One Day in Hoi An Itinerary: What to do in 24 hours

Hoi An is a small town, and you can do a lot within one day. In this article, I will help you to find things to do in Hoi An in 24 hours and Hoi An Itinerary for one day.

Hoi An is a famous city in central Vietnam. It is best known for its well-preserved ancient towns with many shop houses, temples, and ancient buildings that date backs to the 15th and 19th century.

It is located on the bank of Thu Bon River and was the bustling port town in South East Asia, attracting traders from many countries in Asia and Europe. The town nowaday is longer a trading port town, it is a famous tourist destination with many well-preserved structures.

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Is one day in Hoi An enough?

In my opinion, a day can offer a great overview of what makes Hoi An special. Hoi An old town is quite compact and walkable, you can easily explore major sights within a half day. You can spend another half day exploring the countryside and the beaches of Hoi An.

Basically, after checking in the hotel, you can take a stroll around the old town, visit the Central Market, explore little alleyways and ancient structures such as the Japanese Bridge, Tan Ky Old House, or Quan Cong Temple.

You can try famous regional food such as Com Ga Hoi An, Banh Mi Hoi An, or Cao Lau. You can do some shopping, buy some unique souvenirs to bring home.

In the afternoon, you can head to the beach by using Grab or cycling. An Bang and Cua Dai Beach are located only 10 minutes drive away from the old town and are beautiful places for swimming and relaxing.

At night, you can check out Hoi An night market for more shopping and street food. You can have dinner at one of the many restaurants and bars along Hoai River, or take a lantern boat ride and release the lantern.

If you have extra days, you can enjoy exploring the town at a more relaxing pace. You can have more time to visit the beach, the countryside, local life, and traditional craft villages.

One night in Hoi An where to stay?

The old town is undoubtedly the best place to stay in Hoi An for one night. This is because this is the heart of Hoi An where you’ll be within walking distance from many major sights as well as restaurants, cafes, bars, and shops.

I stayed in several places in the old town, and recommend Hoi An Historic Hotel and the Square Villa. These hotels are located right on the edge of the ancient town and within easy walking distance from the heart of the action.

What to do and see in Hoi An in one day?

Hoi An Old Town

Hoi An Old town is the first thing to explore when visiting Hoi An. You can take a leisure stroll around the old town and rent a bicycle to explore. This town has hot weather all year round, so consider exploring in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid the heat.

The ancient town is a small area located on the Bank of Hoai River. It contains a few main streets such as Bach Dang, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Tran Phu, and Phan Chau Trinh.

You can just wander around, get lost in the small alleyways, browse some cute shops, and visit major attractions. Popular sights in the old town include Japanese Bridge, Fujian Assembly Hall, Cantonese Assembly Hall, Tan Ky and Phung Hung Old Houses.

I think a couple of hours or half a day is enough to see all of the ancient town. During your exploration, you can stop at some nice cafe and restaurant for a drink or meal.

Hoi An Central Market

The Central Market is a huge market, located in the center of Hoi An ancient town. Stretching from Tran Phu street to Bach Dang Street, the Central Market is home to many stalls that sell everything from dry goods to meat, vegetables, souvenirs, and food.

I recommend taking a look around, doing some shopping, and observing local life. You can eat here or find some cute gifts to bring home. Remember to have cash with you and bargain when buying anything at the market.

Japanese Covered Bridge

The Japanese Bridge, known as Chùa Cầu in Vietnamese, is one of the top attractions of Hoi An old town. It is a wooden bridge that dates back to the 18th century. You can see the image of this bridge on one side of the 20.000VND note.

Assembly Halls: Fujian and Cantonese Assembly Hall

The Assembly Halls are other popular attractions of Hoi An Old town. These buildings were built by Chinese communities to use as meeting places, and temples for worshiping their gods.

Famous assembly halls in Hoi An include Fujian Assembly Hall (Hoi Quan Phuc Kien), Cantonese Assembly Hall, Hainan Assembly Hall, and Trieu Chau Assembly Hall.

Ancient houses: Tan Ky and Phung Hung Old House

The ancient houses are part of Hoi An’s UNESCO World Heritage status. These are wooden houses that were built from the 17th to 19th century. You can check out famous ancient houses such as:

Tan Ky House on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
Phung Hung House on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street
Quan Thang House on Tran Phu Street

Try regional food and coffee

Hoi An is known for its famous dishes such as Cao Lau, Com Ga, My Quang, and Banh My. You can find many nice restaurants with good reviews to try these traditional foods. I recommend checking out Com Ga Ba Buoi, Banh My Phuong, or Morning Glory.

While you can explore the food by yourself, you can consider taking a food tour and cooking class. These guided tours will provide more insights about not only dishes but also local culture.

If you like coffee, the town is home to many trendy cafes, where you can drink delicious coffee and enjoy the views of the Hoai River.

Shopping for leather goods or have your custom clothes made

In Hoi An, you can shop for traditional Vietnamese handicraft, jewelry, silk products, leather bags, shoes, wallets, and belts.

You can consider having your custom suits or dresses made here. It can be rushed for one day but many shops can do it within a few hours, so ask the duration before having it done.

Cycling from the old town to the beach

After a few hours or half a day exploring the old town, you can head to An Bang Beach. If you are an active traveler, you can rent a bike and cycle from the old town to An Bang Beach, passing through rice fields and Tra Que vegetable village.

Otherwise just simply book a Grab taxi or motorbike to get to the Beach. It is only a 10 minute drive away and you can avoid the heat sitting in the car.

An Bang Beach

An Bang Beach is a beautiful beach located in central Vietnam just a few minutes drive from Hoi An ancient town. This beach has white sand and crystal clear water, as well as many sun loungers and beach chair lining on its shore.

An Bang Beach is a great place for swimming and sunbathing, especially during summer months. There are many beach bars and cafes along the beach where you can enjoy the drink with the ocean views.

Hoi An Night Market

Hoi An Night Market is not to miss attractions at night. This bustling market is located on An Hoi island, on Nguyen Hoang Street. You can find many things from this market including souvenirs, clothes, and street food.

Lantern Boat ride on Hoai River

I personally think Hoi An is at its best at night when the lanterns are lit up. Taking the relaxing boat ride on Hoai River in the evening offers a romantic and memorable experience. You can release the paper lantern and make the wishes.

Hoi An Lune Center for the Performing Arts

Watching a show at Lune Center for the Performing Arts is one of the best things to do at night in Hoi An. This center is located at the end of An Hoi island and is a great place to visit to watch traditional Vietnamese bamboo shows.

Hoi An One Day Itinerary

Morning:

Have breakfast at your hotel or at any restaurant in the old town, try traditional dishes such as My Quang or Banh My.
Explore the Old Town
Do some shopping, consider having your custom clothes made, buy souvenirs

Afternoon:

Lunch at Com Ga Ba Buoi on Phan Chau Trinh street Or Banh My Phuong.
Head to An Bang Beach by cycling or taking Grab ride
Swimming or Relaxing at An Bang Beach

Evening:

Hoi An Night Market
Lantern Boat Ride on Hoai River
Dinner at Morning Glory Signature on Hoai River (try Cao Lau)
Watch a show at Hoi An Lune Center for the Performing Arts