike ride away, try unique foods that cannot be tried elsewhere, go for fun rides on circular fishing boats, and so much more. We spent a total of 3 days in Hoi An and LOVED it! 

Watch our 3 days in Hoi An where we explore the ancient town, ride in a basket boat, and make lanterns! 

And in this 3 day Hoi An itinerary you’ll get to experience everything we loved about the city! You’ll explore the famous Ancient Town, try Hoi An specialities, have multiple unique experiences, and see beautiful scenery. We hope you love Hoi An as much as we did!

3 day Hoi An Itinerary

Hoi An is certainly one of the best cities in Vietnam to visit. Read our guide to the best cities to visit in Vietnam to learn about the others.

Day 1

For your first day in Hoi An you’ll get a good grasp at what the main part of the city is all about. You’ll explore the Ancient Town, try Hoi An’s signature dish, and experience its bustling night market.

Breakfast at Ellie’s Cafe

Start the day with breakfast! One great spot to get a healthy breakfast from in Hoi An is Ellie’s Cafe. They have smoothie bowls, avocado toasts, and pancakes, all loaded with fresh fruits and veggies. If you’re staying at a hotel with breakfast, eating there is a convenient option. We loved eating at Paddy Boutique House!

Have tea at Mót Hội An 

Ready for some morning tea? The tea at Mót is probably the best tea we’ve ever had. It’s an herbal tea made with chamomile, monk fruit, cinnamon, licorice, lemongrass, and topped with a pink lotus leaf. It may not have a caffeine boost, but it’s a wonderful concoction of deliciousness! 

If you need some caffeine as well, check out Hoi An Coffee Hub or Phin Coffee Restaurant!

Explore the Ancient Town

Hoi An’s Ancient Town is the most popular thing to see in Hoi An and for good reason…it is so beautiful and charming! 

There are many sights to see in the Ancient Town, which can all be experienced on foot. We loved just wandering around and admiring the buildings and lanterns! The majority of the buildings in the Ancient Town are original from the 17th and 18th centuries. So it really feels like you are walking back in time.

But one important thing you will need to explore is a Hoi An Old Town Entrance Ticket to both enter town (yes, even to just walk around) and visit its many sites. This ticket costs 120,000 VND (~$5) and proceeds go toward maintaining and preserving the Old Town. 

With this ticket, you get access to 5 out of the 20+ historic buildings and sites that require an entrance fee. If you want to visit more, then you’ll need to purchase another ticket. There are a handful of stalls around the city to buy your ticket, but they aren’t always very obvious to spot (many of them are little yellow stalls). We bought ours here, but this website has a list of other locations as well!

With 20+ sights to see, it may be hard to choose which to prioritize, but throughout the rest of this day’s itinerary we will list our top suggestions. Anything marked with an * means that it requires a ticket to enter and would go towards one of your 5 included attractions.

Japanese Covered Bridge*

One of the most iconic sights to see in Ancient Town is the Japanese Covered Bridge. This bridge gets its name because it was built mostly by the Japanese back in the 1500s to connect them with the Chinese area on the other side of the canal. You may recognize it because it is featured on the 20,000 Vietnamese Dong banknote!

We recommend going here first when exploring Ancient Town, as it does get busy.

Cantonese Assembly Hall*

For a quick temple experience, head to the Cantonese Assembly Hall. 

Temple etiquette: When visiting temples, you may need to remove your shoes. For the ladies, make sure you cover your shoulders. We both covered our knees as well.

Lunch at Nostalife

After exploring Ancient Town a bit, it’s time for lunch! We recommend heading to Nostalife to try some classic Hoi An dishes. A few that we would suggest ordering:

• Cao lau: This is THE dish of Hoi An! It’s made with thinly sliced bbq pork, bean sprouts, lettuce, crispy fried cao lau noodles, crispy pork skin, and fresh thick rice noodles. These noodles are made from water from an ancient well nearby, along with lye, which is made from the ashes of trees from the nearby Cham Islands.
• Mi Quang: This dish consists of steamed noodles with shrimp and pork, white rice crackers, and quail eggs.
• White rose dumplings: These are rice flour dumplings filled with minced shrimp and pork. They are then wrapped up to look almost like a rose and topped with deep fried shallots.

Explore more of Ancient Town

For the rest of the afternoon, explore more of Ancient Town! You can pop into different shops, get clothes made or tailored (a popular Hoi An activity!), and visit more historic sights. Here are a few that we’d suggest using your remaining 3 tickets on, plus a couple free spots!

Old House of Tan Ky*

There are several old houses you can visit in Hoi An’s Ancient Town, but we enjoyed the Old House of Tan Ky. The house was built in the 1700s by a Vietnamese-Chinese merchant for trading goods and has been in the family for seven generations. In fact, the owners still live on the second floor! 

On the first floor, there is a small museum. When you enter, you will be given a tour guide to show you around. Our guide gave us a lot of helpful information about the building, which we wouldn’t have known ourselves. It is free to have this guide, but they will try to sell you some souvenirs. After your tour is over, you can freely walk around on your own!

Fujian Assembly Hall*

The Fujian Assembly Hall, also known as Hoi Quan Phuoc Kien is a beautiful bright pink Chinese temple. It makes for a great quick stop to admire its beautiful architecture and colors!

Museum of Folk Culture*

The Museum of Folk Culture is located inside of one of Hoi An’s historic buildings and shares the history and artifacts from Hoi An’s traditional crafts and industries, like tailoring and fishing.

Hoi An Central Market

The Hoi An Central Market has food stalls, fresh foods, and tons of handicraft. If you are staying in an Airbnb or have access to a kitchen, this would be the perfect spot to purchase some meat and produce. Even if you’re not, it is a fun spot to walk around!

Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum

The Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum is a FREE art gallery and museum and is the permanent home of French photographer Réhahn’s Precious Heritage Collection. This collection of images is the result of the photographer’s almost decade long project documenting and photographing all 54 of Vietnam’s ethnic minorities. He has not only collected photographs, but also traditional costumes, artifacts, and personal stories.

Take a sampan ride on the river

Sampans are traditional wooden boats, which you will find all along the river in Hoi An. And you can take a ride in one for a small fee! The cost is typically between 150,000 VND ($6 USD) and 200,000 VND ($8 USD) depending on the number of people. There is no need to reserve a boat, you can easily get one just by walking up to the drivers. These are especially popular to ride at night, with the glow of lanterns around you!

Visit the Hoi An Night Market

One fun experience to have at night in Hoi An is the Hoi An Night Market, which happens every night across the bridge from Ancient Town.

At the market there are tons of stalls selling fun souvenirs, handicraft, lanterns, and of course, food! We tried a handful of dishes here, with our favorite being bo la lot, which is beef wrapped in a la lot leaf. And of course, since every few stands were banana pancakes, we had to try those too!

Day 2

The second day of this Hoi An itinerary will give you two unique experiences, like riding in a basket boat and making your own lantern!

Have coffee and breakfast

Get an earlier start to your morning and head to Hoi An Coffee Club, Buttercup by Rosie’s Cafe, or Phin Coffee Restaurant for coffee and breakfast. 

Go on a Basket boat tour

For a very fun and unique experience in Hoi An, go on a basket boat tour!

Basket boats are circular boats that were created during French Colonial times to avoid a tax imposed by the French on boats. Since many Vietnamese couldn’t afford to pay the tax, they created these baskets, which weren’t considered a boat, to avoid paying. And since then, they have gained popularity because of how useful they are!

They are popular with fishermen, as well as tourists! You can go on a basket boat tour in the Cam Thanh Coconut Village, where you’ll be paddled through small canals and possibly fish for crabs. About halfway through, you’ll come to an area where boat skippers dance on spinning boats to loud music. This is definitely when the tour gets a bit touristy, and you are expected to tip them (come prepared), but we found it to be very entertaining! And for an extra fee, you can even hop into one of their boats and be spun around, which we 100% did.

We booked our tour with Long Phu Eco Tour and highly recommend them! If you can, book this for early in the morning (before 9 AM if possible), to beat the heat and crowds.

Note: There is a fee (30,000 VND/$1.25 USD) for entering the village that is separate from the basket boat ride. As you enter the village you’ll notice a small concrete hut where you can pay.

Chill out at Reaching Out Tea House

After an exciting morning at the basket boat tour, take a break at Reaching Out Tea House. This tea house is staffed by hearing and vision impaired persons and has a relaxing environment.

Lunch at Madam Khanh – The Banh Mi Queen

For lunch grab, a bánh mì at Madam Khanh – The Banh Mi Queen. The name is not lying, she is a bánh mì QUEEN! 

We LOVED the mixed bánh mì, with its variety of meats, veggies, and an egg, plus a delicious sauce. Out of all of the bánh mì we tried in Vietnam, this was easily our favorite.

You can either eat inside or take it to-go, be prepared to wait a little bit. It’s a popular spot, but they move quickly!

Lantern making class

One of the most famous symbols of Hoi An are lanterns. They were brought by the Japanese and Chinese back in the 16th century and are believed to bring good luck, happiness, and wealth. You can now find them all over town!

If you want to bring home your own Hoi An lantern, why not make it yourself? At Hoi An Handicraft Tours you can take a lantern making class, where they walk you through the process step by step. By the end, you’ll have a lantern that you can safely collapse and take home with you. It is our favorite souvenir ever!

Dinner

For dinner, you have a few options, depending on what you’re in the mood for!

CHÂU Kitchen & Bar and Nhan’s Kitchen are both amazing options for Vietnamese food. 
Lim Dining Room is a higher end spot serving authentic Italian food in a beautiful building.
Maazi or Babas Kitchen are good restaurants for Indian food.
Bun Cha Ta is known for their Bun Cha, which is one of our favorite Vietnamese dishes.

Day 3

For your final day in Hoi An you’ll venture just a bit out of the city to the beautiful An Bang Beach, plus visit an organic vegetable garden, and of course, have delicious food!

Rent bikes

Kick off your morning by renting bikes! Some accommodations will offer bikes for a small fee (or free!), but if you need somewhere to rent,  Bee Bike and Hoi An Cycling are two options.

Note: We had free bike rentals from our lodging and they did not come with helmets. This was a common thing we encountered in Vietnam. Just something to keep in mind, if you’re pro-helmet like us!

Bike to An Bang Beach

After getting your bikes, head to An Bang beach! It is only around a 5 km, flat ride from Hoi An. We suggest riding through the rice fields (you can enter them here) for a bit, before crossing a bridge over the river towards the beach. About half of our ride was without vehicles around, but you will have to ride in the street closer to the beach. Thankfully the road has a wide shoulder!

If you’d prefer to drive, it’s a super quick Grab ride and should only cost a few dollars.

Sounds of Silence

Once you get to the beach, head to Sound of Silence Coffee Shop! This super cute cafe has a beautiful indoor area, with lots of wood and brick, plus outdoor gardens and a huge outdoor seating area overlooking the beach. It is hard to beat the view and tranquility of this place! We were in heaven!

They have a variety of food and drink options, so grab some brunch to enjoy with a view!

Note: A common “scam” in Vietnam is to be told you must pay for parking somewhere, when in reality you do not. At An Bang Beach, there are sometimes people who tell you that you cannot bike further and must pay to park by them. This is untrue. Keep cycling past them and visit a local business, who will likely allow you to park your bike. We were able to park ours at Sounds of Silence without any issue!

Enjoy An Bang Beach

For the rest of the morning and part of the afternoon, enjoy An Bang Beach! We were really surprised by this beach. It was golden sand, blue water, and during our visit, the beach was extremely clean and pretty empty. We hear that it can get busy though! You can rent chairs here as well, which are owned by the neighboring restaurants. If you eat from their restaurant, they are free to use.

Next time we visit Hoi An, we want to stay out here for a few days to just relax. The atmosphere of both the beach and the little town were super laid back!

Ride through Tra Que Vegetable Village

After you’re done lounging at the beach, hop back on your bike and head over to the Tra Que Vegetable Village!

This is an area with 150 farmers, who grow over 41 different types of produce. The soil in this area is very rich and what makes these gardens pretty unique is that they don’t use chemicals or harsh fertilizers. Instead, they use algae from a nearby lagoon!

You can ride and walk around the gardens, but there are also some restaurants to visit, which serve food straight from the garden! 

Have an early dinner at Baby Mustard

While in the Tra Que Vegetable Village you MUST eat at Baby Mustard! This restaurant is located right in the village, with the vegetable garden on one side and a nice pond and flowers on the other. And the food is delicious!

We tried their bánh xèo, lemongrass chicken, and mackerel on lemongrass, plus their special  secret drink. Everything was insanely fresh and high quality!

Looking for more things to do in Hoi An? Check out our guide with 13+ fun things to do in Hoi An, including some day trip options!

Planning your trip to Hoi An

Before you plan your trip to Hoi An, here is some helpful logistical information, such as how to get there, how to get around, when to visit, and more!

How to get to Hoi An

With its location in central Vietnam, Hoi An is very easy to get to through a variety of ways! Here are the common ways to get to Hoi An:

Flying to Hoi An

If you’re flying, the closest airport to Hoi An is Da Nang International Airport (DAD). Da Nang is just around a 30-40 minute ride to Hoi An. Flying within Vietnam is the quickest way to get around and tends to be decently affordable.

Once arriving, you can likely prearrange a ride through your accommodation or take a Grab ride, which was less than $20 when we visited. 

Train to Hoi An

Just like the nearest airport, the nearest railway station is in Da Nang. From the Da Nang Railway Station you can take a 30-40 minute Grab ride for less than $20.

A bucket list experience while in Vietnam is riding a sleeper train. We took the sleeper train from Ho Chi Minh City and it was an experience we’ll never forget! We booked our train on 12Go. 

Check out our video riding the sleeper train and our guide to riding a sleeper train in Vietnam if it’s something you’re interested in!

Taking a bus to Hoi An

Sleeper buses are another option to get to Hoi An. To be honest, we haven’t heard great things about the sleeper buses, but they are an option if you’re on a tight budget. You can see the bus options from all over Vietnam at 12Go. 

Driving to Hoi An

You can also drive to Hoi An by car or motorbike. However, if you rent a motorbike, make sure to check motorbike laws for your country’s driver’s license. You will need an IDP, which is an International Driver’s Permit. However, only IDPs from countries under the 1968 Vienna Convention are legal. 

Unfortunately for US, Canadian, and Australian citizens, your IDP will not qualify. Without an IDP the only way to legally drive a motorbike without a license is to drive one 50ccs or less. This may work in cities, but it will not be powerful enough in mountainous areas.

Also, whether you drive or are a passenger, helmets are required by law in Vietnam for anyone on a motorbike. So make sure to wear one! 

When to visit Hoi An

Hoi An experiences two seasons: wet and dry season. The dry season is from February to July, while the rainy season is typically August to January. 

In our opinion the best time to visit Hoi An is between February and April. You’ll have dry and warm weather, perfect for exploring the Ancient Town and all the outdoor activities. But it won’t be too hot yet. We visited Hoi An in early March and it was perfect! 

You can still enjoy Hoi An during the rainy season, just be sure to pack the right gear, including a rain jacket and umbrella. During the rainy season you’ll likely experience fewer tourists, plus hotels and other accommodations might have discounted rates. 

How to get around Hoi An

As we mentioned, one of the best ways to experience Hoi An is by bike. But besides biking, we walked ALL over Hoi An. Even though we stayed about a 30 minute walk from Ancient Town, we walked there everyday. The only time we took a Grab in Hoi An was to get to the basket boats. 

Where to Stay in Hoi An

Hoi An is loaded with nice accommodations! Since the city is heavily visited by tourists, there are many beautiful hotels and rentals to choose from. Plus budget options! Here are some that we would recommend.

Hotels and Homestays

Paddy Boutique House
This is where we stayed and we HIGHLY recommend it! This small boutique hotel has a cafe on the first floor, with delicious food and coffee, especially the salt coffee. And upstairs you’ll find all of the rooms, which are designed beautifully, with a mix of neutrals, concrete, and green.

To make things even better, our room also had a great view of the rice fields and the owner and staff were all so nice and friendly! They will help you with anything you need, including arranging a ride to and from Da Nang and even washing your clothes! 

It is a little further out from Ancient Town (about a 30 minute walk), but the hospitality, combined with the tranquility of the rice fields more than makes up for it. Plus, they have free bikes you can use to get around!

THE VIEW Homestay
La An Central Boutique Villa – near Ancient Town
Square Villa Hoi An – near Ancient Town
Hoi An Central Hotel

Airbnbs

Rosie Villa 4 (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom)
Rural Escape Private Villa (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom)
Villa Nipa Tree Private Villa (1 bedroom, 1 bathroom)

Hostels

If you’re traveling on a budget, hostels are a great option! We stayed in multiple hostels in Vietnam (with private rooms) and had positive experiences. Hoi An has a bunch of hostels to choose from, many of which are very highly rated!

Final tips for visiting Hoi An

Before heading to Hoi An we have a few final tips to help your time in both the city and Vietnam go a bit smoother. To see more tips, check out our blog post, where we share 20+ things to know before you visit Vietnam!

Make sure you have a visa (if required)

As American citizens, we were required to get a visa. But depending on your nationality and length of visit, you may not need one. 

While you can get a visa upon arrival, getting an e-visa in advance is much easier! To get an e-visa you will want to go to this website. Yes, it looks a tad outdated and sketchy, but this is the website run by the Vietnamese government. There are other websites that you can get your visa from, but they may charge more.

The e-visa costs $25 USD per person, which can be paid by credit card.

After filling out the information, you will likely hear your results within 3 business days. We suggest planning for longer, just in case. Once approved, make sure to print it to bring with you!

Check out our ultimate Vietnam packing list to make sure you don’t forget any important items!

Get an eSIM

Want to use your phone while in Vietnam? We highly recommend getting an eSIM from Airalo! This is a SIM that you can download to your phone. You can get an eSIM for a specific country or for an entire region, making it extra easy to use if you plan to hop between countries.

Note: this SIM only works for data, not calling. If you need to make a call, WhatsApp will be your best bet. More on that below!

Buy travel insurance

We never travel internationally without travel insurance. And SafetyWing is our go to!

SafetyWing is travel medical insurance that will cover you outside of your home country for however long you need it. We purchase their Nomad Insurance plan, which not only gives us travel medical insurance, but also provides coverage for lost baggage and travel delays!

Always have cash

While some places do take credit cards, we found that many restaurants, street food stalls, public restrooms, and even homestays will only take cash. 

You can find ATMs all over town and we suggest going to a bank ATM for the best rates. 

Carry toilet paper

Make sure to carry some toilet paper (or tissue) while out and about in Vietnam. Bathroom conditions can vary a lot and some do not have any toilet paper (or you have to pay for it). While many toilets have bum guns (spray gun bidets), you will want something to dry off. Don’t ask how we know…

Use WhatsApp

WhatsApp is the go-to app for communicating while in Vietnam. Many lodging and tour companies use it to book things and communicate with you. Make sure to download it in advance and give any guides your number!

One perk of WhatsApp is that you can also make calls on the app. This is very helpful if you have a data-only eSIM!

Learn how to cross the street

Crosswalks really don’t mean much in Vietnam. Locals told us that the best way to cross the street is to just start walking. Look for a small window in traffic and walk at a consistent pace (don’t run or stop). The motorbikes will go around you. It feels unnatural, but it eventually gets easier. 

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