Hoi An Lantern Festival: Full Moon Nights and How to Plan Around Them

Every 14th day of the lunar calendar, Hoi An shuts off its electric lights and the Ancient Town goes back to something closer to what it looked like two or three centuries ago. It's one of the few regular events in Vietnam (베트남 / 越南 / ベトナム) that genuinely delivers on its reputation — but only if you know how to work around the crowds.

When It Happens

The Hoi An (호이안 / 会安 / ホイアン) Full Moon Festival (locally called "Hoi An Pho Co" night, though most residents just call it the lantern night) falls on the 14th of each lunar month, occasionally spilling into the 15th if the calendar aligns that way. The electric lights in the UNESCO-listed core go dark from around 5:30 PM. In practice, some shops cheat with fairy lights, but the main commercial streets — Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Bach Dang along the river — are genuinely lantern-lit by 6 PM.

The lunar calendar means the Gregorian date shifts every month. A quick search for "Vietnamese lunar calendar 2025" will give you the exact dates. February's festival typically falls close to Tet, when the town takes on a different, more local atmosphere worth experiencing on its own terms.

What Actually Happens

The short version: the street lights go off, vendors set up lantern stalls, traditional music groups play at corners and in courtyards, and the Thu Bon River fills with small paper boats carrying lit candles. Tourists and locals release floating candles from the riverbank near the Cam Nam Bridge and along Bach Dang Street.

The longer version is more complicated. By 7 PM on a festival night, Nguyen Thai Hoc Street is shoulder-to-shoulder. Entry to the pedestrian zone requires a 120,000 VND Ancient Town ticket (this also covers five heritage site entries over multiple days, so keep it). The ticket gates are at the main entry points; if you arrive without one, you'll be turned around.

The atmosphere inside is genuinely beautiful for the first hour. After 8 PM, the foot traffic on the core streets becomes difficult unless you move to the quieter edges.

Photo by Vietnam Hidden Light on Pexels

Where to Release Lanterns

The most photogenic spot, and therefore the most congested, is the stretch of Bach Dang Street directly facing the river between the covered Japanese Bridge end and the boat dock near Cam Nam. Vendors sell paper lanterns with a candle insert for 20,000–30,000 VND each. You wade to the river's edge or hand them to a boat operator who places them in the water for a small tip (5,000–10,000 VND is fine).

For a quieter release, walk south along the river past the main dock cluster. The riverbank near the boat yard at the bottom of Nguyen Phuc Chu Street has far less foot traffic and the same view of lanterns drifting downstream. The Cam Nam island side, accessible by the small footbridge, is even calmer and gives you a view back toward the lit-up Ancient Town.

If you want to release from a boat, companies along Bach Dang run short river circuits on festival nights for around 150,000–200,000 VND per person. Book before 5 PM; they fill up fast.

Restaurants with Riverside Seats

Table availability on festival night requires a reservation, full stop. The terrace seats at riverside restaurants go by early afternoon.

Bach Dang riverfront has several decent options. Morning Glory Restaurant on Nguyen Thai Hoc has a second-floor terrace that looks over the lantern stalls; their "banh xeo" (sizzling crepe) and "cao lau" — the thick wheat noodle dish that's specific to Hoi An and made with water from local wells — are worth ordering regardless of the view. Expect to pay 120,000–180,000 VND per main.

For something less tourist-facing, the small restaurants on Cam Nam island have river views and about half the crowd. Cross the footbridge and walk right along the water. The menus are simpler — "mi quang" (turmeric-tinted noodles with peanuts and herbs) and grilled fish — but the setting on festival night, looking back at the town, is better than most of what you'll find on the main drag.

Photo by Quang Nguyen Vinh on Pexels

Surviving the Crowds

Arrive before 5:30 PM. The town fills from about 6 PM onward. If you're already inside the pedestrian zone with a drink in hand before the lights go out, the transition is pleasant rather than chaotic.

Leave by 9 PM or stay past 10 PM. The worst congestion hits between 7:30 and 9:30 PM at the main entry and exit gates. Either you're done and out before the peak, or you wait it out at a bar and leave when the crowds thin.

Skip Tran Phu Street on festival night. It's the most photographed and the most gridlocked. Nguyen Hoi and Le Loi streets run parallel and are significantly calmer, with the same lanterns and none of the pushing.

The day before or after is often as good. Hoi An keeps its lanterns up for a few days around the full moon, and the 13th or 15th nights see a fraction of the visitors. If your travel dates are flexible, aim for one of those.

Wear flat shoes and carry a small bag. The stone streets are uneven in low light and the crowds make anything bulky a liability.

Practical Notes

The 120,000 VND Ancient Town ticket is sold at booths on the main entry roads into the pedestrian zone; card payment is accepted at most but bring cash as backup. Motorbikes are restricted inside the core on festival nights, so if your accommodation is inside the zone, arrange parking before 5 PM. Hoi An has no shortage of things to do in the daytime around festival dates — the tailors, the My Son day trip, the beach at An Bang — so build a full day rather than arriving just for the evening.