- Distance
- about 30 km, roughly 45 minutes by car
- Old town ticket
- 80,000 VND (3 sites) or 120,000 (5); valid 3 days
- Bridge hours
- walk it 9-11 am or 3-10 pm only
- River boats
- about 50,000 VND pp; agree the price first
- Lantern night
- 14th of each lunar month, candles only
Hoi An is about 30 km from central Da Nang, roughly 45 minutes by car, which makes it the easiest big day trip in central Vietnam. The mistake most day-trippers make is arriving at noon, melting through the hottest hours, and leaving before the lanterns come on. This timeline avoids both.
The timeline that works
9:00 am, leave Da Nang. Grab, taxi or a hotel car; the shuttle guide compares the options if you are cost-sensitive.
9:45 to 11:00 am, the Japanese Covered Bridge first. You can only walk on it from 9:00 to 11:00 am and 3:00 to 10:00 pm, and just 20 visitors are allowed at a time, so the morning slot is the calm one. The bridge is the one on the 20,000 VND note.
Late morning, ticketed sites. The 2026 old town ticket costs 80,000 VND for three sites or 120,000 VND for five, the same for foreigners and Vietnamese, and stays valid for three days. Under-16s enter free; note the over-60 exemption applies only to Vietnamese citizens. Pick an old house (Tan Ky is the classic), Quan Cong Temple, and one assembly hall. The free traditional art shows run at Hoai River Square at 10:15 am, 3:15 pm and 4:15 pm.
Lunch and a slow afternoon. Cao lau, the noodle dish Hoi An claims as its own, then an unhurried loop of the walking streets (pedestrian-only 9:00 am to 9:30 pm in summer). Parents can break at a riverside cafe; nobody needs to see all 22 heritage stops.
5:00 pm onward, the evening everyone came for. The night market on Nguyen Hoang Street runs 5:00 to 11:00 pm and costs nothing. River boats cost about 50,000 VND per person for 30 minutes per a 2026 city inspection; agree the price before boarding. On the 14th of each lunar month the old town switches off electric lights for candles and lanterns, its Legendary Night since 1998.
8:00 to 9:00 pm, back to Da Nang. Grabs are easy to find at the old town edge; late returns are fine.
Notes for parents
- The old town is flat and short; the walking-street hours keep it vehicle-free.
- October and November can flood; check conditions if travelling then.
- Keep the ticket on you; checks at the bridge and sites have been stepped up.
Fit the day into the 3-day Da Nang itinerary, land smoothly with the airport transfer guide, and handle e-visas with the Vietnam travel guide.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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