Hoi An Nightlife Guide

Hoi An's nightlife begins the moment the sun sets and the Ancient Town transforms into something out of a fairy tale. Thousands of silk lanterns strung across the narrow streets begin to glow in every color — red, gold, purple, blue, green — creating tunnels of light above the pedestrian walkways. The yellow walls that define the old quarter take on a warm, golden tone, and the entire atmosphere shifts from busy daytime tourism to gentle evening magic. Walking through the Ancient Town after dark is the defining Hoi An experience. Start on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street where the lanterns are most concentrated, weave through the connecting alleys that create the most dramatic overhead canopies of color, cross to the Japanese Covered Bridge illuminated against the night sky, and finish at the Bach Dang riverside where the floating lanterns on the Thu Bon River complete the spectacle. This is not nightlife in the conventional sense — there are no clubs or pounding bass — but it is one of the most beautiful evening experiences in Southeast Asia.

The stretch of Bach Dang Street along the northern bank of the Thu Bon River is Hoi An's premier evening destination. A row of restaurants and bars with riverside terraces offer front-row views of the floating lanterns, the illuminated An Hoi Bridge, and the colorful boats drifting on the water. The atmosphere is laid-back and romantic — cold beers, cocktails, and Vietnamese food with the river spectacle as your backdrop. Several bars have balconies on upper floors that provide panoramic views over the entire waterfront. The river boat operators work along this stretch too, offering short lantern-lit rides (50,000-100,000₫ per person) that take you among the floating candles. An evening drink on Bach Dang with the Ancient Town glowing around you is one of those travel moments that stays with you.

For a different evening experience, the beach bars at An Bang offer barefoot cocktails with the sound of waves as your soundtrack. The vibe is more relaxed and communal than the Ancient Town — beach bonfires on weekends, live acoustic music at some venues, and a sunset that is best watched from a beanbag on the sand. Soul Kitchen is the anchor of the An Bang evening scene, with its bohemian atmosphere and regular live music nights. The DeckHouse and other beach restaurants serve excellent sunset dinners. An Bang evenings wind down by 9-10 PM — this is not a late-night destination, but the combination of sunset, good food, music, and the ocean creates a memorable evening that suits Hoi An's gentle character.

The An Hoi Night Market operates every evening on Nguyen Hoang Street, across the river from the Ancient Town via the An Hoi Bridge. The market is a colorful, lively destination combining street food stalls, lantern vendors, souvenir shops, and the buzz of hundreds of visitors browsing under strings of overhead lights. The food section is the highlight — grilled meat skewers, seafood, banh xeo, fresh spring rolls, and sweet desserts at affordable prices. Beyond food, you can buy silk lanterns (Hoi An's signature souvenir, from 50,000₫), handicrafts, and clothing. The market runs from around 5 PM until 10 PM and is busiest between 7-9 PM. The views back across the river to the illuminated Ancient Town from the An Hoi Bridge are spectacular.

One of Hoi An's most magical evening experiences is a lantern-lit boat ride on the Thu Bon River. Small wooden boats, each carrying a few passengers and lit by paper lanterns, glide along the riverfront past the illuminated Ancient Town. Many boats include paper flower lanterns that you light and place on the water — watching your candle float away among hundreds of others on the dark river is genuinely moving. The boat operators depart from the Bach Dang riverside and the rides last 20-30 minutes. The experience is most atmospheric on full moon evenings when the entire river becomes a carpet of floating lights, but regular evenings are beautiful too. Negotiate the price before boarding — 50,000-100,000₫ per person is standard for a short ride.

On the 14th day of each lunar month, Hoi An hosts the Full Moon Lantern Festival — the town's most spectacular evening event. Electric lights in parts of the Ancient Town are switched off, and the streets are illuminated entirely by silk lanterns, candles, and paper lanterns. Traditional music, dance, and games fill the squares and public spaces. The Thu Bon River becomes a carpet of floating candle lanterns as hundreds of visitors release their paper flower lanterns onto the water. Street performers, fortune tellers, and food vendors create a festival atmosphere throughout the old quarter. The combination of total lantern-lit darkness, river reflections, traditional performances, and the sheer visual beauty of thousands of silk lanterns creates an evening that many visitors describe as the highlight of their entire Vietnam trip. Check the lunar calendar for dates — the festival falls approximately mid-month by the Western calendar.