Hoi An Night Market

Hoi An Night Market hours

There's no official timetable — the market is a collection of private stalls with no website. Going by local guides, vendors set up around 17:00, most stay until 22:00 and a few until 23:00. It runs every day of the week. Treat these times as unofficial, which is why they're marked checking.

Late evening isn't the best time: after 22:00 many stalls are packing away and the lantern choice shrinks. In a heavy downpour — central Vietnam's rainy season runs roughly September to December — some stalls don't set up at all. Around Tet, the Vietnamese New Year, the Old Town's evening programme can change, so check locally.

For context, the Old Town itself is officially a walking and cycling zone from 9:00 to 21:30 in summer and until 21:00 in winter; cars and motorbikes are kept out.

Where is the night market?

It runs along Nguyen Hoang Street on An Hoi islet, the south bank opposite the Old Town. Stand by the Japanese Covered Bridge and the market is straight across the water. You walk over via the An Hoi bridge, a footbridge from Bach Dang riverside (at Chau Thuong Van Street) to Nguyen Phuc Chu Street on the islet.

The water here is the Hoai, the branch of the Thu Bon that runs past the Old Town. The islet's riverside is lined with cafés and bars; the market itself is about 300 metres of stalls in two aisles. Food sits on the outer rows, souvenirs in the middle, and lantern sellers cluster at the bridge end.

By day Nguyen Hoang Street looks like any other — stalls appear around five. Spend the morning in the Old Town or at the Hoi An Central Market and cross to the islet for sunset.

Is Hoi An Night Market worth it?

Yes, if you're in Hoi An after dark: the stalls, the lanterns over the river and the boats are the scene the town is famous for. But honestly, as a shopping trip it's average. Many souvenirs are the same from stall to stall, plenty aren't made in Hoi An, and opening prices are pitched at tourists. Go for the atmosphere, the lanterns and the snacks.

Allow about an hour to walk the aisles, buy a lantern and eat; 90 minutes with a boat ride. On a day trip from Da Nang, save it for the end: Old Town and the Japanese Covered Bridge by day, An Hoi islet in the evening.

It's fine with kids — free, and children love the lanterns and boats. At peak hours keep small ones close: the bridge gets crowded and the water is right there.

What to buy

• Silk lanterns — the market's signature buy, in every shape and colour. Many fold flat into a disc that slips into a suitcase; ask the seller to show you how the frame pops open. As an unofficial guide, a small lantern shouldn't cost more than 100,000 VND.
• Silk and linen — scarves, shirts, dresses, bags. A lot of it is blended fabric rather than local handmade work; for tailoring, use an Old Town tailor shop instead.
• Small souvenirs — magnets, chopsticks, bamboo straws, embroidered purses, fans, postcards.
• Non la conical hats in different sizes and weaves.
• Jewellery in fabric, stone and bronze, and small figurines.
• Calligraphy and paintings — artists will brush your name or paint Hoi An scenes while you wait.

Street food to try

The outer rows are all street food: grilled pork and seafood skewers, banh trang nuong (a crisp grilled rice paper with egg and toppings, often sold as "Vietnamese pizza"), banh xeo crispy pancakes dipped in fish sauce, banh mi, banana pancakes and fresh fruit.

Look out for Hoi An's own cao lau noodles with pork and herbs, and for sweet che made with beans and coconut milk, rolled ice cream and silky tofu pudding. Most dishes cost roughly 20,000–50,000 VND (unofficial).

Pick stalls cooking to order on a hot grill and those with Vietnamese customers. The market is best for grazing; for a proper dinner, head to an Old Town restaurant or a café on the islet's riverside.

Lantern boat rides on the Thu Bon river

The real magic is on the river. Wooden boats hung with lanterns wait at jetties along Bach Dang riverside and by the An Hoi bridge. A boatman rows you out for about 15–20 minutes, and you set a paper lotus lantern with a candle on the water and make a wish.

The fare is per boat, not per person, and up to five people fit in one boat. In 2022 Hoi An officials, quoted by the newspaper Báo Văn Hóa, gave 150,000 VND for 1–3 people and 200,000 VND for 4–5; recent guides quote 170,000 and 220,000. Treat these as unofficial: check the price board at the jetty and agree the fare before you step in. Paper lanterns are sold separately on the bank for roughly 5,000–20,000 VND.

Boats run roughly 16:00 to 21:30. Right after sunset is best, when the lanterns are lit over the water. If you'd rather not ride, you can float a lantern from the riverside steps.

Full moon lantern night

Once a lunar month, on the 14th day — the eve of the full moon — street lighting in the Old Town is switched off and the lanes and river are lit by lanterns and candles alone. This is the "lantern festival" guidebooks talk about: more lanterns on the water, folk music and games in the streets.

The date moves every month because it follows the lunar calendar, so check which calendar day the 14th lunar day falls on during your stay. The blackout and programme details are unofficial; your hotel will know the exact evening.

Expect about double the usual crowd at the river and on the An Hoi bridge, and boats fill fast. Arrive before dark if you want a ride.

How to haggle and pay

Bargaining is expected on clothes, bags, jewellery and souvenirs; the first price is a tourist price. Guides suggest offering about half and meeting somewhere in the middle. If the number doesn't work, smile and walk on — the next stall sells the same thing.

Don't buy at the first stall: walk the whole market first. Stalls near the entrance tend to ask more. Food isn't haggled — prices are usually written up. Some lantern sellers ask a small fee for photos if you don't buy, so ask first.

Pay in cash — stalls rarely take cards. Carry small notes of 10,000–50,000 VND, as change for big notes is hard to find. Foreign Visa and Mastercard work in hotels and larger restaurants, not at market stalls.

Hoi An's night markets compared

They're 10–15 minutes' walk apart. If the main market is jammed, go to Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa for food.

Hoi An after dark: compare and choose

Evening spots in Hoi An scored by YesGo. Tap a column header to sort.

Nearby and on your route

40

Japanese Covered Bridge

Hoi An, Vietnam

20 min · Old Town ticket: 80,000–120,000 VND · 3 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Japanese Covered Bridge

39

Tan Ky Old House

Hoi An, Vietnam

20 min · One Old Town ticket coupon · 4 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Tan Ky Old House

34

Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An, Vietnam

3 h · 80,000–120,000 VND; streets free · 6 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Hoi An Ancient Town

44

Hoi An Central Market

Hoi An, Vietnam

45 min · Free entry · 10 min walk

Yes — add to my route: Hoi An Central Market

How to do it right

• Arrive at 17:30–18:00: stalls are open and the crowds haven't hit yet.
• Walk the whole market before buying; stalls deeper in bargain more readily.
• Open at about half the asking price; a small lantern rarely needs to cost more than 100,000 VND.
• Ask for a folding lantern — it packs flat for the flight home.
• Agree the boat fare before boarding; it's per boat, up to five people.
• Small notes (10,000–50,000 VND) save time at every stall.
• A drink at a riverside café on the islet gives the lantern view without the crush.

Questions