Is Hoi An Worth Visiting? My Honest Opinion

During my trip to Vietnam one of the places I was most excited about visiting was Hoi An. This historic trading port is considered “Vietnam’s most atmospheric and picturesque town” and was voted by Wanderlust magazine as one of the top destinations in the world.

After avoiding the touristy Ha Long Bay cruises and finding offbeat Cat Ba island instead, I hoped that I could also avoid Hoi An’s tourist traps – but I was wrong. I had high hopes for Hoi An, but ended up disappointed, so wanted to write this blog to help you manage your expectations if you’re wondering ‘is Hoi An worth visiting?’ 

Why Is Hoi An Famous?

The beautiful, yellow hued, riverside town of Hoi An is one of the most famous places to visit in Vietnam. Now a UNESCO heritage site, Hoi An was once a major trading port attracting merchants from all over the world who influenced the grand and varied architecture.

The old town is known for it’s charming and distinctive historic yellow buildings with a cosmopolitan smattering of Japanese and Chinese temples, merchant and clan houses, historic warehouses and markets which you can explore.

The Thu Bon River silted up in the late 19th century ending the illustrious trading days of Hoi An and left the historic town in a beguiling time warp which reversed the town’s fortunes with the advent of a tourism boom.

Now Hoi An is thriving again and is home to countless cafes, restaurants, shops, tailors and boutique hotels. It’s beautiful BUT it’s a very small town which attracts so many tourists, so adjust your expectations and don’t imagine that it will be serene and peaceful or you’ll end up disappointed like me!

Things to do in Hoi An

Hoi An ancient town is one of those places perfect for meandering along quaint old streets, admiring the historic architecture and soaking up the unique atmosphere. It’s one of the few places in Vietnam that is pedestrianised which makes for pleasant wandering although if you want to avoid the crowds of tourists it’s worth getting up early to explore in peace!

The old town contains several different attractions including historic temples, pagodas, assembly halls, clan houses and merchant’s houses. There are also small museums giving an insight into the trades and multiculturalism that once shaped the town.

Some of the highlights include:

• The Fujian Assembly Hall,
• The Old House on Tan Ky,
• The Hainan Assembly Hall,
• The Old House of Phung Hung,
• The Old House of Duc An

Hoi An’s most famous and iconic sight is the Japanese covered bridge, which dates back to 1593. It is guarded on one side by monkeys and the other side with dogs to symbolise the animals that represent the years of the bridge’s construction and completion.

Another popular activity is taking a cooking class – not only do you get to learn how to make Vietnamese dishes you also go to the local market, try some fishing and have the unique experience of riding in a bamboo basket boat.

But perhaps the most popular attraction of Hoi An is the riverside which comes alive at sunset. The setting sun casts a brilliant hue over the aged yellow buildings while small boats adorned with lanterns putter up and down the river and people release little floating lanterns onto the water.

Once night falls the flickering lights of the candles and lanterns floating on the river and the glow of the red lanterns hanging from the yellow shuttered buildings is a magical sight (best seen from aboard a boat and away from the crowds.)

But Is Hoi An Too Touristy?

Rather than finding Hoi An delightful and being able to appreciate the historic atmosphere, I felt that the tourism boom is really damaging the authenticity of Hoi An’s historic town and that, especially at sunset, it was too crowded with tourists to enjoy.

Hoi An is well known as the place to go to for an inexpensive tailor made suit and there’s no shortage of tailors, touristy shops and restaurants. Too many really – apart from the preserved historic attractions literally every building in the old town is a gentrified touristy shop selling souvenirs, silks or lanterns. Although most of them are nicely done and quite pretty, Hoi An sometimes felt a bit like a theme park instead of an authentic preserved historic town.

As I was walking down the street trying to soak up the history I was harassed with with cries of “Look my shop” and “You buy something!” I was approached by sales people trying to engage me in conversation with the aim to steer me into their shop to be measured for a suit. Sometimes it felt more like a shopping spree than the peaceful wander through history that I was hoping for.

You should also be aware that you have to pay 120,000 VND ($5) just to enter the old town and it can be confusing trying to find a ticket booth. The ticket only allows you to visit 5 of the 22 heritage sites and museums – if you want to visit more places you’ll have to buy another ticket – but you can’t buy a ticket at the attractions you have to find a ticket booth first. Plus, even though the tickets clearly state that they entitle entry to any of the attractions, some places told me the ticket wasn’t valid and tried to get extra money from me anyway.

I understand that it must cost a lot to preserve and maintain the historic buildings, and it’s undeniably beautiful, but sometimes Hoi An just feels like a tourist trap.

So Is Hoi An Worth Visiting?

Hoi An is a beautiful, historic city, and I can’t help feeling that it has already been ruined by tourism. The authenticity is lost, the streets are lined with touristy shops and, especially at sunset, the riverside is so crowded that it can be hard to enjoy a stroll. But it’s not just Hoi An, this is what happens when a small town becomes so popular, especially in the age of Instagram.

If you want to avoid crowds and have a more peaceful experience stay at An Bang Beach nearby, only a 15 minute drive into the old town, or in the surrounding countryside. To make the most of your time in Hoi An  wake up early and explore the old town in the morning to avoid the crowds.

You could join the Hidden Gems of Old Hoi An Walking Tour to learn more about the towns history and discover places off the tourist trail, or join a Jeep tour of the countryside to explore the verdant rice paddies and rivers beyond the city to get a more authentic insight into local life.

But is Hoi An worth visiting? Well it depends on your expectations, which hopefully now are more realistic! Yes, it’s too touristy but I do still think it’s worth visiting – it’s a beautiful old town with a lot of history and charm just don’t expect it to be authentic or uncrowded and take the time to explore beyond the tourist traps!

Have you visited Hoi An? How was your experience? Do you think Hoi An is worth visiting?