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Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town
4.5
About
Located on the banks of the poetic Thu Bon River, in central Quang Nam province, 30 kilometers south of Da Nang, Hoi An ancient town is an Eastern oriental classic captivation. With the strategic location on the banks of the great river, with one seaside border (East), it used to be one of the major trading centers in Southeast Asia during the 16th century due to the early western trader occupying period.
Duration: More than 3 hours
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  • orrdin
    New York976 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Lovely especially at night
    Narrow streets filled with stores and restaurants and a lot of tourists… sounds like a nightmare but it’s actually charming. But best time to visit is at night and see the river lantern boats. Amazing experience.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 2 October 2023
  • Raymondale
    Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia1,219 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    colourful lanterns,yellow wall,Quang Nam food and night boat
    stayed in Hoi An for three nights from 7 September to 9 September, it is the second time i been here, the first time is 2019. i was impressed with its colourful lanterns, it is a town of lanterns, i even joined a lantern making workshop this year. besides, i also impressed with its yellow colour, i think yellow is Hoi An colour.i love to see yellow walls everywhere,looks charming! of course it is an ancient town, you can see many old houses here.Hoi An also famous for its Quang Nam food, like white rose, Cao lau ,Quang noodles, chicken rice. there are many cafes in Hoi An, you can enjoy your time while drinking a cup of coffee. at night, you can visit night market, or have a night boat tour, and try dropping flower lantern from the boat.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 3 October 2023
  • Adrea H
    8 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    A nice ancient city
    The city was really beautiful with ancient architecture. We much enjoyed walking tour around the city. Night life at the city was also interested. you can enjoy cyclo tour, buy authentic silk from local shop. It is really worth visiting.
    Visited September 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 4 October 2023
  • FBIAgent
    97 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    It Comes Alive at Night.
    It comes alive at night. Unfortunately, so does the crowds. Waking up with a view of the water, the calmness of the morning mist just put me in a trance. I just snapped out of the trance to make it into the town proper to eat at one of the many good food stalls. I'm glad I had a suit made, ate at the famous Banh Mi place, toured the ancient town, and acted like a local. That was all during the day. But at night, the lights come on, the lanterns are lit, and the place changes personality. You must come at night, but beware of the crowds.
    Visited April 2023
    Travelled on business
    Written 10 October 2023
  • Luffy
    Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam13 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hoi An a hype of tourism
    After five visits, I must admit that my feelings towards Hoi An have evolved, though not entirely for the better. As an American with Vietnamese heritage, I had hoped to find a deeper connection with this ancient town. Yet, with each return, it became clear that the commercialization had eroded the authentic charm I once cherished. The once-quaint streets are now crowded with tourists, and the incessant haggling in the markets feels more like a chore than a cultural exchange. The tailor shops, once a source of pride, now seem to produce cookie-cutter garments, devoid of the unique craftsmanship I had come to expect. While the town's architecture remains a testament to its rich history, it feels like a facade, masking the underlying changes. The Thu Bon River, once a serene backdrop, now echoes with the din of constant boat traffic. The nights, while still aglow with lanterns, have lost some of their magic. The folk music, while beautiful, now competes with the clamor of revelers. Hoi An has transformed into a different place, one that no longer resonates with me on a personal level. It's a bittersweet realization, as I had hoped for a deeper connection with my roots.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 25 October 2023
  • Bernadina E
    7 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Amazing Small town!
    We spent 4 nights in Hoian as per recommendation from our friends. It's an amazing place to stay, shop, and relax. People were so friendly. Lot of small boutique shops, good and cheap restaurant, many places to go and things to do. Love it
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 26 October 2023
  • André K
    Hefei, China279 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Stunning
    Wow , definitely one of the highlights of our Vietnam tour. This place is just so beautiful and at night time it is a display of colors as lanterns are floating down the river. Excellent restaurants and bars to choose from. Definitely a must visit when in Vietnam.
    Visited October 2023
    Travelled as a couple
    Written 31 October 2023
  • Baranimal
    73 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Magical town with lots to do and fabulous food.
    LOVED Hoi An! Beautiful town with lanterns glowing everywhere. Had custom clothes made at BeBes. Took a cooking class and market tour at Ms Vy's restaurant -- wonderful! Great street food tour. Rode bikes to an organic farm and rode the round boats on the river. Magical.
    Visited January 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 6 November 2023
  • Carla
    Vernon, New Jersey29 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hoi An
    I absolutely loved the 4 days I spent in HoiAn and cannot wait to go back. It is friendly, walkable and so much to do. Rent a bike and go out to the beach. Shopped until I was ready to drop. Best Bahn Mi of my 4 weeks in Vietnam.
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled solo
    Written 13 November 2023
  • jdeepak84
    Rudrapur, India162 contributions
    4.0 of 5 bubbles
    Hoi An from DaNang
    This place is around an hour drive from Danang city. Best time to visit is in the Evening to see the lamps light up. Also you can go for a boat ride to enjoy. Lots of stuff to buy but need to bargain a lot as they Quote some high prices. Loyt sof stuff to eat and try as well. Good Place to enjoy and spend evening time .
    Visited November 2023
    Travelled with family
    Written 15 November 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles27,479 reviews
Excellent
18,549
Very good
6,469
Average
1,708
Poor
445
Terrible
310

Carla R
Hoboken, NJ81 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Solo
It’s majestic here at night, the river lights up like nothing I’ve every seen. For pennies on the dollar one could purchase a lantern, make a wish, and send it down the river. It’s an amazing sight to see, the river at night!
This alone, make it worth the visit!
Written 31 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dr. Issa Abu-Dayyeh
Amman, Jordan4,607 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Friends
Beautiful visit to visit, 40 minutes from Danang.

It’s old center is a UNESCO world heritage site. Make sure you walk around and buy a ticket from kiosks that allows you to enter 5 sites for 120,000 dong, and use them wisely.

Make sure you try some of their traditional foods such as Cao Lau and check out their night market.

Hoi An at night has a very special character, make sure you sleep over to spend time in it at night, or if it is a one day trip, do not leave before sunset.

The city is also well know.m for tailors and leather products, so make use of that if you are a fan of leather, or want to get a dress or suit customized to size.

Beautiful town, totally worth a visit!
Written 6 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

swissgirl_7
Gilly, Switzerland211 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020
I actually want to give 1 star, but Hoi An, potentially is a 5 star destination and the houses, pagodas and riverboats are all there but can no longer be enjoyed because of incessant hawking, scamming attempts, rudeness of officials and the TRASH, and more TRASH, dumped in the river, abandoned on the roadside, batteries by the bagful tipped out by the beautiful bridges.

Obviously, managing the waves of tourists invading the town daily (of which I too am guilty) is too overwhelming for a small town like Hoi an. The ancient city is overrun and everybody is trying to make a buck.

The town council does its best, and there are lots of regulations for the boat owners, supposed to limit scamming, but nobody really enforces them, and for tourists, the amounts are too small to quibble over, it just leaves an unpleasant feeling. It’s the only place in a Vietnam where we were harassed by vendors, cheated by cafe owners and scammed by taxi drivers (fast meters). We bought the tourist ticket but ended up visiting only three places as it was all too much for us after two days.

We spent 5 days here, and thankfully found beautiful areas too. I’d recommend going as early as possible to avoid the crowds and spend more time exploring the areas of paddy fields and even the beach.
Written 16 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Daria G
Oxford, United Kingdom61 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
When we visited during end-of-year holidays 2019-2020, there seemed to be more tourists than locals in the streets. There is a ridiculous amount of random silly stuff for tourists to buy. The buildings are very well preserved and curious to visit. Beware most of the ‘assembly halls’ of various Chinese groups have a thing for asking for your ticket twice and cutting it whilst pretending that they don’t understand English. The tickets are not expensive but leave you feeling fooled and annoyed. Several of the traditional houses that can be visited for example the Tran family house are also tourist traps selling everything from luck bringing coins to incense to statues. The combination of Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese traditional architecture is quite similar across the different buildings. Worth a visit definitely !
Written 11 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

ChicoRanMan
Chico, CA1,174 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Family
If you visit Hoi An, you can’t avoid going to the ancient city, but brace yourself for streets crowded with many, many tourists, a lot of motorbikes all beeping at anything that moves, sidewalks packed with everything but pedestrians (mostly scooter parking), and high tourist prices. Every street vendor will double the price for whatever they are selling, so be prepared to haggle with them.

There are some good restaurants and very good banh mi to be found. There are hundreds of shops including dressmakers and suit makers. Note that you can get equal quality clothing made outside of the ancient city for a fraction of the price.

Written 18 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Sara D
Hot Water Beach, New Zealand5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020 • Couples
The town is very pretty with many bars and restaurants. Would also recommend a ride on a lantern boat - it’s very romantic and supports the locals. Just be careful not to flash your wallet/purse as it can get crowded after sunset and there can be pickpockets around.
Written 13 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

feyms
Ironia, NJ380 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2020 • Couples
With many shops along both sides of the narrow streets, this is a tourist area gathering.

Want a massage, leather goods, clothing of all sorts, or local foods, this is for you. However, the place transforms at night to multicolor lanterns, romantic boat rides, and a vibrant crowd. You can get food at Bahn My, the place made famous by food connoisseur and TV personality Anthony Bourdain. You can visit the Japanese bridge and walk to the new side of “Ancient Town” and catch an authentic meal...or a banana crepe, or a Vietnamese Ice Creme.

We could not resist massages which run from about $5-$8 every few store fronts. Take you pick.
Written 4 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Liz A
Bergerac City, France41 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Feb 2020 • Couples
We spent a month in Hoi An, probably too long but it is a beautiful place, especially at night with the lanterns all lit up. Beware of the crowds, the restaurants along the riverside tout for business all the time and are over priced and in general the food is not as good as some of the others situated a short walk from the old town.
Definitely recommend visiting here though.
Written 6 March 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Tracy Tyler
Nottingham, UK89 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sept 2019 • Couples
We spent 2 days here, we wish we’d stayed longer. The city is full of charm and character, especially at night it is truly beautiful. I had hoped to pick up some custom made clothing whilst there but didn’t find the prices to be that good.
Written 3 February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Nerijus Z
Vilnius, Lithuania86 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jan 2020
with short distance from Da Nang this ancient town is really different from others. Seems old town remain untouched and show is past beauty, low buildings, narrow streets and promenade have a special vibe.
Handicrafts are specific here as well as you can get your new pair of shoes next day! And that will be specific Yours!
Night time is really special time to shine - its massive of lanterns lights around give a spectacular scenery
Written 16 January 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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