The best thing to do in Hoi An Night Market 2023

Vietnam Travel Guide & Tours
9 min readJul 14, 2023

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Explore the vibrant Hoi An Night Market in Vietnam! Discover local cuisine, handmade souvenirs, traditional games, and more in this comprehensive guide. Don’t miss the magical lantern-lit atmosphere.

Are you planning a trip to Vietnam and looking for an exciting place to visit? Look no further than Hoi An Night Market! This bustling market is located in the heart of Hoi An Old Town and offers visitors a unique blend of shopping, dining, and cultural experiences.

To help you make the most of your trip to Hoi An Night Market, we’ve put together a list of ten different posts that highlight the best aspects of this vibrant and exciting destination.

Hi there! Hoi An Ancient Town is a stunning place to visit, with its peaceful beauty and unique old-town culture making it a must-see destination for tourists. The Hoi An Night Market is a particularly attractive spot, offering visitors a bustling shopping space and a chance to try many dishes with unique regional flavors. The market is expected to provide visitors with interesting shopping and culinary experiences when they come to this city.

Introduction to Hoi An Night Market

Located in the center of Hoi An Old Town, the Hoi An Night Market is one of the most interesting things to do when you visit this Heritage Site. It is an impressive tourist destination that attracts many domestic and foreign visitors. To fully experience and soak up the atmosphere of the night market, visitors should be aware of its operating hours.

Hoi An Night Market Opening Hours:

  • Time open: 5:00 PM — 12:00 AM
  • Entrance fee: free

These markets usually start from 5 PM to 11–12 PM or can last until later depending on each market area and will serve until the visitors gradually decrease.

Famous Hoi An Night Markets

Each area in Hoi An night market usually sells certain items. Below are some well-known night markets that you should visit once during your travel to Hoi An:

There are two main markets: Nguyen Hoang market and Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa market.

  • Nguyen Hoang Market

Address: Nguyen Hoang Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

Nguyen Hoang Night Market, located opposite Cau Pagoda, is the market that attracts the most tourists in Hoi An. The market has a length of about 300–500m, including 50 stalls with many diverse, large and small, attractive items. The most special thing on the night of the Nguyen Hoang market is the selling of colorful lanterns is decorate the stalls. In addition to the lantern stalls, there are also many humidification and souvenir stalls. Besides, the coffee shop often has singers singing.

Coming here, visitors can enjoy the dynamic atmosphere between the heart of the quiet town, and check in with the lanterns and souvenirs that they are interested in.

Address: Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa Street, Hoi An City, Quang Nam Province

Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa night market is known as the culinary paradise of Hoi An ancient town thanks to its diverse dishes. The market is located along the Hoai River, so the atmosphere is quite cool and pleasant. Visitors can enjoy all the specialties of the Central region such as Cao Lau, Quang noodles, hot tea, and grilled coconut cake. One of the tourist attractions here is not only the variety of cuisine but the price is cheap and reasonable. Besides the people here are also very enthusiastic and friendly.

Things to Do at Hoi An Night Market

When visiting Hoi An Night Market, don’t forget to try these exciting activities as follows:

  • Boat Ride on Hoai River

Hoai River is a romantic river near Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa Night Market. Sitting on a boat to visit the river will be an extremely memorable experience for every visitor when coming to Hoi An. The best time to participate in this activity is in the evening. However, if you go in the evening, it will be more difficult to see the scenery and less safe because there will be strong winds at night. Visitors should be careful and learn carefully about this activity.

  • Experience Vietnamese Cuisine at Hoi An Food Market

Visitors here can enjoy a variety of savory dishes at the night market food stalls. Some of the outstanding dishes we often see at the market include Cao Lau, Banh Mi, Quang noodles (Mi Quang), Banh Beo,… Most are traditional dishes that visitors cannot ignore.

  • Join Folk Games

One of the indispensable experiences when coming to Hoi An night market is folk games. These games attract both domestic and foreign tourists to participate. Some games are held such as Beat the pot blindfolded, Bai Choi,… This is also an opportunity for Vietnamese folklore to come closer to foreigners.

  • Watching the Lantern Street at Night

Lanterns at Nguyen Hoang night market are one of the indispensable features in Hoi An. The shimmering, colorful road will be ideal for you to check in. Besides, the enthusiasm of the people here creates all conditions for visitors to comfortably check-in.

  • Drop Flower Gardens and Colored Lanterns

On the 1st and 15th day of every lunar month, Hoai River is sparkling with hundreds of floating lanterns. With the people of the country in general and the people of Hoi An in particular. Lanterns are lit to honor the spiritual, spiritual, and cultural values of the Vietnamese people, make a wish and float them on the water, you will have luck and happiness.

These are some activities based on real experiences that we suggest to you. In addition, visitors can participate in more activities when visiting Hoi An night market.

What to Buy in Hoi An Night Market?

Come to Hoi An night market, besides tourism activities and dining experiences. Shopping is the main activity that every visitor is interested in. Here are some of our suggestions for visitors to have a great experience when shopping in Hoi An.

  • Conical Hats

The Conical Hats” (Non-La), a hand-woven conical hat, is a quintessential symbol of Vietnam. On any street in Hoi An Ancient Town, people will come across a group of tourists in traditional Ao Dai with a Non-La. Although difficult to pack, they really make great souvenirs for relatives and friends.

Cost: 50,000–120,000 VND (*2–5 USD)

Address to buy: Hoi An Old Town, markets, and souvenir shops.

  • Ao Dai

Ao Dai is known as the traditional costume of Vietnam. By default in schools and common throughout Vietnam, the national symbols of beauty, femininity, and traditional sophistication of Vietnam seem incredible.

Cost: Ready-made 350,000–1,000,000 VND (*15–42 USD)

Address to buy: Old Town tourist shop.

  • Pictures

Easy-to-carry paintings make great mementos of your stay in Vietnam. The paintings will be displayed everywhere in the galleries. In addition, the gallery will provide cylinders to keep the painting from creasing on the flight back home. They can also organize transportation, if necessary.

Cost: 200,000–1,500,000 VND (*8–63 USD)

Address to buy: Old Town

  • Bamboo Products

Lightweight, affordable, and durable, eco-friendly bamboo souvenirs are a great reminder of Vietnam. This novelty, cute, super cheap, and easy-to-carry gift is a perfect Hoi An souvenir.

Cost: 30,000 VND — 250,000 VND (*1–10 USD)

Address to buy: Street Vendors, Souvenir Shop

  • Coffee and Phin Coffee Filters

On the side of the road after crossing the bridge, there will be some coffee shops. To pick up some beautifully packaged coffee gift boxes, simply stroll through Hoi An Ancient Town. You will discover many things when you come to this beautiful city.

Coffee Filters are used widely throughout Vietnam. These lightweight, simple metal filters are nifty violators that are placed directly over the cup or glass. You’ll need one if you want to make authentic Vietnamese coffee.

Cost: Robusta Coffee 80,000+ VND (*4+ USD) — depending on amount; Phin Coffee Filter 70,000+ VND (*3+ USD) — depending on size

Address to Buy: Hoi An Old Town tourist shops, coffee shops, and any market in Hoi An.

Travel Guide for Shopping at Hoi An Night Market

  • Visitors should note to store valuable items to avoid pickpockets.
  • When you arrive at the check-in location, do not affect the business of the shops
  • Consult and ask carefully about the price when using services such as Cyclo at the night market.
  • Dispose of garbage in the right place, especially do not throw garbage into the river to pollute the water source and lose its beauty.

Come to the paradise of eating and shopping at Hoi An Night Market — a place that you cannot miss when traveling in Vietnam. We are happy to be able to offer suggestions to make your trip as perfect as possible.

Hoi An Night Market opens at 5:00 PM and closes at midnight. Entrance is free.

Hoi An night market is popularly called the walking street with commercial activities. In the Hoi An Ancient area, there are two streets with many shops: Nguyen Hoang street and Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa Str. So we can understand that these are also the names of Hoi An Night Markets.

When visiting the Hoi An Night Market, there are a variety of exciting activities to experience that will surely make your trip more memorable. In addition to trying the delicious local cuisine, you may want to consider trying out some of the unique street performances such as traditional dance or music shows. Take a stroll through the many shops and vendors selling handmade souvenirs and trinkets, and don’t forget to bargain for the best price! You can also take a relaxing boat ride along the river to see the city from a different perspective. Lastly, make sure to take plenty of photos of the beautiful lanterns that light up the market at night, creating a magical atmosphere that you won’t want to miss.

To buy a Hoi An lantern, visitors can visit the Nguyen Hoang Night Market where they will find a variety of colorful lanterns on display. The lanterns are sold at various stalls, and visitors can choose from a wide range of designs and sizes. It’s important to note that bargaining is expected when purchasing items at the market, so don’t be afraid to negotiate for a fair price.

Cao Lau is a traditional Vietnamese dish that is typically made with pork, thick rice noodles, and vegetables, and is flavored with a mix of soy sauce, fish sauce, and herbs. It is a popular dish in Hoi An and can be found in many restaurants and food stalls in the city, including at the Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa Food Night Market.

We hope this guide helps you make the most of your visit to Hoi An Night Market. Have a wonderful time exploring this vibrant destination in Vietnam!

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