is HOI AN worth a day visit?
 

hi all - trying to finalize the itinerary for vietnam, and wanted to know if Hoi An is worth a quick visit? we'll be in Hue for 2 days, and Saigon for 2.5 days. i can add Hoi An in for another 1.5 days or stay longer in Hue or Saigon? thanks for the input!

Hoi An definitely worth a visit.

Hoi An is a place people either find incredibly charming or incredibly touristy. But I think the real issue for you is how little time you have. I don't know if you have figured in travel time, but to be in Hue for two full days mean three nights. Take a look at your travel time and see how much time you rally have in each place. Where else are you going on this trip?

we are staying there 3 nights based on reports of how charming it is.....others have said they found it too touristy, whatever that means---guess they failed to recognize that they too are tourists... to me too touristy is miami south beach during gay pride week in march....

I would counsel you to forget Hoi An.

You will spend a lot of time just getting there and I think that with your limited time in the country, you might be better off extending your time in either Hue or Saigon.

To me," too touristy" is when the local culture is all but overwhelmed by visitors and the orientation of a place begins to cater more to the demands of visitors than of the local residents. I don't think Hoi An has reached that point yet, but it is surely on its way.

That said, it IS a cute little town and a nice place to while away a few days; the big attraction for many people is the availability of cheap tailoring. Cheap in all sense of the word.

I liked it, but one day is enough. The town now caters to tourists but I found the market quite authentic. It's all the art galleries, tailor shop traps and restuarants that are touristy. But it's an ancient, historic town, and the ride there is beautiful. You can stop at Marble Mountain on the way and hike up the many steps to the cave shrines. Plus you'l pass the former US military base there and China Beach. For those who protested the Vietnam War, it's interesting to see the sites we were reading about every day.

I will recommend to stay in Hue for 1 night and go for Hoi An 2 nights. 2 days in Hue can be enough to cover all the culture sites.

Hoi An is definitely worth the visit. It is charming.

from everything i have read it is better to spend time in hoi an rather than hue....some consider hue a pass... i am doing both

Both are worth a visit but I much preferred Hue to Hoi An. There is lots to see and do in and around Hue and in the surrounding countryside. Take a boat or hire a bike to see Thien Mu Pagoda, and a few the imperial tombs - best are the tombs of Khai Dinh and Minh Mang Tomb or Tu Duc. The citadel and teh ruins of the imperial city should not be missed.

The restaurants are great -IMHO some of the best food in Vietnam is to be had in Hue. There is no getting away from the fact that Hoi An is overun with tourists but for a good reason, it is very quaint and photogenic. The market down by the river is authentic and worth a visit. The beach is also close by for a change of pace

I agree with Crellston. While I preferred Hue which had so much to offer historically, Hoi An is picturesque and should not be missed. If time is short, you can evenly divide it between the two cities, quickly visiting the main sites in Hue in 1 1/2 days and traveling to Hoi An on the second day. Those who prefer Hoi An generally do because they enjoy the shopping.

We spent two nights in Hue and 2 nights in Hoi An and hired a driver to drive from Hue to Hoi An over the Hai Van pass - a beautiful scenic trip which took about half a day including a stop in Danang for the Cham museum and at Marble Mountain.

I actually preferred Hue more and would definitely say that Hue is a "do not miss" town, but Hoi An is also a lt of fun. Hoi An is a pretty town, has a nice beach and you can also get cheap tailoring. If needs be you can do it justice in 1.5 days IMHO.

<<<you can also get cheap tailoring>>>

From what I've been told (on here), "cheap" in every sense of the word :-)

For our first trip (in early 2011), we're splitting our time between Hue and HoiAn - 1-1/2 days in Hue, then drive to Hoi Ann, then 2 days in HoiAn. Or the other way around, haven't decided that yet!

To people who are not really interested in history, Hue might be a little boring for them. But I love this city as it always gives me a peaceful feeling visiting tombs and pagodas there.

As for Hoi An, it's definitely worth your visit. Great beach (Cua Dai) and you're gonna have fun exploring this ancient town and do your shopping (yeah, it sure is cheap).

You wouldn't want to miss these cities, so 1 1/2 days in Hue and 2 days in Hoi An may be a good choice.

Enjoy your trip!

You might want to read NeoPatrick's on-going trip report, which includes both Hue and HoiAn.

Aussiefive, thanks for the reminder about the Cham Museum in DaNang. A really great museum that will give you great insight into the people that once ruled these parts and are an important part of Vietnamese history. And an easy stop on the road to Hoi An. ("Cheap" tailoring is right, and the art is for people who like those paintings with dogs playing poker or Elvis on velvet. Not that there's anything wrong with that...)