6 Days in Hoi An: First-Timer Plan
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Six days adds a full Hue day trip to the essential Hoi An plan: the Ancient Town and a tailor fitting, My Son, a Da Nang day for the Golden Bridge, a beach-and-village day, imperial Hue via the Hai Van Pass, and a Cu Lao Cham island boat trip. For less time, see the 5-day version; for more, the 7-day plan adds Hoi An’s craft-village hidden gems.
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
- An Hue day trip via the Hai Van Pass : a long day, confirm the return time
- Your Hoi An hotel : book ahead, especially Sep-Nov flood season
This 6-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, a Cam Thanh basket-boat ride |
| 5 | Hue day trip via the Hai Van Pass |
| 6 | Cu Lao Cham island boat trip, 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 is free; the coupon booklet (roughly 120,000 VND) only matters for entry to specific sites. Get measured for a tailor order, then join the lantern-lit streets in the evening.
Day 2: My Son and a tailor fitting
Head out early to My Son Sanctuary , Cham ruins about 40km and an hour away, partly destroyed by bombing in August 1969. Go early for the heat and crowds. Back in town by afternoon, return to your tailor for a fitting.
Day 3: Da Nang, the Marble Mountains, and the Golden Bridge
A full day trip north: the Marble Mountains’ stairs and caves, then Ba Na Hills for the giant stone Golden Bridge, opened in 2018. Touristy, and worth the day regardless.
Day 4: Beach, herbs, and a basket boat
Cycle to An Bang Beach, then the Tra Que herb village, then a Cam Thanh basket-boat ride in the afternoon, ask for a quieter departure time to skip the tourist boat-jam version.
Day 5: Hue, the imperial city
A long day north via the scenic Hai Van Pass, roughly 3-3.5 hours each way, to Hue’s Citadel and royal tombs, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in its own right, distinct from both Hoi An’s Ancient Town and My Son. It’s a full day of driving either side of the sightseeing, if you’d rather split it up, an overnight in Hue is a reasonable trade for a shorter seventh day.
Day 6: Cu Lao Cham and departure
Take a morning boat out to Cu Lao Cham, a marine UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, for snorkeling and clearer water than the mainland offers. Trips are seasonal and weather-dependent, confirm conditions the day before. Back in town, collect your finished tailor order before heading to Da Nang Airport for departure.
One concrete tip: keep the beach day between Da Nang and Hue exactly where it is above. Both day trips involve several hours of driving each way, and stacking them back to back is the fastest way to burn out before the trip’s actually over.