Hoi An

An Bang Beach: An Bang is Hoi An's main beach, a wide stretch of sand a short bike ride from the Ancient Town, lined with a strip of casual beach clubs and restaurants renting loungers and umbrellas. It's more laid-back and less developed than the big resort beaches further south in Da Nang, with a relaxed, slightly bohemian character. Swimming conditions vary seasonally — calmer in the dry season, with a stronger and sometimes dangerous undertow appearing in the rainier months (roughly October-January), so it's worth checking conditions and any posted flags before swimming out.

Chua Cau, the Japanese Covered Bridge, is Hoi An's best-known landmark, a small roofed pedestrian bridge built by the town's Japanese merchant community in the 17th century to connect their quarter with the Chinese district across the canal. A small shrine sits inside dedicated to a deity believed to protect against earthquakes, and the structure's design — part bridge, part temple — reflects the town's history as a multicultural trading port. It's a compact structure that takes only a few minutes to cross, but it's featured on Vietnam's 20,000 dong banknote and is close to mandatory viewing for anyone visiting Hoi An, even given how brief the visit itself is.

Cu Lao Cham is a small archipelago of forested islands off the coast from Hoi An, protected as a marine park and known for snorkeling and diving on its coral reefs, along with a laid-back fishing village on the main island. Visitor numbers to the marine protected zones are capped by local authorities to manage environmental impact, so access sometimes requires booking through a registered tour operator rather than showing up independently. It's a straightforward day-trip contrast to the historic-town focus of Hoi An itself — beaches, snorkeling, and fresh seafood rather than temples and old architecture.

Hoi An Ancient Town is a remarkably well-preserved former trading port, a UNESCO World Heritage Site whose narrow streets of yellow-walled shophouses, merchant homes, and assembly halls reflect centuries of Vietnamese, Chinese, Japanese, and later French influence. Much of the old town is closed to motor vehicles, and in the evening the streets are strung with the colorful silk lanterns the town has become famous for, creating an atmosphere that's genuinely different after dark than during the day. Access to several of the historic buildings — old houses, assembly halls, the Japanese Covered Bridge — requires an Ancient Town heritage ticket, sold as a package of coupons redeemable at a handful of the included sites, available at ticket booths around the old town.

Hoi An Night Market is a lantern-lit strip of stalls along the riverbank selling clothing, crafts, and street food, with the added photogenic bonus of small paper lanterns sold for visitors to float down the river as wishes. It's touristy and can get crowded, but it's also genuinely pretty — the string lights and lantern-stalls make for one of the better evening photo opportunities in the country. It pairs naturally with a walk through the already lantern-lit Ancient Town on the opposite bank, and most visitors combine the two into a single evening out.

Thanh dia My Son: My Son Sanctuary is a UNESCO World Heritage cluster of red-brick Hindu temple ruins built by the Champa kingdom between the 4th and 13th centuries, once the religious and political center of Cham civilization in Central Vietnam. Many structures were damaged by American bombing during the war — bomb craters are still visible among some of the ruins — leaving a site that's evocative but considerably less intact than similar Southeast Asian temple complexes like Angkor. The Museum of Cham Sculpture in Da Nang holds many of the best-preserved pieces recovered from here, so visiting both together (ideally the museum either before or after) gives a much fuller picture than the eroded on-site remains alone.

Thanh Ha Pottery Village: Thanh Ha is a centuries-old pottery-making village where local artisans still hand-throw terracotta pots, figurines, and decorative pieces using traditional techniques passed down through generations. A small outdoor park within the village displays miniature versions of famous world landmarks made from local clay, and visitors can typically try the potter's wheel themselves under a craftsperson's guidance. It's a relaxed, low-key stop that works well as a half-day break from the Ancient Town's crowds, and a good place to pick up handmade ceramics directly from the makers.

Tra Que Vegetable Village: Tra Que is a village built around organic vegetable and herb farming, using a traditional method of fertilizing fields with algae harvested from a nearby lagoon, which locals credit for the particularly good flavor of the herbs grown here (a claim frequently cited by Hoi An's restaurants). Visitors can walk the neat rows of vegetable plots, and many operators run half-day experiences combining a short farming lesson — hoeing, watering, harvesting — with a Vietnamese cooking class using what's picked. It's a pleasant, easygoing contrast to the Ancient Town's density, and a good option for travelers wanting a hands-on cultural experience rather than another round of sightseeing.