Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An Ancient Town is the reason most people come to central Vietnam. For centuries the port on the Thu Bon river drew Chinese, Japanese and European merchants, and the narrow streets they built are still standing: low tiled shophouses with carved wooden doors, ochre walls, clan assembly halls, family merchant houses and the small Japanese Covered Bridge that appears on the local banknote. The whole old quarter is a pedestrian-friendly grid of lanes a few minutes wide, so it is easy to explore on foot and easy to lose an entire day. There is an entrance ticket system that confuses first-timers: the town itself is a living neighbourhood, but a ticket is needed to enter the listed monuments, and the booths sell it at the edges of the old quarter. Beyond the monuments you can eat at the market, browse silk and lantern shops, cross to the Cam Nam night market, and sit by the river as the lanterns come on at dusk.

The ticket rules matter, so here is the current picture from the heritage centre announcement published in January 2026. A standard ticket costs 120,000 dong and allows entry to the general old-town area, one of the Japanese Covered Bridge or Quan Cong Temple, one museum-system site and three more monuments of your choice. A cheaper 80,000 dong ticket covers the old-town area, one of the bridge or temple, and two more sites. One purchase is described as covering your whole stay, up to three days, and the stub is kept to hand over at each site. Children under 16 are free. The ticket also includes cultural activities such as a traditional art performance at set times and a Japanese tea ceremony, though venues can change during renovations, so confirm on the day.

Opening times shift with the season. The announcement lists the old town as open from nine in the morning until half past nine in summer and nine in winter, with Phan Chau Trinh street opening for evening walking and cycling. Enforcement can be uneven, but the sensible approach is to buy a ticket, because you will want to go inside the merchant houses, assembly halls and the museums, which are where the history comes alive. Pick sites that differ: a merchant house such as Tan Ky or Phung Hung, a Chinese assembly hall such as Fujian, the bridge, and a museum.

Timing helps enormously. Go at first light, when the yellow walls are empty and the light is soft, then retreat from the midday heat and return for sunset, when the lanterns, the river boats and the night market fill the lanes. In the wet season, roughly October and November, the river can rise and flood the lower streets, which is dramatic but disruptive; check the weather and local news before you go and allow flexibility in your plans.