By Mai Tran, Dec 16, 2024
Hoi An is one of the most attractive destinations in Vietnam which welcomes millions of tourists coming every year. It was once one of the most famous port towns in Vietnam and Asia which drew the attention of a number of foreign traders coming from different countries such as China, Japan, Portugal, the Netherlands, etc., especially during the 15-17th century.
During this period, a lot of sophisticated architectures were built which reflected different cultures and many of them remain today. Thanks to that, Hoi An was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.
So if you are planning a visit to Hoi An, you may wonder when is the best time to visit Hoi An. The answer will be found in this article as well as some major tourist attractions and local signatures will also be listed.
Weather in Hoi An
Hoi An has an average temperature of 29 Celsius degree which is quite hot. The weather here has 2 distinct seasons: dry and wet.
The dry season starts from January to July. You can see a lot of sunshine during these months. The weather at the beginning of the period is very comfortable, not so hot, not so cold.
The wet season starts from August to December. During this time, you may expect a lot of rain, even floods or typhoons, especially in the month of November and December.
For most people, the period from February to April is the best time to visit Hoi An as the weather at this time is very pleasant, it’s cool and not rainy so you can take part in a lot of outdoor activities. For this reason, a vast number of tourists flood Hoi An during February, March, and April.
Hoi An Ancient Town
From May to August, temperatures go up pretty high which may make you feel a bit tired when walking on the ancient streets. However, if you come here during these months, going to the beach would be the best as Hoi An has many beautiful beaches.
From October to December, rains come quite often which will disturb your travel experience to this beautiful city. Thus, prepare a raincoat or umbrella with you. However, to make the most of it, the local people have created a new form of travel experience which is boating on the water during the rainy season. This experience will make your trip memorable and interesting.
As Hoi An is located only 18 kilometers away from Da Nang City, there are a variety of options for you to transport between these 2 destinations. Our experts have put together some of the most common choices for you here:
Limousine Dcar - 7 seats
Many transportation service companies offer cars of any size from Da Nang to Hoi An. This is the most convenient option for you as it’s time-saving. However, it’s also the most expensive choice as it costs around 350,000vnd/ 4-seater car/ way. However, if you travel in a group, you can share this cost, then it turns out only around 100,000vnd/person.
To book a car, you can either ask your hotel’s staff to arrange it for you or just book via Grab – a common app in Southeast Asia to book taxis or motorbike rides at a reasonable price.
If you are budget traveler, the bus might be your top choice. The bus number 1 linked Da Nang and Hoi An directly which costs only 30,000vnd/ way/ person. Its operation hours are only from 5:30 to 18:00, so don’t miss the last bus of the day. This option will take you around 30 minutes to arrive in Hoi An.
Hoi An bus
Motorbike is also a good pick, especially for solo travelers. If going by motorbike, it’s very convenient as you can stop anywhere you want and it’s inexpensive anyway. You can rent a motorbike from Da Nang which costs from 100,000 – 150,000vnd/day excluding petrol.
Tailor-suit in Hoi An
Hoi An is well-known for suit making as you can find a vast number of tailor stores along the ancient streets. This city is also famous across Vietnam for its textiles. Coming here, you can have an extremely beautiful tailor-made suit at an incredibly inexpensive price (about over 1 million dongs). However, you may need to wait for about 3 days to a week to get your costume. Make sure to ask for the exact date that you can pick it up.
Hoi An Old Town
Hoi An ancient town is really worth a visit. Coming here, you can see a number of ancient houses built more than 100 years ago. Walking along the old streets, you will see the different architecture, especially Chinese and Japanese as many foreign businessmen had come to Hoi An to trade. Materials to build the houses are also traditional ones such as wood and brick.
This area is preserved quite carefully as you see all the stores are well-organized and no buildings are higher than 2 floors. One thing that you may love about this ancient town is that the streets here are very safe to walk as the traffic is as busy as in modern cities such as Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City.
Japanese Bridge
The Japanese Bridge, also known as Pagoda Bridge, is one of the iconic symbols of this ancient town which is situated in the city center. This bridge was built in the 17th century with Japanese architectural style which is clearly shown by statues of 2 sacred animals in Japanese culture (dog and monkey) put on the 2 sides of the bridge. The reason why it is called Pagoda Bridge is that there is a small temple on the north of the bridge which worships Tran Vo Bac De – the Deity of Weather in Taoism. This is the place that local people often come to pray for the good weather.
My Son Ruins
My Son is a UNESCO World Heritage Site situated 40 kilometers away from Hoi An. It is a Hindu Sanctuary found by a French scholar in 1898 which was dedicated to Hindu goddesses, especially Shiva – the protector of the Champa’s kings.
It has more than 70 structures since the 7th -13th century which was the most important political center of Champa people. One of the special things about My Son Ruins is that all the sophisticated pictures were carved directly into the wall by skillful artisans. With its historical depth, My Son ruins definitely worth a visit. So if you come to Hoi An, don’t forget to take a day tour to this special site.
Fujian Assembly Hall
This is a communal house of the Fujian community in Hoi An which was erected since the 17th century. Originally, it was a small wooden shrine dedicated to Queen of the Heaven – the Goddess of Ocean, Wealth, Happiness, and it was also a place where the Fujian people met and discussed occasionally. Over time, the shrine underwent several renovations which transformed it into a bigger brick hall than today. Thanks to its beautiful architecture as well as historical value, Fujian Assembly Hall was recognized as a national historical-cultural relic in February 1990.
Hoi An Lantern
Our experts recommend that it’s best to stay in Hoi An for at least 2 days 1 night as you can have a chance to enjoy the beauty of this ancient port town in the evening. If you have more time, you can stay up to 4 or 5 days because there are a lot of things to see in Hoi An, especially if you are a history lover. Besides all the things we have suggested above, Hoi An also has other modern attractions such as Vinpearl, Hoi An memory show, or natural places such as An Bang Beach, Coconut Forest, etc. Thus, the more you stay, the more you enjoy Hoi An.
We have advised you on the best time to visit Hoi An ancient town as well as all the best things to do in this beautiful destination. To discover Hoi An, you can go by yourself or book a guided tour which can give you a detailed explanation of this place.
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