36 Hours in Hoi An: A Realistic Plan From a Local Rental Shop

By Anh Khoa Hoi An·84 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An·Updated 7 Nov 2026

“36 Hours” is a familiar shape for a short trip, and Hoi An suits it very well: it is small, flat and easy to get around. This page isn’t connected with any newspaper. It’s simply how we’d spend a day and a half here, if a friend arrived at lunchtime and left the following evening. We built it around one idea: walk on day one, ride on day two.

36 hours in Hoi An, at a glance

Hours 0 to 10: arrive and walk

After lunch, rest through the hottest part of the day if you can. Then walk in around 15:00, when motor vehicles leave the Old Town and the streets start feeling like a town again. A heritage ticket is 20,000₫ per site. Walking is free, and under 16s enter free. Pick two or three: the Japanese Covered Bridge, a merchant house and an assembly hall work well together.

Stay on foot until the lanterns come on. Then cross the bridge to An Hoi and the Nguyen Hoang night market, about 300 metres long and open around 17:00 to 22:30. Eat cao lau or mi quang for dinner. You don’t need a bike for any of this. The barrier hours mean it would only get in your way.

Day one, leave the bike behind. In the Old Town at dusk, the only thing a scooter gives you is somewhere to worry about parking.

Hours 18 to 24: a morning on two wheels

Get up early. We can deliver a bike the evening before, or from 07:00, and you can collect free from 84 Phan Chau Trinh. Ride to An Bang Beach (4.6 km, about 15 minutes) for the first light and a coffee, then come back through Tra Que, 3 km from town, with a 35,000₫ entry. The rice fields around it are at their best at this hour, and you’ll be riding with the people on their way to work.

Then head for the central market before the heat peaks. Park at the edge, as the morning barrier runs from 09:00 to 11:00. Have a second breakfast there, and try a white rose dumpling or a banh mi.

Hours 24 to 36: lunch and your last hours

After lunch, rest again. Then decide how the trip should end. If you want one more outing, ride the 6 km to the Bay Mau coconut forest: entry is 30,000₫, a basket boat is usually 150,000–250,000₫ per boat, and it closes around 17:00. If you’ve had enough heat, sit by the river or get a tailor to finish your order instead.

Return the bike with time to spare. It can be collected from your hotel on delivery rentals, between 07:00 and 21:00. Give yourself a generous margin if you’re heading to the airport. Da Nang is 27–28 km away, and traffic can build in the evening.

Getting around and paperwork

A 1949 IDP is not valid in Vietnam, so read how to rent a motorbike in Hoi An before you pick. Delivery starts at 30,000₫ for both directions. Bring some cash too, as small vendors often don’t take cards.

What to skip with only 36 hours in Hoi An

36 hours means giving things up. We’d skip Ba Na Hills, which is a whole-day trip. My Son is doable at dawn on day two (38.2 km, about 1h05), but that replaces the beach and Tra Que. Hai Van Pass needs its own day. If you find you want all of these, stay longer, and our three-day itinerary covers them. Short of time? Hoi An in one day is the tighter version. The town’s heritage background is explained well on UNESCO’s Hoi An page.

Frequently asked questions

Fees and hours come from our own guides, checked in 2026, and they can change. Bike prices checked 7 November 2026. Your official quote comes by message.