8 Travel Tips for Hoi An, Vietnam
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Most Hoi An mistakes are avoidable with a little planning: the wrong visa site, an unnecessary ticket purchase, a rushed tailor order, or a trip booked straight into flood season. These 8 tips cover the practical stuff before you land. Our full Hoi An guide has the broader planning basics.
8 tips, at a glance
| Tip | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Use evisa.gov.vn only | Copycat sites charge 2-3x the real fee |
| Carry Vietnamese dong (VND) | Tap water isn’t potable; stick to bottled or boiled |
| The Old Town ticket is optional | Walking is free; the ~120,000 VND booklet only covers 5 heritage-site coupons |
| Get 2-3 tailor quotes and order a test item first | The “24-hour bespoke suit” pitch is a myth |
| Dress modestly at temples and assembly halls | Remove shoes, cover shoulders and knees |
| Avoid Sep-Nov if you can | The Thu Bon genuinely floods the Old Town most years |
| Tip a little more than elsewhere in Vietnam | Hoi An is the country’s most tipping-forward town |
| Refuse airport tout quotes | Use Grab or the official taxi rank from Da Nang |
Get your visa from the right website
Most nationalities need an e-visa, and it must come from the official portal, evisa.gov.vn , only. Copycat sites charge two to three times the real fee for the same 90-day visa, which runs roughly $25-50 and takes about 3 working days. A 45-day visa-free list covers several nationalities too, check yours before booking flights.
Carry cash, and don’t drink the tap water
Vietnamese dong (VND) is the currency you’ll actually use day to day, even where USD is nominally accepted. Tap water isn’t potable anywhere in Hoi An, stick to bottled or boiled water, including for ice at less-established stalls.
The Old Town ticket is a choice, not a requirement
Walking Hoi An’s streets, crossing the Japanese Bridge, and browsing the markets cost nothing. The roughly 120,000 VND coupon booklet (verify current price) only matters if you want inside the assembly halls, museums, or historic merchant houses, it’s 5 coupons for 5 of the town’s 20-plus heritage sites.
Get quotes before committing to a tailor
Hoi An’s tailoring trade is real and worth using, but get 2-3 quotes, order a single test item first, and pay only a modest deposit, around 20%, before a full order. Genuine bespoke work needs 3-5 days and at least one in-person fitting; same-day “bespoke” is a rushed template job.
Dress modestly at religious and ancestral sites
Cover shoulders and knees and remove your shoes at temples, assembly halls, and family chapels. It’s a small courtesy that’s expected rather than optional at these specific sites, even if the rest of town is casual.
Watch the calendar for flood season
Sep-Nov is genuine flood risk in Hoi An, the Thu Bon River has overflowed into the Old Town in recent years, including a record-breaking flood in October 2025. If you’re traveling in that window, book flexible accommodation and check conditions before you fly.
Tip a bit more than you would elsewhere in Vietnam
Hoi An is widely considered the country’s most tipping-forward town: round up for taxis, tip roughly 5-10% at restaurants, and 50,000-100,000 VND for a spa treatment.
Refuse the airport tout quotes
From Da Nang International Airport, a Grab ride runs roughly 250,000-350,000 VND; touts routinely quote 500,000-700,000 VND. Use Grab or the official taxi rank instead. Compare Hoi An hotels so you have an address ready for the driver.
What’s the single most common mistake first-timers make?
Booking through a copycat e-visa site or accepting an airport tout’s quote, both cost real money for no benefit. The second most common is rushing a tailor order without a fitting.
Is Hoi An safe for solo travelers?
Yes, it’s a well-established, tourist-friendly town with normal precautions. Book a cooking class as an easy, low-effort way to meet other travelers if you’re on your own.