District · Hoi An
Old town eastPhố cổ – Hội quán
Assembly halls, central market, riverside restaurants.
Key facts
- Suits
- Halls and market
- Sights here
- 4
- Eats here
- 2
What it's like
- Feels:
- Guild halls, incense, market bustle
- Suits:
- Halls and market
- Best time:
- Morning
- Watch out for:
- Late afternoon.
- In short:
- Assembly halls, central market, riverside restaurants.
About these names
The old town sits on the north bank of the Thu Bồn, about 1 km long. An Hội islet faces it across a small bridge, Cẩm Nam island lies south over the river, and Cẩm Kim island to the west. Rice fields and hotels ring the town; Trà Quế is 3 km north, An Bàng beach 4 km north, Cẩm Thanh coconut forest 4–5 km east, Cửa Đại 5 km east and Thanh Hà pottery village 3 km west.
Where exactly
This district is highlighted. Shapes follow this guide's walking areas and places, not official boundaries.
Old town eastPhố cổ – Hội quán
seeeat
Assembly halls, central market, riverside restaurants.
Suits: Halls and market
On the map: Fujian Assembly Hall, Museum of Trade Ceramics, Quan Công Temple, Hội An Central Market
District guideWalk: Ancient Town east (assembly halls and market)In the districts table
Off the map: Đà Nẵng International Airport (DAD) for Hội An (45–60 min by the usual route).
Not drawn yet (no coordinates in this guide): Cẩm Nam and Cẩm Kim islands, Cửa Đại and the coast road. See the table above.
Where’s what, as a list:
- Old town west (Phố cổ – Chùa Cầu): Covered Bridge, merchant houses, the quietest yellow lanes. Car-free at set hours. Suits: Dawn walks, first visit.
- Old town east (Phố cổ – Hội quán): Assembly halls, central market, riverside restaurants. Suits: Halls and market.
- Old town edge: Hotels 5–15 min walk from the bridge, reachable by car; pools and free bikes. Suits: First visit, late arrivals. Price band $$.
- An Hội (Cồn An Hội): Night market, lantern boats, the old town lit across the river. Suits: Evenings.
- An Bàng (Biển An Bàng): Homestays and beach restaurants; 15–20 min by bike to town. Suits: Beach stays, long stays. Price band $$.
- Trà Quế and Cẩm Hà: Vegetable gardens between town and the beach; farm cooking classes. Suits: Cyclists, cooking classes.
- Cẩm Thanh: Rice-field villas and the water-coconut forest; quiet nights, every outing a ride. Suits: Rural villas, basket boats.
- Thanh Hà: Potters' village 3 km west on the river; not a base.Potters' village 1.9 mi west on the river; not a base. Suits: A pottery hour.
- Cẩm Nam and Cẩm Kim islands: Across the river: bánh đập and chè stalls on Cẩm Nam, carpentry village on Cẩm Kim. Suits: Local food, cycling.
- Cửa Đại and the coast road: Beach badly eroded in places; resorts run shuttles to town. Speedboats to Cù Lao Chàm leave from here. Suits: Resorts.
- Sleep area An Bàng beach village: suits Beach stays, long stays, price band $$.
- Sleep area Old town edge: suits First visit, late arrivals, price band $$.
- Đà Nẵng International Airport (DAD) for Hội An, 45–60 min by the usual route.
Stay here?
Not a base in this guide
See
Opening hours and prices from each place page; (check) means typical hours, not yet verified.
The grandest of the Chinese guild halls: gate, dragon fountain and the sea-goddess altar in 20 minutes; the best single use of an old-town ticket stop.
- Hours:
- Day hours.(check)
- Entry:
- One old-town ticket stop (check)
Twenty minutes in a restored two-storey merchant house with shipwreck ceramics that show why Hội An mattered; the upstairs balcony over Trần Phú is the calm spot in the old town.
- Hours:
- Day hours.(check)
- Entry:
- One old-town ticket stop (check)
Ten minutes in the 1650s temple to the loyal general Guan Yu, with his life-size red horse; it sits opposite the market, so pair it with a food-hall lunch.
- Hours:
- Day hours.(check)
- Entry:
- One old-town ticket stop (check)
- Hội An Central MarketBook a time
Morning market by the river: fish on the quay at dawn, produce in the lanes, and a covered food hall for cao lầu and mì Quảng at 11:00; fabric and tailors on the lanes behind.
- Hours:
- Early morning to afternoon.(check)
- Entry:
- Free
Eat
What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.
- Bánh Mì Phượng (2B Phan Châu Trinh)
The famous Hội An bánh mì: go before 10:00 or mid-afternoon to skip the queue, order the mixed (thập cẩm) and eat it walking to the river.
Order: Thập cẩm: The default.
Price: Same board price.
- Hội An Central Market food hall
Cheapest sit-down cao lầu and mì Quảng in the old town, under the market roof: go 10:30–13:00, ask the price at the counter, sit where you order.
Order: Cao lầu: Say 'một cao lầu'.
Price: ₫30,000–50,000 (≈ US$2).
Getting there and around
Where to get off
- 46 Trần Phú · for Fujian Assembly Hall
- Trần Phú / Bạch Đằng corner, east old town · for Hội An Central Market
- 80 Trần Phú · for Museum of Trade Ceramics
- 24 Trần Phú, opposite the central market · for Quan Công Temple
Walks inside the district
- Museum of Trade Ceramics → Fujian Assembly Hall: 2–4 min on foot (Walk east on Trần Phú)
- Fujian Assembly Hall → Quan Công Temple: 3–5 min on foot (Walk east on Trần Phú)
- Quan Công Temple → Hội An Central Market: 2–3 min on foot (Cross the road)
- Hội An Central Market → Market food hall: 2–3 min on foot (Into the food hall)
On to the next area
- Walk west on Trần Phú: about 5 min to Ancient Town west (Covered Bridge end)
- Bicycle or car east, 10–15 min: about 12 min to Cẩm Thanh coconut village
From other sleep areas
- From Old town edge: 8–12 min walk to Ancient Town east (assembly halls and market)
Minutes are this guide’s typical walking and ride times (p50–p90); traffic and heat stretch them.
Walking loop
A loop that starts and ends at the same place, through this district's sights and eats. Pick a length; download it for Organic Maps, OsmAnd or Google Earth.
About 50 min in all: 10 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 3 stops, back to where you started.
- Fujian Assembly HallStart here · stop about 15 min
- Museum of Trade Ceramics2 min walk · stop about 15 min
- Quan Công Temple5 min walk (estimate) · stop about 10 min
- Back to Fujian Assembly Hall: 3 min walk
Walking minutes come from this guide’s route graph where it has one; “estimate” means straight-line distance plus a quarter for street detours at an easy pace. Opening hours are not checked: look at “Open now” below before you set off.
Half-day walk
The Ancient Town east (assembly halls and market) route, about a half day. Best: 07:00–10:30.
- Fujian Assembly Hall — Ticket stop; dragon fountain.
- Museum of Trade Ceramics — Ticket stop; shipwreck ceramics.
- Quan Công Temple — Ticket stop; the red horse statues.
- Central market — Food hall at the back.
In the day plans: Day 2 — Halls, museum, market lunch (Hội An in 3 days)
Photo and sunset spots
Light: 05:30–07:00
Fish boats unloading at the quay.
Streets in this district
Street names that appear in the addresses of this district’s places and eats: useful to type into a map or show a driver.
- Trần Phú
- Phan Châu Trinh
Safety at night and noise
Old town east and marketday: oknight: ok
Delivery motorbikes at the market edge; wet floors.
After dark (lively until about 22:00)After dark (lively until about 10:00 PM)
Restaurants, riverside.
Closed by then: Halls and market after the afternoon.
Watch: Motorbikes at the market edge.
Nearby districts
Built from this guide’s Hoi An districts table, place, eat and sleep pages, route graph and city notes. Hours, prices and rules change: anything marked (check) is typical, not verified. checked: 2026-09.