Hoi An With Kids
What to Expect and Things to Do in Hoi An With Kids
Much like the rest of Vietnam, visiting Hoi An with kids is incredibly easy as families are welcomed everywhere. Expect to have all the mod cons of a big city, but without the chaos of Hanoi of Ho Chi Minh City.
There is a lot to do in Hoi An with kids, and I’m not talking about kiddy theme parks. We rarely take our kids to places like that. Hoi An has lots of hands-on activities that the whole family can enjoy! If you take a step back from the restaurants lining the beach and the resort pools, you will find an incredibly affordable city that suits wallets of all sizes.
Credit – Jessica Palmer
What You Can Expect to Find in Hoi An With Kids …
Expect to find food for picky eaters, to fall in love with the old town of Hoi An and to see paper lanterns at every turn. Expect to find beaches to cool down on, family-friendly cultural learning opportunities and bustling markets.
There are accommodation options to suit all budgets when staying in Hoi An with kids. When we travelled through Vietnam, we stayed in upmarket hotels due to the lower cost of luxury when compared to back home. We don’t always travel like this but it was something we could afford at the time and we thoroughly enjoyed it!
I regret that we didn’t get to spend more time here and can’t wait to visit again! Psst. Check out our Vietnam page for more destinations within Vietnam!
Credit – Jessica Palmer
Things to Do in Hoi An With Kids
Explore the Hoi An Ancient Town
Hoi An Ancient Town is a UNESCO world heritage site listed area. This means that more than 800 historical building have been preserved. You will need to buy a ticket from one of the Old Town Booths to go inside most of the 15 building that are open to visitors.
The architecture of the buildings are quite unique and if you don’t feel like buying a ticket, admiring them from the outside as you stroll around is an enjoyable activity.
This is a great low cost activity to do in Hoi An with kids!
Pay a Visit to My Son Sanctuary
My Son Sanctuary is a cluster of fascinating Hindu temples from between the 4th and 13th century. There is a shuttle bus from the entrance to the ‘starting point’, and from that point, you have to walk. The walking track, whilst not difficult, is mostly dirt so strollers are not useful here.
The Piggy Back Rider comes in handy for younger kids here!
Credit – Jessica Palmer
It’s easy to access this UNESCO listed sanctuary either by tour or private driver from Hoi An. We hired a private driver for the morning so we didn’t have to be tied to a tour schedule. Having a private driver sounds fancy, but it’s quite affordable here and allowed us to leave earlier in the morning and stop for snacks and toilets when required. Your accommodation will be able to organise this for you.
Whilst you shouldn’t climb all over the ruins for obvious reasons, they are not roped off so you can walk right up to them and touch them! I personally found this really exciting and loved that you don’t have to view them from behind a fence.
This was our favourite day trip from Hoi An with kids!
Shop at The Central Market
This market is quite pleasant as far as bustling Asian markets go. There is lots of fresh fruit, food, clothes and nic-nacs on offer. This particular market was less confronting than other markets in South East Asia.
Credit – Jessica Palmer
Order Some Custom Made Clothes
There is an unusually large amount of talented tailors in Hoi An. If you wish to get some custom clothes made, the options are endless. My kids were a little bit too young to appreciate it, but other families have told me their older kids loved the novelty of having something made just for them.
I have a dream of having some boots made in Hoi An in that beautiful ‘Ariat’ style and plan to make this a reality next time we visit!
Relax on The Beach
Hoi An and neighbouring Danang have some nice beaches. Despite the glossy advertisements, I don’t rate them on par with the beauty of the South Pacific Islands or even Thailand’s Beaches, but they are certainly lovely and worth visiting.
We all know that a holiday with kids isn’t complete without a visit (or ten) to the beach! An Bang Beach is popular in Hoi An and in Danang, My Khe Beach and Non Nuoc Beach are good choices. We LOVED hitting up the beaches when visiting Hoi An with kids!
Credit – Jessica Palmer
Attend a Cooking Class
One thing I don’t let the kids do enough of at home is help me in the kitchen. In my defence, I’m not a very good cook.
This is a great opportunity to learn new skills and create memories with the kids. Most of the cooking classes include a fascinating tour of the market or farm to source local ingredients first. This is a great family activity in Hoi An with kids!
Book your cooking class here.
Copyright – Christian Berg
Experience The Beautiful Rural Surrounds
The rural countryside surrounding Hoi An is extremely picturesque. It doesn’t matter if you experience it by motorbike, sidecar or pushbike … just make sure you experience it!
Expect to see water buffalo, rice paddies, and Vietnamese people working the fields. It’s lush, green, sometimes muddy and incredibly beautiful.
Book a leisurely afternoon pushbike tour here.
Take a Ride in a Round Basket Boat
We first spotted these boats at An Bang Beach and I just fell in love with them. You will also find them dotted along the rivers, usually with a fisherman or two inside.
They are a type of coracle boat, although in Vietnam are often referred to as basket boat. I was told that when the French arrived in Vietnam they placed a tax on the ownership of boats. Most of the fisherman were poor and could not afford these extra taxes, so they invented this new type of round boat woven from bamboo. The boat was referred to as a basket to avoid the taxes.
It’s interesting to note that if you use the oar like a normal boat, you just go around in circles. This is a fun outdoors family activity in Hoi An with kids.
Experience a ride in a basket boat on a fishing and farming experience tour.
Pay a Visit to Marble Mountains
Marble Mountains is in nearby Danang and as it’s name suggests, consists of five marble mountains topped with Pagodas. Each mountain is named after the natural element it supposedly represents such as water, wood, fire, metal, gold and earth. The views are stunning!
Thuy Son (water) is the most popular of the five mountains and has a number of natural caves. Huyen Khong Cave is particularly impressive as its lit naturally from an above opening. The natural caves were used as a hospital to treat Vietnamese wounded soldiers and Viet Cong hiding during the war.
This is a memorable activity to do in Hoi An with kids!
Book your ticket here.
Head to The Cham Islands For a Snorkel and Swim
Snorkel the coral reefs of the Cham Islands, eight small islands off the coast of Hoi An in the Cu Lao Cham archipelago, a UNESCO-listed marine biosphere. When you get sick of swimming and snorkelling, hang out at the beach, enjoy a seafood lunch and just enjoy the sunshine and sand.
Book your tour here.
Snap a Family Selfie at The Golden Bridge and Visit French Village & Fantasy Park
Walk along the Golden Bridge, 1,402 metres (4,600 feet) above sea level to view the mountains, city and sea beneath your feet. Make sure you get a family selfie here as it has to be seen to be believed!
Catch the cable car (claimed to be the longest in the world) and explore French Village and Fantasy Park. The cable car stretches 5,801 metres (over 19,000 feet) and when you reach the village and park, expect to find of what I can only describe as Vietnam’s version of Disneyland Paris.
Book your tour here.
Get Crafty at a Fun Lantern Making Class
When strolling Hoi An (particularly at night) it’s hard not to miss the beautiful lanterns having everywhere. Hoi An residents believe they bring luck, happiness and wealth and hang them in front of their houses and businesses.
Join a lantern making class to make your very own silk and bamboo lantern that can be folded up into your luggage to take home when it’s time to leave. This is a great ”show and tell” activity in Hoi An with kids for when you get back home!
Book your lantern making class here.
Copyright – Christian Berg
Looking for more awesome family holiday destinations?
For more information on visiting Vietnam, make sure to visit our Vietnam page. Alternatively, head back to the home page for inspiration on more destinations worldwide.
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Resources for booking a family holiday to Vietnam
Flights
Most international flights will land in either Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi. Search Trip.com for a great deal on flights to Vietnam.
Accommodation
We have stayed at and loved the following hotels and resorts in Vietnam:
- HOI AN – The Hoi An Beach Resort
- NINH BINH – The Legend Hotel
- PHU QUOC Island – Long Beach Resort
- HO CHI MINH CITY – The Grand Hotel Saigon
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend the hotel we stayed at in Hanoi as it was less than ideal!
Activities and tours
Viator is a great choice when it comes to selecting activities and tours. Just click on the banner below!
