Top 25 things should not to miss when visiting Hoi An Festivals

1. Take a walk in the old town

Walking on the streets of Hoi An, whether in the early morning or evening, you will have your own unique experiences. If you visit early in the morning, you will feel the serenity and peace from the sounds of birds singing on the bougainvillea trellis, the tinkling of bicycles, and the fragrance of incense lingering in the air, making time seem to slow down. If you come in the late afternoon, the gentle rays of sunlight from the weak sunset streaming down on the ancient, mossy tiled roof make your soul feel truly leisurely. When night falls, the street becomes more romantic thanks to the sparkling light from rows of lanterns or flower-shaped candles. So, if possible, you should spend a day to fully experience the Old Town in 3 time frames: Morning - Afternoon - Evening to see that the Street is sometimes pristine, sometimes quiet, sometimes bustling.

2. Release Lanterns

In addition to enjoying the peaceful beauty of Hoi An at night, visitors can also experience floating lanterns on the romantic Hoai River. This is one of the particularly interesting things that many tourists love when visiting Hoi An. At this time, visitors will be able to release small lanterns into the river with the hope that they will light up hope for a future full of health, peace, and luck for their families and relatives.

Visitors can experience releasing lanterns on the Hoai River.

3. Take a boat trip on the Hoai River in the evening

Taking a boat and watching an old town at night is one of the most exciting activities that many tourists enjoy when coming to Hoi An. Sitting on the boat, aside from sightseeing and enjoying the breeze, visitors can also experience the floating life on the boats of Hoi An people, listen to ancient stories as well as enjoy a sweet folk song on the river.

4. Savoring Cao Lau specialties

One of the must-try dishes when visiting Hoi An is Cao Lau. According to Hoi people, Cao Lau has appeared since the 17th century. At that time, Hoi An was a bustling trading port, attracting Western and Eastern people to commerce goods. Japanese and Chinese people who come to Hoi An often visit local eateries and enjoy Cao Lau on high floors hung with coloured lanterns. Hence, the name "Cao Lau" was born from there. Cao Lau is made from wheat flour, combined with shrimp, pork and fresh vegetables. A genuine Cao Lau dish has the perfect balance of sour, spicy, sweet, and savory flavors, with the texture of noodles, the crispiness of pork rind, and the aromatic spices like soy sauce and aromatic powder.

One of the must-try dishes when visiting Hoi An is Cao Lau

5. Visit ancient houses

The ancient houses are a valuable heritage that Hoi An has preserved through the ups and downs of time. Despite going through war, urbanization and natural disasters, these ancient houses still retain both architectural beauty and "soul". Among them, the most famous houses are Tan Ky ancient house - the first house recognized as a national heritage in Hoi An as well as Phung Hung and Quan Thang ancient houses, and assembly halls such as Phuc Kien, Quang Dong, etc. which represent the architectural diversity of the Chinese community here.

6. Enjoy the flavor of old town coffee

If you feel tired when walking around the old town, let’s take a rest in Hoi An’s coffee shops to enjoy the bitter taste of coffee or the sweetness of a cup of egg coffee. Besides the delicious drinks, the cafes in Hoi An also have such beautiful spaces that it's hard to resist taking your camera and capturing memorable moments.

7. Folk games

Coming to Hoi An without participating in folk games would be a big regret. These games not only preserve the cultural identity but also bring back childhood memories and provide tourists with moments of innocent joy. These folk games in Hoi An will be held in the evening at the beginning of Nguyen Thai Hoc street or Kazik park. Visitors can participate in games such as Choi cards, pot smashing, etc.

8. Buy lanterns as souvenirs

There are many interesting things in Hoi An such as small and beautiful souvenirs that you can buy. One of them is the lantern - one of the typical symbols when mentioning Hoi An. Lanterns have many designs such as cylindrical lanterns, flying saucer lanterns, candelabra lanterns, marching lanterns or garlic lanterns, etc.

9. Visit Hoi An on the full moon day

On the full moon day of every month, Hoi An ancient town often turns off the lights to make room for the sparkle of brightly shining lanterns with the glimmering light emitted from lanterns floating lazily on the river. So if tourists can visit Hoi An on the full moon day, they will have the opportunity to see this extraordinarily beautiful scene. Additionally, visitors can also visit other special Hoi An festivals such as Mrs.Thien Hau Festival, Vu Lan Festival, Mid-Autumn Festival, Lantern Festival, etc. to experience the unique cultural beauty of the town.

10. Relax at An Bang beach

If you are a fan of the blue sea, Hoi An will also be ready to please you with An Bang beach which has just been voted as the top 25 most "charming" beaches in Asia, is just 7km away from the Hoi An city center. An Bang beach has a peaceful look, an ideal place for you to walk, check in, immerse yourself in cool water and drink a sweet coconut.

An Bang Beach has a peaceful look

11. Cycling and breathing the countryside air

According to many tourists, there is no place as suitable for cycling as in Hoi An, whether wandering the ancient streets with vibrant red bougainvillea trellises or riding along the road of Thu Bon River to Cua Dai Beach with great shade of green trees. You can rent an inexpensive bicycle to immerse yourself in nature through crossing bumpy dirt roads, breathing fresh air when cycling through vast fields and more. Hoi An An brings together all the poetic elements so that visitors can begin their exciting cycling adventure.

12. Scuba diving to see coral in Cham Island

Cham Island belongs to Tan Hiep commune of Hoi An city, was a pristine island. However, after being recognized as a Global Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO and developed tourism, Cham Island has become a destination attracting many tourists from around the world. Cham Island possesses a variety of corals and rare marine flora and fauna that make this island become a popular destination for coral diving activities, attracting a large number of tourists to experience it. Seeing and touching the beautiful coral reefs with diverse colors under the sea is an unforgettable experience for every visitor.

13. Take the ferry to Cam Kim

For only a few thousand dong, visitors will have the opportunity to sit on the ferry to go through Cam Kim town, a famous carpentry village in Hoi An. Although there are fewer carpenters' households in operation today, taking a ferry to Cam Kim and breathing the cool breeze on the Thu Bon River and seeing the Ancient Town from a distance can be a fantastic experience.

14. Exploring every street corner with a camera

When you step into Hoi An, you will immediately feel the mystery and antiquity of the ancient streets. To capture these unique moments, you should take the time to sneak around every street corner with your camera. The small roads, ancient houses, bougainvillea trellises bathed in thin mist, and even the exquisite details on the roof tops will create unique and attractive photos. Hoi An is a paradise for photography lovers, where you can discover the beauty of Vietnamese history and culture.

In particular, you can also choose to explore Hoi An Memories Land (only about 2 km from the ancient town center) with 1001 interesting check-in corners, just lift the camera and you will take hundreds of beautiful photos.

Hoi An is a paradise for photography lovers

15. Watching the sunset on Thu Bon River

A wonderful experience when coming to Hoi An is watching the sunset on the Thu Bon River. The quiet scenery of the river along with bridges and sparkling lights will create a beautiful natural picture. If you have spent a day wandering through the small alleys of the ancient town, when sunset falls, sit on the riverbank and watch the sun slowly sink like a red "orange slice" and you’ll definitely feel peace gradually "seeping" into your soul.

In addition, you can also watch the sunset at Moonlight Bridge - the bridge spanning the poetic Hoi An Memories Land. From the Moonlight Bridge, you can fully admire the beauty of the sunset on the Hoai River and the ancient town. This is also a beautiful sunset check-in spot that you definitely should not miss.

16. Dance in Pubs by the riverside

Hoi An not only has ancient beauty but is also home to a vibrant nightlife. After a long day of sightseeing and taking photos, it will be interesting if you visit the Pubs located by the riverside. Live music, sparkling lights and a fun atmosphere create a great entertainment experience.

17. Savoring Mango cake - street food in Hoi An

A special feature of Hoi An is its delicious street food. On that list, Mango cake is a dish that cannot be missed. Even though it's called Mango cake, there's no mango inside. Mango cake is actually made from glutinous rice flour with a filling of peanuts and sesame seeds. People call it mango cakes simply because their appearance resembles a mango.

18. Taking Vintage-Style Wedding Photos

Hoi An is so beautiful and picturesque in every street corner, even a narrow alley with just two rustic yellow walls is enough for the couple to capture amazing wedding photos. The time-stained architecture in the ancient town and traditional costumes will create wedding photos with strong Vietnamese identity. If you couple are lovers of Vietnamese history and culture, this will be an ideal place to mark the meaningful day you become a family.

At Hoi An Memories Land, there are also countless valuable check in corners, helping you and your loved one "pocket" hundreds of amazing wedding photo shoots. Accordingly, the couple can transform into historical characters with 1,001 new shooting angles of Hoi An Impression Park on the land. You can choose a Vietnamese or Chinese-style costume, no matter what style, Hoi An Memories Land is ready to please you.

19. Experience Pottery-Making

Hoi An is also famous for its pottery village. If you have a passion for shaping clay, you can join a pottery-making course here and experience the process of creating unique handmade works. The feeling of meticulously stroking every detail on the soft clay to create your own work will definitely be an interesting memory for you.

20. Buffalo Riding in Tra Que Village

Another one exciting experience on one of Hoi An festivals is riding water buffaloes in Tra Que village. This rustic and rural activity allows you to experience the life of local farmers and participate in taking care of buffaloes. This not only offers a new experience but also creates a valuable connection with the local community.

21. Lantern-Making at Tieng Vong street

If you're crafty and enjoy hands-on activities, trying to make lanterns on Tieng Vong street will provide you with memorable moments. Here, you can learn how to select paper, cut, and attach traditional motifs to lanterns. After completion, you can take your self-made lantern as a cherished souvenir.

22. Enjoy the basket rowing activity

Considered "the South in the heart of the ancient town" - Bay Mau coconut forest in Cam Thanh commune is an ideal rendezvous for tourists to experience exciting basket rowing activities. Accordingly, you will float on the river with a basket boat, learn how to row a boat, and immerse yourself in the lush greenery of the vast nipa palm forest. Coming to Cam Thanh, you can completely let go of all pressure so you can let your soul wander and inhale fresh air.

23. Visit the famous Cau Pagoda

Lying across a small branch of the Thu Bon River, Cau Pagoda brings a sense of peace to the human soul. And when night falls, this temple becomes sparkling under the shimmering lights. With a sparkling and enchanting space, visitors can forget all the pressures and worries of daily life. Tourists can wander the ancient town and visit the temple to immerse themselves in the special quiet atmosphere of this place.

24. Puppet shows

If you don't know, Hoi An is also famous for its traditional water puppetry. At some traditional restaurants and stages, you have the opportunity to watch unique puppet shows. Water puppetry shows stories of Vietnamese history and culture through uniquely designed puppets and the skilled performances of artists. This is considered a special and colorful cultural experience in Hoi An.

25. Enjoy the “Hoi An Memories Show" - one of the most impressive cultural Hoi An festivals you must-try

Located on a green pearl called Hoi An Memories Land, the Hoi An Memories Show has become a cultural symbol of Hoi An city. First performed on March 18, 2018, Hoi An Memories Show quickly created a big buzz and was also known as the largest real scene art performance in the world.
Hoi An Memories show has become a destination not to be missed when coming to Hoi An

Accordingly, Hoi An Memories was considered the largest outdoor real scene show in Vietnam at the time of launch, bringing the audience an extremely memorable "visual feast". The show's stage has a grand scale with a backdrop that recreates the typical architecture of Hoi An such as ancient tiled roofs, mossy yellow walls, bridges, etc. The point worth mentioning here is that the models and props used in the show are all designed with a 1:1 ratio, giving viewers the most realistic and vivid experiences. The program has more than 500 actors participating and has a 25,000 square meter stage, nearly 1 km long, with an outdoor sound and lighting system of international standards. Thanks to the elaborate staging, this real scene show was recognized by Guinness Vietnam and was also shown at Times Square - the symbol of New York on March 14, 2019.

In the real scene show “Hoi An Memories”, you will enjoy 5 performances in turn: Life, Wedding, Lights and Sea, Integration and Ao Dai. Each performance will contain a story imbued with the culture and history of the heritage land, gradually taking you from feelings of excitement to nostalgia and pride.

Today, the show has attracted more than 1,000,000 spectators, turning Hoi An Memories into the first art show in Vietnam recognized by Guinness with two records: Daily scene show has the largest number of actors and the largest outdoor performance stage.

You can buy tickets at Hoi An Memories Land's official website or contact hotline 1900 63 66 00 - 0904 636 600 for the most specific advice.

>> Learn more: Explore 5 performances of the Hoi An Memories show

The Hoi An Memories show owns a 25,000 square meter stage

In addition to the 25 outstanding Hoi An festivals mentioned above, Hoi An also contains countless other wonderful things that you can enjoy. You can refer to the suggestions above or you can completely design your own perfect plan to personalize your trip to Hoi An. Wishing you will have moments of relaxation and comfort when coming to this peaceful land of the Central region.

>> Learn more: Explore the detailed ticket prices for the impressive Hoi An show.