An Overview of Hội An

Hội An is a gorgeous coastal town famed for its canals, ancient town and mix of unique, preserved architecture. The city has brightly colored French colonial buildings, preserved wooden Chinese shophouses, ornate Vietnamese tube houses and a singular, picturesque Japanese covered bridge and pagoda. The town has a long history as a trading port, uniquely combining indigenous and foreign heritages. With historic ruins, a thriving nightlife, incredible food, scenic rice fields and access to the sea, there are many unique things to do in Hội An.

Unique Things To Do In Hội An Vietnam

White Rose Dumplings

Well-loved by visiting tourists, White Rose Dumplings are a local culinary specialty which looks like a delicate flower made with translucent rice paper.

Thuan Timh Culinary Cooking Classes

Hội An’s culinary scene, which utilizes a unique fusion of French and Vietnamese influences, offers excellent cooking classes and workshops for the signiture meals of the region.

Wild Sugar Cane

Located on many farm and rice-paddy properties, wild sugar can often grows in long, fresh segments. Visitors can often ask a local property owners to chop one down and just munch it as they go.

Cửa Đại

This is a quiet beach front with soft sands, gentle waves and several upscale hotels. It’s a pleasant, though somewhat eroded beach area.

Rice Patty Bicycle Routes

One of the best things to do in Hội An is enjoy extended bicycle rides through the countryside. There are rice fields, forest paths and routes winding through Cam Thanh village leading to crab catching stations.

An Bang Beach

This is an appealing and relaxing beach area with numerous relaxing shops, cafés and lounging areas. If a visitor is arriving with a pedal bike or motorbike, there are likely some elderly people waving to parking lots or road stops to park vehicles for a fee. However, this is unnecessary. Local cafés or restaurants in this area serve drinks which are cheaper and allow small vehicles to remain in their parking lot all day.

Tra Que Water Wheel

This is a unique restaurant built into a traditional, rustic Vietnamese building. The venue offers workshops allowing guests to learn how to cook traditional meals, practice rice-paper making and assist local farmers tending the fields.

Baby Mustard

This is an excellent little restaurant known for farmed pork meals, prawn dishes and food accented with mint chopped up with spring onion.

The Hội An Night Market

No visit to Hội An would be complete without mentioning its fabulous night market. Trees are woven with bright lanterns, impressive awning stalls line the streets and the cobbled roads are rendered gorgeous in the soft light.

The Island

Found in the Thu Bồn River off the shores of Hội An, this island includes attractions such as the Hoi An Memories Land Theme Park and the Ký ức Hội An & Hoi An Memories Show.

Cau Lao Specialty Noodles

Another local speciality food is the Cao Lau Noodles, a slightly firmer and chewier noodle option often found in Vietnamese noodle dishes such as pho. The Mrs Thu Restaurant on Tran Phu Street is one of the recommended locations to sample these noodles.

Japanese Covered Bridge

One of the most iconic landmarks of Hội An is Chùa Cầu, a beautiful, old pedestrian footbridge with a temple situated atop. The bridge is sometimes referred to as Cầu Nhật Bản” or the “Japanese Covered Bridge.”

Chùa Phước An

This is a beautiful little Buddhist temple found close to the interior waters of Cửa Đại, found quite close the the ferry terminal, Bến tàu Cửa Đại.

Museum of Folk Culture

Operating out of a well-preserved Chinese trading house, this museum contains numerous artifacts showcasing the daily lives of past citizens in Hội An.

My Son

My Son is a small, jungle-ringed complex of Ancient Hindu Temples constructed between the 4th-century and the and the 14th-century CE. The temples showcase incredible insights regarding one of the region’s most influential cultures: The political and religious capital of the ancient Champa Kingdom.

Precious Heritage Art Gallery Museum

This is an astonishingly detailed museum focusing on the diverse cultures and ethnic groups native to Vietnam. The museum is stocked with artworks, large portraits, authentic traditional costumes and unique local stories and cultural legends.

Hội An Old Town

The historic center of Hội An is home to numerous preserved trading post, brightly-colored houses, small pagodas, beautiful wooden-shops and old canals. This area is also known as the Hội An Riverside.

Lantern Making Workshop

At night, the lanterns of Hội An become one of the city’s most recognizable attractions. There are several workshops with offer lantern-making classes, teaching visitors methods of making handcrafted, traditional lanterns.

Chua Ong Pagoda

Easily one of the most popular attractions in Hội An, this pagoda is also called the Quan Cong Temple. The temple was created in the mid-17th century to honor the Chinese general Quan Cong. The temple is well-decorated and quite ornate.

Cu Lao Cha Marine Park

The Cu Lao Cham Marine Park is also known as Cham Islands Biosphere Reserve. This marine park made of eight small islands and coral reefs is one of the most unique things to do in Hội An. Popular for day trips, these peaceful islands are a haven for water sports, kayaking, swimming, diving and snorkeling amongst tropical coral reefs. This island is known for it’s quite beaches, such as Bãi Ong and Bãi Xếp and marine wildlife exhibits at the Cham Museum. Much of the island is dotted with small Buddhist temples and shrines. The island is also home to several traditional fishing villages including Bãi Hương.

Bamboo Root Sculpture Workshops

One of the more unique artistic expressions found in this region uses bamboo shoots to carve faces, with the tangle of roots being used to create beards. There are classes which provide workshops and lessons on the art of bamboo-root carving.

Thu Bon Riverboat Tours

This is a popular tourist attraction which allows visitors to move up and down the riverside country, catching glimpses of rice fields, water coconut forests, fishing villages and quiet marshes. One of the methods for enjoying these tours involves using the iconic Hoi An Basket Boats, which are motor-powered rounded vessels unique to the region.

Old House of Tan Ky

This preserved and restored 18th-century merchant’s home is filled with unique antiques and an attatched gift shop. The Old House serves as an important landmark in the city.

Hội An Central Market

The Hội An Central Market is an enormously popular shopping area which sells herbs, spices, silks, clothing and more. The prices at the market’s front entrance are somewhat inflated, so be sure to check out the market’s interior.

Bistro Street

As the name suggests, this street (Cua Dai Road) is home to many popular expats bistros, French pastry shops, ice cream parlors and unique fusion dishes)

Little Faifo

This is a popular, old-school restaurant with many heirlooms and traditional dining settings on display.

Nu Eatery

This eatery sells excellent smoothies, wine and unique ice cream options.

Thanh Ha Pottery Village

This is an amazing series of traditional pottery workshops, including a pottery museum, art attachment and outdoor display with sculptures and models of famous buildings from around the world.

Hoi An Silk Village

This is an upscale hotel known for its silk-weaving workshops and displays.

Lò Gạch Cũ Cầu Tre

A narrow little tower fortress found amongst the rice paddies to the south of Hội An.

Read more about unique things to do in Hội An and seeing the world by visiting Leftfade Trails Blog.

Affiliate Disclosure: Leftfade Trails contains affiliate links, so using services or products through these links supports the website, at no extra cost to the user. All links are to tested services and products designed to aid travelers on their journeys. Some links specifically connect to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate this website earns from qualifying purchases.