Hoi An, Vietnam

Hoi An, Vietnam: Lanterns, Tailors, and River Nights Done Right

Why Your Group Will Love Hoi An

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.

Getting There & First Steps

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 it. Don't book an overpriced hotel transfer.

Rent bikes as a group the first morning—100,000 VND ($4) per day, and the old town is blissfully car-free. You'll use them constantly. Get Vietnamese SIM cards at the airport (dirt cheap, works everywhere) so you're not hunting for wifi when someone inevitably wanders off toward a tailor shop.

The old town charges a 120,000 VND entrance ticket that technically covers five heritage sites, but enforcement is loose after 6pm. Go ethical or go evening—your call.

Top Group Activities in Hoi An

Get something made. This isn't optional. Hoi An's tailor reputation is real. Bebe Tailor and Kimmy Tailor both handle group orders well—bring photos of what you want, get measured the first day, do a fitting the next, pick up before you leave. Suits run $80-150, leather jackets $120, dresses $30-60. Split a tuk-tuk to fabric shopping together and turn it into an event.

Take a cooking class that doesn't suck. Morning Glory and Tra Que Herb Village both do half-day sessions for groups. You hit the market at dawn, learn to roll spring rolls without destroying them, and leave with recipes you might actually make. Book for 6-8 people minimum—better energy than tiny classes with random couples.

An Bang Beach on a weekday. Skip the weekend crowds. Rent a beach club setup (chairs, umbrellas, table service) for your whole crew at Soul Kitchen or The Deck—splits to maybe $5 per person for the day. The water's warm, the beer's cold, and you're 4km from the old town when you need a break from touring.

Lantern release on the river. Happens on the 14th of each lunar month (check dates), but honestly looks magical any night. Paper lanterns cost 20,000 VND, you make a wish, you float them. Corny? Sure. Worth it on a group trip? Absolutely.

Where to Eat & Drink

Banh Mi Phuong made Bourdain-level famous sandwiches. They're $1.50. Get six different kinds for the group and split them.

Morning Glory (same folks as the cooking school) does elevated street food in a restored house. White Rose dumplings and cao lau noodles—both Hoi An-specific dishes you can't get anywhere else. Reservations recommended for groups over 6.

Madam Khanh (The Banh Mi Queen) if Phuong's line is ridiculous. Equally good, half the wait.

For drinks, the riverside bars along Bach Dang are tourist traps but the right kind—cheap drinks, decent music, everyone's in a good mood. Dive Bar does exactly what the name suggests with pool tables and a younger crowd. Mango Mango for cocktails that don't taste like hand sanitizer.

Where to Stay Together

Villa rentals make way more sense than hotels for a trip with friends. Entire three-bedroom places near An Bang Beach run $80-120/night total on Airbnb—split 6-8 ways, you're golden. You get a kitchen, a pool, space to pre-game.

If you're staying in old town proper, Little Riverside Hoi An and Lantana Riverside Hoi An Hotel both have connecting rooms and won't give you grief about having people over. Budget $25-40 per person per night.

Avoid staying right on the river unless you enjoy being serenaded by tourist boats with loudspeakers at 6am.

Budget Breakdown

Low: $25-35/day per person. Street food every meal, bike everywhere, beach clubs with your own snacks, one tailor item, dorm-style villa split.

Mid: $50-75/day. Proper sit-down dinners half the time, cooking class, 2-3 custom clothing items, nicer villa split, occasional cocktails.

High: $100+/day. Restaurant every meal, multiple tailoring orders, private cooking class, motorbike rentals, boat tours.

Money-saving intel: Tailors negotiate way down if you're ordering for 4+ people—ask for a group rate upfront before measurements. Also, most cooking schools offer significant discounts if you book directly via their Facebook page instead of through your hotel.

Splurge on: The tailor work. You flew to Vietnam—don't cheap out and end up with a suit that fits like a cardboard box. Go mid-range shop minimum.

Ready to Plan? Use BangerTrip

Coordinating tailor appointments, cooking class times, villa bookings, and beach day logistics for 8 people sounds manageable until someone changes their flight and suddenly nothing lines up. BangerTrip handles the orchestration—group preferences, dates, bookings, and access to local operators who actually deliver on cooking classes and tailors worth your time. You decide between An Bang Beach or riverside bars. We make sure everyone actually shows up when they're supposed to. You orchestrate the trip. We handle the rest.