Hoi An is the town travellers always tell me they wish they’d given more time. Two days is enough for a wonderful taste — here is how I’d spend them.
Day one — old town and tailors
Start early, before the heat and the crowds, wandering the honey-coloured streets of the Ancient Town. Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge, slip into a couple of the old merchant houses, and pause for a Vietnamese coffee by the river.
Late morning is the time to see a tailor if you’d like something made — Hoi An is famous for it. Choose your fabric and have your measurements taken early so there’s time for a fitting before you leave.
- Try a bowl of cao lau, the local noodle dish you’ll only find here.
- Keep the afternoon gentle — a bike ride out to the rice paddies or An Bang beach.
Day one, evening — lanterns
After dark the town transforms. Thousands of silk lanterns glow along the river, and you can float a paper lantern from a little wooden boat. It is touristy and utterly magical at the same time — lean into it.
Day two — a cooking class
My favourite half-day in Hoi An is a cooking class that starts at the morning market. You’ll learn to pick herbs and produce like a local, then cook a handful of classic dishes and eat the results. It’s hands-on, social, and you’ll take the recipes home.
Spend your last afternoon doing very little — a massage, a riverside café, a final wander. If you have a third day, Hue’s imperial sights and the beaches of Da Nang are both an easy drive away.
Want me to weave a couple of nights in Hoi An into a longer central-Vietnam trip? Just ask — it’s one of my favourite routes to plan.