Hoi An

A short history

1. People of the Sa Huỳnh culture lived along the Thu Bồn River dunes here; more than 50 sites have been found, with trade goods dating back to the 1st century BCE. ³
2. From the 7th to 10th centuries the Cham controlled the spice trade. Mỹ Sơn was their spiritual centre and Hội An their commercial port. ³
3. Đại Việt took the area in 1471. The port, known to Europeans as Faifo, drew Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese and other traders. ³
4. Fighting in 1775 destroyed much of the commercial district, and the town slowly lost its role as a port. ³
5. The Old Town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999 as a well-preserved Southeast Asian trading port of the 15th–19th centuries, and Hội An joined UNESCO's Creative Cities Network in 2023. ^{3 5 5}

Key dates are checked against a second source where we found one (official portal, UNESCO or a founding institution).

Life there

Climate

Two seasons. Highs can reach 38 °C (100 °F) from June to August; November to January average about 20 °C (68 °F). The rainy season runs September to January and can bring floods; February to May is dry and mild. ³ (No monthly weather-station table was found for Hội An; Da Nang's table is about 30 km away.)

No weather-station table exists for Hội An itself. The table below is for nearby Da Nang; Hội An's weather is similar but not identical.

Expat community

Expat.com estimates 3,000–5,000 foreign residents, led by South Koreans, Americans, Britons, Australians and French (unofficial). ⁴ Cost-of-living data for Hội An is thin; Numbeo warns that some of its numbers are estimates (see the calculator).

Healthcare

The U.S. Embassy lists Pacific Hospital in Hội An. ¹⁰ For bigger hospitals, Da Nang's Vinmec, Hoan My and Da Nang General are about 28 km north. ^{10 3}

The U.S. Embassy notes that care in Vietnam is generally below U.S. standards outside the big international hospitals, and that serious cases may need medical evacuation. ¹⁰ More on the healthcare page (coming soon).

Getting around

Da Nang International Airport is 28 km north (about 40 minutes) and Chu Lai airport 73 km south. Regular cars and buses run to Da Nang. ³ Grab lists Hội An as a city it serves. ¹¹

Safety

Hội An's rainy season runs from about September to January, and heavy rain can flood the riverside old town. ³

Across Vietnam

• The U.S. State Department rates Vietnam Level 1, "exercise normal precautions" (advisory issued 24 June 2026; checked Oct 27, 2026 in a browser). It names two risks: petty crime in tourist areas, and landmines and unexploded ordnance, which it says are a low risk in urban and tourist areas. ¹² OSAC's 2026 report, which we read, gives the same level. ¹³
• The crimes foreigners meet most are phone theft, pickpocketing and bag snatching by thieves on motorbikes; petty crime rises around Christmas and Tết. ¹³
• Traffic is the biggest danger: OSAC says road accidents are the leading cause of death, serious injury and medical evacuation for foreigners in Vietnam, and helmets are required on motorbikes. ¹³
• OSAC says the June–October monsoon brings flood and landslide risk; in 2025 the country had 11 typhoons and tropical depressions between May and October. ¹³
• Emergency numbers: 113 police, 114 fire, 115 ambulance. ¹⁴

How residents rate crime here (crowd-sourced, not official)

Numbeo crime index

15.8 / 100 (lower = less crime perceived) ¹⁵

Numbeo safety index

84.2 / 100 (higher = safer) ¹⁵

Numbeo says it needs more contributors for this city, so treat these numbers as rough.

Things to do and experience