District · Hoi An
Old town westPhố cổ – Chùa Cầu
Covered Bridge, merchant houses, the quietest yellow lanes. Car-free at set hours.
Key facts
- Suits
- Dawn walks, first visit
- Sights here
- 3
- Eats here
- 6
What it's like
- Feels:
- Yellow walls, the bridge, merchant houses
- Suits:
- Dawn walks, first visit
- Best time:
- 06:30–08:306:30 AM–8:30 AM
- Watch out for:
- 10:00–16:00.
- In short:
- Covered Bridge, merchant houses, the quietest yellow lanes. Car-free at set hours.
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 westPhố cổ – Chùa Cầu
seeeat
Covered Bridge, merchant houses, the quietest yellow lanes. Car-free at set hours.
Suits: Dawn walks, first visit
On the map: Japanese Covered Bridge, Tân Kỳ Old House
District guideWalk: Ancient Town west (Covered Bridge end)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.
- Japanese Covered BridgeBook a time
The town's symbol: cross it 06:30–08:00 or after 19:00 for photos without a crowd; the small pagoda inside is one of the old-town ticket stops, and the 2024 restoration left it brighter than old photos.
- Hours:
- Visiting hours by day; the bridge is photographed at any hour.(check)
- Entry:
- about ₫120,000 (≈ US$5) (2026 estimate)
- An Hội Night Market and lantern boatsBook a time
An hour after dark: lantern stalls and snacks on Nguyễn Hoàng, then a 15-minute rowing boat on the river to float a paper lantern; agree the boat price per boat, not per person.
- Hours:
- Evenings.(check)
- Entry:
- ₫150,000–200,000 (≈ US$6–8) (2026 estimate)
- Tân Kỳ Old HouseBook a time
Fifteen minutes in a lived-in 18th-century merchant house: Japanese, Chinese and Vietnamese joinery and the flood marks on the wall; go early, it is small and fills with groups.
- Hours:
- Day hours.(check)
- Entry:
- One old-town ticket stop (check)
Eat
What to order and what locals pay, from each eat page. Prices are estimates; check the menu.
- Bale Well (Giếng Bá Lễ)
A lane restaurant by one of Hội An's old wells that serves one set menu — bánh xèo, lemongrass pork skewers, spring rolls and greens you roll yourself in rice paper; go at 17:00–18:00 before the evening queue and bring an appetite.
Order: Bánh xèo: Tear into pieces for rolling.
Price: The set price per person on the menu board.
- Bánh Mì Madam Khánh (Trần Cao Vân)
The 'bánh mì queen's' saucier version on a quiet street west of the old town; a good breakfast on the way to the Covered Bridge.
Order: Không cay: Add if you want no chilli.
Price: Posted price.
- Cao lầu Thanh (Thái Phiên)
A small family shop that does little but cao lầu, Hội An's chewy pork noodle: go mid-morning to early afternoon, order one bowl each, and eat it the local way with a squeeze of lime and a spoon of chilli.
Order: Cao lầu: One bowl each.
Price: The price on the wall or the one the owner says.
- Cơm gà Bà Buội (Phan Châu Trinh)
Hội An chicken rice — turmeric rice, shredded chicken, papaya, herbs — at the old family shop; lunch before 13:00, when it can sell out.
Order: Cơm gà: Xé = shredded; đùi = leg.
Price: Menu on the wall.
- Morning Glory (Nguyễn Thái Học)
The easy sit-down introduction to central Vietnamese street dishes in a restored house, with an English menu and air-conditioning; book dinner in high season.
Order: Cao lầu: The must-order local noodle.
Price: Tourist restaurant prices; tax may be added.
- Mót Hội An (herbal drink stall)
A cold lemongrass-and-herb drink with a lotus flower on top from the tiny shop on Trần Phú; the heat-hour stop everyone photographs, 5 minutes.
Order: Nước mót: Ask 'ít đường' for less sugar.
Price: Posted price.
Getting there and around
Where to get off
- Walk over the An Hội bridge from Bạch Đằng · for An Hội Night Market and lantern boats
- West end of Trần Phú / Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai (walk; the old town is car-free at set hours) · for Japanese Covered Bridge
- 101 Nguyễn Thái Học · for Tân Kỳ Old House
- Lane off Trần Hưng Đạo near Phan Châu Trinh, by the Bá Lễ well (check address) · 6 min walk to Bale Well (Giếng Bá Lễ)
Walks inside the district
- Bánh Mì Madam Khánh → Japanese Covered Bridge: 7–10 min on foot (Walk south to the bridge)
- Japanese Covered Bridge → Tân Kỳ Old House: 3–5 min on foot (Walk east on Nguyễn Thái Học)
- Japanese Covered Bridge → An Hội Night Market: 5–8 min on foot (Over the An Hội bridge)
- Tân Kỳ Old House → Morning Glory: 1–2 min on foot (Next door)
- Japanese Covered Bridge → Mót Hội An: 3–5 min on foot (Walk east on Trần Phú)
On to the next area
- Walk east on Trần Phú: about 5 min to Ancient Town east (assembly halls and market)
- Walk over the An Hội bridge: about 5 min to An Hội islet and night market
- Bicycle or car north, 15–20 min: about 15 min to An Bàng beach
- Bicycle 15 min or car 8–10 min north: about 15 min to Trà Quế vegetable village
- Bicycle 15 min or car 8 min west: about 15 min to Thanh Hà pottery village
From other sleep areas
- From Old town edge: 6–10 min walk to Ancient Town west (Covered Bridge end)
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 44 min in all: 9 min on foot, the rest at the stops. 3 stops, back to where you started.
- Japanese Covered BridgeStart here · stop about 10 min
- Tân Kỳ Old House3 min walk · stop about 10 min
- Morning Glory (Nguyễn Thái Học)1 min walk · stop about 15 min (snack, or note it for later)
- Back to Japanese Covered Bridge: 5 min walk (estimate)
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 west (Covered Bridge end) route, about a half day. Best: 06:30–08:30 and after 17:30.
- Japanese Covered Bridge — Ticket stop; the pagoda inside.
- Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai — Quietest yellow-walled street.
- Tân Kỳ old house — Ticket stop; merchant house.
- Bạch Đằng riverside — Boats and lanterns at dusk.
In the day plans: Day 1 — Old town at dawn, market lunch, lanterns (Hội An in 2 days); Day 1 — West old town at dawn (Hội An in 3 days)
Photo and sunset spots
Light: 06:30–07:30
From Nguyễn Thị Minh Khai looking east, before the first groups.
An Hội Night Market and lantern boats
Light: 18:30–19:30
Old town lit, from the An Hội riverside.
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.
- Nguyễn Thái Học
- Trần Cao Vân
- Thái Phiên
- Phan Châu Trinh
- Trần Phú
- Hai Bà Trưng
Safety at night and noise
Old town westday: oknight: ok
Pickpockets in lantern crowds; bicycles in the lanes.
After dark (lively until about 22:00)After dark (lively until about 10:00 PM)
Lantern-lit streets, cafés, riverside boats.
Closed by then: Ticketed houses after about 17:30–18:00 (check).
Watch: Crowds on the Bạch Đằng riverside; boat touts.
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.