Hoi An Night Market (Nguyen Hoang Street): A Local’s Guide

Hoi An After Dark · 2026 Local Guide

When the sun drops behind the Thu Bon River, the Hoi An Night Market on Nguyen Hoang Street flickers to life — 300 meters of silk lanterns, sizzling street-food grills and craft stalls on An Hoi islet, just across the bridge from the Ancient Town. It is loud, glowing, slightly chaotic, and absolutely the most photogenic hour of your day in Hoi An.

What is the Hoi An Night Market?

The Hoi An Night Market — locals call it the Nguyen Hoang Night Market after its street — has been running every single evening since 2000. Around 150 stalls line a 300-meter stretch of Nguyen Hoang Street on An Hoi islet, directly across the Hoai River from the heart of the Ancient Town.

The market really sells three things: food, lanterns and atmosphere. One end is all charcoal smoke and grilled skewers; the middle is a corridor of glowing silk lanterns that has become the Instagram shot of Central Vietnam; and in between you’ll find pottery from Thanh Ha village, embroidery, jewelry and every souvenir you can imagine. Entry is completely free — you only pay for what you eat and buy.

“Visit the Ancient Town in daylight for the history — but stay for the night market, because that’s when Hoi An actually feels alive.”— Anh Khoa, Hoi An local

Opening hours & the best time to go

The market opens daily from around 5:00 PM to 10:30 PM, rain or shine, every day of the year. Vendors start setting up from 4:30 PM.

What to eat — dish-by-dish with prices

This is snack territory rather than sit-down dining: grab, share, and keep moving. Most dishes cost 20,000–50,000 VND (about $1–2 USD), so you can taste your way down the whole street for under 200,000 VND.

Lanterns & shopping (and how to bargain)

The lantern stalls are the soul of the market. Handmade silk lanterns start at about 50,000 VND for small ones and run to 250,000+ VND for large, ornate designs. Most fold flat, so they genuinely fit in a suitcase. Locals will tell you each color carries a meaning — red for luck, yellow for prosperity, purple for nostalgia.

Beyond lanterns, look for Thanh Ha pottery, silk scarves, embroidered bags, wood carvings, leather goods and made-to-measure áo dài (from ~200,000 VND). Quality varies stall to stall — handle things, compare, and buy from the maker when you can spot one.

Things to do around the market

Take a lantern boat ride. Wooden sampans leave from the riverbank next to the market — expect 150,000–200,000 VND per boat (2–4 people) for a 15–20 minute float, releasing paper lanterns on the water for luck as you go.

Catch the Full Moon Lantern Festival. On the 14th night of each lunar month, the Ancient Town across the river switches off its electric lights and glows entirely by lantern. If your dates line up, do not miss it.

Listen to bài chòi. Most evenings you’ll hear bài chòi folk singing — a Central Vietnam card-game-meets-opera recognized by UNESCO — performed near the An Hoi bridge. Nearby, Cong Nu Ngoc Hoa street along the river adds a second strip of food stalls if you’re still hungry.

How to get there & where to park

The address is Nguyen Hoang Street, Minh An Ward, Hoi An — on An Hoi islet, directly opposite the Ancient Town. From anywhere in the old quarter, just cross the An Hoi bridge and you’re there.

Coming from Da Nang? It’s about 30 km — a scenic 45-minute ride along the coast. Renting a motorbike or scooter is the most flexible way to do it, and you can stop at the marble mountains or An Bang beach on the way.

Parking: the streets around the Ancient Town go pedestrian-only in the evening, so don’t try to ride to the market gate. Park at the guarded lots near the An Hoi bridge or along Nguyen Phuc Chu Street (5,000–10,000 VND) and walk the last two minutes.

So — is it worth visiting?

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Yes, unreservedly. The Hoi An Night Market is free, it’s beautiful, the food is cheap and genuinely good, and it’s the easiest way to feel the city’s energy after dark. Even if you buy nothing, the walk through the lantern corridor with a cup of Mót tea in hand is one of those travel moments that sticks. Pair it with an evening stroll through the Ancient Town across the river — and if you want to explore further out the next day, our Hoi An countryside motorbike guide picks up where the lanterns leave off.

FAQ — Hoi An Night Market

Last verified: July 2026. Prices are street averages and can vary by season and stall. Written by the Anh Khoa Hoi An team — we live five minutes from the market and eat there more often than we should.