Hoi An Nightlife: What to Do in Hoi An at Night

Traveling to Hoi An is surely a fascinating travel experience. During the day you can see the ancient old town houses covered with tile roofs and streets covered with colorful lanterns. However, at night the town is even more magical and discovering Hoi An at night will bring you unforgettable memories.

Hoi An nightlife activities are diverse so you can choose them according to your preferences. Here’s the list of interesting things you can do in the ancient town of Hoi An at night.

Walk around Hoi An Ancient Town and watch lanterns at night

The best thing in Hoi An is that you can freely walk around the old town at night. When the sun goes down, Hoi An Ancient Town starts to light up with colorful lanterns stretching all the way and spreading to the sky. It creates an extremely romantic atmosphere. At this time of the day the ancient town of Hoi An is sparkling. The lovely ancient town with its historical houses can make your soul more settled and peaceful.

Take a boat and float the lantern on the Hoai River

Taking a boat and floating lanterns on the river is one of Hoi An’s most meaningful activities that are loved by many tourists. For about 100,000 VND, you can get on a boat which will be moving slowly on the Hoai River giving you a chance to float flower lanterns on the river and enjoy the view of the ancient town of Hoi An at night shimmering with lights.

The flower-shaped lanterns are sold throughout the street and normally cost 10,000-50,000 VND per piece.

Shop at Hoi An Night Market

After walking around the old town watching lanterns and sitting on the boat dropping the lanterns on the Hoai River, Hoi An Night Market is another place you should explore at night.

The night market is a very interesting highlight for the ancient town. The bustling Hoi An Night Market is located on Hoi An Island, opposite the Japanese Bridge, on Nguyen Hoang Street. The market is about 300 meters long and consists of over 50 stalls where local vendors sell a variety of handicrafts, souvenirs, products from villages such as Thanh Ha pottery village and Silk village of Hoi An. There are also many stalls selling beautiful lanterns for you to bring back home. The market is open daily from 17:00 to 23:00.

Enjoy unforgettable cuisine

Hoi An also attracts tourists by its interesting and unique cuisine. The diversity and abundance of old dishes such as Cao Lau Noodle, Hoi An Chicken Rice, Bun Bo and Quang Noodles is available here at night for absolutely reasonable prices. You can sit down for a cup of coffee by the side of the road, admiring the peaceful scenery, the old roofs painted brightly and dimly in the incredible light.

Learn more about Hoi An’s culture and cuisine by joining this Hoi An Evening Walking Food Tour which will bring you to visit the bustling local markets in Hoi An and local’s home to taste some local food.

Full list of Hoi An delicacies that shouldn’t be missed can be found here: Hoi An Food You Must Try.

Enjoy a tea or coffee at lovely cafe

Hoi An has no shortage of cafes. Those who love peaceful atmosphere can visit some of the lovely cafes in Hoi An and enjoy a cup of coffee or cool drink to refresh. Many cafes have terraces from where you can admire the sparkling night view of Hoi An. We would recommend you to go to one of small cafes located on the bank of Hoai River along Nguyen Phuc Chu Street, as this is one of the best locations to see the whole beauty of Hoai River and the ancient town.

We have listed the best cafes in Hoi An that you should visit: 12 Best Cafes in Hoi An.

Participate in folk games

If you are still wondering about how to have fun in Hoi An, then participating in folk games here should be an ideal choice for you to have more great experiences. Folk games are taking place at the beginning of Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. You can join the traditional games of Hoi An, such as singing a hut song, blindfolding with extremely attractive pots. These activities are aimed to help tourists better understand the local culture.

See the beach at night

If you want to try something new, take a motorbike or taxi and go to the beach to cool off. The most popular beaches in Hoi An are Cua Dai Beach and An Bang Beach that are located only 3-4 km from Hoi An Ancient Town so it takes only about 10 minutes to get there.

At night, the beach is brilliant as you can peacefully sit on the white sand, breathe fresh air and relax hearing the murmur of the sea. Delicious fresh seafood is served at beachfront restaurants.

Hoi An Night Tour

For the most complete experience, you can join Hoi An Night Experience tour which includes a number of activities such as:

• going to a local house
• enjoying an authentic home cooked meal
• enjoying the sunset panoramic view of Hoi An and Vietnamese coffee
• taking a boat trip along Thu Bon River
• exploring night market
• playing traditional game
• foot massage

Where to stay in Hoi An

Some of the best places to stay in Hoi An that are very convenient for starting a night out in town:

Laluna Hoi An Riverside Hotel & Spa

Hoian Central Hotel

Tribee Bana Heritage Hostel