Getting there and choosing your base
- Via Da Nang airport (DAD): Hoi An has no airport of its own. Shared shuttles and taxis cover the coastal road from Da Nang; agree a fixed taxi fare in advance, which usually works out cheaper than the meter.
- Tra Kieu station or Da Nang station: Tra Kieu, inland from the town, is the nearest railway stop, but only some trains call there. Many travellers find it simpler to use Da Nang station and continue by road.
- Open-ticket tourist buses: Coaches from Hue and further afield may not end at the bus station and instead drop passengers at a partner guesthouse, so check where your bus stops before you set out on foot to the hotel.
Areas to consider
Old Town edge (Hai Ba Trung and Ba Trieu streets)
Fits travellers who want to walk to the lantern-lit riverfront at night and return to bed without transport. Motorbikes are kept out of the centre at set hours, so ask how a taxi reaches the door with luggage.
An Hoi islet
Fits those who want to look across the river at the Old Town and be next to the night market. Ask what floor the room is on and whether the property flooded in recent years, as this low-lying islet sits right on the river.
Cam Thanh and Tra Que
Fits slower stays among coconut-palm waterways, vegetable gardens and paddy fields, cycling into town. Confirm the hotel lends bicycles and that the ride back is lit, because some lanes are dark after the Old Town's evening.
An Bang and Cua Dai beaches
Fits a split trip that pairs beach days with evening visits to the Old Town. Check the hotel's free shuttle times into town, especially the last return run after dinner.
When to go
February to April has the steadiest, most comfortable weather; heat builds through the summer to a July peak. The rainy season from September to January is heaviest in October and November, when the Thu Bon regularly overflows into the Old Town's streets. The Old Town is closed to motorbikes on the evenings of the 14th and 15th of each lunar month, which draws extra visitors.
Before choosing a room
- In October and November, ask whether the hotel is above the usual flood level and what happens to bookings if the ground floor is under water.
- Hotels on the beach or in the villages often advertise free bicycles; read recent guest comments on their condition before counting on them for daily trips.
- The shared shuttle from Da Nang airport can be booked through many hotels; ask whether yours arranges it and whether it drops at the door or at a central stop.
Sources and planning resources
- Wikivoyage: Hoi An
- Hoi An Ancient Town World Heritage site (Hoi An Centre for Cultural Heritage Management, in Vietnamese)
- How Hotel Unfiltered uses guest reviews
Facts checked on . Transport services, taxes and hotel offers can change. Confirm the details for your trip before booking.