Hoi An

Best February-April: mild, dry, and fewer crowds. Avoid October-December, the flood-prone rainy season when Old Town streets can sit underwater for days. May-August is hot and humid but manageable, and also the peak tourist season.

• Wander the UNESCO-listed Old Town streets, the Japanese Covered Bridge, and historic merchant houses
• See the Old Town glow with lanterns at night, especially on Full Moon Festival nights (14th of the lunar month) when electric lights go dark
• An Bang Beach, a quiet stretch minutes from the Old Town, easy for families
• A traditional basket-boat ride through the coconut palms of Cam Thanh village
• A Vietnamese cooking class with a local market visit
• Cycling through rice paddies and Tra Que herb village
• Custom tailoring at an established shop (skip the suspiciously cheap deals)

Families: stay near An Bang Beach for resorts/villas with pools and a short taxi to Old Town. Couples: boutique riverside hotels within walking distance of the lantern streets. Budget: guesthouses in Cam Nam or the Old Town's edges, cheaper but still walkable.

Watch for suspiciously cheap tailoring deals - unusually low prices usually mean synthetic fabric and glued (not stitched) construction that fails fast, and be wary of anyone steering you to a specific shop (hotel staff and taxi drivers sometimes earn a commission). The paid Old Town ticket isn't required just to walk the streets - it only covers entry to a set number of specific historic houses and monuments. Avoid visiting October-December due to flood risk that can submerge Old Town streets for days. Popular Vietnamese dishes often use pork or alcohol-based sauces, so ask specifically for halal-certified places or Muslim-run stalls and look for clear halal signage. Bargaining at markets is normal, and back-alley street food is often tastier and cheaper than Old Town's main-street restaurants.

2-3 days

Suggested plan:

1. Day 1: Arrive from Da Nang airport and settle in, then explore the Old Town by day - Japanese Covered Bridge and historic merchant houses - and return in the evening for the lantern-lit riverside.
2. Day 2: Morning basket-boat ride and coconut village visit in Cam Thanh, then a cooking class or a bike ride through the rice paddies and Tra Que herb village in the afternoon.
3. Day 3: A relaxed family morning at An Bang Beach, then the local market and tailor shops (if wanted) before departing or adding an extra beachside night.