Where are we going to visit? It’s a big question with so many options and it comes down to your budget, your personal interest and the weather. Below is the list of famous places in Hoi An which we highly recommend.
- Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town is situated in Quang Nam Province, Central Vietnam. It used to be one of the most active trading ports in Southeast Asia from the 15th to 19th century. Merchants around the world came here for trading, the majority were Chinese, Dutch, Portuguese, and Japanese. Hoi An Ancient Town was noted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
To visit all of tourist attractions in Hoi An Old Town, you have to buy a ticket.
For Vietnamese: 80,000 VND / person
For foreign tourists: 150,000 VND / person
- Japanese Bridge (Chua Cau)
Address: 186 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
Operation hours: Close at 9:30 PM
One of the most attractive tourist spots in the old town is the Japanese Covered Bridge. This beautiful bridge was built in the 1590s by the Japanese community to link it with the Chinese quarters on the other side of the river. It is believed that the Japanese Bridge was constructed to subdue the monster Namazu, prevent earthquakes and other calamities. Namazu is a Japanese mythical monster, whose struggles were the cause of earthquakes. The creature is said to have had its head in India, tail in Japan, and it’s back in Vietnam.
- Phung Hung Ancient House
Address: 4 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province
Operation hours: Close at 9:30 PM
This house was built more than 220 years ago, around the end of the 18th century – the beginning of the 19th century, also the prosperous period of Hoi An ancient town at that time. A person who started the construction, as well as the first owner of the ancient house Phung Hung, was a rich merchant. The house was built with the purpose of becoming a permanent trading place for items such as cinnamon, pepper, salt, porcelain, and glass, all of which were valuable items sought by merchants of this time. The name Phung Hung given to this place also means the wish that this place can flourish for a long time, and the descendants will be eternally peaceful.
Currently, the owner of the house is the eighth-generation descendant of a certain merchant. The family members next to them are the custodians and caregivers of the house, and also serve as a guide for visitors to visit and explain the history as well as the architectural lines and ancient interiors. Besides, at present, Phung Hung ancient house is also a sewing and embroidery facility of the family.
- Folklore Museum
Address: 33 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street, Hoi An, Quang Nam Province
Operation hours: Close at 9:30 PM
This 2-floor museum is the largest old house in Hoi An Ancient Town with a length of 57 meters and a width of 9 meters. On the first floor, there are quite lively performances illustrating the values of the famous Hoi An Folklore Museum. On the 2nd floor, the museum displays more than 490 artifacts, revolving around four main themes: folk visual arts, folk performing arts, traditional professions and folk activities. The Folklore Museum is considered a special and rare cultural institution in the region. With original images, artifacts and performance activities of the Folklore Museum. Shows intangible cultural values, introduces the rich cultural traditions, creativity, and contributions of generations of local residents in the process of building and developing Hoi An land.
- Bay Mau Coconut Forest
Address: Cam Thanh Commune, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province
Operation hours: N/A
Ticket price: 30,000 VND / person
The Bay Mau coconut forest in Cam Thanh Hoi An, when put into tourism, has become an attractive destination for tourists to visit. The reason for this name is because in the past, this forest had about 7 acres (bay mau in vietnamese) of free-growing coconuts. Up to now, the forest has grown to more than 100 hectares, but people still keep the name Bay Mau coconut forest because it is so familiar and dear to Hoi An people and tourists. Because it is located in brackish water, it is very suitable for the development of nipa coconut. There are 2 ways to get here, from Hoi An ancient town you can go here by road or river. If you take a boat, start from the boat station on Bach Dang street, right near Hoi An market, you will follow the flow of Hoai river down to the East, go about 5 km to arrive. If you go by road, you run along Tran Phu route, go straight to Nguyen Duy Hieu, see the intersection, turn right onto Tran Nhan Tong street, go about 4km more and Bay Mau Cam Thanh Coconut Forest has appeared in front of your eyes.
Coming here, visitors will be able to visit the forest entirely on a boat in the style of the Southwest region. People here do not use common means of transportation but use basket boats.
- My Son Sanctuary
Address: Duy Phu Commune, Duy Xuyen, Quang Nam Province
Operation hours: 06:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Ticket prices:
For Vietnamese: 100,000 VND / person
For foreign tourists: 150,000 VND / person
Ticket includes sightseeing fee, free tram, and cultural performance watching
My Son Sanctuary is a complex of Cham Pa temple relics in Duy Phu commune, Duy Xuyen district, Quang Nam province. 20 km from Tra Kieu to the west, 45 km from Hoi An city to the west, 68 km from Da Nang city to the southwest, and 145 km from the ancient capital of Hue to the south. This area is located in a valley with a diameter of about 2 km, surrounded by hills and mountains. This used to be the place to organize sacrifices as well as the area of the tombs of the kings and princes of the ancient Champa dynasties. In 1999, the My Son Sanctuary of Vietnam was recognized by UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage site. The highlight of this place is the ancient temples, along with small towers. Now, through thousands of years of history, the relics of ancient temple architecture, although faded over time, still retain their inherent values.
If you are a solo traveler, It is simple and easy to go anywhere and do anything.
If you are a young couple who travel on a budget, then exploring heritage towns, sightseeing will be best suited.
If you travel with young kids, you would choose some destinations close to town and less than an hour back to your accommodation because the weather could be quite humid and hot. Children get tired easily under this weather.
We are going to share more experiences about travelling with kids in Vietnam later. Stay tuned!