If you’ve ever seen the pictures and footage of the old town, you will see the image of Hoai River appearing quite a lot. Hoi An Hoai River with mossy tiled roofs, ancient houses have become an inseparable feature of Hoi An town. Not noisy, it is like a “village elder” who has lived quietly for many generations, contributing to the poetic and romantic beauty of this place.
To help visitors better understand this place, danangprivatecar.com will share all the information about it right below.
A brief introduction about Hoi An Hoai River
Where is Hoai River located, is it near the old town?
Hoai River is a small tributary of Thu Bon river, located in An Hoi ward, Hoi An city, Quang Nam. The river is winding in the heart of the old town, as a living witness to the formation and development of this urban area.
At the same time, Hoai River also plays an important role in the lives of local people as well as tourism in Hoi An. Becoming a famous place that almost everyone visits every time they have the opportunity to visit the old town.
What is beautiful about Hoi An Hoai River?
Referring to Hoi An tourism, visitors are often impressed with the nostalgic beauty of ancient Asian architectural works. Then Hoai River just quietly lies next to it, adorning that beauty. Although quite “settled”, anyone who sees it must admire its gentle and poetic beauty.
The old old houses, the old architectural works are reflected on the surface, creating a charming watercolor picture. Although quietly and quietly during the day, at night the river becomes much more bustling and crowded.
Are Hoi An Hoai River and Thu Bon River the same?
As mentioned, Hoai River is just a small tributary of Thu Bon River, so it’s not one. These two rivers have their own characteristics that you can distinguish.
Thu Bon River has a larger area. You will easily see it when walking along Bach Dang Street and Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa Street. To go to the other side of the bridge, you have to go through Hoi An bridge, also known as Light Bridge at night.
The Hoai River is just a branch of it. Of course the area will also be much smaller. From the position of Hoi An Bridge, you go straight a little more to see Hoai River. It lies quietly and flows through the foot of the Covered Bridge.
When is the best time to see the Hoai River in Hoi An?
According to danangprivatecar.com’s experience , Hoi An tourism is most beautiful and crowded especially in the dry season (from March to August). At this time, the weather is dry, the sky is clear, the sun is beautiful, it is easy to move and visit the landmarks, admire the beauty of the old town.
And this is also the ideal time for you to explore and experience activities on Hoai River. You should avoid going from October to December, because this is the rainy season in Quang Nam. The rain not only makes you feel wet and uncomfortable but also makes the water of Hoai River rise and cloudy. This makes your experience lose its interesting part.
Especially, on the full moon days of every month, Hoai River is the most shimmering and fanciful. Tourist services are also more numerous, so tourists often gather in large numbers.
Reference: What is the most beautiful month to go to Hoi An , even more than the locals?
Guide to move to Hoai River Hoi An
Here, DanangPrivateCar.com will guide how to get from Da Nang. Please refer to the right choice for your trip.
From Da Nang to Hoi An ancient town
From Da Nang, to get to Hoi An, you can choose one of the 3 means below. Depending on the departure location and cost to consider!
- Hoi An Private Car: This is a modern, fast, comfortable and energy-saving vehicle for you. Suitable for groups of 4-7 people. Usually will range from 350,000 to 400,000 VND / way.
- Bus: If you have a lot of free time and are determined to spend the whole day in Hoi An, you can choose this form of transportation. Compared to other means of transport, the cost of taking a bus is much cheaper, only 30,000 VND/way. But it is imperative that you depend on the bus schedule and wait for the correct station.
- Motorbike: To be proactive and free in both time and schedule, you can rent a motorbike for from 100,000 VND/day and then move along the Vo Nguyen Giap – Truong Sa – Lac Long Quan route. When you arrive in Hoi An, meet Hai Ba Trung Street, turn right, then go straight to the old town.
In addition, you can also rent a car or book a tour of Hoi An with a group that will have a shuttle to your hotel, home address, airport, …
See More: Danang To Hoi An Private Car
From the old town to Hoai river area
After you have reached Hoi An ancient town, because only Hoai Hoi An ‘s hotels are only about 2km, you can walk here in one of these 2 directions:
- Go straight along Cao Lanh street, then meet the Co Be Banh Can restaurant, then turn to Tran Hung Dao street. At a section, you will meet a spa shop, go straight to Cua Dai port of Hoai River.
- From the center of the old town, go along Phan Chu Trinh and Nguyen Duy Hieu streets about 8 minutes to get there.
Or want to have a more interesting experience, you can rent a bicycle for 40,000 VND / unit to go to Hoai River and walk around the streets and alleys to play and admire the scenery.
Interesting experiences at Hoai River in Hoi An should try
If you come to Hoi An once, you will see that the Hoai River area is crowded with tourists. People sit to admire the scenery, people take pictures, laugh and talk… There are quite a few activities for visitors to experience.
Watching the sunset on Hoai River
The riverside area has plenty of quiet spots you can choose to enjoy the view. From here you will see a calm, gentle and gentle river flowing, not rushing, as vast as the Thu Bon River.
In the afternoon, the sunset casts its shadow on the old town, reflecting on the still water. Bring a dark, quiet space. This scene has left something that makes people feel heartbroken and fluttered.
Check-in the famous bridge over the river
There are 2 bridges crossing Hoai Hoi An river as Cam Nam bridge and Hoi An bridge. Cam Nam Bridge is located on Cam Nam ward, one end is the starting point of the old town and the other end connects to the “island of people’s living”. The atmosphere here is quite calm and peaceful.
And Hoi An bridge is the point connecting the old town with the new town. It is beautifully decorated. This is considered the ideal stop for Hoai River viewing and check-in for most tourists. Every evening, this bridge shimmers in colorful lights.
Experience riding a boat on Hoai River in Hoi An
To experience a different Hoi An, do not miss the boat ride on Hoai River – one of the services loved by tourists. The special thing here is that the boats are not powered by engines but operated entirely by human power.
The small boats are skillfully waved on the river by the uncles and aunts, gliding gently. Visitors sitting on the boat can zoom in on the river and the surrounding landscape.
Boating on Hoai River is not only a livelihood, but this is considered as a “specialty” of Hoi An tourism that almost everyone tries.
- Boat rental price is about 30,000 – 100,000 VND (depending on the number of people going)
Release lanterns in Hoai River
If you come to Hoi An ancient town, travel on the 14th and 15th of the lunar month every month. You will come across images on the river with beautifully lit lanterns.
Dropping lanterns is a long-standing activity of locals and tourists alike. May your wishes and dreams come true.
To participate in this experience, you can buy flowers at the stalls on both sides of the river for 5,000 – 10.00 VND/light. Then rent a boat or go down the riverside steps to let them float in the river and remember to pray sincerely!
Read more articles: 2025 Hoi An Lantern Festival Date
Listen to interesting stories of local people
No matter how beautiful the scene is, don’t get so caught up in taking pictures or having fun that you forget to spend time chatting with the locals. They will tell you about life on Hoai Hoi An river and stories associated with the old town to better understand the culture and history of this place.
You can chat with them while sitting on a boat on the river or when releasing lanterns or while eating and drinking. The people here are very friendly, cheerful and sincere, just like the people in the Central region.
Check-in cafe with a view overlooking Hoai River and the old town
Walking around the riverside, you will find there are many lovely cafes with countless hot check-in points. You just need to choose a shop you like, find a suitable location while sipping a cup of coffee while admiring the Hoai River.
Most of the shops are decorated in an antique style with golden walls, wooden signs and antique-style tables and chairs, etc. This unique, time-tinted background will give you those virtual living masterpieces.
Go to Hoi An’s Hoai River to try the specialties of the old town
Hoai River is a key tourist destination of Hoi An, so there are many restaurants and food stalls on both sides of the river. Visitors to the river can try delicious specialties of Quang such as Quang noodles, Cao Lau, Phuong bread, dumplings, cauldron cakes, etc.
Besides the main dishes, there are also many snacks such as ice cream, pies, corn tea, black sesame tea, tofu, grilled meat rolls, fruits, Mot juice, etc.
Most of the shops here are street stalls in a popular style with small plastic tables and plastic chairs arranged by the river, very cool. At night, the food stalls will use oil lamps like the old style, giving visitors the feeling of an old town.
And if you want to eat more luxurious, find restaurants. All dishes are available, attractive but the price is not cheap at all!
Are there any hotels or homestays near Hoi An Hoai River?
Located in the central area, visiting and having fun can be said to be very convenient. But in terms of accommodation, it is quite limited. If you need to stay overnight in Hoi An, look for hotels/homestays a little further from here.
Although there are hotels near the center of the old town, the room rates are quite expensive. You should consider and should research first and choose reputable addresses, with many good reviews.
- Green Heaven Hoi An Resort and Spa: 21 La Hoi, Minh An Ward, Hoi An City
- An Hoi Hotel: 69 Nguyen Phuc Chu, Minh An Ward, Hoi An City
- Ivy Hoi An Hotel: 1 Dao Duy Tu, Cam Pho Ward, Hoi An City
- Riversuites Hoi An Hotel: 04 Nguyen Du, Cam Pho Ward, Hoi An City
- Lyna’s House – Hoi An: 10/5 Cao Hong Lanh, Cam Pho Ward, Hoi An City
- Hoi An Vi Khoa Villa: 11 Dao Duy Tu, Cam Pho Ward, Hoi An City
Tourist sites located close to Hoai River in Hoi An should visit
Because it is located in the heart of the old town, from Hoai River, you can easily move to visit nearby tourist attractions. May be mentioned as:
Bridge Pagoda
Located across the Hoai River is Hoi An Covered Bridge – one of the famous places and considered as a typical image of Hoi An ancient town. Attracting many tourists, especially young people, to explore and take pictures of “virtual life”.
This work was built in the 17th century, under the capital contribution of Japanese merchants, so the architecture is also bold in Japanese style. Covered Bridge has witnessed many changes of history, of the trading port of Hoi An. Although over time, the lines are old, but still many people are interested in finding them.
Hoi An Market
From Hoi An Hoai River , you just need to move along the riverbank to the south about 300m to Hoi An market. Different from the quiet, peaceful of the old town. Going to the market, you will find the atmosphere is more bustling and crowded.
Here you can find a wide variety of items, from consumables, souvenirs to food. Especially, if you want to discover cheap old town cuisine, this is paradise.
The market sells many delicious dishes such as Cao Lau, Quang noodles, white rose cake, tea, etc. After eating, go to the front door and flash some commemorative photos.
Lantern Street
Coming to Hoi An without seeing the lanterns or living a virtual life with brilliant lanterns is indeed a huge omission. From Hoai River, you just need to walk a few minutes to the lantern street. Where there are countless lanterns of all sizes, hanging colors brighten up a corner of the sky, looking extremely eye-catching and romantic.
Hoi An hut
Right next to the river is an area for playing huts. This is a traditional folk art form of Hoi An for generations.
You can visit here to find a corner for yourself to listen to the song of the hut and participate in the playing of the hut. Only 20k / hut card, you will have an unforgettable experience.
Some useful tips when visiting Hoi An Hoai River
Hoai River is a familiar rendezvous of tourists every time they come to Hoi An ancient town. Coming here, in addition to sightseeing, checking-in, experiencing activities on the river, you also hear many interesting stories about this place. However, to have a complete tour here you need to keep a few things in mind.
- During sightseeing, walking along Hoai River, remember to pay attention not to stand too close to the river’s edge. Although there are chains connected to the columns as a barrier, but it is very low, it is still possible to fall into the river!
- When participating in the boating experience on Hoai River, remember to wear a life jacket. If you want to take a good photo, you can take it off and then bring it back right away for safety.
- Remember to wear low-soled shoes for ease of movement. And don’t forget to prepare a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen if going during the day.
- For believers who like to live virtual, don’t forget to wear beautiful clothes and bring 1-2 beautiful dresses to take pictures freely. A stylish dress or vintage outfit will suit the scene here!
- Buy food and drink at nearby roadside shops, after using it, remember to put the garbage in the bin, not because it’s convenient to throw it around or throw it into the Hoai River. This will lose the urban beauty very much.
True to its name, the poetic Hoai River in Hoi An for many years still lies quietly and peacefully in the heart of the old town. So that anyone who meets him will always look forward to and nostalgic about it. A gentle beauty like the people here. Therefore, if you have the opportunity to come to Hoi An, do not forget to visit this place to experience the interesting things it brings!