Hoi An’s Lantern Festival: What It’s Like to Actually Be There

The 14th of every lunar month

On the 14th night of each lunar month, Hoi An turns off its electric lights in the Ancient Town and the streets glow with hundreds of silk lanterns. It’s one of those travel experiences that genuinely lives up to the photographs — soft colored light on centuries-old trading houses, lanterns floating on the Thu Bon River, the unusual quiet that comes when motorbikes are banned from the old streets.

What actually happens

From around 6pm, the Ancient Town fills up. Lantern sellers set up along the river and on Nguyen Thai Hoc Street. You can buy a floating lantern (a lotus flower with a candle) for 10,000–20,000 VND and release it onto the river — it’s genuinely beautiful even though everyone does it. The streets feel different without motorbikes: you can actually walk and hear the music from the traditional performance stages.

Managing the crowds

The first lantern festival I attended was in December, peak season — genuinely overwhelming at the main river area. The second time I went to the side streets 10 minutes’ walk from the main drag and found a completely different atmosphere: quieter, more locals, the lanterns still beautiful but less chaotic. The outer edges of the Ancient Town reward exploring during the festival.

The practical timing

If you’re planning your Hoi An visit specifically around the lantern festival, check the lunar calendar before booking. The dates shift monthly — the full moon falls on different Gregorian calendar days each month. Build your accommodation around a festival night rather than trying to align with a specific weekend.

What nobody tells you

The lantern festival is lovely every month, but the shoulder season months (May–August) are often better for the actual experience than December–February peak, when the crowds make it harder to appreciate. The lanterns are equally beautiful in July.