10 Unique Things to Do in Hoi An on Your Next Trip!

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POST UPDATED March 28, 2025

Because I spent four years living in Ho Chi Minh City, I’ve visited Hoi An quite a few times over the years. And although this town is small, I’m always surprised that there are so many unique things to do in Hoi An that are completely different from what you’d find anywhere else in Vietnam.

If you’re Vietnam-bound and looking for cool things to do in Hoi An, here is my insider’s guide to all of the must-see attractions and activities, from what to eat to how to discover this city’s hidden gems.  

Heading to Vietnam? You might also be interested in these posts: 

• An Expat’s Guide to Things to Do in Ho Chi Minh City
• 15 Unique Things to Do in Danang
• 8 Fun Things to Do In Nha Trang, Vietnam
• Is Vietnam’s Phu Quoc Island Worth Visiting?

The Best Things to Do in Hoi An, Vietnam

Wander around the Ancient Town

My favorite way to explore any new city is by walking and seeing what hidden treasures I can find. Because cars and motorbikes aren’t allowed to drive in the Ancient Town for the majority of the day, the area is prime for exploring on foot.

Wandering aimlessly around the Ancient Town is easily one of the best things to do in Hoi An. And sure, it is very touristy, but I always love marveling at the old buildings, snapping photos of the postcard-perfect alleyways, sampling street snacks and popping into all of the little shops – you honestly never know what gems you’ll stumble upon in Hoi An’s historic center. The people-watching is pretty great too!

See What Life Is Really Like in Hoi An

If this is your first time in Hoi An, I do highly suggest taking a tour toward the beginning of your trip. You’ll walk away with a better insight and greater appreciation of the food, history, and people. This Hidden Gems of Old Hoi An Tour is a really unique option because it gives a glimpse of what Hoi An looks like behind its touristy facade.

This is part walking tour and part food tour, which allows you to immerse yourself in local life in Hoi An. You’ll get to do super unique things like meet the local producers and the families behind long-run businesses, visit the oldest cao lau noodle factory in town, learn about the Chinese and French influence on the architecture and food, and discover the innerworkings of a local market. Oh, and you’ll get to sample all sorts of local goodies along the way!

If you’d love to get a less-touristy, behind-the-scenes look at Hoi An, this tour is a unique option.

Ride a bicycle to temples, rice paddies and the beach

Want to see rice paddies, Buddhist temples, beaches and water buffalos? Hoi An’s got you covered.

Getting the chance to take in Hoi An’s magical scenery from a bicycle is one of my all-time favorite Hoi An activities. Cycling is big in Hoi An and most hotels here offer complimentary bicycles. It’s an incredible way to check out all of the city’s beautiful temples, emerald rice paddies and everyday street scenes.

One of the most popular bike rides is from the Ancient Town to An Bang Beach. While the main road heading to An Bang Beach from Hoi An is busy and not all that atmospheric, it’s worth veering off and biking around the surrounding rice paddies on the way to the beach. After biking around, the beach is a very welcome reprieve from the hot and humid Hoi An weather!

Insider tip: Once you arrive at An Bang Beach, you can leave your bike in the lot on the right-hand side, right before the beach entrance. There should be a sign posted with the price but expect to pay roughly 10,000-30,000 dong. The attendants are very pushy and will try to charge you much more. Go with the posted rate. Alternately, if you plan on going to one of the beachfront restaurants, you should be able to park for free.

Take a dip at An Bang Beach

As you can see from the photo above, An Bang Beach is lovely. I usually walk to the northern end of the beach to escape the crowds near the main entrance, choose a restaurant at random and plop myself down on a lounger.

The nice thing about An Bang Beach is that you can use most restaurants’ loungers for free if you purchase something from the restaurant, even if it’s just a drink. Spending a few hours at An Bang Beach is always a good idea and this place is well worth adding to your list of Hoi An activities!

Visit Lo Gach Cu Farm

I didn’t discover Lo Gach Cu Farm until my most recent visit to Hoi An. I can’t believe I’d never heard of this hidden gem. Lo Gach Cu Farm is a very unique cafe that’s located way out in the Hoi An countryside (here’s the Google Maps location).

I rented a motorbike to make the journey out there and the journey was half the fun. This coffee shop and cafe overlooks emerald green rice paddies and an abandoned brick kiln that is now overgrown with trees. The setting is seriously photogenic and the coffee is some of the best you’ll get in Hoi An.

If you’re feeling peckish, they also have a great menu of refreshing juices, fruity smoothies and healthy breakfast items.

Explore the Countryside

If there’s one tip I give people about Hoi An, it’s to get out and explore the countryside. The Hoi An countryside is absolutely stunning and it’s a shame that so many visitors don’t make the effort to get outside of the Ancient Town. If you’re not comfortable renting a motorbike to get off the beaten path and explore the countryside, you can always hop on a fun Hoi An Countryside Jeep Tour to see it for yourself!

You’ll get to glimpse Hoi An’s emerald-green rice paddies, visit local farms and learn about the lives of the people who tend them, check out a fishing village and meet the fishermen, try your hand at making noodles, and so much more.

Get Tipsy at a Cocktail Bar

I’m always impressed at how hip Hoi An’s cocktail bar scene is and I always like to hit up new places every time I’m in town.

Insider tip: My go-to is always Market Bar (here’s the Google Maps location) because it has amazing cocktails (go during happy hour for great prices!) and awesome river views. But there are also so many cool places hidden within the Ancient Town.

If you want to have an elevated night of bar hopping, I absolutely love this Hoi An Secret Cocktail Experience. You’ll get led around town by a local guide who will take you to four “secret” (and seriously cool) cocktail bars that you’d never find on your own.

Trust me, this city takes its cocktail game very seriously, so if you love going to cool cocktail bars, this tour is a must. I do, however, suggest doing it at the beginning of your trip because you’ll want to return to these places to try more of their cocktail creations!

Sample Hoi An’s famous dishes

If you’re wondering what to do in Hoi An as a foodie, you’re in luck! Eating your way through this city is incredible. Vietnamese food is complicated and it varies wildly from city to city and region to region. But trust me, the food in Hoi An is something special!

If you’re in Hoi An, it should be a goal of yours to do all the eating possible. Hoi An’s most famous dishes are cao lau, mi quang (turmeric-infused noodles topped with broth, meat and herbs), banh xeo (a crispy “pancake” stuffed with everything from shrimp to pork to mushrooms) and Hoi An-style Banh Mi. But there’s so much more to eat than just these things.

If you’re wondering where to go to try some of Hoi An’s most famous dishes, Morning Glory in the Ancient Town is always a crowd-pleaser. Try the cao lau!

Take a food tour

I highly suggest doing a food tour while in Hoi An to really get an understanding of the cuisine. I’ve heard great things about this Evening Walking Food Tour, which takes you around the city to sample regional specialties, like Hoi An Banh Mi and White Rose Dumplings.

Insider tip: I always recommend taking a food tour at the beginning of your visit in order to make the most of your foodie knowledge during the rest of your trip!

And if you happen to be a vegetarian like me, check out my post all about where to find vegetarian food in Hoi An.

Shop (or people-watch) at the Night Market

Every night, you’ll see streams of people heading over the bridge from Hoi An’s Old Town to the An Hoi Peninsula. And that’s because the Night Market is one of the top things to do in Hoi An, so it does get busy!

Here you’ll find plenty of riverfront bars and restaurants as well as a ton of vendors selling everything from elephant pants to quirky foods to all manner of touristy trinkets. Even if you don’t want to buy anything at the market, it’s a fun place to wander around and do some people-watching.

Go temple hopping

It’s no secret that seeing the temples is one of the top things to do in Hoi An. There are dozens of incense-filled temples all around this city. But my favorite find was the Ba Mu Temple (pictured above), which dates back to 1626 and is located in the Ancient Town.

But during my time in Hoi An, I spotted dozens of temples. You can buy a pass in the Ancient Town, which gives you entry to some temples, among other attractions.

But there are also a handful of temples and pagodas located outside of the Old Town that are stunning and totally free to enter.

Day trips from Hoi An:

Visit the My Son Ruins

Checking out the My Son Ruins is easily one of the most interesting Hoi An activities. The My Son Sanctuary is located about an hour from Hoi An. If you’ve never experienced the region’s ancient Cham architecture before, I’d recommend heading out there if you have the time.

As someone who’s seen a lot of ancient ruins in the region, including Angkor Wat, they weren’t the most magnificent or well-preserved temple complexes I’ve seen. It’s also worth noting that the complexes are in pretty bad shape and were heavily damaged during the Vietnam War. There are currently only 20 temples left. Sadly two-thirds of them are gone.

Even still, I do recommend visiting if you have an interest in these ancient structures and the history of the region.

We booked a driver through our hotel for about $18 and went for sunrise. If you are going to My Son for sunrise, do note that the ticket booth doesn’t open until 6 am. Once we made it to the actual ruins, it was already light outside.

There are a few perks to visiting early though: the temperature is pleasant and there are barely any visitors at that time. Literally, there were six other people there when we visited. I do, however, wish we would have had a tour guide. We overheard a small group with a tour guide and it was painfully obvious that we would have learned a lot more about the ruins had we had a guide.

I suggest this early morning tour if you’re looking to visit the ruins with a guide. It has stellar reviews and you won’t have to worry about arranging transportation or missing out on My Son’s fascinating history. Plus, you’ll get a traditional lunch of Hoi An’s famous Mi Quang Noodles!

Wander around the Marble Mountains

When it comes to the best things to do in Hoi An, visiting the Marble Mountains is a must. They are located 18km from Hoi An and are a super easy half-day trip from Hoi An or Danang. You can easily take a Grab there for about $10 and explore yourself or join a guided tour.

The Marble Mountains is definitely touristy but I’ve been there multiple times and it never disappoints. The main mountain is called Thuy Son. It’s filled with stunning caves, lovely pagodas, and ornate temples, and if you hike to the very top, you get killer 360-degree views of Danang and its endless beach.

It’s well worth spending a few hours at the Marble Mountains. Timing is everything so try to go into the more popular caves (like An Phu Cave) when the large tour groups are just leaving. Also note that walking around the Marble Mountains can get hot, especially around midday, so it’s best to visit in the early morning if you’re heat-averse!

Visit Sun World Ba Na Hills

The whimsical Sun World Ba Na Hills needs to be seen to be believed. Part theme park, part European-themed wonderland, this unique attraction offers entertainment galore and is the perfect day trip option from Hoi An.

Must-do things at Sun World Ba Na Hills include snapping endless selfies at the Insta-famous Golden Bridge, taking in 360-degree mountain views from the cable cars, getting lost in the French-inspired village, riding thrilling rides in Fantasy Park, and so much more. This place is definitely fun for the whole family!

Where to stay in Hoi An

Hoi An is chock full of amazing boutique hotels. It’s almost impossible to choose!

Green Apple Hotel (Budget-Friendly): After a lot of research, I went with the Green Apple Hotel. We were trying to stick to a budget but our minds were boggled by what we got for a mere $26 a night. Located a 10-minute walk from the Ancient Town, this place had a pool, an enormous buffet breakfast, spacious rooms with balconies, comfy beds, tons of amenities, free bikes, and the most amazing customer service ever…I could go on. It’s a steal and I highly recommend it. (Rooms start at $20)

Hoi An Historic Hotel (Mid-Range): For a more luxurious option with boutique vibes, Hoi An Historic Hotel is incredible and puts you right in the Ancient Town. Plus, you can take advantage of cool amenities like the modern rooms, outdoor pool, complimentary morning yoga classes, and lavish buffet breakfasts. (Rooms start around $40)

Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai (Luxury): If you’re in town for a special occasion, like a honeymoon, and you’re looking for 5-star luxury, the Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai is your best bet. Although rooms here don’t come cheap, it’s worth it for an unforgettable getaway!

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That’s it! My guide to the best things to do in Hoi An. Did I miss any cool Hoi An attractions?