Forget the picture-perfect photos you’ve seen on Instagram. Ever since my 2019 trip to Ho Chi Minh City, I’ve been itching to explore more of Vietnam. For this return, I imagined my first night in Hoi An as a lantern-lit fairytale with warm lights, quiet river strolls, and clear skies. Instead, I stepped straight into a monsoon after a red-eye from Manila and a crack-of-dawn connection to Da Nang.
This ultimate Hoi An travel guide is built on everything I learned from that chaotic arrival, so yours can actually be the fairytale.
It wasn’t the arrival I planned. It’s the one I’ll actually remember, and everything I learned from it might save you some trouble on your own first trip to Hoi An. Consider this your shortcut to bypassing the beginner mistakes and making the absolute most of your visit.
Hoi An Travel Guide: At a Glance
Before getting into the details, here’s the quick version of my first Hoi An trip. From a delayed flight and a surprise June storm to a few small wins and regrets, these are the things I wish I’d known before arriving.
- Route: Manila → Ho Chi Minh City (Tan Son Nhat) → Da Nang → Hoi An
- Weather curveball: An unseasonal June storm delayed my Da Nang flight and turned Ancient Town into a rain-soaked watercolor
- Biggest win: Withdrew Vietnamese dong at the airport
- Biggest regret: Skipped the local SIM card
- Day 1 spend: ~VND 510,000 (~$20 USD): coffee, transfers, two meals
Immigration took longer than usual, but I got through. One of the smartest things I did: withdrawing Vietnamese dong right at the airport. One of the least smart: skipping the local SIM card, a mistake that would make finding my hostel later a lot harder than it needed to be.
A few hours before my connecting flight, I grabbed an iced coffee and a bánh mì combo for VND 113,000 from Highlands Coffee at the domestic terminal. It was my first real taste of Vietnam, and little did I know, the rest of the day would be anything but smooth.
Getting from Da Nang to Hoi An
My long-awaited trip to Hoi An finally happened, despite the odds. I flew from Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang on an early morning VietJet flight, but the weather had other plans for my arrival.
I boarded at 6 AM, expecting a roughly one-hour flight. Instead, rough weather stretched the journey to about an hour and a half. The turbulence definitely added to the nerves, especially since I was already exhausted from the trip. Still, we landed safely, and that was what mattered.
When I stepped out of Da Nang Airport, the skies had fully opened. June isn’t typically considered Vietnam’s peak rainy season, but a sudden storm brought heavy rain to parts of Da Nang and made getting around a little trickier than expected. I’d pre-booked a one-way shared shuttle for PHP 296.80 through Klook, from Da Nang Domestic Terminal to Hoi An iVy Hotel (01 Dao Duy Tu St.), with a driver from Barri Ann Travels waiting at the airport.
💡 Travel Tip: If you’re taking the same route, leave some buffer time between your flight and onward transfer, especially during shoulder or rainy season. My weather delay was a good reminder that plans can shift before you’ve even reached Hoi An.
Where I Stayed in Hoi An
Once we reached Hoi An, I couldn’t find my accommodation, Sweet Memories Villa – Hoi An. I’d pre-book it through Agoda for ₱610.07 for two nights. It was an all-female dormitory room with a private bathroom, tucked away in a narrow alley. Without a local SIM card, the pouring rain made it easy to miss the signage. By the time I finally found the front desk, I was completely drenched.
Thankfully, the receptionist saved the moment. She was kind, fluent in English, and quick to hand me a towel and let me check in early. After the chaotic journey from Da Nang, that little bit of kindness was exactly what I needed.
💡 The Lesson: Book your accommodation close to Ancient Town. Mine was just a short walk away, which made getting around much easier even in heavy rain. Staying farther out can mean longer, wetter walks, and a little more trouble finding your way if you get lost, like I did.
Where I Ate on My First Day in Hoi An
I tried to rest, but between the adrenaline and the steady rain outside, sleep wasn’t happening. So I went looking for food instead. I found a riverside spot, Riverside Hoi An, Dolphin Hostel and Bar, and ordered shrimp noodle soup (phở tôm) for VND 95,000 and my first-ever Vietnamese egg coffee for VND 60,000. Rich, comforting, and exactly what I needed.
Later, while wandering around Ancient Town, I stopped at Golden Rice Restaurant for seafood fried rice (VND 149,000, not bad at all). Sitting by the river that first night, watching the water flow while rain tapped around me, it hit me: some of the best travel moments aren’t planned. Sometimes, they’re simply discovered.
Exploring Hoi An Ancient Town
After settling in, I finally made my way out to explore Hoi An Ancient Town. The rain was still coming down, but I wasn’t going to let a little bad weather keep me indoors. With the lanterns glowing against the wet streets and the river flowing nearby, Hoi An somehow looked even more atmospheric in the rain.
I didn’t have a strict itinerary that night. I simply walked, looked around, stopped for food, and let the evening unfold on its own. Sometimes, that’s when a new place starts to feel less like a destination and more like a memory in the making.
What It’s Like Visiting Hoi An in the Rain
Sometimes rain doesn’t ruin the experience. It transforms it. If you find yourself in Hoi An during sudden storms or unexpected rain, here are a few practical tips from my experience:
- Bring waterproof protection
I was lucky to have bought an umbrella, but I ended up losing it at the hostel a day before my flight back to Da Nang (goodbye, umbrella 😅). - Don’t cancel your plans; go anyway.
Rain gives Hoi An a completely different personality: quieter streets, glowing lanterns, and a unique atmosphere you won’t get on a sunny day. - Expect delays during bad weather
Flights can take longer than expected, and shuttles may run behind schedule too.
Hoi An in the rain wasn’t exactly what I had pictured, but it gave the Ancient Town a charm of its own. Sometimes, the unexpected weather becomes part of the memory you end up keeping.
Practical Hoi An Travel Tips
A few things I learned the hard way during my first day in Hoi An can make your trip a little easier. These are the small, practical details I’d keep in mind before going.
- 📱 Buy a local SIM card at the airport, even if you think you won’t need it. You will.
- 🏨 Book accommodation within walking distance of Ancient Town.
- ☔ Pack a compact umbrella and a waterproof pouch for your passport and phone.
- ⏰ Build buffer time into connecting flights during shoulder or rainy season.
- 📍 Message your hostel ahead of arrival for precise directions if it’s tucked in an alley.
- 🌧️ Still go exploring in the rain if conditions are manageable. It’s a completely different, and honestly beautiful, version of Hoi An.
Hopefully, these little lessons help you avoid some of my first-day hiccups and leave you with more time to simply enjoy Hoi An.
FAQs: Hoi An Travel Guide
Is Hoi An worth visiting for first-time travelers?
Yes. Hoi An is especially appealing if you enjoy walking, historic streets, local food, riverside views, and a slower pace of travel. My first visit wasn’t perfect, but the unexpected rain and little travel mishaps became part of the experience.
Should you stay near Hoi An Ancient Town?
If you want to spend a lot of time exploring Ancient Town on foot, staying nearby can be convenient. I stayed within walking distance, which was particularly helpful when it was raining heavily.
Do you need a local SIM card in Hoi An?
I’d recommend having mobile data, especially if you’re staying somewhere tucked away in a narrow street or alley. I skipped the local SIM card, and trying to find my accommodation in the pouring rain without reliable data was one of my first-day struggles.
Is Hoi An easy to explore on your own?
Yes. I explored Hoi An independently without joining a tour. Ancient Town is walkable, and part of the fun for me was simply wandering around, stopping for food, and seeing where the evening took me.
What should you prepare for your first trip to Hoi An?
Based on my experience, I’d prepare for weather changes, have mobile data, keep some Vietnamese dong handy, and allow extra time for airport transfers. The small things can make a big difference when your plans don’t go exactly as expected.
Hoi An Travel: A Personal Reflection
When I dreamed of Hoi An, I imagined a lantern-lit fairytale. Life had other plans: heavy rain, flooded streets, and skies painted grey. Not the storybook beginning I’d pictured. But it was real. And it was mine.
That night, lying in bed listening to the rain, I realized something: the storm tried to disrupt my plans, but it didn’t take away the experience. Travel isn’t always perfect. Plans unravel. Weather shifts. Small mistakes, like forgetting a SIM card, turn into bigger inconveniences.
This blog post is part of my Vietnam–Thailand 2025 Solo Travel Series, an honest, unfiltered look at traveling Southeast Asia as a solo female traveler.
Travel dates: June 12 to 16, 2025
Thankfully, the rain didn’t last forever. By the next day, the skies had cleared, and I finally got to explore Hoi An Ancient Town properly, without an umbrella in hand.
Ever had a rainy first day in a new city? Tell me in the comments how you made the most of it!
📍 Up Next: Hoi An Solo Travel Day 2: Cafés, Lanterns & Local Life
See how the ancient town transformed once the sun came out, plus my favorite solo spots along the river.
