Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town

Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town

Hoi An is not as bustling and hustling as Danang, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh but still vibrant in its own way. When the night comes, the ancient town wears a colorful and bright coat offering a peaceful and appealing atmosphere for those who truly wish to enjoy a “real” nightlife in an ancient town. Apart from modern and social nightclubs with music, drinks, sports, and from the noise of daytime activities, “Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town” bring you to hear town breathe and discover night working hours of a portion of locals who take night time as day to earn a living. That could give you a closer step into the local’s way of life. Now do you hear the town whispering?

Related post: Things to do in Hoi An

Central Hoi An tourist map

1. Admiring the spectacular view of Japanese Covered Bridge at night:

Coming first in Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town is to admire the spectacular view of Japanese Covered Bridge at night.
Japanese Covered Bridge is the symbol for Hoi An and is visited by a number of tourists during the day time. When the sun goes down, the bridge looks even more gorgeous when it is brightened up and reflecting its own view on one water way to romantic Thu Bon River.

Spectacular Japanese Covered Bridge at night

Do you have any idea of the site? Japanese Covered Bridge was built in 17^th century and is a typical example of Japanese architecture in Hoi An. At the end of two sides of the bridge, stand 2 sculptures of dog and monkey which are considered sacred animals in Japanese culture.

Inside the Japanese Covered Bridge, there is a temple for worshipping the northern god Tran Vo Bac De who is considered the god of weather. It is believed that He has a control over all kinds of natural calamities and weather changes.

2. Wandering at Hoi An Night Market:

There are currently two night markets in Hoi An. When mentioning about Hoi An Night Market, it is first thought of the handicraft night market at the street of Nguyen Hoang. The night market at Nguyen Hoang (facing the iconic Cau Pagoda) stretches for 300 m and is home to about 50 stalls offering various handicraft products, souvenirs, local specialties with its most popular – lanterns.

Colorful landterns at Hoi An Night Markets

The market is open from 17:00 – 23:00 and is a tourist hub at night with many colorful lights turning on as a appealing call to any visitors in Hoi An.

If you are fan of street food, head to another night market along the romantic Hoai River (located on the street of Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa). It is an ideal destination for any foodies to enjoy the specialties of the Ancient Town. When in here, remember to try out Cao lao, Chicken rice, My Quang, etc. Those are most favorites for both locals and foreigners.

In March 2018, Hoi An opened another night market at the area of Tran Quy Cap Street, Bach Dang, Tieu La of Minh An Ward (within Hoi An Ancient Town) giving visitors another choice of night market experience. The market is home to about 56 stalls selling a variety of items from handicrafts, souvenirs, local foods. The market opening hour is from 18:00 – 23:00.

3. Exploring Hoi An Cuisine:

Specialty - Cao lau 

In the Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town we cannot miss out exploring Hoi An Cuisine. When wandering along the romantic Hoai River, you can both enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, admire the stunning night view of the river and more interestingly, you can savor the delectable food of Hoi An. The fullest feeling of sightseeing and cuisine exploring will truly make your nighttime worthwhile. Let see what you should take on your night menu? Don’t miss out the chance to try yummy cao lau, my Quang, banh vac, chicken rice.

4. Visiting Hoi An Sa Huynh Museum:

Located at 149 Tran Phu Street, Hoi An Sa Huynh Museum is home to many ancient objects dated back to plenty of information on the ancient people in Sa Huynh Civilization who were thought to be the first owners of the Hoi An Trading Port and to have the trading relationship with Chinese, Indian, and other Southeast Asian people.

Hoi An Sa Huynh Museum

Some information about Sa Huynh Civilization: Sa Huynh Civilization occurred in Vietnam about 2,000 years ago. The most highlights of this civilization include the cultivation, fishery, jewelry-making technique, glassmaking technique, pottery-making technique.
When visiting the museum, visitors have an ample chance to admire the rich collections of about 200 reliable objects owning valuable evidences of a civilization once occurred in Vietnam.
The museum opens from 7:00 – 21:00 daily. So let spend time visiting the museum to learn about the history of the Ancient Town.

5. Enjoying bai choi singing:

What else in the Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town? Let enjoy bai choi singing. Your Hoi An trip will not complete if you miss the chance to attend bai choi singing in Hoi An at least once. At around 18:00, a number of people gather at the yard behind Hoai River bridge to watch live bai choi singing. Would you like to learn more about this performance?

Bai choi singing

Bai choi is a chess game. Each game has 30 pawns with 30 different names and is divided into 10 kinds of wooden cards. The players will buy some of those cards. When the referees take out the card, the game starts. When taking out the card, the referees will speak out the name of the card. The winner is the person who has 3 cards to be spoken out. The prize for the winner is a meaningful souvenir reminding them of Hoi An Ancient Town.

6. Taking a boat ride on Hoai River:

A true experience in the Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town comes with taking a boat ride on Hoai River.
When the night starts covering the atmosphere, it is time for many Hoi An people starting their working hours. They are the boat riders who help take visitors experiencing Hoi An in a different way – along Hoai River.

Boating on Hoai River

The price is VND 30,000 – 50,000 for each 30-minute visit turn. For larger group, the price is VND 100,000 each. All boats used to transfer tourists do not use engine so visitors can truly experience the lifestyle of the Ancient Town. On the ride, you may hear the story of the boat riders who have lived and worked on the river for many years. From their stories, you may see a different color of life in the Ancient Town.
Many visitors would love to take a boat ride along Hoai River to have a unique view and a special time to attentively listen to the breath of the Ancient Town.

7. Enjoying music performances at bars, clubs:

For those who love music and a social place, head to some most popular bars and clubs in the Ancient Town. Most of the bars and clubs in Hoi An are located at Le Loi and Nguyen Thai Hoc Streets. Jot down some of the most highlights in the town:

Mango rooms at 111 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street: giving you a nice space for enjoying eclectic and innovative flavors of drinks.

Mango rooms

Tam Tam at 110 Nguyen Thai Hoc: head to the place early to have a nice view of balcony seat and wait for the funny things there. The bar offers an ideal space with not too loud music and a friendly venue to hang out with friends.

White Marble at 98 Le Loi Street: offering a wide choice for wines, beers, spirits, cocktails at reasonable prices, White Marble often receives a frequent-visit of many visitors seeking for night escape in Hoi An.

Now that, we have shared you top suggestions with this Top 7 nightlife-escape tips in Hoi An Ancient Town. Would you now love to savor the nightlife in Hoi An?