With kids · Hoi An · Vietnam
Hoi An with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Hoi An works well for families: the old town is largely traffic-free, bicycles and basket boats appeal to children, and lantern-making, pottery and farming activities keep them busy, with the beach close by. Top picks: Lantern boat ride on the Thu Bon, Lantern-making workshop and Bay Mau coconut forest. Families usually base themselves in Tra Que and the rice fields.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Tra Que and the rice fields
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- July
Best things to do with kids
Experience · Ancient Town
1.Lantern boat ride on the Thu Bon
After dark, small wooden boats rowed by local women take visitors along the river in front of the old town, where you can float a paper candle lantern for luck. The riverfront is especially atmospheric on full-moon nights.
Agree the price and length of the ride before boarding; 15–20 minutes is typical.
- Time needed
- 20 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- Couples
- After dark
- Kids
- Iconic
Experience · Ancient Town
2.Lantern-making workshop
Workshops in and around the old town teach you to stretch silk over a folding bamboo frame and finish your own lantern in about an hour or two, with a lantern-maker guiding each step.
Choose a smaller lantern size for children; the finished lanterns fold flat for packing.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Art
- Rainy day
- Couples
Nature · Cam Thanh and the coconut villages
3.Bay Mau coconut forest
Channels lined with water coconut palms in Cam Thanh, where you ride in thúng chai — round bamboo basket boats — paddled by local boatmen, some of whom show off by spinning the boats. It is lively and touristy, but fun, especially for children.
Go in the morning before the tour buses, and agree whether the price includes the spinning show and crab-fishing.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Experience · Tra Que and the rice fields
4.Tra Que vegetable village
A farming village about 3 km north of town whose herbs and greens supply Hoi An's restaurants, grown in neat raised beds. Farming experiences and cooking classes let you water, hoe and plant before cooking a meal with the harvest.
Visit on the way to An Bang by bicycle, early in the morning or late afternoon when farmers are working.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Food
- Outdoors
Beach · An Bang Beach
5.An Bang Beach
Hoi An's most popular beach, about 5 km north of town, with fine sand, beach restaurants that rent sunbeds to customers and fresh seafood. The water is usually calm and warm from about April to August, rougher in winter.
Cycle there through Tra Que's vegetable gardens and come back at sunset.
- Time needed
- Half a day
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Outdoors
- Couples
Experience · West of the Ancient Town
6.Thanh Ha pottery village
A riverside village about 3 km west of the old town where families have made pottery for centuries. You can watch potters at work, try the wheel yourself and visit the terracotta park with miniature clay models of world landmarks.
Reach it by bicycle along the river road; children enjoy shaping their own small pot.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Art
- Off the beaten path
Rainy-day ideas
- Lantern-making workshop — Choose a smaller lantern size for children; the finished lanterns fold flat for packing.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for families, couples and quiet stays
Tra Que and the rice fields
Between the old town and An Bang Beach, the area around Tra Que vegetable village is a patchwork of rice fields, herb gardens and lanes with villas and homestays, many with pools. It is about 10 minutes by bicycle to either the old town or the beach.
- Good
- Rural views and peace; Pool villas at good prices; Cycling distance to town and beach
- Watch out
- Need a bicycle or taxi at night; Mosquitoes near the paddies
- Nearby
- Tra Que vegetable village, An Bang Beach, Ancient Town
Family travel tips
- Explore the old town in the morning and evening; midday heat is tiring for children.
- Many villas around Tra Que and An Bang have pools and family rooms.
- Hire child seats or trailers with bicycles from hotels that offer them.
- Hold hands on crowded riverbanks in the evening, especially by the water.
- Check flood forecasts if you visit between September and December.
Day trips for families
- Cham Islands (About 20–30 minutes by speedboat) — Eight small islands forming a UNESCO biosphere reserve, with snorkelling over coral, a fishing village with a small museum and quiet beaches.
- Marble Mountains (About 30 minutes by car) — Limestone and marble hills between Hoi An and Da Nang, hollowed with cave temples, pagodas and viewpoints, with stone-carving workshops at their foot.
- Ba Na Hills (About 1–1.25 hours by car) — A mountaintop resort park reached by cable car, known for the Golden Bridge held up by giant hands, a replica French village and an indoor amusement park.
When to go with children
The best months overall are February–May. July is the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Hoi An good for kids?
Hoi An works well for families: the old town is largely traffic-free, bicycles and basket boats appeal to children, and lantern-making, pottery and farming activities keep them busy, with the beach close by.
+What can kids do in Hoi An?
Lantern boat ride on the Thu Bon, Lantern-making workshop, Bay Mau coconut forest, Tra Que vegetable village and An Bang Beach.
+Where should families stay in Hoi An?
Tra Que and the rice fields: Villas and homestays among paddies and vegetable gardens between town and the beach.