4 Days in Hoi An: First-Timer Plan
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Four days adds a full Da Nang day trip to the essential Hoi An plan: the Ancient Town and a tailor fitting, My Son’s Cham ruins, the Marble Mountains and Golden Bridge, and a beach-and-village day. For less time, see the 3-day version; for more, 5 through 7-day plans add Hue and Cu Lao Cham island.
Book these before you go
- A My Son sunrise tour : book the early slot, it sells out first
- A Golden Bridge and Marble Mountains day trip : a full-day tour out of Hoi An
- Your Hoi An hotel : book ahead, especially Sep-Nov flood season
- A tailor measurement slot on day one, so there’s time for a fitting before pickup
This 4-day plan, at a glance
| Day | Focus |
|---|---|
| 1 | Ancient Town heritage walk, a tailor measurement, a lantern evening |
| 2 | My Son sunrise tour, tailor fitting |
| 3 | Da Nang day trip: Marble Mountains and the Golden Bridge |
| 4 | An Bang Beach, Tra Que village, tailor pickup, departure |
Day 1: The Ancient Town
Arrive via Da Nang International Airport (roughly 250,000-350,000 VND by Grab, 30-45 minutes) and spend the afternoon in the Ancient Town : the Japanese Covered Bridge, the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, and a merchant house like Tan Ky. Walking the streets is free; the roughly 120,000 VND coupon booklet only matters for entry to specific sites. Get measured for a tailor order, order one test item first, then join the lantern-lit streets in the evening and float a candle lantern on the Thu Bon before dinner.
Day 2: My Son and a tailor fitting
Head out early to My Son Sanctuary , a separate UNESCO site about 40km and an hour away, Cham ruins partly destroyed by bombing in August 1969. Go early for the heat and the crowds. Back in town by early afternoon, return to your tailor for a fitting.
Day 3: Da Nang, the Marble Mountains, and the Golden Bridge
Take a full day trip to Da Nang, about 30-45 minutes away: climb the stairs and caves of the Marble Mountains, then continue to Ba Na Hills for the giant stone Golden Bridge, opened in 2018 and held up by two enormous hands. It’s a manufactured spectacle, but it’s worth the day regardless.
Day 4: Beach, herbs, and departure
Cycle to An Bang Beach in the morning, then the Tra Que herb village for a look at the farming behind much of the town’s food. Collect your finished tailor order in the early afternoon before heading to Da Nang Airport for departure.
One concrete tip: don’t schedule your tailor pickup for the morning you fly. Fittings run behind, and a same-day scramble to collect a finished order has ruined more than one departure.