A Complete Guide to Hội An, Vietnam
65% food, 35% everything else
Hello friends! Happy weekend! Welcome to my sixth and final Vietnamese travel guide for the foreseeable future: A Complete Guide to Hội An! This post is absolutely and positively WELL overdue, but oh well! In case you missed it, back in September of last year, Husband and I spent two weeks slowly travelling between Hanoi, Hội An, and Huế, and it was so lovely! Each of the cities were so different from each other, and we found this to be especially true of Hội An! The pace of life felt delightfully slower here, with a much more laid-back and carefree attitude, and the place had an almost island vibe about it - if you get me? It was so relaxing! Shall we get into it?
But first! If you’re new around here or you somehow missed the first five posts, I gotchu: Two Weeks in Vietnam | Our Itinerary & Top Tips / Four Days in Hanoi / A Food & Drink Guide to Hanoi / 5 Things to See in Huế / A Food & Drink Guide to Huế.
Everything we know and love about Hội An is detailed below, divided into the usual breakdown; getting there / where we stayed / where we had coffee / where we ate / where we drank alcohol / where we tourist-ed. Yep, she’s a biggie! Such a biggie, in fact, that if you’re reading this in your email inbox, you might notice an abrupt cut-off before you can read to the very bottom where I sign off and have related posts. If that is indeed the case, click ‘view entire message’ to go through to the webpage version!
Enjoy, friends!
getting there
Hội An was the second city we visited during our two week stint in Vietnam; we made our way there from Hanoi, and then we moved on towards Huế. Here’s how we tackled the journeys!
for ease, we decided to fly from Hanoi’s Nội Bài airport to Đà Nẵng. Our flight, which was operated by Vietnam Airlines, lasted about 1-hour and 20-minutes and was very comfortable! You can take a bus or a train between the two cities, but I believe they take between 15-18 hours, so it’s not great. If you’re interested, more info on that here.
from Đà Nẵng airport, we took a private car transfer all the way to our hotel in Hội An. This journey took about 40-minutes door to door, and the entire thing was organized by our hotel in Hội An before we arrived. There are, of course, buses that run between Đà Nẵng airport and Hội An, but we’ll take a cheap air-conditioned car journey over a sweaty bus any day! If you are so inclined, here’s some info about the bus journey!
for our journey onwards to Huế, we opted for another private car transfer organized by our hotel. The drive between the cities took 3-ish hours all in, and brought us along some exceptionally scenic roads — namely, the Hải Vân Pass! You can read more about that part of our journey here.
where we stayed
HỘI AN GOLDEN HOTEL HOTEL & SPA
OUR RATING: 9.9/10
ADDRESS: 467 Đ. Hai Bà Trưng, Tân An, Hội An
NEARBY FOODIE STOP: Sip Hoi An for brunch/cocktails is just a 2-minute walk away, and Trà sữa Xum-Mờ (Summer) coffee shop is a 1-minute stroll! More info on both spots below.
The perfect hotel for our time in Hội An! We spent four nights there, booked into one of their ‘deluxe double rooms with balcony’, and it was just what we needed! Spacious, clean, with an absolutely ginormous bed, and a cute balcony with table & chairs overlooking the pool area.
PROS: there was a wonderful breakfast buffet available, as well as a hot-food counter where they whipped up made-to-order items like pancakes and omelettes etc. This was definitely the best pool of our trip, with gorgeous waterside daybeds. There were free bicycles to borrow if you weren’t up for the walk into town! We personally didn’t use the hotel bicycles — but I’m listing it as a pro regardless. Lastly, the staff were all super lovely; at breakfast each morning they would walk around & mingle with guests, making sure everyone was happy and had everything they needed etc. — it definitely felt like a level up from the service everywhere else.
CONS: sliiiightly further away from town than we would’ve liked — about a 15-minute stroll? The walk was flat and easy, but the heat when we visited was no joke, so being that little further outside of town meant we were reluctant to go exploring willy-nilly. Other than that, no complaints!
where we had coffee
The Espresso Station // such an adorable little spot, tucked away down a crazy maze of tiny backstreets. We both opted for a ‘magic coffee’; Husband had it hot, I had it iced, and both were great! Strong, punchy, and flavourful. Not exactly sure why it was called magic coffee, but it sure sounds cool! Address: 28/2 Trần Hưng Đạo, Sơn Phong, Hội An
Moments Hoi An // I don’t know if you can tell from the sheer amount of condensation from the photo below — but it was HOT when we visited this spot. Neither of us could bear the thought of coffee, so we opted for ice cold glasses of sparkling water and mango juice; both were delightfully refreshing. We spent a little while chilling out - literally, under the air-con - in the cute cafe, watching many an influencer pose for photos at the adorable seating outside. Would recommend. Address: 47 Lê Lợi, Phường Minh An, Hội An
Cello Cafe // we walked past this spot every day on our way back to the hotel and it was so cute we eventually decided to stop in. We both went for a hot black coffee, and it was so lovely! The staff were super friendly, and we lucked out by nabbing the table right at the front, facing out onto the chaos of the fruit market across the street. We also got the distinct impression that this was a very laptop-friendly place to perhaps work away in for a while, which is nice. Would recommend. Address: 80 Đinh Tiên Hoàng, Sơn Phong, Hội An
Trà sữa Xum-Mờ (Summer) // another spot on our daily route, this place was packed every single time we walked passed, be it first thing the the morning or late at night? When we stopped it, I went for an iced cappuccino, Husband went rogue and ordered an espresso, and we shared a chocolate donut with sprinkles between us; everything was good, but the donut stole the show! Cute space, and, similar to the above, would be a nice space to work in. Address: 477 Đ. Hai Bà Trưng, Tân An, Hội An
where we ate
For such a relatively small city, the food scene in Hội An is hopping! We ate so many delicious things over the course of our four days in town, and, as a result, there are a lottt of places listed below! For ease, I’ve divided everything up into the following sections: breakfast / bánh mì / lunch / dinner / ice-cream.
PS: hope you weren’t planning to read this on an empty stomach!
breakfast
Sip Hoi An Brunch & Cocktail Bar // such a gorgeous spot! Literally a 2-minute walk from our hotel, above, we stopped in here for brunch one morning. I went for their feta + avocado poached eggs on toast with an iced cappuccino. Husband went for their huevos rancheros complete with fried homemade tortilla chips, Bolognese, and fried egg with a hot black coffee; both were great, but Husband’s was the clear winner. Added bonus: the space itself was stunning! There were many a cosy nook to choose from, the ambience was lovely, the staff were super friendly, and in the evenings it turns into a cocktail bar! See also: where we drank cocktails, below. Would recommend. Address: 14 Tuệ Tĩnh, Tân An, Hội An
Rosie’s Cafe // another adorable buzzy spot! We stopped here on our way into town one day with the intention of only having coffee — but the food looked so good we decided what the heck! Seeing as it was our second breakfast of the morning, we opted to share a plate of their French toast, which came piled high with fruit, ice cream, biscuit crumbs & syrup etc.; it was superb! The coffee was also great - iced cappuccino per me, hot black for Husband - our waitress was lovely and chatty, and the whole place was just very pretty. Would recommend. Address: 02 Mạc Đĩnh Chi, Cẩm Sơn, Hội An
bánh mì
Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen // our favourite bánh mì in town! This was actually the very first place we ate at in Hội An and it was delicious! We both went for the BBQ pork bánh mì without egg - no. 6 on the menu - and Bia Saigon to drink. I’m not exaggerating when I say that I think we had an almost spiritual experience when we took our first bites. It was so! good! All the usuals were in there - pickles, papaya, carrots, chili, etc. - and they were perfectly crunchy, light & refreshing! A must visit. Address: 115 Đ. Trần Cao Vân, Phường Minh An, Hội An
Bánh Mì Phượng // another really very good spot for a bánh mì! Made famous by Anthony Bourdain’s visit for S5 of No Reservations - during which he referred to his bánh mì as “a symphony in a sandwich” - this is a very busy little spot! We stopped in for a quick bite and decided to share no. 5 on the menu - no surprises here, the BBQ pork bánh mì without egg but with all other trimmings; sorry/not sorry - and a soda each; it was delicious! If we hadn’t already eaten at the spot above we might have been more impressed, but this is definitely a second place spot for us. Would recommend. Address: 2b Đ. Phan Chu Trinh, Cẩm Châu, Hội An
lunch
Masa Taqueria // apparently we’re always on the hunt for great Mexican food in unusual places, first Kyoto and now Hội An! Pleased to report, everything we ate here was wonderful! Between us, we devoured both al pastor and carne asada tacos, a heaped plate of freshly-fried piping hot sugary churros with chocolate sauce, and a bottle of Bia Saigon each. Everything was delicious, but the churros stole the show! Pro tip: there’s a fantastic evening-only cocktail bar located above Masa that’s definitely not to be missed! See also: where we drank cocktails, below. Would recommend. Address: 38 Đ. Phan Chu Trinh, Phường Minh An, Hội An
The Hill Station Deli & Boutique // the cutest spot! Slightly out of the way of the main thoroughfare in the old town, hunting this place down is definitely worth it; we really enjoyed our lunch here! Between us, we shared a small charcuterie board - which came with salami, chorizo, speck, a few pickle-ey accompaniments like olives etc., and a basket of bread & crackers - and we had a Huda beer each. Friends, the food far exceeded our expectations! I never would’ve thought we’d be eating charcuterie boards in Vietnam, but it was so delicious! Added bonus: the space itself is also lovely, and if you’re lucky like we were, you might get to nab the table at the front window for some prime people-watching! A must visit. Address: 321 Nguyễn Duy Hiệu, Cẩm Châu, Hội An
Goodmorning Vietnam // as part of my never-ending quest for great pizza in every country we visit, we stopped here for lunch and were very pleasantly surprised! Along with a couple bottles of Bia Saigon, we shared a medium pepperoni pizza - not to mention the ton of addictive rosemary/sea-salt breadsticks we ate while we waited - and it was so delicious! Woodfired, with a thin base and a delightfully chewy crust — generous with the pepperoni too! Would recommend. Address: 11 Lê Lợi, Phường Minh An, Hội An
dinner
Êm - Comfort Food // my favourite dinner in Hội An! The heavens opened on the night we dined here and for some reason that’s made my memory of the meal even tastier? We had a seat just inside the front door and I loved being able to watch the storm develop from our dry vantage point. Food and drink wise, we went for: some Bia Saigon, a basil chicken stir-fry to start, and one cao lầu - Hội An’s signature dish, comprising of thiccc chewy noodles, BBQ pork, lettuce + herbs, crunchy cubes of what Google says are fried noodles, and a tiny amount of broth -, and stir-fry beef noodle to share for mains. Everything was perfectly fresh & flavoursome, but the cao lầu was the highlight; what a revelation! A must visit. Address: 54/2 Đ. Phan Chu Trinh, Phường Minh An, Hội An
Miss Ly // Husband’s favourite dinner in Hội An, and a very close second for me! Again, we got three things to share: crispy fried pork spring rolls to start, and then cao lầu and egg-fried rice with pork for mains. Together with a couple of Biere Larue, we devoured every crumb on the table! Fried pork spring rolls will always be the meal highlight for me, but Husband’s highlight was the cao lầu, which he thought was slightly better than the above! Another must visit. Address: 22 Nguyễn Huệ, Cẩm Châu, Hội An
Morning Glory Original // a Hội An institution of sorts! We booked a table at the ‘Original’ restaurant right in the centre of the old town and the location was stunning(!), but I’ve also read that the ‘Signature’ location is gorgeous if you want to overlook the waterfront! Seeing as this was our last meal in town, we decided to go all out and share: BBQ pork with rice paper - which was almost like DIY spring rolls with spicy veg/lettuce/and very good charred pork -, Hội An chicken rice, five-spice pork belly with sticky coconut rice that came with this great coleslaw of sorts, and a side of morning glory greens. The whole meal was incredible, but the five-spice pork belly was especially melt-in-the-mouth amazing! Another must visit. Address: 106 Nguyễn Thái Học, Phường Minh An, Hội An
Casablanca Restaurant & Bar // we ate here on our first night in town out of sheer exhaustion, and, while we aren’t necessarily proud of it, the food was actually pretty decent! We ate our cheeseburger & fries at the bar, wallowing in a puddle of shame for eating at an English-owned burger place that so clearly caters to tourists. Like I said, it actually was pretty good — but if you’re Hội An bound, please be better than us and go eat somewhere local. Address: 515 Đ. Hai Bà Trưng, Phường Cẩm Phổ, Hội An
ice-cream
Boulevard Gelato II - Hội An // a solid ice-cream option! We both went for a cone of hazelnut gelato, and, while it was no Italian masterpiece, it was far too hot to care about such things. This is the address of the exact one we went to, but we noticed a couple BG storefronts dotted around town, so an ice-cold treat is never far away 😉 Address: 730 Đ. Hai Bà Trưng, Old Town, Hội An
where we had cocktails
Mezcal Cocteleria // maybe one of my favourite bar experiences ever? The night we visited, a crazy thunderstorm had broken out & the rain was pelting down relentlessly. We’d run across town to get there, were soaked to the skin and dripping everywhere —it was so ridiculous and maddening, and yet also hilarious and magical. Delirious with gratitude to be indoors, we chose two exotic drinks to start - one La Golosina, made with guajillo chili and(!) catarina chili-infused tequilas, and one Amigos Extraños, made with chipotle and all-spice-infused tequilas with a smoky spray of Laphroaig scotch - and my goodness, they were SPICY! Happy to have tried them, but not crazy enough to order the same again, we opted for the safer option of two classic margs next, and they were such easy drinking in comparison. We also ordered a bowl of totopos and pico di gallo to munch away on, and they were delightfully fresh & crunchy. Added bonus(es): the vibe was amazing, the staff are lovely, there’s free popcorn, the lighting is moody, and there are cute candles in every possible nook & cranny. Honestly, it was the perfect place to shelter from the storm. See also: where we had lunch, above. A must visit. Address: 38 Đ. Phan Chu Trinh, Phường Minh An, Hội An
Sip Hoi An Brunch & Cocktail Bar // so good we stopped by twice! Our first time was actually their first night opening for cocktails, but we were really impressed! We sat at the bar and sampled a salty margarita, an espresso martini, and old fashioned between us; everything was expertly mixed and beyond delicious! My fave was hands-down the espresso martini - which was mixed with cream!! - and Husband adored the smoothness of his old fashioned. On our return visit, during which the only new drink we tried was a whiskey sour for me, we were just as impressed as the first time! See also: where we had brunch, above. A must visit. Address: 14 Tuệ Tĩnh, Tân An, Hội An
where we tourist-ed
To be frank, we didn’t actually do a whole lot of tourist-ing when we were in Hội An. We wandered around doing some casual mooching and general laid-back exploring — but that’s mostly what Hội An is about. You don’t go there because you want to do and see loads of tourist attractions. You go there for some light culturing, sure — but it’s mostly about the food, and spending as much time as possible at the pool.
With that sentiment in mind, listed below are the handful of spots we stumbled across on our wanders.
Chùa Cầu Phố Cổ // aka, Hội An’s pride and joy: the Japanese covered Bridge! Dating back to the late 16th century, the bridge, which is located smack bang in the centre of the UNESCO certified old town, is the city’s most well-known landmark. While it was pretty(-ish?) to look at and fun to wander across and explore the areas on both sides, we didn’t really get what all the fuss was about? Fun Fact: the Japanese Bridge is such a beloved Vietnamese site that it’s depicted on the ₫20,000 note! Fun! Address: 186 Trần Phú, Phường Minh An, Hội An
Cổng Chùa Bà Mụ // potentially the most gorgeous temple gate we’ve ever seen? In truth, we actually stumbled across this purely by accident when exploring one evening — but look how pretty! The internet has informed me that the temple that once stood behind the gates has been demolished and only the gate + lotus pond remain today. A peaceful spot to stroll around! Would recommend. Address: 675 Đ. Hai Bà Trưng, Old Town, Hội An
Hội An Night Market // friends, if I can convince you to do anything in Hội An, please let it be this! Right before the sun sets, make your way down to the riverbank in the old town and cherry-pick a good people-watching spot for yourself. As soon as the sun dips below the horizon and there’s even a hint of darkness in the air, locals begin lighting the lanterns on the riverboats and the whole place turns into such a romantic, colourful, and truly charming little place! We wandered along the waterfront/market area watching the magic unfold every evening of our stay, and it somehow got more mesmerizing each time. A must visit. Address: Nguyễn Hoàng, Phường Minh An, Hội An
Hội An Old Town // easily the most beautiful part of the city! While arguably the nicest area to wander around in any city, the old town of Hội An was an especially beautiful one! We spent many an hour here, meandering along the brightly painted streets, admiring the gorgeous bougainvillea trees taking over entire buildings, exploring every nook & cranny to the best of our abilities while simultaneously trying not to pass out from sun stroke, etc. Fun fact: Hội An’s old town is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site! A must visit. Address: Hội An Ancient Town, Hội An
Hội Quán Phước Kiến // according to the internet, this was built as a spiritual centre and community space for Chinese locals back in the 17th-century. We didn’t actually get to step inside the gate because it was ticketed and oh my lord it was too hot to be out admiring temples anyway — but we did think it was a pretty cool looking building! Address: 46 Trần Phú, Cẩm Châu, Hội An
And there we have it! My sixth and final Vietnam travel guide: A Complete Guide to Hội An! What did you think? Have you visited the most chillaxed little city in Vietnam? As always, I’d love to hear any thoughts or comments!
Happy planning!
Vicki xo
*Date of trip: 11th - 15th September, 2024*
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