The Hoi An Lantern Festival is one of the most magical things you can do in Vietnam — and unlike a once-a-year event, it happens every full moon, so most visitors can catch it. On the 14th night of each lunar month the 400-year-old Ancient Town turns off its electric lights, fills with silk lanterns and floats hundreds of candle-lit paper lanterns down the Thu Bồn River. This is our complete, up-to-date guide: the 2026 dates, what actually happens, how to float your own lantern, where to get the best photos, the two biggest nights of the year, and all the practical planning — getting there, where to stay, what to eat and how to dodge the crowds. (New to the town? Start with our complete Hoi An travel guide and things-to-do guide.)

1. Hoi An Lantern Festival 2026 Dates

The festival falls on the 14th day of every lunar month — the evening before the full moon — when the moon is at its brightest. Because the lunar calendar drifts against the Western one, the Gregorian dates move each year. Here are the 2026 festival nights (treat them as ≈ and confirm locally close to your trip, as they can shift by a day):

2. What the Hoi An Lantern Festival Actually Is

It’s easy to think of it as a photo opportunity, but the festival has deep roots. Hoi An was one of Asia’s great trading ports in the 16th and 17th centuries, and merchants from China and Japan settled here, bringing their crafts, architecture and customs — including the silk lantern. Over centuries those influences fused with Vietnamese culture into something uniquely Hoi An.

The monthly full-moon celebration (Lễ hội đèn lồng, or the “Full Moon Festival”) is, at heart, a spiritual occasion. Lighting and floating a lantern is an act of gratitude — honouring ancestors, praying for health, luck and harmony, and quietly letting go of worries. The full moon, in Vietnamese tradition, is a time of family, reunion and good fortune.

So while it photographs like a fairy tale, it means more than that to the people who live here. Joining in respectfully — floating a lantern, making a wish — is part of the experience, not just watching it.

3. What Happens on the Night

Here’s how a festival evening unfolds:

• Around sunset (~17:30–18:00): the lanterns come on and the riverside fills up. Vendors line Bạch Đằng Street selling floating lanterns.
• The lights go off: the Old Town cuts most of its electric lighting, so the streets and river are lit almost entirely by silk and candle light — this is the heart of the festival.
• Car-free streets: the centre is fully pedestrianised (it’s a daytime pedestrian zone too, but stricter on festival nights), so you can wander freely.
• The river glows: hundreds of paper lanterns drift on the Thu Bồn while boats criss-cross with their own lights.
• Folk culture: look for bài chòi (a UNESCO-listed sung bingo game), traditional music, calligraphy and lantern stalls around the An Hội islet.
• Winding down (~21:30–22:00): the crowds thin and the riverside grows peaceful — a lovely, quieter window.

4. Floating a Lantern on the Thu Bồn (Hoa Đăng)

This is the ritual — and it’s simple, cheap and meaningful. A floating paper lantern is called a hoa đăng. Here’s how:

1. Buy one from a vendor along the riverbank (Bạch Đằng Street) or from your boat — usually 5,000–10,000₫ (≈$0.20–0.40) each, often cheaper if you buy a few.
2. Light the candle inside the folded paper lantern.
3. Make a silent wish — for health, love, luck or letting something go.
4. Set it on the water gently, from the riverside steps or from a boat, and watch it drift away.

Releasing it represents sending your wishes out into the world and leaving worries behind. Doing it from a boat, mid-river, is the most atmospheric — you’re surrounded by floating light.

5. Taking a Boat on the River

For the best view, get onto the water. From a boat you see the floating lanterns at eye level, spreading across the surface — a perspective you simply can’t get from the bank.

• Price: roughly 100,000–150,000₫ per person for about 30 minutes (boats hold several people; a small private boat may be ~150,000–250,000₫ total). Agree the price and length before you step in.
• Where: boatwomen wait all along Bạch Đằng Street and by the An Hội bridge.
• When: board between about 18:30 and 20:00 for the fullest river. It gets busy on festival nights, so go a little earlier.
• Floating lanterns are usually sold from the boat, so you can release yours mid-river.

6. Make Your Own: A Lantern-Making Class

Want a souvenir with a story? In a lantern-making workshop you build your own collapsible silk lantern from the bamboo frame up — and take it home (it folds flat for your suitcase). Classes run about 1–2 hours and typically cost $10–20, often including the materials.

It’s a brilliant rainy-afternoon or pre-festival activity, and great with kids. You’ll also understand the craft far better when you see the lanterns lit that night. Many classes can be booked online — see all the hands-on options in our Hoi An activities guide.

7. The Ancient Town Ticket — Do You Need It?

Hoi An’s Old Town charges a 120,000₫ ticket that covers entry to five of the heritage sites — the Japanese Covered Bridge, old merchant houses, assembly halls and museums. Here’s the honest version:

• To simply walk the streets, see the lanterns and float one — in practice you can usually wander the Old Town in the evening without being asked for a ticket, especially during the festival crush.
• To go inside the heritage buildings (or visit by day) — you do need the ticket, and it’s good value for the history.
• The ticket is technically required to enter the Old Town at all; enforcement is inconsistent at night but you may be asked at a checkpoint.

Our advice: buy the ticket if you want the daytime culture too (the bridge and old houses are worth it), and treat the evening lanterns as the free, magical bonus.

8. The Two Biggest Nights: Nguyên Tiêu & Mid-Autumn

Every full moon is special, but two nights a year are on another level:

Nguyên Tiêu — the first full moon (≈2–3 March 2026)

The first full moon of the lunar year, just after Tết, is the year’s most important and most crowded lantern night. Expect ceremonies at the temples and assembly halls, the fullest river of lanterns, and big crowds — come early and book accommodation well ahead.

Mid-Autumn Festival — Tết Trung Thu (around 24–25 Sep 2026)

The Mid-Autumn (or “Children’s”) Festival fills the town with lion dances, mooncakes, star-shaped children’s lanterns and a joyful, family atmosphere. It overlaps with a full-moon night, so the lanterns and crowds are huge.

9. Best Photo Spots & Photography Tips

This is one of Vietnam’s most photogenic nights. To get the shot:

Where to shoot

• The An Hội bridge: the classic wide view of the lantern-lit river and Old Town skyline — but it’s crowded; arrive early.
• The Japanese Covered Bridge: the icon of Hoi An, beautifully lit.
• The riverbanks (Bạch Đằng & Nguyễn Phúc Chu): for reflections and the floating lanterns up close.
• From a boat: the only way to shoot the lanterns spread across the water at eye level.

How to shoot it

• Go at blue hour (just after sunset): the deep-blue sky still holds light and balances the glowing lanterns — far better than full dark.
• Steady your camera: low light means slow shutter speeds; brace on a railing or use a small tripod/gorillapod.
• Lower your shutter, raise ISO carefully, and shoot the reflections in the water.
• For portraits, position your subject beside a lantern cluster as the soft warm light source.

10. When to Go: Weather & Crowds by Season

The lanterns look magical year-round, but the weather and crowds change a lot. Pair this with our Hoi An & Da Nang weather guide and best-time guide:

11. How to Get There & Around

Hoi An has no airport or train station, so almost everyone arrives via Da Nang, about 45 minutes north:

• From Da Nang: a Grab or private car runs ~30–45 minutes; many hotels and tours offer transfers. See our full Da Nang–Hoi An transport guide.
• For a festival night, arrange your return ride in advance — Grabs get scarce and pricey when everyone leaves at once (~22:00).
• In town: the centre is a pedestrian zone, so you’ll walk. Drivers drop you at the edge; park bikes at guarded lots (~5,000–10,000₫).
• Staying over in Hoi An itself is the relaxed way to do the festival — no late dash back to Da Nang.

12. Where to Stay for the Festival

Sleeping in Hoi An lets you enjoy the lanterns into the quiet late evening and skip the transport scramble. Quick orientation (full detail in our where-to-stay in Hoi An guide):

• In or beside the Old Town: walk to the lanterns in minutes — the most convenient, but book early for festival nights.
• An Bang / Cửa Đại beach: 10–15 minutes out; combine the festival with beach days.
• Rice-paddy/riverside stays: quiet, scenic and great value, a short ride from the centre.

13. What to Eat on Festival Night

The festival is also a feast. Graze your way along the river and through the An Hội night market:

• Cao lầu — Hoi An’s signature pork-and-noodle dish, found nowhere else.
• White rose dumplings and fried wontons — local specialities.
• Bánh mì from the town’s famous stalls, and grilled street snacks at the night market.
• Chè (sweet dessert soups) and Vietnamese coffee to round it off.

The full run-down — what to order and where — is in our what to eat in Hoi An guide.

14. Etiquette, Crowds & Practical Tips

A few things that make the night smoother — and kinder:

• Bring small cash: lanterns, boats and street food are cash-only and cheap; carry small notes and confirm prices first (see our money guide).
• Agree boat prices upfront and count your change — gentle haggling is normal.
• Watch your bag in the crush; petty theft is rare but crowds invite it (our scams guide).
• Be respectful at temples and during ceremonies on the big nights — dress modestly if you go inside.
• Don’t over-buy lanterns and don’t litter — keep the river clean (see above).
• Go early or late to dodge the 19:00–21:00 peak crush, especially with kids.

A sample festival evening

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Hoi An Lantern Festival — FAQ

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