Hoi An 2-Day Itinerary: Vietnam's Ancient Town

During our four-day trip to Da Nang, we carved out two days for Hoi An, and I’m so glad we did. This little ancient town, drenched in vibrant mustard yellow, has such a chill vibe and many things to do.

If you're planning a Hoi An itinerary and only have two days, here’s our own journey and I hope it helps you get the most out of this beautiful town.

Hoi An Travel Plan

Day 1: Da Nang to Hoi An

We left Da Nang for Hoi An, a scenic one-hour ride with a private Klook driver. We stayed at the Lion King Hotel, which was a cozy boutique hotel owned by a local couple.

To enter Hoi An’s ancient town, there’s an entrance fee of 120,000 VND per person for international tourists. This fee allows access to historical sites within the town, although I feel the vibe and streets themselves are more than enough.

Since the old town is registered as a world heritage, Vietnam doesn't allow cars to enter.

This made Hoi An a car-free city with people mostly travelling on motorbikes or bicycle. This made us really enjoy walking around the town.

Rooftop Coffee at Faifo Coffee

Our first stop was Faifo Coffee, a popular café in Hoi An. We tried their signature drinks—a coconut coffee and a lemongrass-infused drink—which were deliciously unique and refreshing.

But the real highlight here is the rooftop. Standing above the sea of mustard-colored shophouses with Hoi An spread out below, we found it to be the perfect spot for photos. If you're after a picturesque view, this café is worth the visit.

Lunch at White Rose Restaurant

We headed for lunch at White Rose Restaurant to try the famous rose dumplings. They were filled with pork and shrimp and served with a sweet dipping sauce, but I found them a bit underwhelming and tasteless.

We also had Cao Lau noodles, a thick rice noodles dish with char siu and fresh vegetables. While it was decent, I thought it didn't stand out compared to other dishes noodle dishes like Pho.

Famous Banh Mi

Since we were not fully satisfied with lunch, we grabbed a snack at Banh Mi Phuong, famed for its banh mi. They had a long queue, but the queue moved fast.

The banh mi we chose was 30,000 VND—slightly more than typical street prices but still incredibly affordable.

Basket Boat

In the afternoon, we did basket boat tour, something we’d been looking forward to. The tour was arranged by our hotel, where 2 guys on motorbikes took us to a colorful little pier amidst a coconut plantation where villagers were casting nets and fishing.

As our guide paddled us through the coconut grove, we couldn't help but marvel at how he paddled the boat. I mean it’s like just a large wooden bowl!

Afterwards, he passed us the paddle to try paddling. My wife, Kwang, tried paddled, and as expected, we ended up spinning in a circle. 😂 

Eventually, we reached a large open area where several basket boats gathered for a spinning performance. It was honestly very cool to watch because it feels like they are going to fall off but did not. 

We also saw some brave tourist lady volunteering to join the spinning. After the ride, she looked like she was going to puke.

I didn’t dare to try it myself after watching her.. 

Hoi An Night Market

After the incredibly fun basket boat, we headed back to the main town and went to the Hoi An Night Market for dinner. Hoi An lights up at night and it's really beautiful.

The market is also a street food heaven, this was what we tried:

• Xien Nuong: These marinated pork skewers, grilled on lemongrass sticks, were absolute our favorite dish this trip. The fresh herbs and smoky flavor made them unforgettable.
• Vietnamese Pizza (Banh Trang Nuong): Famous on IG & Tiktok, this rice paper “pizza” was filled with egg and other small random toppings. Honestly, it was overrated in my opinion, it just looks cool but the taste was average.

• Avocado Ice Cream (Kem Bo): Coconut ice cream placed on smashed avocado. About S$1.50 - $2. This was honestly such a good combination.
• Rice Paper Salad (Banh Trang Tron): Lastly, we had Banh trang tron, which was a rice paper salad that we ate sitting on the roadside. It’s basically cut-up rice paper, with whatever ingredients we chose, such as veg, sausage, dried shrimps and lime. Kwang liked this dish a lot.

Day 2

Our second day didn't begin so well. There was a blackout throughout the city, which left us with no aircon through a summer night, which made it tough to sleep. 😔

Local Breakfast

For breakfast, we had Bo Kho, a beef stew served with a warm baguette for dipping, from a roadside stall.

This was one of the food highlights of our trip, especially with the tender, fall-apart beef and flavorful broth.

We then tried on steamed rice cakes (banh beo), a Hoi An specialty made from sticky rice flour and topped with a sweet-salty sauce.

While it was unique, I felt it was too gooey for my taste.

Wandering through Hoi An's architecture

With almost no crowds in the morning, we took the morning to explore Hoi An's architecture.

Our first stop was Ba Mũ Pagoda Tam Quan Gate, a structure with colorful rustic wooden doors and picturesque lake views.

We then visited the iconic Japanese Bridge. It gets very crowded in the day, so the morning was perfect for capturing photos here.

Next, we walked past the Assembly Hall of Fujian Chinese. This was a very photogenic Chinese association, but it lacked sign to explain what everything was. Nevertheless, we took some nice photos here.

Lastly, we stopped by the Hoi An Central Market—a morning market with French-influenced architecture with vendors donning traditional Vietnamese hats. Very cute!

Final Thoughts On Hoi An

Reflecting, I quite enjoyed our 2 days itinerary in this town. Hoi An is small and walkable, filled with unique mustard-yellow buildings and a river that lights up at night.

The basket boat ride was a standout experience, and the food, while hit-and-miss, is pretty flavorful, especially the fresh vegetables and rich broths.

Also, despite being a tourist hotspot, I felt the prices were reasonable, making Hoi An an excellent value-for-money destination. If you’re headed to Vietnam, a stop to this laid-back town is absolutely worth it.

So, what do you think? Have you been to Hoi An? Is two days enough to explore this town?

I’d love to hear your thoughts, so please let me know by leaving a comment below!