Hoi An is a beautiful Yellow painted town unlike any other in Vietnam. This is our Hoi An Itinerary of how we spent our 3 days in this amazing city.
Located south of the country, the weather in Hoi An is always hot with small intervals of much-needed rain. This ancient town is a cocktail of traditional Vietnamese, Japanese, and Chinese influences throughout the buildings, practices, and temples. It has kept the essence of the 19th century and turned it into a very popular tourist destination. In 1999 UNESCO recognized this picture-perfect town as a World Heritage Site.
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🧵Day 1 – Tailor-made Clothes + Ancient Town
👩🏻🍳Day 2 – Cooking Classes + Lanterns
🚌 How to get from Hoi An to Hue
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Where Is Hoi An Vietnam
You can find the city of Hoi An along the coast of Vietnam, south of Da Nang. The historical ancient city has become one of the most popular destinations to visit in Vietnam.
When visiting most tourists will arrive from the neighboring city airport in Da Nang or take a bus from the city of Nha Trang which is in the south.
How To Get To Hoi An
The best way to get to Hoi An is by bus. Buses arrive from Ho Chi Minh [Saigon]/ Da Lat, Nha Trang and Hue. There is no train station or airport in Hoi An. The closest train station is in Da Nang which is north of Hoi An. It takes 45 minutes to drive from Nha Trang to Hoi An.
Da Nang ↠ Hoi An – 45 Minute drive time.
Nha Trang ↠ Hoi An – 7 hour night Bus. However, please note there are no buses which run during the day.
3 Days In Hoi An – Day 1
Tailor-Made Clothes At Peace Tailors🧵
Our Hoi An itinerary starts with shopping! One of the many reasons Hoi An is famous, is the tailors that can be found down every street.
We suggest having a few designs/ideas saved on your phone for reference, therefore it is clear what style you are after. Once you have discussed your designs with a tailor, you can pick your colors + fabric and they will take your measurements. We had a total of 3 fittings over three days as we wanted our clothes to be perfect!
The reason why this is the first thing you should do is due to some items take a few days to make. Give your self as much time as possible.
We had our clothes made at Peace Tailors, we highly recommend this shop.
We had a total of 5 items made which cost us $190. These items included a linen shirt and trousers, two full-length dresses, and one short. All items were high quality material and fitted us perfectly. The ladies took care of our needs throughout our time in Hoi An.
Explore The Famous Ancient Old Town Of Hoi An
After you have picked your new wardrobe, take a stroll into the famous Ancient Town of Hoi An. Traveling by bike or walking is the best way to explore the Old Town. These beautiful roads and alleys ooze with tradition and the architecture alone is something to be admired. Relax with a traditional Vietnamese coffee at one of the many shops and watch the world go by around you. It is the perfect way to start your 3 days in Hoi An.
The Hoi An Walking Street times are 8:30 – 11 am, 3 pm – 9 pm.
Motorbikes/scooters are prohibited from driving down these roads during those times.
3 Days In Hoi An – Day 2
Hoi An Cooking Class 👩🏻🍳
Time to brush up your cooking skills and learn some Vietnamese traditional dishes. Day 2 of your Hoi An 3 day itinerary and there are lots of different types of classes to do, some being a few hours and some are full-day activity. We opted for a half-day tour as it meant we had some free time in the afternoon. We highly recommend taking a cooking class, they are a lot of fun and the food is super tasty. This tour starts in the local markets in the morning to buy your ingredients. Next you will jump on a boat which till take you to some smaller Coconut boats.
Klook run and amazing cooking classes this is the one we took.
Here is where you will jump in this small boat and be driven around the mangrove to try and fish for some crabs! Once that is finished they will take you to the cooking area to start your lessons. The whole day is planned well and you eat as you cook. We were given a recipe book at the end in addition to some cooking chopsticks to take home.
Lanterns And Night Markets
In the evening before you take a scroll over the Hoi An bridge, try one of the boat rides and float around this colorful river. You can even release a lantern of your own into the water. NOTE- Don’t pay any more than 100,000 DNG [£3]. When you finished their head over to the night markets. This is where you will find Hoi An’s most postcard-worthy photo opportunity – the lanterns!
3 Days In Hoi An – Day 3
An Bang Beach, Hoi An ⛱️
The final day of our 3 day Hoi An itinerary and its relaxing time. Only a 15-minute bike ride away from the town center, you can find yourself at an amazing beach called An Bang. The cycle is through the amazing rice fields to reach the beach. That in its self is worth the ride!
Take some time to relax on a sun-bed and you will be looked after by a local working for the restaurants. We didn’t pay for a sun-bed and sat on the sand and she still came over to bring us drinks and water. There are many actives to do along the beach such as Jet Skis, Banana boats, and parasailing.
Where To Eat In Hoi An 🍜
Eating out is one of our favorite things to do when traveling and our Hoi An Travel Itinerary is full of the best places to eat.
Have you tried Vietnamese famous Bahn Mi sandwiches yet? If not then look no further, the best one can be found here in Hoi An. Thanks to the America Chef, Anthony Bourdain, who put this little gem on the map. That gem is called Banh Mi Phuong. This place is great if you are on a budget, breakfast for 3 days in Hoi An would be 90p.
↠📍 Location | Trip Advisor reviews
Faifo Coffee
Fairfo Coffee is the famous rooftop coffee shop. It has one of the best views over the yellow streets below. It even has a floppy hat graveyard to the right of the rooftop. Grab a drink and head to the roof to get your next Instagram photo!
↠📍 Location | Trip Advisor reviews
What Else Cafe
Avocado on toast and smoothie bowl heaven. This place sells the light healthy options you will be craving in the heat. This spot is much cheaper than other places that sell western-style brunch options.
↠📍 Location | Trip Advisor reviews
Avo & Mango
Another light and healthy option it specialise in Avocado! The thing we loved about this place was it was anti-plastic which is rare in Vietnam. If you’re brave even try an egg coffee!
↠📍 Location | Trip Advisor reviews
Morning Glory Hoi An
The Morning Glory Hoi An chain has two restaurants dotted around Hoi An. Enjoy traditional Vietnamese dishes at very good prices. The good is very cheap and very delicious.
↠📍 Location | Trip Advisor Reviews
92 Station Restaurant Hoi An
This hidden gem has a fantastic view of Hoi An’s old town below. It has a great vegetarian menu and even offers free finger food with cocktails. Every time we went here, we had it to ourselves.
↠📍 Location | Trip Advisor reviews
Good Morning Vietnam
Italian in Vietnam never tasted so good. Are you craving some western food? You will not be disappointed with the options they have here.
↠📍 Location | Trip Advisor reviews
Accommodation in Hoi An
When it comes to accommodation everyone has different needs, we have included something for everyone. These hotels and hostels in Hoi An range from the basic budget type, to mid-range and luxury. When we stayed in Hoi An, we spent all our time at the Green Apple and was very happy with it.
- Green Apple Hoi An – This hotel is brilliant, they looked after us every single day. They sorted out all of our tours, transport and washing for very cheap prices. The staff even learned our names and made sure they said good morning every day. Nice little touches made a difference.
- Little Riverside luxury hotel and spa – The hotel is out of this world. Running alongside the river in Hoi An and swimming pool to die for. This hotel is 5 stars.
- Hoi An Vietnam Back Packers Hostel – One of the best hostels in Hoi an, which comes equipped with a swimming pool. The hostel is in between the An Bang beach and Hoi An Old Quarters.
- Tribee Kinh Hostel – This hostel is right in the center of all the hustle and bustle Hoi An has to offer. With cheap rooms and beer you can’t go wrong.
More Hotels in Hoi An.
How To Get From Hoi An To Hue
When we arrived in Vietnam everyone was suggesting to take the ‘Mountain Pass’ from Hoi An to Hue, we soon learned that they meant the Hai Van Pass. The Hai Van pass was made famous by an episode of Top Gear! We were lucky enough to team up with Road Trippers Vietnam and experience this amazing coastal drive from Hoi An to Hue in an open-top Jeep. Read more about this trip here.
Best Time To Visit Hoi An
The best time to visit Vietnam is in the dry season. Typically the dry season in Vietnam is between November – February, the temperature is a little cooler and their humidity and mosquitos are a lot less intense.
What To Do In Hoi An For 3 Days
There is so much to do in Hoi An when we visited we ended up extending our stay for an extra 3 days. Also we stayed for double the length of time, you can still complete our itinerary of Hoi An In 3 days.
We have listed some of our favorite things.
Getting Around Hoi An
Vietnam is very easy to get around, from riding a motorbike across the country to using the extensive bus and train networks. Not only is an affordable but a lot of the time, “notice we didn’t say ALWAYS”, they are efficient and on time. We like to use 12Go to get around Vietnam and most of Asia. You can easily book online and check all of the bus and train time tables.
Wifi and Sim Card’s
If you are spending a long time in Vietnam then you are going to want to stay connected. The free Wifi you find in restaurants and hotels is reliable. But when you are out exploring having data on your phone is a must. We order out Sim Cards online so it is ready and waiting for us when we arrive.
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What Camera Gear Do We Use
- Main Camera: Panasonic G80
- Go To Lens: Panasonic 12-60mm
- Tripod: Manfrotto Adventure Tripod
- Camera Bag: Manfrotto Backpack
- Underwater Camera: GoPro Hero 8
- Drone: DJI Mavic Pro 2
- Power Bank: Anker Power Bank
- Hardrive: WD 1TB hard drive
Other Vietnam Travel Guides
- Hue Abandoned Waterpark
- Halong Bay Serenity Cruise
- Our Vietnam Itinerary
- Bai Tho Mountain Halong Bay
All those pictures are so beautiful!
All those pictures are so beautiful!
Author
Thank you so much !!
So beautiful, I wish I was there
Author
Thank you, it’s our favourite town in Vietnam