Where to Catch Your Private Car Around the Hoi An Old Town at Night

Evenings are when Hoi An’s old town looks and feels its best, with lanterns, floating lanterns on the Hoai River and night markets. Getting a car at night in this area is often hard for visitors, however, because of strict traffic management and the crowds of pedestrians. Knowing how to choose a pickup point on the outer ring lets you end the evening walk calmly, safely and without a long wait.

Night traffic rules around the Hoi An heritage centre

To protect the calm of the heritage area and keep it pleasant for walking visitors, Hoi An keeps daily pedestrian hours:

• Hours when motor vehicles are banned: From 15:00 to about 21:30 or 22:00 every evening, all the central streets on the north bank of the Hoai River, including Bach Dang, Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc, Le Loi, Hoang Van Thu and Chau Thuong Van, and part of the An Hoi area on the south bank, are closed to cars, motorbikes and electric shuttles.
• Traffic after the barriers are lifted: After 21:30 the barriers are gradually removed, but crowds of shoppers and night diners remain dense. The old streets are narrow, have no pavements for parking and often jam when a car drives in. For that reason, professional drivers usually guide guests to the outer-ring pickup points instead of driving deep into the old town.
• Safety principle: A proper pickup point is a spot where a car can stop legally, the road is wide enough to open the doors safely, and the car does not block other traffic.

Four convenient outer-ring pickup points around the old town

Depending on where your evening ends in the old town, choose one of these four typical pickup points on the outer ring:

1. Song Hoai Square car park (18 August street)

• Access: Right at the head of An Hoi bridge, next to 18 August street and the bank of the Thu Bon River.
• Best when: You finish a visit to the Nguyen Hoang night market, stroll along the An Hoi riverbank to look at the lanterns, or step off a boat after floating lanterns on the river.
• Advantages: A spacious car park with a separate lane where 4-, 7- and 16-seat cars can turn and pick up guests. It is one of the main gathering points for tourist cars on the south side of the old town.

2. Phan Chu Trinh – Hai Ba Trung crossroads

• Access: On the north-west side of the old town, about 250 metres on foot from the Japanese Covered Bridge.
• Best when: You stroll around the Japanese Covered Bridge or Cam Pho communal house, or eat at the restaurants along Phan Chu Trinh street.
• Advantages: Hai Ba Trung road is wide and open, so cars can reach the pickup point quickly without getting caught in the crowds coming from the night market.

3. Hoi An market – Hoang Dieu and Tran Phu junction

• Access: On the east side of the old town, at the main gate of Hoi An market, next to Hoang Dieu street.
• Best when: You explore the night food area, try cao lau or Quang noodles, or visit the Fujian and Chaozhou assembly halls.
• Advantages: A direct link to Cam Nam bridge and the main roads towards Cua Dai beach or Cam Chau, with good traffic flow.

4. Along Ly Thuong Kiet and Tran Hung Dao streets

• Access: The northern outer ring of the old town, where many hotels, cafés and modern tourist services are located.
• Best when: You stay at a hotel in the Tan An or Cam Pho area, or want a wide, quieter pickup point where older people and young children can get into the car easily.

Practical tips for finding your car at night

At night, recognising the car and the pickup point depends on coordination between passengers and drivers:

1. Send a specific location, not a vague description: Avoid messages such as “standing where it is busy” or “near the river”. Take a photo of a large shop sign or the gate of a heritage site, or share your live location through your messaging app, so the driver can find exactly where you are.
2. Allow time for the walk: When the old town is crowded, pushing through the crowd from the riverbank to the Song Hoai car park can take 15 to 20 minutes, instead of 5 minutes in daytime. Leave the restaurant about 15 minutes before the agreed time, so the driver does not have to wait long and block traffic at the stop.
3. Know the car’s details: Save the driver’s phone number, the car colour and the number plate before you go to the stop. At the Song Hoai Square car park between 21:00 and 22:00, several tourist cars are often waiting with their engines running, so knowing the plate helps you find your group’s car quickly.

The night ride back to Da Nang and to the coastal resorts

After a full evening in the old town, a private car ride back to your accommodation is relaxed and safe:

• Night journey to Da Nang: The 30 km from Hoi An to central Da Nang follows the coastal Truong Sa – Vo Nguyen Giap road, which is flat, well lit and open. The trip usually takes 35 to 45 minutes and drops you at the hotel lobby. For the two-way route, see the private car from Da Nang to Hoi An page.
• Night journey to the coastal resorts of Hoi An: If you stay at the beach resorts of Cua Dai or An Bang, the car picks you up at the outer-ring pickup points and takes you to the room lobby in about 10 to 15 minutes. For the coastal route, see the Hoi An old town to An Bang beach pickup guide.

For the full set of rates, see the rate table.