Five kinds of Hoi An tour
Hoi An is easy to see on your own, so a tour is worth it mainly when you want a guide, a ride out of town or an evening on the water. The five types below cover most of what is offered. The table sums them up, and the sections after it list what to check before you pay.
The one thing that changes most between listings is what the price includes. Entry fees to the old town buildings, to My Son and to the Marble Mountains are sometimes inside the price and sometimes not. Fees changed in 2026, so read the inclusions line by line.
Hoi An tour types compared
What each type covers and what to check.
| Type | Where it goes | Best for | Check before you book |
|---|---|---|---|
| Old town walk | Streets, bridge, houses and halls of the Ancient Town | A first morning with a guide | Whether building fees are included |
| Evening lantern and boat tour | Old town after dark, market, short boat ride on the Hoai River | The lantern atmosphere | Boat and candle included or not |
| My Son half-day | Cham temple complex, 4th to 13th century | Ruins and history | Entry fee, shuttle ticket, show times |
| Marble Mountains trip | Thuy Son caves and pagodas | Caves and views | Am Phu cave and elevator costs |
| Combined day trip | My Son and the Marble Mountains | Two sights in one long day | Entry, lunch and elevator in the price |
Basket boat rides and cooking classes belong to the countryside around the town. They have their own guides at Cam Thanh, so this page does not repeat them.
Our picks: tours compared
An old town walk, a day trip to My Son and the Marble Mountains.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of October 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Marble Mountains, Lady Buddha and Am Phu Cave
Hotel transfer, an English-speaking guide and admission to the Marble Mountains and Am Phu Cave. The elevator costs extra, and lunch depends on the option.
Check availability →
My Son Sanctuary by van and river boat
Hotel transfer, a guide, insurance and a boat ride on the Thu Bon River. My Son admission is only included with the ticket option, and tips are not.
Check availability →
Hoi An Ancient Town walk with a local guide
A small-group walk with an English-speaking guide, finishing with dessert or tea and local tips. Hotel transfer and personal expenses are not included.
Check availability →Hoi An tours and day trips
Old town walks, evening boats, My Son and the Marble Mountains, with live prices and availability.
What to check before you book
The points that most often decide whether a tour is good value.
Tickets and fees
The old town fee rules changed from 10 August 2026, with a decision setting VND 20,000 per person and building, while packages at VND 80,000 and VND 120,000 were still described in March 2026. My Son lists a fee of VND 40,000 per visit in the 2026 decision, but the ticket portal showed VND 150,000 for foreign visitors plus a VND 30,000 shuttle ticket. Ask the operator which fees are in the price and which you pay on site.
Old town tickets →Getting to My Son
The tourist bus between Hoi An, My Son and Dong Giang is suspended for six months from 15 September 2026. A guided tour, a private car or a taxi is the realistic way to go. A hotel operator quotes about 50 minutes by car from its location in Hoi An, but traffic and your pickup point change that.
My Son guide →An example of the small print
One local operator's combined My Son and Marble Mountains day tour lists 11 hours, an English-speaking guide, pickup and return in central Hoi An, entry fees, lunch and one elevator ride. Adult fares apply from age 11, ages 6 to 10 pay 50 percent and ages 0 to 5 are free, with at most one child per adult at that rate. Cancellation is free more than 24 hours before departure and costs 100 percent after that. Other tours differ, so use these as questions, not as a standard.
Evening boats
The short lantern boat rides run on the Hoai River beside the market and take 15 to 20 minutes. Prices published for them are around VND 150,000 per boat for one to three people and VND 200,000 for four to five people, and a paper candle costs about VND 5,000 to VND 20,000. A tour that adds a boat should say who pays for it.
Night market →Availability and weather
No general advance reservation is needed for the sights, but that does not mean a guided tour has room on the day. Book ahead in busy months. October is the wettest month at the Da Nang climate station, and floods hit Hoi An in October 2025. Read the weather and cancellation terms.
Weather guide →Plan the days around the tours
A few pages that help you choose.
Things to do in Hoi An
Fifteen experiences, with fees and hours.
Lantern festival
Dates for the lantern nights and what boats cost.
Marble Mountains
Caves, pagodas, fees and the elevator.
For a cooking class or a bike ride through the fields, see the guides to cooking classes and bike tours.
Hoi An tours: frequently asked questions
Do I need a tour in Hoi An?
No. The Ancient Town is easy to walk alone. A tour helps most for My Son, which has no tourist bus at the moment, and for an evening with a boat.
Is the old town ticket included in a walking tour?
It depends on the listing. Some include the building fee and some do not. Fee rules changed in August 2026, so check the inclusions and ask what you pay on site.
What does a combined My Son and Marble Mountains day trip include?
One operator lists entry fees, lunch, an English-speaking guide, pickup and return in central Hoi An, and one elevator ride in its 11-hour product. Other operators differ, so compare the inclusions.
Are children cheaper on tours?
On the combined day trip of one operator, ages 6 to 10 pay 50 percent and ages 0 to 5 are free. Other tours set their own age bands, so check each listing.
Can I cancel a tour for free?
The terms differ by tour. The example above is free more than 24 hours before departure and non-refundable after that. Read the cancellation line of the tour you pick.