Hoian – always wins tourists’ hearts with its timeless charms and beauty. Moreover, there are a lot of activities in this ancient town, which are both suitable for the local people and tourists to experience. Spending 3 days in Hoian will help you understand more about this peaceful town. Let’s wander around Hoian with our detailed guide and itinerary suggestion.
Table of Contents
Hoian is located in central Vietnam, not too far from Danang at just around 30 km. Therefore, visitors can come to Hoian by car, bus, or passenger car from Danang airport. Besides, many travelers usually plan to visit both Danang and Hoian in a week, with 3 days in Danang and 3 days in Hoian! So you can find it perfect for the short trip to Hoian and enjoy this land with all of the aspects, from scenery to food, from the culture to the fashion style. However, remember to prepare for the contact of the driver who will pick you up at the airport and bring you to Hoian.
If you plan to come to Hoian, you will not worry about the transportation in this city. Another convenient thing in Hoian is that there are multiple kinds of delivery:
In general, because you will just stay 3 days in Hoian so you can try all the means of transport according to your need. The price is not too expensive, so you can feel comfortable choosing your favorite one.
>> Experience a cycling day tour in Hoian: Hoi An Motobike tour to the countryside Half day
Nowadays, when traveling to Hoian, you will come across a unique culture with the interference of many cultures. Every corner of Hoian street can give you experiences like going to the past, sometimes like being in another country.
We will give you a short introduction to the history of Hoian. Since the 17th century, Hoian had become the busiest trading port in Southeast Asia. Westerners came here to trade and called Hoian by the name “Faifo”, but no one can explain its meaning and origin. Hoian is known to be a busy trading port, or a silk road on the sea, but few people know that Hoian has a rich culture that was formed before BC by thousands of years. Because of its unique cultural features, Hoian has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site.
Hoian is a social miniature of three ancient cultures, these are Sa Huynh culture, Champa culture, and Dai Viet culture. Besides, Hoian is integrated by the Eastern culture due to the trading port, they are Chinese culture, Japanese culture, and Vietnamese culture. Therefore, you will find many attractions, building design, and even foods that have exotic recipe that only Hoian own.
Has all the information background of the extraordinary ancient town inspired you to go here?
>> Explore Hoian with your family and friends: Family Fun in Vietnam 10 Days
Casually, the weather in Hoian is about 20 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees Celsius, which is quite warm all the year. So you don’t need to worry too much about the weather in Hoian. One incredible thing about Hoian is that you should visit this city during the high tourism season, which is usually from June to August. Because the more people are, the more colorful the town is. Especially, there are some lantern events at night, so if the town is crowded, you can see many and many lightning lanterns in the Hoai river. We’re sure that picturesque scene will stay in your heart as an image for a very long time.
However, even when it’s not full of tourists, the town can still reflect its beauty due to its hospitable citizens, and its charming and peaceful atmosphere. You can feel the spirit of Hoian while wandering around the town and taking photos.
>> Find more information about Vietnamese weather: Infographic – Best time to visit Vietnam (Travel Guide & Tips 2022)
There are some events in Hoian that you should not miss depending on the time you visit Hoian.
Hoian Full Moon Festival (Lantern Festival)Location: Hoian Ancient Town
Event time: 18:00 – 22:00, the 14th night of the lunar calendar every month
The full moon festival or lantern festival in Hoian has become a symbol of the old town. Coming to the festival, you will be immersed in the brilliant space of colorful lanterns and participate in the activity of releasing lanterns on the Hoai River with the meaning of wishing for luck, health…
For couples traveling to Hoian, the release of lanterns also means praying for lasting love. Participating in this festival in Hoian, you can also enjoy the warm atmosphere and get shimmering, poetic photos with lanterns.
Location: Hoian Ancient Town
Time: The full moon of the 8th month of the lunar calendar every year
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a festival celebrated all over the country. This is also the occasion when Hoian shines brightly under lanterns on the brightest full moon day of the year. All the streets are decorated with brilliant lanterns, and locals and tourists will join in the procession of lanterns, breaking the festival…The town is full of shimmering, magical-colored lanterns.
In particular, you also see bustling lion dance troupes on the street, along with images of children playing together. All will bring unforgettable and special impressions of the festival in Hoian during the Mid-Autumn Festival.
>> Recommendation: World Heritage Hue & Hoi An 5 Days
Location: Dinh Ba, Duy Tan, Duy Xuyen, Quang Nam
Time: 12th day of the second lunar month every year
Ms. Thu Bon festival is organized simply but equally solemnly with special traditional activities such as cake-making contests, singing and responding, playing human chess, and tug of war,… The festival attracts a large number of tourists. Hoian tourism participates in the experience and immerses in the atmosphere of exciting folk games. This festival is meant to commemorate Mrs. Thu Bon – who brought agriculture and fishery and blessed people’s work with smooth sailing.
Location: Tomb of Ong in Hoian fishing village, Quang Nam
Time: Mid-March of the lunar calendar every year
This is one of the most traditional and celebrated festivals in Hoian, with special meaning for the fishermen of the fishing village. The festival aims to show gratitude to Ong fish for helping the sea to calm down, helping fishermen have a good fishing season and return safely.
During this festival in Hoian, people will offer sacrifices (not using seafood) and boats will decorate with bright lanterns. The ceremony is held at night and a series of boats will join the procession at sea at dawn the next morning. Traveling to Hoian on this occasion, you will have the opportunity to immerse yourself in the bustling, sacred festival atmosphere and admire the brilliant trains…
There are still some events in Hoian, such as Vu Lan Ceremony in August, Lunar New Year Festival in January… Due to the limitation of this blog, we can just suggest to you the 4 most famous festivals in Hoian, and you can decide your best time to visit Hoian to attend these events.
As we’ve mentioned before, this town is a combination of multiple cultures, so its cuisine is diverse and impressive. With countless delicacies that “fascinate” not only locals, and tourists but also world-famous chefs such as Anthony Bourdain (USA), Luke Nguyen (Australia), Cameron Stauch (Canada)… Hoian is surely a food paradise. In addition to the variety of food and drink, the price in Hoian is also very “comfortable”. With just 3 days in Hoian, you should try the most famous traditional foods that nowhere can copy the recipe.
One of the most popular traditional food in Hoian is Cao Lau. It has a thick broth taken from the sauce to make pork char siu, so it is imbued with spices and has a rich aroma. This food only has char siu pork filling, adding with some Vietnamese vegetables such as coriander.
Quang noodle is usually misunderstood with Cao Lau noodle soup. This food has a clear, fragrant broth. The broth also has the flavor of chicken or pork. In a bowl of Quang noodles, there are usually pork, chicken, shrimp, and chicken or quail eggs.
According to my Hoian travel experience, chicken rice is a must-try dish. Because the Hoian chicken rice recipe is quite different, soft and fragrant, firm and chewy chicken served with black pepper sauce.
Recommendations:
Mrs. Buoi Chicken Rice: 22 Phan Chu Trinh street, Hoian city
A Ty Chicken Rice: 25 – 27 Phan Chu Trinh street, Hoian city
Banh mi Hoian is one of the most delicious kinds of banh mi in Vietnam. The unique sauce and chili are the important ingredients making banh mi Hoian special like this.
Recommendations:
Madam Khanh Bread: 115 Tran Cao Van street, Hoian city
Phuong Bread: 2B Phan Chu Trinh street, Cam Chau, Hoian city
This is a drink prepared from many healthy herbs such as tea, ginger, and cinnamon … with a sweet, sour, and sour taste to help you cool down, especially in summer.
Place: 150 Tran Phu street, Hoian city
For a 3-day trip to Hoian, you will not have too much time to just enjoy life in the ancient town. You can visit some beautiful beaches around Hoian, which can give you some special experiences. Following this 3-day itinerary, you can have a reference to light up your vacation.
On the first day in Hoian, you can walk or ride a bike along the street to visit some sightseeing during the day.
Tailoring is one of the traditional careers in this city, which created full of Vietnamese spirit in each design. You can have yourself tailored-made clothes with the qualified fabric in Hoian. The handmade clothes can fit your body perfectly, but you should order at least 2 days before the deadline.
>> Recommendations: Top 4 địa điểm may đo áo dài nổi tiếng ở Hội An
Address: 80 Tran Phu, Hoian city
Built-in 1995, the museum of trade ceramics is storing more than 430 ceramic artifacts dating from the 8th to 18th centuries. Coming here, you will have the opportunity to learn about Hoian. The sea ceramics trade network and strong economic and cultural exchange relations in the previous centuries.
Address: 33 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoian city
Opened to Hoian tourists on March 24, 2005, Hoian Folklore Museum consists of two floors with classical architecture, opening to two sides of Nguyen Thai Hoc and Bach Dang streets. This is the place to display 490 artifacts on the topic of folk visual arts, folk performing arts, traditional professions, and folk activities.
Address: 149 Tran Phu, Hoian city
If you are still wondering what Hoian tourism has, the Sa Huynh Culture Museum will show you that there are many things worth paying attention to and learning about. Sa Huynh Culture Museum is a place to store and display many unique artifacts, containing valuable information about the ancient inhabitants of the Sa Huynh Culture system.
Address: No. 4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Hoian city
With a lifespan of more than 100 years, Phung Hung’s ancient house is one of the most beautiful models of Hoian ancient architecture. If you have the opportunity to travel to Hoian, visit this old house to see first-hand a wooden construction with the combined architectural style of 3 architectural schools: Vietnam, Japan, and China.
Address: 46 Tran Phu, Hoian city
With its magnificent beauty, large majestic space, and unique Chinese architecture, the Fujian Assembly Hall is a famous tourist destination in Hoian, attracting many tourists to visit every year.
Address: 157 Nguyen Duy Hieu, Hoian city
If traveling to Hoian, visit Trieu Chau Assembly Hall once to admire unique architecture with intricately carved motifs on wooden frames. This is a place to worship the gods who control the waves, which the people of Chaozhou believe in to pray for smooth sailing.
At night, you can visit some of the coffee shops and bars to indulge in Hoian’s night
Address: No. 94 Nguyen Thai Hoc, Hoian city
If you wonder what Hoian has to offer, visit Q Bar – a very famous name. With a nostalgic design and Asian architectural lines, this space helps you capture many “virtual living” photos for a lifetime. At the same time, EDM lighting and electronic music at Q Bar also bring guests moments of complete relaxation.
Address: No. 49 Nguyen Phuc Chu, Hoian city
Mango is a bar with a prime location in the old town. Here, you can see the Hoai River, the vibrant night market, etc. Therefore, this bar attracts a lot of tourists, especially international ones.
Address: No. 116 Tran Phu, Minh An District, Hoian city
The Chef cafe helps you get a very nice check-in corner of the old town, see the whole street and enjoy delicious drinks. The shop is decorated with brilliant lanterns, and dark wooden walls with ancient and mossy features, extremely suitable for enthusiasts of “virtual living”.
Address: An Bang Beach
One of the most beautiful beachfront Hoian cafes is The Deck House. The shop is designed with 2 light blue – white colors, cool to the eyes. Because it is located near An Bang beach, when you come here, you will both enjoy a cup of coffee while watching the peaceful, wild beach…
Address: Bai Ong Hamlet, Tan Hiep Commune, Hoian City
Cu Lao Cham is a tourist destination in Hoian known for its rustic and wild beauty. Not only that, but this is also the place where many interesting and entertaining activities take place such as scuba diving to see corals or speeding canoe.
The tour to Cu Lao Cham can take the morning and a bit in the afternoon. In the afternoon, you can continue to explore the food and another place in the ancient town such as coffee and some workshop for pottery and cooking class.
>> Discover Hoian Cooking Class: Hoi An Eco Tour & Cooking Class Half-Day
Address: Pham Phan Street, Thanh Ha, Hoian City
With more than 500 years old, Thanh Ha pottery village has experienced many ups and downs in history. So far, this place has become a famous tourist destination in Hoian, bringing many new experiences to visitors.
Address: Trung Ha, Cam Kim, Hoian City
Coming to Hoian in Kim Bong carpentry village, visitors will have to break down at the image of skillful artisans, with their own hands creating products of high artistic value and cultural value.
Address: Tra Que Village, Cam Ha, Hoi An City
Not only have fresh and green vegetables, but Tra Que vegetable village also makes visitors fascinated by the very interesting activity of experiencing a day as a farmer. Besides, you can visit Tra Que for a cooking class, which is also interesting.
Location: Hoi An Impression Park, Con Hen (200 Nguyen Tri Phuong turn left), Cam Nam, Hoi An
By night, you should attend the “Memory of Hoian” show to understand the history of this land through the storyline. It’s a story told by a weaving girl, who still maintains the traditional career of her family. You will observe the illustrious show with around 500 actresses and actors. The most exciting thing while enjoying the show is you can easily take photos with the actors and actresses after the show and enjoy the activities in the park.
Location: along the banks of Hoai River, in Cam Thanh commune.
The service of rowing a basket boat to visit the coconut forest appeared in Cam Thanh a few years ago and has gradually become a “specialty” of Hoi An tourism. Each boat is only allowed to carry a maximum of two people.
In addition to a basket boat ride, visitors can also watch boat dance performances, and instructions to make small and beautiful toys with nipa leaves such as flowers, locusts, bracelets, glasses, rings, or hats… as souvenirs. If you come to Bay Mau in the 8th lunar month, you will enjoy ripe water coconut with crispy and sweet pulp.
Price: To visit the coconut forest, each guest pays 200,000 VND to sit in a basket boat, weaving through the creeks, flanked by green coconut forests for about an hour.
After visiting the coconut forest, you can take the rest by wandering around Hoian town, having a light meal, or chatting with friends in the coffee shop. You should prepare before leaving Hoian.
>> Find more information about Hoian: 10+ Amazing Things To Do In Hoi An Vietnam (2022)
Hoian is undeniable the best place to come for food, drink, and sightseeing. With the rich history of many cultures, we’re sure that you will find the inspiration to come to this town at least once in a lifetime. We hope that our information is useful for you.
About us, Asianway Travel is one of the leading travel agents for international tourists. If you want to experience Hoian, you can connect us for advice and tour planning. We’re looking forward to seeing you in Vietnam.