Hoi An & Da Nang With Kids: Where To Stay, Eat & Best Things To Do

Welcome to our family-friendly guide to Hoi An and Da Nang in Vietnam. This ended up being one of our favourite parts of Vietnam with kids because it offers a bit of everything — beaches, lantern-filled streets, amazing food, family resorts, and easy day trips.

We spent 7 nights between Hoi An and Da Nang, and honestly, we wouldn’t recommend doing much less than 4–5 nights if you want to properly experience the area without rushing. One thing that surprised us most about Hoi An is how spread out everything is.

We split our stay with 3 nights at An Bang Beach and 4 nights near Hoi An Old Town. This worked really well because the two areas feel completely different. An Bang is slower and beachy, while Old Town is busy, colourful and packed with energy at night.

We have also stayed in Da Nang, which is a great option if you want a beach holiday. The beach quality is better in Da Nang than at Ao Nang beach, and it has more of a city feel.

Looking for more family-friendly tours and activities in Hoi An and Da Nang? Browse our Hoi An and Da Nang activities link below & we also have more details about the activities we enjoyed further down in this post!

Vietnam Currency Quick Guide

• 100,000 VND ≈ $5.50 AUD
• 500,000 VND ≈ $27–28 AUD
• 1,000,000 VND ≈ $55 AUD

Best things to do in Hoi-An Old Town

• Hoi An Ancient Town is generally where most families base themselves for a few days and honestly, this is the part of Hoi An most people picture before arriving. Lanterns hanging across the streets, riverside cafes, markets, tailors and small alleyways everywhere. During the day it gets very hot and crowded, so we found it easier to either visit early morning or keep daytime visits shorter before heading back to the pool. The real magic happens at night when the lanterns light up across the river.
• The Hoi An Night Market is busy, colourful and one of those places you’ll probably walk through multiple times during your stay. It’s packed with stalls selling souvenirs, clothes, lanterns and street food, and it really comes to life once the sun goes down. That said, it’s not a hidden gem; it’s crowded, a bit repetitive, and very tourist-focused. Food-wise, it’s easy to grab quick bites like local noodles, seafood or snacks, but we found it better for grazing than sitting down for a proper meal.
• The Lantern boat ride is one of the most iconic things to do in Hoi An, but it’s also one of the easiest to get wrong if you don’t know what to expect. The main boarding areas are busy. Really busy. You’ll get approached constantly by people trying to sell you a ride, and it can feel a bit pushy, especially around peak times. The ride itself is short, usually around 15–20 minutes, which is actually about right with kids. We went at 7 pm, and it was packed! So perhaps, go at sunset, or later at night after 8 pm. You’ll pay around $10–$15 total for your whole family, including lanterns to light and place on the water. The key spot to grab a boat is along the riverfront near An Hoi Bridge.
• Tieng Vong Pho Lantern Workshop. There are heaps of lantern workshops in Hoi An. We picked Tieng Vong Pho because it looked like a stable, family-run shop, but also because they offered it with or without the lantern shell. We picked a class with the shell already made, which made it easier for the kids to follow: choosing fabric, shaping the frame, assembling it step by step with glue, and then taking it home. There are instructors at each table to help you at each step (bit of an art with placing the fabric!). Sessions run for around 1 to 2 hours. Cost is about 150,000 – 250,000 VND per person (~AUD $9–$15). The workshop is located right in Old Town, so it’s easy to slot into your day. You can either walk in or book ahead with platforms like Klook. We have a discount code you can use, it’s FOOTLOOSE10KLOOK for 10% off for first-time users
• Cam Thanh Rice Fields is one of the easiest ways to escape the crowds of Hoi An without going far at all. Just a few minutes outside Hoi An Ancient Town, the streets open up into a huge stretch of green rice paddies that feel completely removed from the markets, river traffic and café scene. It’s an easy, flat 20-minute bike ride from Ancient Town. There are a few bike rental places. We’d pick Hoi An Walking & Cycling Tour Bike Rental & Sale. This is actually in Cam Thanh itself, so you can start riding straight into the rice fields without dealing with traffic first.
• Thanh Ha Pottery Village is one of the best hands-on cultural activities for kids in Hoi An. About 10–15 minutes from Ancient Town, this small riverside village has been making pottery for hundreds of years, and many local families still create ceramics the traditional way.

Coconut Boat Ride + Cooking Class

If you are short on time, we found it easier to combine a coconut boat ride with a cooking class, and we found one through Klook that isn’t too long (and in the morning, too!).

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel and take you to the local food markets, where they’ll walk you around and show you the ingredients used in your cooking class. This lasts for about 20 minutes, then you’re taken to the cooking class venue, which is also the same location as the coconut boats. You jump into the round basket boats and head through the palm-lined waterways. Along the way, plenty is going on: boat spinning, crab fishing, and Gangnam-style music pumping, so it’s not just a quiet paddle! Our kids loved it and participated in the boat spinning, which costs an extra 50k VND (only one boat guide spins), so you’ll need to switch boats.

The Cooking class is in an open-air kitchen, and you cook 3–4 Vietnamese dishes. We made spring rolls, a local pancake (Bánh Xèo), a noodle stir-fry dish & seafood dish (there is heaps of food!). They also cater for food allergies (need to let them know in advance). Everything is guided step-by-step, so you’re not guessing; they show you first, then you follow along. It’s simple enough that kids can get involved, especially with rolling spring rolls or prepping ingredients.

Cham Island (Cu Lao Cham)

Cham Island is one of the easiest ways to break up your time in Hoi An, especially if you want clearer water and a proper beach day. The beach quality didn’t compare to Thailand, but it was better than mainland An Bang or Da Nang beach

It’s a half- to full-day trip, starting with a speedboat transfer (about 20–30 minutes). You’ll usually stop at a snorkelling spot first, then move to a beach area where you can swim, relax and have lunch. We honestly felt the snorkelling was better in Thailand, but maybe we had a day of poor water clarity. If you’re researching tours, pick one that includes Bai Ong Beach. It’s a nicer beach, and you can rent big floating devices for the kids to use in the ocean. There’s also a little family-run bar called the Sunset pub that serves good food. The beach itself is rustic, and you will get haggled to buy souvenirs, but that’s expected when you’re hanging out in a local village.

You can book a half or full-day tour through Klook.

Ba Na Hills

Ba Na Hills is one of the most talked-about attractions near Hoi An, but it’s very different from the rest of your Vietnam trip, and I’d take your kids there if you can’t visit the VinPearl theme park in Nha Trang or Phu Quoc. There is a VinPearl in Hoi An; we haven’t been, but we’ve heard it’s quite run-down which is why we picked Ba Nan Hills instead..

The cable car is the standout; it’s long, scenic and genuinely impressive, taking you up through the mountains. At the top, the Golden Bridge is exactly what you’ve seen online, and it’s worth seeing once, but gosh, it’s busy even when the park opens at 8 am. You want to be at the cable car by 7:30 am (for opening), otherwise the lines are horrendous!

We booked through Get Your Guide so we didn’t have to wait in line for tickets, and learnt that kids pay adult prices if they’re taller than 140cm.

Once you leave the Golden Bridge area, you’re in a Euro-themed park. There is a large indoor games complex with rides & arcade-style attractions, which are all included in the price. The alpine coaster is located here, but you need to pay extra for it (like $5 for two rides). The rest is mainly a French-themed village, and for Dads who like beer, there is a German-inspired beer garden with two free beers included in the ticket price.

It’s a full-day commitment when you factor in travel from Hoi An or Da Nang (1-1.5 hours each way). If you’re a family that enjoys theme parks, then I’d take your kids to Ba Na Hills.

Lady Buddha & Marble Mountain Temples

Lady Buddha is one of the easiest stops to add into a Da Nang day, and it works well with kids because it’s quick & open if you want a quick temple stop. The statue is huge, one of the tallest in Vietnam and sits up on the hillside overlooking the coastline, so you get big views back over Da Nang. Monkeys roam the grounds, mostly keeping to themselves and hanging in the trees.

If you want to add another temple experience to your Da Nang day, then Marble Mountain is another one. It’s a mix of caves, temples and viewpoints built into the mountain, and the caves are the highlight. Take the elevator up to the first section, and wear good shoes; we failed at this one because the marble is very hot and slippery, and if you want to climb to the top of the mountain, the stairs are very uneven. There are some ice cream, and water stations at various points on the mountain, and if you want to give the top a miss, then head straight to the caves, they’re cooler and impressive.

Another temple we missed (we were “templed out”) is My Son Temple, considered the largest temple complex of the Champa Kingdom.

Han Market and Con Market

If you’re heading to Da Nang and want to shop like a local (not just tick off a tourist stop), here’s the lowdown on both markets.

Han Market is the easy one — right in the city centre, clean, organised, and a good first stop with the kids. Downstairs you’ll find fresh produce, seafood and meat, and upstairs is clothing.

Con Market is about 15 minutes down the road It’s bigger, louder and 100% local — this is where Da Nang actually eats. Think Mi Quang, banh xeo, fresh spring rolls, and prices that are way cheaper than Han Market. It’s less polished and more real. If you don’t want food market food, then head to Nha Hang Mr. Anh restaurant – large menu and lovely presented food that is reasonably priced

Dragon Bridge (Cau Rong)

Dragon Bridge (Cầu Rồng) is one of Da Nang’s most iconic sights, and it really is one of those “you have to see it to believe it” moments. The dragon-shaped bridge stretches across the Han River and lights up in colour every night, but the big drawcard is the fire and water show, which runs Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 9pm. The dragon’s head breathes real fire before a water spray kicks in, and it only runs for about 15 minutes, but it’s free and genuinely impressive.

Right at the foot of the bridge is Son Tra Night Market, also known as the Dragon Bridge Night Market. It’s Da Nang’s biggest night market, with over 100 stalls selling street food, clothing, souvenirs and local snacks, so it’s a great spot to grab dinner before you settle in for the show.

It does get busy, especially on weekends, so we’d recommend getting there earlier than you think you need to.

Our tips!

• Head to the market around 8–8:15pm to grab food and still find a good spot before the crowds pile in
• Stand near the dragon’s head for the best fire view, but hang back a little if you don’t want to get soaked — the water part catches a lot of people off guard
• With kids, the riverside promenade near the market gives a great view without getting caught in the crush right at the bridge
• No tickets or reserved spots needed, just rock up and find your patch of riverbank

Da Nang’s Food Tour On A Motorbike with KissTour

If you’re after real Da Nang food, not the beachfront tourist menu, this one’s it. KissTour picks you up straight from your hotel, pairs you with your own local rider, and takes you across Dragon Bridge, Han River Bridge and Tran Thi Ly Bridge to the spots locals actually eat at.

Over 4 hours, we tried a local Da Nang noodle soup, pancakes, seafood snails and clams, and finished with chè for dessert.

This is our second tour with KissTour, we did a city tour with them in Ho Chi Minh City too. Appreciate jumping on the back of a bike is not everyone’s cup of tea, but we honestly felt really safe with the tour guides; they’re local and speak English. My kids loved it, but they are nearly teenagers so this tour is probably best for families with older kids.

Where we stayed in Hoi-An and Da Nang

Dragon Sea Homestay

Dragon Sea Homestay is one of those smaller family-run stays near An Bang Beach that works really well if you want something quieter and more affordable than the bigger Hoi An resorts further down the road towards Da Nang. The rooms are simple but comfortable, and what stands out most here is the relaxed local feel. It feels more personal than a large resort.
Plenty of cafes, mini marts and restaurants are within walking distance.
The family who runs the homestay is lovely, and they have a few small dogs who roam freely around the grounds. They offer breakfast included in the price, but it doesn’t start until 8am, so since we were off doing activities by then, we decided to have breakfast at cafes a few minutes away that open at 6am. We paid $65 per night for a 2-bedroom suite (2A & 2K) – they have larger family suites that can fit 3 kids

La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa

We stayed at La Siesta Hoi An Resort & Spa, which is a calm, family-friendly stay just outside Hoi An Ancient Town but close enough to access everything, but far enough to escape the chaos of the old town. It has a traditional Vietnamese design with a modern, comfortable feel, with spacious rooms (most are two-level family rooms) and multiple pools. It’s also a really easy layout, and the buffet breakfast has plenty on offer to fuel you for the day ahead! If you want to explore outside of the hotel, we ate at Lily’s Pancakes for lunch, and there is a great Spa; the name escapes me, but it has large glass doors and windows, and a lot of blue seats a few doors down (you won’t miss it, it’s quite large & modern).

Holiday Beach Da Nang

Holiday Beach Da Nang is in a great location, opposite My Khe Beach & within walking distance of restaurants and beach bars. It has a large swimming pool; however, it’s quite noisy at night from the beach bars across the road, and the buffet breakfast was average. A good option if you are looking for a central and affordable hotel in Da Nang.

Favourite Places to Eat in Hoi-An & Da Nang

Below is a list of our recommended family-friendly restaurants and cafes in Hoi An and Da Nang that also offer gluten-free options.

• Little Kitchen – gluten-free friendly, easy and reliable
• Little Hoi An – higher end, but worth it for a nicer meal
• Lanterns Coffee Brunch & Bar – great for GF + vegan options, smoothie bowls and lighter meals
• Met Restaurant – popular spot for Vietnamese dishes in a comfortable setting
• Phan Gia Restaurant – casual, local-style food, simple and good value
• Lily Pancakes – next to La Siesta Hotel, great for kids and gluten-free friendly
• Forest 89 Café – quirky café in Da Nang, drinks only
• Wind Café – relaxed, open-style café with drinks only
• Banh Mi Hai Cay Xoai – $2 Banh Mi in An Bang
• La Plage and Dai An – waterfront seafood restaurants in An Bang
• Hang Mr. Anh – great Vietnamese restaurant next to Con Market

Map of Hoi An & Da Nang