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Food tours in Hoi An: what to eat and which tour to book
Hoi An is a small old trading port on the Thu Bon River in central Vietnam, and its food is its own. Cao lầu — chewy noodles made with rice soaked in lye water, served with pork and herbs in very little broth — is rarely found outside the town. Cơm gà (chicken rice), mì Quảng (turmeric noodles from Quang Nam province), the dumplings sold as 'white rose' and Hoi An's version of bánh mì are the other everyday dishes. Herbs come from the Trà Quế vegetable village just outside town, and seafood from Cửa Đại beach. The Ancient Town is small and busy with visitors, so the better-value eating is in the Central Market, the side streets and the villages around it.
Use this page to decide what to order and where. The dishes and areas below say what each place does well and when to go. The tours are real GetYourGuide listings, with prices as seen when we checked; prices change, so confirm on the booking page before you pay.
What to eat in Hoi An
| Dish | What it is | Where to eat it | Typical price* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cao lau cao lầu | Thick, chewy, yellowish rice noodles made with lye water, topped with slices of char siu-style pork, crunchy fried noodle pieces, bean sprouts and fresh herbs, with a spoonful of rich sauce rather than soup. Local tradition says the water should come from the old Bá Lễ well. | Stalls in the Central Market food hall and small shops on Thái Phiên and Trần Hưng Đạo streets. | roughly 35,000–60,000 VND a bowl (about €1.20–2) |
| Chicken rice cơm gà Hội An | Rice cooked in chicken stock and turmeric, served with shredded chicken mixed with onion, herbs and lime, and a bowl of broth. | Chicken rice shops on Phan Châu Trinh street and around the Ancient Town. | roughly 40,000–70,000 VND a plate |
| Quang noodles mì Quảng | Flat turmeric-yellow rice noodles with pork, shrimp or chicken, peanuts, herbs and a sesame rice cracker, with a small amount of strong broth. The regional dish of Quang Nam. | Market stalls and local breakfast shops across town. | roughly 30,000–50,000 VND a bowl |
| Banh mi bánh mì Hội An | Crisp baguette filled with pâté, cold cuts, grilled pork or egg, pickles, herbs and chilli sauce. Hoi An's versions are known for their rich sauces. | Well-known bánh mì shops in the Ancient Town and street carts; the most famous ones have queues at peak times. | roughly 25,000–40,000 VND each |
| White rose dumplings bánh bao bánh vạc | Translucent rice-flour dumplings filled with shrimp and shaped like a flower, topped with fried shallots and served with dipping sauce. Traditionally made by a few families in town. | Restaurants in the Ancient Town and the Central Market. | roughly 50,000–80,000 VND a plate |
| Rice pancakes and grilled pork skewers bánh xèo / nem lụi | Crisp turmeric rice pancakes with shrimp and pork, and lemongrass pork skewers, both rolled at the table in rice paper with herbs and dipped in peanut sauce. | Small family restaurants on the side streets and in An Hội across the river. | roughly 60,000–120,000 VND a serving |
| Sweet soup and herbal drinks chè / nước mót | Chè is a sweet dessert soup of beans, jelly, coconut milk or lotus seeds; nước mót is a cold herbal tea with lemongrass, lime and herbs. | Dessert stalls in the Central Market and tea shops in the Ancient Town. | roughly 15,000–35,000 VND |
| Vietnamese coffee cà phê sữa đá / cà phê muối | Strong drip coffee with condensed milk over ice, or the salted-cream coffee now found in many cafés. | Cafés everywhere; local cafés on the streets outside the Ancient Town are cheaper. | roughly 20,000–50,000 VND |
Where to eat: markets and neighbourhoods
Hoi An Central Market (Chợ Hội An)
The town market on the river at the east end of Trần Phú street, with a fresh produce and fish section and a covered food hall where stalls serve cao lầu, mì Quảng, bánh xèo and chè.
Ancient Town (Phố Cổ)
The UNESCO-listed old centre with merchant houses and Chinese assembly halls. Many restaurants and well-known bánh mì and chicken rice shops, at visitor prices. Walking streets are closed to motor traffic at set hours.
Hoi An Night Market, Nguyễn Hoàng street (An Hội)
Night market across the river from the Ancient Town with lanterns, souvenir stalls and street-food carts selling grilled skewers, bánh tráng nướng (grilled rice paper) and sweets.
Trà Quế vegetable village
Farming village about 3 km north of town where families grow the herbs and greens used in Hoi An cooking. Visits often combine a farm walk with a cooking lesson.
Cửa Đại and An Bàng beaches
Beaches a short bike ride from town with seafood restaurants selling fish, squid, clams and prawns by weight.
Food tours in Hoi An compared
Every tour below is a real listing on GetYourGuide or Viator, checked on 2 Oct 2026. Prices move with season and group size, so treat them as a guide and confirm on the booking page.
| Tour | Length | Price* | Group | Best for | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoi An: Traditional Cooking Class & meal with Local Family | 2.5 - 3.5 hours | from €21 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Hoi An Food Tour: 12 Flavors of a Former Trading port | 3 hours | from €20 per person | — | First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide. | Check dates |
| Hoi An Old Town Street Food Tour & Local Beer | 2.5 hours | from €35 per person | private | Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them. | Check dates |
| Hoi an food tour with 8 different street food tasting | 3 hours | from €28 per person | max 10 | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
| Hoi An: Vietnamese Cooking Class & Basket Boat Options | 2.5 - 4.5 hours | from €21 per person | — | Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients. | Check dates |
| Hoi An: 2.5-Hour Street Food Tour | 2.5 hours | from €26 per person | — | First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go. | Check dates |
Hoi An: Traditional Cooking Class & meal with Local Family
On GetYourGuide · run by Hoi An Eco Travel
- Length
- 2.5 - 3.5 hours
- Price
- from €21 per person
- Rating
- 4.9 ★ from 568 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- English-speaking chef Welcome tea All ingredients for the cooking class Lunch/dinner Drinks Personal expenses
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
- Starts
- Meeting point may vary depending on the option booked.
Hoi An Food Tour: 12 Flavors of a Former Trading port
On GetYourGuide · run by Man Travel Hoi An
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €20 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 102 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- 12+ different food tastings Live tour guide Cultural and historical insights of Hoi An Transportation to the meeting point Tips
- Suits
- First-timers who want a broad tasting of the classics with a local guide.
- Starts
- *
Hoi An Old Town Street Food Tour & Local Beer
On GetYourGuide · run by Intrepid Urban Adventures - Asia
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €35 per person
- Rating
- 4.4 ★ from 89 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- private
- Included
- Local English-speaking guide Food tasting such as banh mi, BBQ pork rolled with rice paper and fresh herbs, Cao Lau noodle/Chicken rice, rice cakes (Banh Beo), local milk (soya milk), sweet black sesame soup (Xi ma)…
- Suits
- Couples, families or friends who want the route and pace set around them.
- Starts
- Hội An Post Office
Hoi an food tour with 8 different street food tasting
On GetYourGuide · run by Hanoi Street Food Tour
- Length
- 3 hours
- Price
- from €28 per person
- Rating
- 4.8 ★ from 31 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Group size
- max 10
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Bun Cha Ta Hoi An ### Hoi An Market
Hoi An: Vietnamese Cooking Class & Basket Boat Options
On GetYourGuide · run by Vietnam Orange Tours
- Length
- 2.5 - 4.5 hours
- Price
- from €21 per person
- Rating
- 4.7 ★ from 31 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Included in All Options (Hoi An City Center) Welcome drink English-speaking chef Hands-on cooking class Fresh cooking ingredients Meal prepared during the class Bottled water Included in Option 2 Only Guided local ma…
- Suits
- Travellers who want to cook the dishes again at home; easiest option for dietary needs, since you control the ingredients.
Hoi An: 2.5-Hour Street Food Tour
On GetYourGuide · run by HOI AN FOOD TOUR
- Length
- 2.5 hours
- Price
- from €26 per person
- Rating
- 5.0 ★ from 24 reviews (on 2 Oct 2026)
- Included
- Bottled water All food as per the tour description Tour guide Gratuities
- Suits
- First-timers on a budget who want to try many cheap dishes in one go.
- Starts
- Madam Khanh - The Banh Mi Queen
Some links on this page are partner links. If you book through them TonyPlan earns a small commission — the price you pay is exactly the same.
Street food, sit-down or a cooking class?
Street food
Street food in Hoi An is concentrated in the Central Market food hall, small shops on the streets around the Ancient Town and the carts of the night market. Portions are small and cheap, so it is easy to try several dishes in one evening. Prices are higher inside the Ancient Town than a few streets away.
Sit-down meals
Sit-down restaurants in the Ancient Town serve local specialities and set menus aimed at visitors, sometimes in restored houses by the river. Family-run restaurants in An Hội and on the side streets are cheaper and often better. People eat early by European standards; many local places close by about 21:00.
Cooking classes
Hoi An has more cooking classes than almost anywhere in Vietnam. Most start with a market visit or a basket-boat ride, then cook dishes such as bánh xèo, fresh spring rolls, a salad and phở or cao lầu. Classes in Trà Quế village include a walk through the herb gardens. Check group size and whether the class is hands-on.
How much to budget for food
| Style | Per person, per day* |
|---|---|
| Budget (street food, markets) | about 300,000–500,000 VND / €10–17 (market breakfast and lunch, street-food dinner) |
| Mid-range (one sit-down meal a day) | about 700,000–1,200,000 VND / €24–40 (two sit-down meals with drinks) |
| Splurge (tasting menus, wine) | 2,000,000+ VND / €70+ (riverside or resort restaurant with wine) |
Vegetarian, halal and gluten-free
Vegetarian & vegan: Possible. There are Buddhist vegetarian (chay) restaurants in town, and many visitor-oriented restaurants offer tofu versions of local dishes. In ordinary places, fish sauce, shrimp paste and pork-based broths are in almost everything, so ask for 'chay' and 'không nước mắm' (no fish sauce).
Halal: Halal food is very limited. Pork is the main meat, and lard and pork broth are common. A few Indian restaurants in and near the Ancient Town advertise halal food. Seafood and vegetable dishes are the practical choice, but ask about broths and sauces.
Gluten-free: Rice-based cooking helps: rice noodles, rice paper, cơm gà and bánh xèo are made from rice flour. Watch for soy sauce, which contains wheat, in marinades and dipping sauces, and for bánh mì and wheat-based noodles. A translated card helps explain coeliac disease.
Food scams and tourist traps to avoid
- Menus without prices or 'market price' seafood at the beach, with a large bill at the end. Ask the price per kilo, see the seafood weighed and agree the total before cooking.
- Copies of famous bánh mì or chicken rice shops with similar names near the original. Check the exact address before you go; the busy original is often just a few doors away.
- Boat rides and lantern sellers on the river at night pushed with 'special' prices that change once you are on board. Agree the price and the duration before getting in the boat.
- Being charged visitor prices at market stalls when no price is displayed. Ask the price first and watch what local customers pay; most dishes cost tens of thousands of dong, not hundreds.
Top tours & activities in Hoi An
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Staying near the markets saves time and taxi money — most food tours start in the old centre.
Common questions
Is street food in Hoi An safe?
Generally yes. The Central Market food hall and busy street shops have high turnover and cook to order. Raw herbs are served with almost everything; if you are worried, choose places where they look fresh and washed. Drink bottled or filtered water; ice in restaurants is usually made from purified water.
What should I eat first in Hoi An?
Try cao lầu, which you will rarely find elsewhere, along with cơm gà, mì Quảng, a bánh mì and white rose dumplings. All five can be eaten in a day and cost very little. Add bánh xèo and nem lụi rolled at the table for dinner, and chè or a herbal drink in the evening.
Do I need to tip in Hoi An?
Tipping is not traditional in Vietnam, but it is welcome in tourist areas. In sit-down restaurants, rounding up or leaving 5–10% for good service is fine. Street stalls don't expect tips. Food tour guides and cooking class teachers are commonly tipped about 50,000–100,000 VND per person.
Do I need a ticket to enter the Ancient Town?
Visitors are expected to buy an Ancient Town ticket, which gives access to a set number of historic buildings, and ticket booths stand at the entrances. You don't need a ticket to eat at restaurants or the Central Market, but checks happen at the entrances. Rules and prices change, so check locally.
How much should I budget for food per day?
Eating at the market and street stalls, roughly 300,000–500,000 VND (€10–17) a day is enough. Two sit-down meals with drinks are roughly 700,000–1,200,000 VND (€24–40). Riverside and resort restaurants cost much more, especially with imported wine.
When is the best time to visit for food?
February to April has pleasant weather. Summer (May–August) is hot but dry. The rainy season from roughly September to December can bring floods to the Ancient Town, when some riverside restaurants close for days. The full-moon lantern evening each month is busy and atmospheric.
* Prices are approximate, gathered on 2 Oct 2026 from menus, markets and the booking pages linked above. They change with season and exchange rates.