Lantern-lit ancient streets, riverside charm and Vietnamese silk traditions blend seamlessly with French colonial architecture.
Your friend group gets three days in a place that looks like someone poured honey-colored light over 400-year-old buildings and called it a town. Hoi An hits different than the rest of Southeast Asia—it's small enough that you won't lose anyone, walkable enough that you're not Ubering everywhere, and atmospheric enough that even your most cynical friend will admit it's beautiful when a thousand lanterns float down the Thu Bon River at sunset. The things to do in Vietnam Hoi An lean heavily toward experiences you'll actually want to Instagram but won't feel guilty about: cooking classes where you make banh mi from scratch, tailors who'll custom-make suits for less than a night out back home, and beach clubs 15 minutes away when the old town charm gets too precious. It's the rare spot where culture vultures and party people both stay happy. Fly into Da Nang (most groups route through Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City first). The 45-minute shuttle or Grab to Hoi An costs $15-25 total if you split…