One day in Hoi An

Day by day

1. Day 1: Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu) and Ancient Town streets and lanterns

   Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu), Ancient Town streets and lanterns, Tan Ky Old House and Fujian Assembly Hall (Phúc Kiến), then Lantern boat ride on the Thu Bon in the evening.

   1. Morning

      Japanese Covered Bridge (Chùa Cầu)

      See it at dawn, when the street is empty, and again after dark when lanterns light it from the river. Allow 20 minutes.

   2. Late morning

      Ancient Town streets and lanterns

      The Ancient Town ticket covers entry to five heritage sites of your choice; buy it at the ticket booths on the edge of the old town. Allow Half a day.

   3. Lunch

      Lunch: Cao lầu

      The central market food hall and small restaurants across the old town.

   4. Afternoon

      Tan Ky Old House

      Go early or late in the day; the narrow house becomes crowded when tour groups arrive. Allow 30 minutes.

   5. Late afternoon

      Fujian Assembly Hall (Phúc Kiến)

      Look for the model of a Chinese trading junk inside, and visit in the morning when incense smoke catches the light. Allow 30 minutes.

   6. Evening

      Lantern boat ride on the Thu Bon

      Agree the price and length of the ride before boarding; 15–20 minutes is typical.

If it rains

• Swap in Phung Hung Old House (Ancient Town): Climb upstairs to see the trapdoor and look out from the balcony onto the street.
• Swap in Museum of Trade Ceramics (Ancient Town): Head upstairs to the balcony for a view over the tiled rooftops.
• Swap in Lantern-making workshop (Ancient Town): Choose a smaller lantern size for children; the finished lanterns fold flat for packing.

Where to stay for this itinerary

Pace and daylight

The sights in this plan add up to roughly 5–6 hours of visiting over one day, before meals and getting between them. Daylight runs from about 11.2 hours in December to 13.1 hours in June.

Getting between stops: Walking. The old town, the market and An Hoi islet are all within a 15-minute walk, and motorbikes are restricted in the heritage streets at set times.

More or fewer days

• 2 days in Hoi An
• 3 days in Hoi An
• 5 days in Hoi An

Questions travellers ask