Hoi An deserves a place on your Vietnam itinerary. It is an incredibly beautiful little town. In fact, it’s more than just a pretty-looking historic town, it’s an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The former trading port of Hoi An old town contains more than 1,000 buildings that have been preserved from the 17th and 18th centuries. Multicoloured silk lanterns hang between the tightly packed, yellow-painted structures. The old town is so colourful, vibrant and well-preserved, it doesn’t quite feel real. It feels as though you’ve stepped back in time to a town frozen as it was centuries ago.

With so much to see, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. First things first, you need a Hoi An Ancient Town ticket. For 120,000 VND, you can visit up to five of the 21 main historic sites. It also gives you access to the old town area itself, so you need to keep your ticket on you as you’re wandering through the streets. You can buy a ticket from one of the many ticket booths you’ll find dotted around the old town.

Armed with your ticket and your best walking shoes, here’s how to visit Hoi An old town in less than 24 hours.

But first, coffee

Start at Hoi An Roastery or Reaching Out Tea House on Tran Phú for a caffeine hit to set you up for the day. The first stop – Duc An House – is on the same road. During its almost 200-year history, the house has had served various, diverse purposes alongside being home to multiple generations of the Phan family. It’s been a bookshop, a Chinese pharmacy and even a meeting place for revolutionaries. Today its inner courtyard offers this generation a surprisingly peaceful oasis despite it just being a few paces away from the bustling old town streets.

After Duc An House, head east along Tran Phú to Phuc Kien Assembly Hall (also known as the Assembly Hall of the Fujian Chinese Congregation). The original wooden assembly hall was built in the 16th century and a century later, it was replaced by the brick and tile temple that still stands today. As you step into the assembly hall, you’re greeted by the smell of incense wafting through the air from red spirals hanging from the temple ceiling. The rich red, gold and green colours adorning the temple stand out against the traditional yellow houses lining the ancient town streets.

Your next stop is the Handicraft Workshop. Your Hoi An Ancient Town ticket will get your entry into this 200-year-old Chinese trading house, where you’ll find artisans showcasing a range of crafts, including making silk lanterns. If you time it right, you might be able to catch musicians playing traditional music, including a song strangely similar to Auld Lang Syne!

Banh mi break

We’re following a recommendation from the great Anthony Bourdain when it comes to lunch. From the Handicraft Workshop, it’s just a five-minute walk over to the famous sandwich shop Banh Mi Phuong on Phan Chu Trinh. You’ll know you’re in the right place when you see the queue!

This unassuming hole in the wall was featured in Anthony Bourdain’s TV show ‘No Reservations’. And he wasn’t wrong. The banh mi here is epic. These Vietnamese sandwiches are made up of meat, pâté, mayo, chilli, coriander and cucumber, lovingly stuffed into a crispy but fluffy baguette. I still think of that banh mi now. Delicious.

Round two

The first stop of the afternoon is Tan Ky House. This 17th century home combines Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese architectural influences. It has been preserved by seven generations of the same family and has survived multiple floods during the centuries. I must admit, I struggled to see much here as we happened to arrive just at the same time as a large tour group.

Talking of tour groups, that’s something worth knowing before you arrive in Hoi An. Given how atmospheric the ancient town is, it’s no wonder it’s popular with tourists from across the world. Be prepared to spend most of your day jostling with crowds of sightseers. On the plus side, the old town is closed to vehicles for most of the day, so you don’t need to contend with cars as well as erratic tourists.

A breather by the water

It’s worth heading to the river now to get some space and take a bit of a breather. When the Thu Bon River silted up in the late 19th century, ships could no longer reach the bustling port of Hoi An. Today trading ships have been replaced by small fishing boats, called sampans, that you’ll see dotted along the riverbank.

Next up, you’ll need to wade through the tour groups as you head for the Japanese Covered Bridge, also known as Cau Chua Pagoda. The bridge was built by Hoi An’s Japanese community in the 1590s to link their district with the Chinese quarter. Today, the Japanese Covered Bridge with its pink walks and elaborate wooden roof is one of Hoi An’s most iconic sites. It’s also a national landmark and features on the back of the 20,000 VND note. You can walk over the bridge for free, but you’ll need to use one of your five stubs on your Hoi An Ancient Town ticket to get into the little temple on the bridge.

After the bridge, head north to Phac Hat Pagoda for a glimpse of the snake-like dragons perched on the temple roof. You’ll need appropriate clothing if you want to venture inside the buddhist temple, but you can still admire the ornate exterior from the courtyard.

Last, but not least

Time for dinner now and I’d suggest a plate of white rose dumplings at the aptly-named White Rose Restaurant on Hai Bà Trưng. These delicate prawn dumplings are a Hoi An speciality and this is the place to try them. When a restaurant has been in business for years with just two dishes on the menu, you know it’s got to be good! It’s a little outside the old town, but it’s only a 10-minute walk from the restaurant back to the Japanese Covered Bridge in the heart of Hoi An.

Once you’re back in the old town, walk across Hoi An Bridge to the south side of the river. You’ll soon see the buzz of the night market at the top of Nguyễn Hoàng. The road is lined on both sides with stalls selling street food, local handicrafts, clothes and jewellery. As you weave your way along the busy street, let yourself get swept along by the sounds, smells and sights of the lively market.

After you’ve bartered for all souvenirs you might want, head to Mango Mango on the corner of Nguyễn Phúc Chu for your final stop of the day. This is a cracking spot by the river where you can sit on the upstairs terrace with a cocktail or two and watch the hustle of the daily night market below.