Hoi An Travel Guide 2026: What to Know
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Hoi An earns its reputation as one of Vietnam’s most rewarding stops: a preserved 15th-19th century trading port where lantern-lit streets, a famous tailoring trade, and a genuine UNESCO World Heritage core all sit within walking distance of a real beach. The classic first-timer version covers the Ancient Town itself plus a My Son day trip in 2 to 3 days; stretch to 5 or 7 days and you can add Da Nang’s Marble Mountains and Golden Bridge, the imperial city of Hue, and a Cu Lao Cham island boat trip. Budget roughly 650,000 to 1,650,000 VND a day mid-range, book a My Son sunrise tour before you land, and confirm your visa route for 2026 before you buy flights.
Hoi An at a glance
| Essential | Detail |
|---|---|
| Days needed | 2-3 for the Ancient Town + My Son; up to 7 with Da Nang, Hue, and Cu Lao Cham island |
| Best months | Feb-Apr, for the driest, coolest weather; think twice about Sep-Nov |
| Daily budget (mid-range) | roughly 1,650,000 VND (about $65) per person |
| One flood warning | the Thu Bon River regularly floods the Old Town Sep-Nov; October 2025 broke the 1964 record |
When to go: dry season, flood season, and Tet
Feb-Apr is the best window, dry and warm at roughly 23-29°C. May-Aug turns hot and humid, which is fine if you’re prioritizing beach time. Sep-Nov is the real flood season, and it’s worth stating plainly: the Thu Bon River genuinely overflows into the Old Town most years, especially October-November, when average rainfall runs around 454mm. In October 2025 the river hit 5.62m, exceeding the 1964 record, and roughly 40,000 tourists were relocated between hotels; a second flood that November put about 1.5m of water over Bach Dang Street. If you’re traveling Sep-Nov, book flexible accommodation and check conditions before you fly. Dec-Jan is cooler and drizzly. Tet falls around 17 Feb 2026, and while Hoi An stays notably more open than most of Vietnam over the holiday, tailors close for roughly two weeks and some restaurants for about ten days.
The Old Town ticket, and do you actually need one?
Walking Hoi An’s streets is free. The roughly 120,000 VND “ticket” (verify current price) is actually a booklet of 5 coupons, redeemable at any 5 of the town’s 20-plus heritage sites: the assembly halls, the old merchant houses, the museums, and the Japanese Covered Bridge itself. Enforcement only happens at each individual site’s door, and an estimated 60% of visitors never buy one at all. Skip it if you just want to wander and photograph the Bridge from outside; buy one if you want inside Tan Ky House or the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall.
Do you need a visa for Hoi An in 2026?
Most nationalities need an e-visa through the official portal, evisa.gov.vn , only, watch for copycat sites charging two to three times the real fee. It covers a 90-day stay, costs roughly $25-50, and takes about 3 working days to process. A separate 45-day visa-free list also exists, covering the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, South Korea, the Nordic countries, and reportedly Switzerland, Poland, and Czechia (verify against the current 2026 list); UK BN(O) passports are not covered by it. Either way, your passport needs at least 6 months of validity left.
Two UNESCO sites, not one
It’s an easy mix-up. Hoi An Ancient Town itself is UNESCO-listed, inscribed in 1999, as an exceptionally preserved 15th-19th century trading port. Ironically, it survived largely because the Thu Bon River silted up and trade shifted north to Da Nang, freezing the town in place instead of redeveloping it. My Son Sanctuary , a separate listing also from 1999, is a cluster of Cham Hindu temple ruins about 40km away, much of it destroyed during a single week of bombing in August 1969, which is why so many structures there are partial rather than intact. Treat them as two distinct outings, not one trip with two names.
Where to stay in Hoi An
The Ancient Town suits anyone who wants to walk everywhere and doesn’t mind noise; An Bang Beach, about 4-5km out, is quieter and closer to the water; Cam Thanh and the rice-paddy fringe are the calmest option, heavy on boutique stays. Homestays exist at every price point. Budget dorms and homestays run roughly 90,000-500,000 VND, mid-range about 500,000 VND to 1.5 million-plus (often including breakfast, a pool, and bikes), and upscale properties start around $125-300-plus a night. Compare rates on Booking.com for either base.
Getting to Hoi An, and getting around once you’re there
There’s no airport or train station in Hoi An itself, the gateway is Da Nang International Airport (DAD), about 30km and 30-45 minutes away by Grab (roughly 250,000-350,000 VND) or the official taxi rank; refuse tout quotes of 500,000-700,000 VND. Once you’re in town, the Ancient Town core is pedestrianized during set hours, so walk, cycle (bikes are often free at hotels), or take an e-cart or Grab; a rented motorbike, about 125,000 VND a day and an International Driving Permit required, covers the beaches and outlying villages. Check current entry rules and any updates via Vietnam’s official tourism site before you travel.
Plan the rest of your trip
For the day-by-day version, see the 2-day through 7-day itineraries. For deeper dives, check things to do in Hoi An , where to eat , and Hoi An’s day trips for the full My Son, Da Nang, Hue, and Cu Lao Cham roster.
Book your My Son sunrise tour and your first night’s hotel before you land, not after: sunrise slots sell out fastest, and arriving without a confirmed room during Sep-Nov flood season can mean scrambling between properties if the Thu Bon rises.