What is the best way to get around Hoi An?
Walk the old town, cycle everywhere else. The ancient town pedestrian zone bans motor vehicles 8:30–11am and 3–9:30pm daily — which covers most of your sightseeing hours. Bicycles are allowed in most areas and cost 30,000–50,000 VND/day from your hotel. Grab works for trips to the beaches (4km) and can drop you at the pedestrian zone edge.
Walking in the ancient town
The old town is compact — most sites within the UNESCO-listed area are within a 15-minute walk of each other. The Japanese Covered Bridge, Tan Ky Old House, and the central market are all walkable from any hotel inside the zone.
The ancient town pedestrian zone restricts motor vehicles during two daily windows: 8:30–11am and 3–9:30pm. These happen to be the exact hours you’ll want to be there — morning light and evening lanterns. Plan around this, not against it.
Wear comfortable shoes. The old town has uneven stone paths, and the heat between 11am and 3pm is reason enough to shelter indoors.
Bicycle: the main mode of transport
Bicycles work almost everywhere in Hoi An and are the standard way locals and tourists move around outside the pedestrian core.
Costs:
- Hotel bicycle: 20,000–50,000 VND/day
- Rental shop: 50,000–100,000 VND/day
- Electric bicycle: 80,000–120,000 VND/day
Most hotels include a bicycle in room rates or rent them cheaply. The extra range gets you to An Bang Beach (4km), the tailors on Nguyen Duy Hieu street, and the market area without sweating through your clothes.
Bicycles are allowed inside the pedestrian zone during restricted hours — they just have to be walked, not ridden, through the most congested areas.
Grab for longer distances
Grab covers trips to:
- An Bang or Cua Dai Beach: 40,000–60,000 VND
- Da Nang city center: 200,000–280,000 VND
- Da Nang airport: 280,000–350,000 VND
The app works reliably, pricing is transparent, and drivers know where the pedestrian zone boundaries are. For anything over 2km outside the old town, Grab is faster and cheaper than renting a motorbike once you factor in parking headaches.
Electric carts
Small electric carts operate on fixed routes through the old town during pedestrian hours — they’re allowed where motorbikes aren’t. You’ll see them parked near the central market and at the main tourist entry points. Fares are negotiated: typically 20,000–50,000 VND for a short ride.
Useful if you’re tired or moving heavy bags, but slower than walking for anything under 500 meters.
What not to bother with
Motorbike rental: Fine for day trips to My Son or the Marble Mountains, but useless inside the old town during peak hours. Renting a motorbike in Hoi An has its own cost/benefit logic.
Taxis: No meters, usually overpriced for short hops. Grab is better.