How to Do Hội An Right —Even With Food Allergies
Almost every local we met in Hội An asked how long we were staying. When we said six nights, we got the same surprised "Wow." Most visitors stay a few days at most. After our week there, we'd argue they're missing out.
Here's what we learned, including how to eat well with dietary restrictions.
1. Stay Longer Than You Think
Hội An is easy to "see" quickly, but its charm reveals itself slowly: a morning coffee on the river, a second visit to a favorite restaurant, a conversation with a shop owner. Six nights let us cook, shop, explore, and rest without rushing.
Our advice: If your itinerary allows, give Hội An four nights or more, especially if you plan to have clothing made (more on that below).
2. Take a Walking Tour on Day One
We did this backwards. We wandered into the Phuoc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall on our own and found no signs or explanations. We only learned what we'd seen when we joined a free GuruWalk walking tour on our last day.
Our guide explained the Chăm Pa roots of local culture, the Japanese and Chinese quarters, the Japanese Bridge, and why traditional houses are built open to let air and floodwater flow through.
Our advice: Book a walking tour as soon as you arrive. Everything you see afterward will mean more. Also note that Old Town sites require a ticket, which we had to buy at a separate ticket booth several blocks away. Ask exactly where it is before you set off in the heat.
3. Start Your Tailoring Early
Hội An is famous for custom clothing, and it lived up to the hype. Our first fitting came about 30 hours after ordering, and we went back for several more rounds of adjustments before everything was perfect.
We also had leather shoes and cowboy boots made, at roughly a third of what Lauren would pay in Nashville.
Our advice: Visit a tailor on your first or second day so there's time for multiple fittings. Bring photos of styles you like, because shops will ask you to choose fabrics and designs on the spot.
4. Have a Plan for Getting It All Home
Here's what we didn't think through: how to carry custom clothes, boots, dress shoes, lanterns, and artwork for two more months of travel. Our tailor arranged for a shipper to come to the shop, and our 16 kg box left on the back of a motorbike. It was expensive, but worth not hauling it around.
Our advice: Decide before you shop whether you'll pack or ship, and check shipping costs at the post office first. Factor it into whether a purchase is truly a deal. For us, the shoes still were.
5. Eating Gluten-Free or Dairy-Free in Hội An
I eat gluten-free, and we both prefer dairy-free coffee, so we learned a lot here.
Search Google Maps for "gluten free." This is how we found an Italian restaurant with gluten-free pasta.
Look for western-style cafés. Several had gluten-free labels or bread, including Ellie's Cafe and Dingo Deli, which offered gluten-free toast.
Rice flour helps. We were told Hội An's famous white rose dumplings are made from rice flour, not wheat. Always confirm with the kitchen.
Coffee can be tricky. Most Vietnamese iced coffee uses sweetened condensed milk. When we asked for coconut coffee with no milk, the staff were confused and eventually admitted they didn't know how to make it. Black iced coffee or an iced Americano is the safe order.
Use a translation app and/or carry a written card describing your dietary needs in Vietnamese. We love using Equal Eats.
Our advice: Hội An is one of the easier places in Vietnam to eat with restrictions, but cross-contamination and language barriers can be an issue. If your allergy is serious, plan restaurants ahead.
6. Book a Cooking Class With a Market Tour
Our cooking class started at a local market, where our guide had us taste unfamiliar fruits and pick out ingredients. We visited Cam Thanh Coconut Village to make a silk lantern, rode a bamboo basket boat, then prepared papaya salad, Vietnamese pancakes (Bánh xèo), and corn spring rolls. Because we traveled in the rainy, quieter season, our "group" class turned out to be private.
Our advice: Choose a class that includes the market visit. And if rain is likely, bring your own rain jacket. The ponchos we were given bled dye onto our skin.
7. Embrace The Off-Season
We didn't plan to visit during rainy season (early November), but it worked in our favor: fewer crowds, private tours, and rain that cooled the brutal heat.
Our advice: If you can handle afternoon downpours, the quieter season can be a real advantage. Plan sightseeing early, rest midday, and keep Grab handy for rainy rides home.
8. Know Your Massage Etiquette
Spas are everywhere in Hội An and very affordable. A few surprises: at the barber, I had to ask specifically for a head and shoulder massage. At one spa, we were asked to undress to our underwear for a foot and head massage. And some small businesses only take cash. One staff member at the barber shop drove me on her motorbike to an ATM to pay for my haircut.
Our advice: Ask what's included before you start, and always carry some cash.
9. Do the Lantern Boat Ride Anyway
Yes, it's touristy. Yes, there's club music from nearby bars. But floating lanterns on the river at night, surrounded by glowing boats, was one of the most magical moments of our trip.
Planning Your Own Trip to Vietnam?
From timing your tailor fittings to finding restaurants that fit your dietary needs, the details make the trip. WanderLux Travel can help you plan a Hội An stay that feels unhurried and effortless.
