Combine Culture and Beach in Hoi An

While Hoi An is famous for its pretty, lantern lit old town, nearby Da Nang gets a lot of attention for beaches. But did you know that Hoi An also is an excellent beach destination?

As much as I’ve always wanted to see Hoi An’s UNESCO-listed Ancient Town, the first thing I did after arriving was heading straight for the beach. After two weeks of sightseeing in the humid and hot July weather, I craved a hint of breeze, a dip in the sea and enjoying cold coconut water from a sunbed.

And An Bang Beach was everything I needed right there and then. Just a quick and easy bicycle ride through radiant green rice fields from my hotel in Hoi An. Continue reading to learn how you can get the most out of both sightseeing and beach vibes in Hoi An!

Steal my full 3-week itinerary to Vietnam here!

Why Hoi An is ideal for mixing beach and culture

Hoi An is one of Vietnam’s most beloved destinations for both domestic and international travellers. And it’s not without reason. The UNESCO-listed old town’s charm is almost unmatched, with its yellow houses and lantern lit streets. The café and restaurant scene is as great as anywhere in Vietnam and there are museums and activities for all ages and interests.

See why you should do a lantern making workshop in Hoi An here!

Compared to many other popular places in Vietnam, Hoi An is also compact and rather easy to navigate by bicycle and walking. It’s surrounded by rice fields and farmland, and just 4 kilometres away from the town centre you find An Bang Beach – a tropical gem!

In addition to all this, the vicinity offers a wide range of interesting places perfect for a half day or day trips. To name a few, Marble Mountain and the Son Tra Mountain in Da Nang, the famous Golden Hands bridge in the Ba Na Hills and the UNESCO-listed My Son Sanctuary.

What a perfect day in Hoi An can look like:

Morning: Sightseeing and guided tours
Afternoon: Head to An Bang Beach in time for lunch and stay till sunset
Evening: Dinner and drinks in Hoi An Ancient Town

What is An Bang Beach really like?

If you expect a hidden gem, An Bang Beach isn’t the place for you. Instead, it provides 4 kilometres of dreamy white sand, azure sea, palm trees and all the facilities you may need.

Because of erosion, it’s not the widest beach and most beach bars are located one level up with stairs down to the beach and the sunbeds. Parts of the beach is lined with umbrellas and sun loungers, connected to restaurants and beach bars. The other part offers plenty of space to just put your towel down for free. I’d still vouch for renting a bed – most places offer it for free if you order food.

The sea is also quite shallow within the safety net (at least it was in July) which made swimming difficult. However, with the small waves coming in, it looked like the perfect spot for kids to have fun!

Practical information

Here are some practical details that makes it a bit easier to plan your trip to the beach in Hoi An:

Best time of year to enjoy An Bang Beach

The best time of the year to go to An Bang Beach is between March and August. This is the hot and dry season in Central Vietnam, and especially if you come in the summer months, the sea breeze will feel refreshing!

From September to November the wet season hits and there can be heavy rain at times. December to February is the chilly season, although you can be lucky and experience day temps up to the mid-twenties. For a Norwegian like me, that equals summer and beach weather.

How to get to the beach from Hoi An

An Bang Beach is located approx. 4 kilometres from Hoi An Ancient town and getting to and from is super easy. The main two options are:

By bike: As Hoi An and its surroundings are flat, and the traffic isn’t as crazy as in the larger cities, it easy to cycle. Bicycle rental is included in most accommodations.

The main street Duong Hai Ba Trung goes directly from the old town to the beach, past idyllic rice fields and across a small island. The scariest part was the large junction just before the beach but just follow the lights and signs and use normal driving rules and you will be fine.

There is paid parking at the end of the road for both bicycles and motorbikes. There didn’t seem to be a set price, as I paid between VND 10.000 – 30.000. The guys who ran this place wasn’t of the friendliest kind, but I felt it was worth it to know my bike was safe.

By Grab: The Grab app is the preferred and recommended paid transport option. It’s quick and easy to order a motorbike or car to pick you up in Hoi An, but a bit longer upon return from An Bang. I opted for a Grab bike when I planned to stay at the beach after sunset, as it didn’t feel safe cycling back in the dark.

Facilities and activities on the beach

Sunbeds: As mentioned, there’s no shortage of sunbeds to rent for the day. The price per bed, incl. umbrella shared by two, is around VND 50.000 per day. You pay when you leave and the price is the same whether you stay for a full day or just a couple of hours. However, several places let you use the sunbeds for free if you purchase food. The sunbeds are available between 08:00 in the morning to just before sunset (17:00-ish).

Activities: For those who want a bit of action, water sports such as jet skiing, parasailing and windsurfing are available. For less adrenaline-filled activities, opt to play a game of volleyball or rent a paddle board.

Toilets: There are some public toilets here and there, but the safest bet is to visit one of the establishments along the beach. Bring your own toilet paper to be safe.

Just off the beach, you find ATMs and various shops, in addition to more options for dining as well as accommodation.

Beach restaurants I can recommend

Soul Kitchen: I was recommended this place by my host in Phong Nha, and it didn’t disappoint. The staff are super service minded and friendly, the food is so good and the vibe is generally great. You can order lunch to your sunbed or go up the stairs to the main restaurant.

Would 10/10 come here again! If you stay after sunset, there’s live music in the restaurant.

The Deck House: This place is next door to Soul Kitchen, and they offer much of the same standard. The vibe is a bit different, as The Deck House feels slightly “posher”, but prices are the same and the food is great here too.

Neither of these will be among the cheaper meals on your Vietnam trip, but in my opinion they’re both worth it. The sunbeds are VND 50.000 on both, but included if you eat there. They keep your beds the whole day, even if you leave for a while.

Beach vendors

Like in many other beach destinations around the world, there are vendors walking around selling stuff on An Bang Beach as well. I didn’t find it overwhelming, but some of the ladies didn’t take the first nor the second no for an answer.

If you’re renting a bed at Soul Kitchen or The Deck House, there are only two women allowed to approach you. They sell handmade jewellery – perfect as a small gift or souvenir to bring home.

I started talking to Anna (pictured above) on my first afternoon on the beach, and from then on, she looked after me and my things for the rest of the week. She I didn’t purchase anything before day two, and after that there were no more questions about buying from her. Just genuine chats every time she sat down on my bed for a quick rest. Connecting with her was one of the highlights from the week.

Remember: Making a living from selling stuff on the beach isn’t an easy life, so be kind!

Where to stay, An Bang Beach or Hoi An?

There are plenty of places to stay for all budgets in both An Bang and in Hoi An. And since the distance is so short, both will work perfectly.

I had initially planned to stay at the beach but ended up changing my mind. Why? Because I wanted to bike as much as possible and also spend the evenings in the Ancient Town. As a solo traveller, I figured it was safer cycling to the beach in daylight and rather walk back and forth in Hoi An.

I ended up booking my stay at Hoi An Golden Holiday Hotel & Spa, which is in the outskirts of the city and the main road to the beach. With free bikes, this was the perfect choice!

So, think about where you want to spend the most time, beach or in the old town, especially in the evenings, and book accommodation there.

Cua Dai Beach and other beaches in Hoi An

An Bang isn’t the only beach in Hoi An. Cua Dai beach was for long the main place to go. Unfortunately, erosion due to waves and the weather has taken it turn on this sandy heaven and per my visit they were still working on re-establishing it. See photos above.

It’s located south of An Bang Beach, on the same stretch and is only a short bike ride away if you want to check it out. If more space and calmer surroundings without a lot of infrastructure, is more important than the aesthetics of the beach – this is for you.

Between the Cua Dai and An Bang beaches, there are also some smaller beaches called Secret Beach and Coconut Beach. Unfortunately, I can’t tell you their erosion status as I simply couldn’t find access to the from the road.

The stretch here is also dotted with large resorts with private beach sections.

A beach for all – locals and tourists

My favourite time on the beach was late afternoon. During the day, it belonged mostly to international tourists, but as the sun began to sink it was definitely the local’s time.

Closer to sunset, the whole atmosphere changed. Families, young couples, groups of friends and people coming straight from the office gathered to relax on the beach and have fun in the sea. Even small BBQ restaurants popped up right in front of the sunbeds.

If you’re an early bird, go there for sunrise as well. Apparently, this is also a time when the residents come here to work out, stretch and swim. Along the beach, you’ll also see the iconic bamboo basket boats. During the day they are just sitting on the beach, but in the early hours you can experience fishermen coming back with the days catch.

I’m definitely getting there by dawn one day next time!

Interested in learning about Vietnam’s culture? Read these 6 great novels before you go!

Is Hoi An a good beach destination, or just a bonus?

Yes. As long as it’s the combination of culture and beach you’re looking for.

If beach time is your main priority and you’re not interested in what else Hoi An and its surroundings has to offer, I would pick a different destination. Nearby Da Nang can be an option, with larger beaches and more of a “European” setup. Other destinations known for beaches are Mui Ne and Phu Quoc.  

My priority will always be culture over beach but living in Norway I definitely enjoy just chilling on a sunbed and swimming in warm sea now and then. And Hoi An ticked of all my boxes! I even extended my stay from 5 to 8 nights because I liked it so much.