An Bang Beach in Hoi An: Where to Swim, Stay, and Eat

An Bang Beach is one of the reasons I like visiting Hoi An. It is by far Hoi An’s best and most convenient beach. And even though parts of it are usually pretty crowded with tourists, it still has a relaxed beach vibe.

If you’re after true beachside convenience, Da Nang’s My Khe Beach (about 30 minutes north of An Bang Beach) is the better option. An Bang Beach and its immediate area are far less developed, but not necessarily in a bad way. There are also lots of quieter pockets to get away from the tourism, whereas in Da Nang, it’s a bit harder to escape.

Here’s my sample three-day Hoi An itinerary, which has you visiting the rice fields and beaches on Day 2. And if you’re looking for more activities in Hoi An, see this article on things to do.

Getting to An Bang Beach

If you’re planning to visit Hoi An and An Bang Beach, you’ll likely be flying into Da Nang International Airport. From here, it’s about a 40-minute taxi ride down to Hoi An. I recommend using the Grab app (download here) to order a taxi from the airport or pre-booking your airport transfer from Klook.

From Hoi An, you can use the Grab app or rent/borrow bicycles to ride to An Bang Beach (located here) through the rice fields. This is a beautiful ride. The trip from Old Town to An Bang Beach is about 4 km.

Here’s a video I filmed recently on Hai Ba Trung Street. You can take this road from Hoi An Old Town all the way to An Bang Beach.

I would not try to walk this route, as it’s largely in direct sunlight and along some busy roads. Much better to hire a Grab taxi, rent a scooter, or ride a bicycle. It’s doable, but not worth it. This guide covers getting around Hoi An.

Parking your bike or scooter: When you approach the beach from the main road, Hai Ba Trung, you’ll be yelled at by people offering parking. You have no obligation to listen to any of these people. You can wave them off and keep cruising around.

Parking lot fee overcharging is a common “scam” in touristy areas of Vietnam, and it’s no different here. The “fair” price to park is usually 2.000 VND to 5.000 VND. Some of the lots near the beach will ask for 10.000 VND, and I’ve heard of 20.000 VND, too.

If you’re visiting a restaurant or coffee shop, you can usually park at their establishment for free. Nguyen Phan Vinh runs parallel to the beach and is full of restaurants and cafes. There are also tons of side streets all around An Bang Beach, where you can leave your bicycle for free — but unmonitored.

Personally, if I’m not eating at a restaurant or cafe, I use one of the “overcharging” lots right near the beach because it’s easier to pay 10.000 VND (about 0.40 USD) and call it a day.

Where to Stay at An Bang Beach

The An Bang Beach area is loaded with boutique hotels, villas, and homestays. I’ve explored these streets on foot and scooter multiple times, and I have a few hotel recommendations. For more ideas, see my guide to where to stay in Hoi An.

The Linh Seaside Villa (Agoda / Booking) picture above is in a great location, one minute from the sand at An Bang Beach. The Dai An Phu Villa (Agoda / Booking) is in the An Bang Beach area, but just slightly out of the action in a quieter spot (in a good way).

Other great choices are the AIRA Boutique (Agoda / Booking) and the CHiEM Hoi An (Agoda / Booking). Both of these hotels are minutes away from the beach.

Sun Loungers and Swimming

An Bang Beach is full of rentable sun loungers, and there are a few roped-off swimming areas with lifeguards around. The water here is usually pretty calm. When you first walk onto An Bang Beach, you’ll be approached by people trying to sell you lounge chair access.

Just so you’re prepared, the cost of renting a sun lounger should be between 50.000 VND and 100.000 VND for the whole day. There are different clusters of chairs, so certain vendors may have different prices.

Some of the clusters will let you use the chairs for free if you buy drinks from them. Some of the beachside restaurants operate an area of chairs, which will also let you use them for free if you eat or drink (like Garden Sea).

If you’re walking onto An Bang Beach from the main point, Hai Ba Trung Street, this is the busiest part of An Bang Beach. Further up or down the coast will be a bit quieter.

Don’t feel pressured to rent a chair from the first person who approaches you. Feel free to wave them off, then walk up and down the beach a bit, and check out the different areas.

Food and Coffee at An Bang Beach

There is a very high concentration of restaurants, small eateries, bars, and coffee shops right off the sand at An Bang Beach. This entire area is very chill and walkable. I’ve eaten at several places, but there are a lot of little nooks and small streets with more places that I’m still discovering.

The Purple Lantern Restaurant (Facebook page) is one of the more recent places that I’ve checked out. It’s an open-air restaurant (no AC) with a lot of fans. In the pictures below, I had fresh orange juice, morning glory with garlic, and grilled fillet chicken with lime leaves. This meal cost 230.000 VND.

They also have Vietnamese dishes, vegetarian options, and a lot of seafood like scallops, stuffed squid, grilled red snapper, and more.

If you’re craving hearty Western food, then Bikini Bottom Express is by far the best option. I’ve eaten at this location and their locations in Da Nang several times. Here’s my review.

I had some pretty great coconut coffee recently at Thom’s Sourdough Bakery and Coffee. This is at the “other” An Bang Beach area, next to the main one. The coconut coffee costs 60.000 VND.

For other restaurant choices at An Bang Beach, look at La Riva for Italian, Green Avocado for more Vietnamese food, and Garden Sea if you want to eat or drink on the beach. This is also one of the restaurants that gives a free chair if you eat/drink.

I was in An Bang Beach recently and had some fresh red tilapia at Mom’s Restaurant. I ordered the whole red tilapia fish, rice paper rolls with shrimp, and a Diet Coke for a total bill of 240.000 VND (about $9 USD).