Things to know before coming to Hoian

Overview

Hoian is one of Vietnam's most popular tourist destinations. As for its picturesque scenery, friendly locals, rich culture and history, it's easy to understand why Hoian always draws a significant number of tourists from all over the world.

Do you know that Hoian Old Town even gained UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition? Not many places have an interesting combination of both Eastern and Western influences, like Hoian, where Japanese, Chinese, French, and Vietnamese architecture all coexist together.

Visitors who come to Hoian's Ancient Town are all excited to see the endless rows of yellowed house shops, the vibrant banks of the Thu Bon River, and its sparkling waters decorated with boats and colorful candles. 

Before packing your luggage and traveling to this sparkling old town, stop for a few minutes to read our compact guide to what to know before coming to Hoian. Guarantee to provide you useful guidance for a lovely trip to this riverside city!

Hoian's view from above

Culture of the Hoian people

Hoian has been a bustling port city for more than 2000 years, developing from a modest Sa Huynh trading spot into a potent global commerce hub by the 16th century. It served as the Hindu Cham Kingdom's spice trading hub, a landing place for Chinese traders and troops during the Ming Dynasty, and a hub for centuries of trade between the Arab, European, and Asian countries. All the global trading activities and cultural exchange has turned Hoian into a melting pot. Here, influences from the Cham, Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and European cultures all burst to the surface, so you can expect a vivid culture yet unique with distinctive features.

Water Puppet Show: A water puppet show is one of the things you should not miss when visiting Hoian, Vietnam. The Hoian Theatre, which is located north of the famous Old Town, is where the show is performed in Hoian. Water puppetry is a distinct folk art form related to Vietnam's long history of wet rice civilization.

Water Puppet Show in Hoian

Tailor-made Suite: Tourists are attracted to Hoian by its beautiful historic buildings, alluring atmosphere, and amazing experience with locally manufactured handmade clothing. Hoian tailoring specialists have been developing their skills and enhancing their customer service for the past 500 years. As their reputation for custom-made clothing spread widely, Hoian became recognized as Vietnam's textile capital.

Hoian people: In general, the residents of Hoian have a rich culture and tradition. They developed a distinct cultural identity that has been passed down through the generations. They are quite nice and peaceful and prone to interior life.

Hoian Lantern Festival: If you want to visit Hoian but aren't sure when to go, try arranging your trip around the Hoian Lantern Festival. This will undoubtedly be a magical time to visit Hoian, and it is one of the major attractions for tourists. But even if you're not in Hoian on the same day, keep in mind that most evenings throughout the year, light lanterns will still brighten the city's dark streets. You can even buy a lantern if you like. At the festival, all of the lights in town are turned off, and the light comes from paper lanterns with candles floating down the river.

Hoian lantern festival

Transit from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoian

Plane

The quickest and easiest way for travelers to get from Ho Chi Minh to Hoian is by the airline. The flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Danang only lasts 1 hour and 20 minutes. Prices will change based on the airline, how far in advance you book, the day of the week, and the season. There are several ways to get to Hoian from the Da Nang Airport, including by car, bus, and motorcycle. You can consider the service of Vietnam Airport Car; you can be picked up right from the Danang Airport. Besides, when you hire a car, you will be more proactive in your schedule. 

Ho Chi Minh City to Hoian by plane

Train

Taking the train might be a more comfortable option if you're going to travel a long distance. It is more expensive, but it is faster. The Saigon Train Station is located in District 1 to the west. To have a comfortable travel, it's critical to understand your seating options when booking a train ticket. Soft seats, hard sleepers, and soft sleepers are all available at various prices.

Traveling Hoian by train

Bus

Taking the bus from Ho Chi Minh City to Hoian (drop-off at the Da Nang bus station) is possibly the simplest and most cost-effective way of transportation. All buses from Ho Chi Minh to Da Nang will leave from Mien Dong station.

Hoian Foods

The town's cuisine has been inspired by the melting pot of cultures, which has resulted in vibrant colors and wonderful flavors.

When it comes to the secrets of Hoian flavors, no further than Tra Que organic vegetable village, this agricultural area contributes to many of the cuisines in Hoian by providing vegetables and herbs to the majority of the city's restaurants and marketplaces. High-quality, brilliantly flavorful herbs, and vegetables have been grown by agricultural families for years. These components are crucial to many dishes.

Grilled pork in Hoian

Hoian's food contains local specialties unique to the town and Quang Nam province as well as variants of popular national dishes, reflecting Vietnam's regional culinary diversity and distinctiveness.

When coming to Hoian, you shouldn’t miss the iconic food of this region, such as Vietnamese Baguette Sandwiches, Pork Rice Noodles, Quang Seafood Noodles, Vietnamese Pancake, Grilled Pork over Vermicelli…Each food has its own special taste. Street food tour Hoian is a good option for you to try the best cuisine here.

Enjoy street food in Hoian

About drinks, Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk is a good option for you. Abou drink, Vietnamese coffee can be served in a variety of ways, but the most well-known is iced coffee served with condensed milk. 

Hoian by night

The Hoian tour can’t be fulfilled if you miss Hoian nightlife. When the sun goes down, any visitor will go wowed by the beauty of colored lanterns adorning all the trees along the streets. Besides the gorgeous scenery, there are many activities at night in this beautiful town for you to enjoy. 

Take a street food tour.

If you are a foodie or want to try the local cuisine, you should not miss the street food tour Hoian. You may visit all the well-known street food places and try the local cuisine. Visit some signature restaurants for a few specialties of Hoian, and then drop by some street vendors to enjoy sweet desserts when watching the lanterns floating on the river surface – what an appealing experience, isn’t it?

Enjoy Quang Noodles in Hoian

Hoian night market

Hoian Night Market is known for its gorgeous Vietnamese souvenirs, delicious local cuisine, and hundreds of beautiful lanterns that brighten the whole street. At Hoian Night Market, more than 50 vendors sell food, clothing, jewelry, lanterns, shoes, lacquer clothing, and accessories. With the brilliant display of lights and lanterns floating down the river, this night market is also a wonderful site to capture a bunch of fantastic photos. This can be a fun activity to include in your Hoian city tour.

Hoian nightlife excursion can only be fulfilled with boating on the Hoai River and releasing flower lanterns. You should try releasing flower lanterns that contain all of your wishes in addition to a relaxed boat cruise for a memorable experience. Additionally, you may want to take in the beauty of the Japanese Covered Bridge. Japanese Covered Bridge, commonly referred to as the Japanese Bridge or Cau pagoda, is a popular tourist attraction in Hoian's historic town and a familiar sight to tourists visiting the area.

Hoian night market

If the night is still young for you, there are several bars and pubs where you may go to have fun or simply have tea or coffee while taking in the atmosphere of the old town at night.

Hoian Tours

As Hoian has so many shapes of charm, from the Old Town to tranquil villages, it could be difficult for you to organize your own trip to Hoian. Therefore, we will recommend some popular Hoian tours for you to create the ideal journey. We really hope you enjoy your visit to Hoian!

Hoian Day Tour is a fantastic choice for you since it saves you time while still giving you a chance to see several well-known locations, including Hoian Ancient Town, Hoian Museum, Thanh Ha Pottery Village, Tra Que Vegetable Village... and taste its unique cuisine. You may enjoy a lot of incredible activities while also taking in the tranquil surroundings.

Thanh Ha pottery village

It is not hard to take a Hoian Day Trip From Danang as the distance is only 30 km, and you can explore Hoian during the day. With Vietnam Airport Car, our private door-to-door service, and our English-speaking tour guide will help your Hoian city tour full day be very convenient and easy. 

If you have more time, you can consider Hoian to Hue tour to immerse yourselves in both these stunning cities. Many consider Hue and Hoian a fantastic duo to visit because they both have an ancient vibe. Hue is a really good choice when you have an interest in historical vibes while Hoian has an old town that is just perfectly chilled out. Both are worth visiting.

There are many interesting activities for you to enjoy during your time in Hoian. Don’t hesitate to contact us; we will help you have the best itinerary.

Hoian and vicinity tour

When you travel to Hoian, you should also spend time exploring the vicinity; the adventure will bring you an unforgettable about a modest but unique part of Vietnam.

Hue

Hue is one of the most stunning locations in Vietnam in terms of feudal history; therefore, you can't miss it! It is located in the middle of the country, bordered by mountains, and formed around the gorgeous Perfume River. It is worth staying a few days to experience everything that Hue has to offer on tour from Hoian to Hue because it is full of fascinating history, stunning architecture, and possibly the best food in the country.

Visit Hue from Hoian

My Son

My Son is home to some of Vietnam's most stunning and majestic Cham temples. Located 40 kilometers from Hoian, this temple complex was listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1999. The complex is situated beneath a cluster of stunning peaks in a lush forest. Everything is dominated by plants, and plants develop in the cracks of every original building. All of this adds to the charm of the location.

Take a visit to My Son Holyland

Son Tra Peninsula

When traveling in Da Nang - Hoian, Son Tra Peninsula is a fantastic location to explore. The Son Tra Peninsula is a primeval forest with stunning scenery and the greatest diversity of ecosystems. The reason why it draws so many tourists is that Son Tra Peninsula has a lot of fascinating things to see, such as the Linh Ung Pagoda, Ban Co Top (Chessboard Top), the Ancient Banyan Tree, and Tien Sa Beach…

Visit Son Tra Peninsula

Hope that this information is useful to you. If you have any difficulties, don’t hesitate to contact Vietnam Airport Car, we will try our best to assist you!