Hoi An family guide

Top things to do in Hoi An with kids

1. Ancient Town ticket walk Ages 5+

   The 120,000 VND ticket for visitors 15 and over covers entry to five sites such as old merchant houses, assembly halls and the restored Japanese Covered Bridge; younger children are usually free. Go before 10:00 when the lanes are calm and cool.

2. Lantern boat on the Thu Bon River Ages 3+

   After dark, hire a small wooden boat for a 15-20 minute ride and let children float a paper lantern with a candle on the water. Expect about 150,000-250,000 VND per boat; agree the price before you board.

3. Basket boats in Cam Thanh Ages 4+

   In the coconut-palm waterway of Cam Thanh, local rowers spin round bamboo basket boats and show children how to catch crabs and make grass toys. Rides cost roughly 100,000-200,000 VND per person; skip the loud music stretches by asking for a quieter route.

4. Cycle to Tra Que vegetable village Ages 6+

   Ride about 3 km on flat lanes to this organic herb village, where farmers let children water plants with traditional shoulder-pole cans. Bikes are often free at homestays or about 30,000-50,000 VND a day.

5. Lantern-making workshop Ages 6+

   In a 1-2 hour class children stretch coloured silk over a bamboo frame and take home their own folding lantern. Workshops in the old town cost about 150,000-300,000 VND per person and run in any weather.

Rainy-day and cold-day options

• Family cooking class

  Many classes start with a market visit and let children roll fresh spring rolls and fold pancakes indoors.

• Precious Heritage Museum

  A free gallery of large portraits of Vietnam's ethnic groups, with traditional costumes on display beside them.

• Traditional Arts Performance House

  Short folk music and dance shows several times a day, included in the Ancient Town ticket.

A simple first day

Morning

Walk the Ancient Town early and visit the Japanese Covered Bridge before the heat.

Afternoon

Rest, then cycle to An Bang Beach for a swim and fresh coconuts.

Evening

Float a paper lantern from a boat and browse the night market across the river.

Getting around

Fly into Da Nang, about 45 minutes away by Grab or pre-booked car. In town, walk the old town and use bikes or Grab for Tra Que, Cam Thanh and An Bang Beach, all within about 5 km.

Food kids like

Try cao lầu noodles, white rose dumplings and a famous bánh mì; com gà, Hoi An chicken rice, is a safe favourite for fussy eaters. Locals eat lunch around 11:00-13:00, and evening street food along the river starts at dusk.

What Hoi An costs for a family

About 1,800,000-3,000,000 VND (about €60-100) a day for a family of four, excluding lodging.

Eat at Hoi An Central Market food stalls and borrow your homestay's bikes; a family can eat very well for under 400,000 VND. Prices are typical ranges checked for 2025–2026; confirm current prices before you book.

Safety notes

• Motorbikes fill the streets outside car-free hours, so cross slowly and steadily without running, and hold children's hands on Tran Phu and the riverside.
• Do not drink tap water; use bottled or filtered water, and from May to August plan outdoor time early because midday heat often passes 35 °C.
• October and November bring heavy rain and river floods that can enter the old town, and the sea at An Bang is rough from October to February.