Hoi An in a day: what to see in the Old Town and how the ticket works
The Japanese Bridge, old merchant houses, the assembly halls on Trần Phú, lanterns on the Hoai River and the An Hoi night market. How the Old Town ticket works, pedestrian hours, flood season and a one-day route.
You can see Hoi An's Old Town on foot in one day: the Japanese Bridge, old merchant houses and Chinese assembly halls along Trần Phú and Nguyễn Thái Học in the morning, a museum or a tailor in the afternoon, and lanterns on the river and the An Hoi night market after dark. Entry is by a single Old Town ticket: you buy it at a ticket booth before going in, it is valid for up to three days, and you keep the stub. The streets are pedestrian-only from 9:00 to 21:30 in summer and until 21:00 in winter. Between October and December the Old Town sometimes floods, so check Hoi An news the day before. For getting there from Da Nang, see Da Nang to Hoi An.
Sights and attractions: addresses and contacts Open in Telegram
What is there to see in Hoi An Old Town?
| Place | Address | What it is | On the Old Town ticket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu) | Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, west end | covered bridge with a temple inside, the symbol of Hoi An | yes, as an alternative to Quan Cong Temple |
| Quan Cong Temple | 24 Trần Phú | 17th-century temple to General Guan Yu | yes, as an alternative to the bridge |
| Fujian Assembly Hall | 46 Trần Phú | 17th-century hall, still a working temple | yes |
| Cantonese Assembly Hall | 176 Trần Phú | built around 1885 | ask at the booth |
| Tan Ky Old House | 101 Nguyễn Thái Học | 18th-century merchant house, the family still lives here | yes |
| Phung Hung Old House | 4 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai | old house by the Japanese Bridge | yes |
| Tran Family Chapel | 21 Lê Lợi | early 19th-century family temple | yes |
| Museum of Folk Culture | 33 Nguyễn Thái Học | the longest old house in town | yes, on the ticket with museums |
| Museum of Trade Ceramics | 80 Trần Phú | ceramics the port once traded | yes, on the ticket with museums |
All addresses are in Da Nang and Hoi An sights.
How does the Hoi An Old Town ticket work?
The Hoi An Old Town ticket covers the whole quarter; individual houses don't sell their own. You're asked to buy it at a booth before you enter. There are more than ten checkpoints around the Old Town, and the booth on Cao Hồng Lãnh street hands out a route map. There are two kinds. The basic ticket gets you into the Old Town, plus the Japanese Bridge or Quan Cong Temple and two more sites of your choice. The extended ticket adds the museums and three more sites. Either one is valid for up to three days while you stay in Hoi An. Keep the stub after you've used your sites: it lets you back into the Old Town. Groups of eight tickets or more get a free guide. We don't list prices; they're posted at the booth. What the ticket covers, where to buy it and whether you need it: see our guide to the Hoi An Old Town combined ticket.
Which sites should you pick?
If you're short on time, take the basic ticket and choose three very different places: the Japanese Bridge, Tan Ky Old House and the Fujian Assembly Hall. The Japanese Bridge is Hoi An's emblem. Japanese and Chinese merchants built it around the turn of the 17th century, and in 1719 Lord Nguyễn Phúc Chu named it Lai Viễn Kiều, "the bridge for guests from afar". After a year and a half of restoration it reopened on 3 August 2024. Tan Ky at 101 Nguyễn Thái Học is an 18th-century merchant house where the family's descendants still live upstairs. The Fujian Assembly Hall at 46 Trần Phú was built by settlers from Fujian, and locals still come here to pray.
Is the ticket with museums worth it?
The extended Hoi An Old Town ticket makes sense if you like museums or want shade at midday. The Museum of Folk Culture at 33 Nguyễn Thái Học fills the town's largest old house, 57 metres deep, running through to the Bạch Đằng riverfront. The Museum of Trade Ceramics at 80 Trần Phú holds more than 430 pieces from the 8th to 18th centuries, from Japan, China, Thailand, India and the Middle East. The Hoi An Museum of History and Culture at 10B Trần Hưng Đạo closes on the 25th of every month, so plan around that day.
When is Hoi An Old Town pedestrian-only?
Hoi An Old Town is car- and motorbike-free from 9:00 to 21:30 in summer and from 9:00 to 21:00 in winter; walking and cycling are fine. On Phan Châu Trinh street the pedestrian hours are shorter and start at 17:30. Before 9:00 a few motorbikes still pass, but the streets are quieter and cooler, which is ideal for photos. Leave a bike or car at a parking lot on the edge of the zone. Rules change over Tết: in 2026 the ticket booths were closed from 16 to 19 February.
What can you see for free?
Walking the streets of Hoi An Old Town, looking at the facades and lanterns costs nothing. Every day at 9:30 and 16:30 there's a tea ceremony at the Japanese Culture House, 06 Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai, next to the Japanese Bridge. Traditional performances run at 10:15, 15:15 and 16:15; since March 2026 they've been held in the second-floor hall at Hoai River Square, 01 Cao Hồng Lãnh. You can also walk into the courtyard and up to the triple gate of Ba Mu Pagoda, 675 Hai Bà Trưng, without a ticket.
Where are the lanterns and the night market?
Lanterns light up all of Hoi An Old Town in the evening, but the densest stretch is along the Hoai River, a branch of the Thu Bon, near the Japanese Bridge and on the Bạch Đằng riverfront. From there, cross the An Hoi bridge to An Hoi islet: the night market on Nguyễn Hoàng street sells souvenirs, lanterns and clothes, and on the other bank Công Nữ Ngọc Hoa street has street food. Small boats by the riverfront take you out to float paper lanterns on the water. Agree on the boat price before you get in.
What is Hoi An's lantern night?
Lantern night in Hoi An Old Town falls on the 14th day of every lunar month, the eve of the full moon. The electric lights go off, the streets are lit only by paper lanterns, and people float lanterns on the Hoai River. The lanterns come on around 18:00 and the evening runs until about 21:00–22:00. The next one is on 22 November 2026. November is also the wettest month, and a flood can cancel the night, so check the news the day before.
Does Hoi An flood?
Yes. From October to December the Thu Bon River rises and floods the low-lying riverside streets of Hoi An Old Town. In autumn 2025 the water reached the centre three times, up to half a metre deep in places; shops closed and the authorities blocked off the flooded areas. On those days people get around by boat, and a normal walk is out of the question. If you travel in these months, check the forecast and Hoi An news the day before and keep a spare day.
Can you get clothes made in Hoi An in a day?
Hoi An's tailors make suits, dresses and áo dài to order, and many are right in the Old Town. A simple piece is sometimes done in a few hours, but most orders take a day or two and need a fitting. So if you only have one day in Hoi An, go to the tailor in the morning and book the fitting for the evening, or plan a second trip. Agree the price and the deadline before you order. Tailors: clothing and tailoring in Hoi An — Yaly Couture, BeBe Tailor, A Dong Silk, Thu Thuy Silk, B'Lan Silk.
Which beaches are near Hoi An?
Hoi An has two beaches. An Bàng is 3–4 km from the Old Town, 15–20 minutes by bicycle, with calm water and lifeguards. Cửa Đại is 4–5 km east; it has lost a lot of sand to erosion over the past decade, and parts are protected by sea walls. From October to March the currents are strong, so swim only where lifeguards are on duty. The beach fits well in the middle of the day, when the Old Town is at its hottest.
A one-day route around Hoi An
8:00–9:00. Arrive before the pedestrian hours start, while it's still cool. Buy your ticket at a booth.
9:00–12:00. The Japanese Bridge and Phung Hung House next to it, then along Trần Phú: Quan Cong Temple (if you picked it instead of the bridge), the Fujian and Cantonese assembly halls, and Tan Ky House on Nguyễn Thái Học. The tea ceremony by the bridge is at 9:30.
12:00–15:00. Lunch and the heat: a museum, a tailor or An Bàng beach.
15:00–18:00. Museum of Folk Culture, the Bạch Đằng riverfront, a performance at 15:15 or 16:15.
18:00–21:00. Lanterns on the Hoai River, the An Hoi bridge and the night market on Nguyễn Hoàng. Back to Da Nang by Grab or taxi: the city bus has stopped running by then.
If you'd rather not handle the transport and ticket yourself, Da Nang travel agencies such as Danatravel and Vitours sell Hoi An trips; ask beforehand whether the Old Town ticket is included. If you're staying late, there's an evening show at Hoi An Memories Land.
Also on the topic: Hoi An Lantern Night: Dates, Hours, Where to Watch and What If It Rains, What to see around Hoi An: pottery and carpentry villages, coconut forest, beaches, Cham Islands, Cooking classes in Hoi An: how to choose and what you will cook.
Frequently asked questions
What can you see in Hoi An in one day? In the morning, the Japanese Bridge, Tan Ky House, Quan Cong Temple and the Fujian Assembly Hall; at midday, a museum or An Bàng beach; in the evening, the lanterns on the Hoai River and the night market on An Hoi islet.
Do you need a ticket for Hoi An Old Town? Yes, you buy it at a booth before you go in. It covers the whole Old Town and is valid for up to three days; keep the stub to get back in.
What does the Hoi An ticket include? The basic ticket covers entry to the Old Town, the Japanese Bridge or Quan Cong Temple, and two more sites of your choice. The extended ticket adds the museums and three more sites.
What are the pedestrian hours in Hoi An Old Town? 9:00 to 21:30 in summer and until 21:00 in winter. During those hours cars and motorbikes are kept out.
When is the Hoi An lantern festival? On the 14th day of every lunar month: the Old Town switches off its electric lights and only lanterns glow. The next one in 2026 is on 22 November.
When does Hoi An flood? Usually October to December, most often in November. In those months, check the forecast and Hoi An news the day before your trip.
Can I get clothes tailored in Hoi An in one day? A simple item, sometimes; most tailors need a day or two and a fitting. Order in the morning and arrange the fitting for the evening.
Sources and checks
Ticket: the official Hoi An Old Town website (hoianworldheritage.org.vn, 9 May 2023) and the Da Nang tourism portal (6 March 2026), for ticket types, the three-day validity, the stub, free guides for groups, the tea ceremony and performance times. Pedestrian hours: the same two sites; an older page on the official site (2014) lists different hours, and the text follows the newer ones. Ticket booths and checkpoints: Sài Gòn Giải Phóng (15 May 2023). Tết 2026 closure: Báo Văn Hóa (8 February 2026). Japanese Bridge: Báo Pháp Luật (2015 and 3 August 2024). Tan Ky House and the Fujian Assembly Hall: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism (vietnam.travel); Quan Cong Temple and the museums: the official Old Town website. Lantern night: vietnamtourism.com (21 October 2026) and the Vietnam Airlines travel guide; night market: the Vietnam Airlines travel guide. Floods: Voice of Vietnam (VOV, 26 December 2025) and vietnamtourism.com. Beaches: the Vietnam Airlines travel guide. Tailors: the Vietnam Airlines travel guide and our listings. Last bus 02 to Da Nang: Danabus (28 August 2026). All pages accessed on 22 October 2026. The route and tips are ours. No prices: tickets and boat fares change. Updated 22 October 2026.