Hoi An in Lantern Season: Why the Full Moon Festival Is Worth Planning Your Trip Around
Hoi An is beautiful every night. The silk lanterns strung across the old town streets glow in every color — orange, red, purple, turquoise — and reflect off the Thu Bon River. It's the most photogenic small town in Southeast Asia, and honestly, showing up on any random Tuesday is enough to justify the trip.
But once a month, something changes.
What Happens on Full Moon Night
On the 14th day of each lunar month (check a lunar calendar — it shifts), Hoi An's old town switches off electric lights. No neon signs. No street lamps. No shop spotlights.
Instead: candles. Hundreds of candles line the sidewalks, fill the shop doorways, and flicker on the bridges. Paper lanterns float on the Thu Bon River — released by visitors and locals, each one carrying a wish. The effect is a town illuminated entirely by fire, silk, and water reflection.
Traditional music performances set up on the An Hoi Bridge and along the riverbank. Ao dai-clad musicians play dan bau (monochord) and dan tranh (zither). Folk games — bai choi (a bingo-like game with singing), chess, and lantern riddles — take place in the squares.
No motorbikes are allowed in the old town during the festival (the daytime ban extends to the evening hours). The streets belong to pedestrians and candlelight.
When Exactly Does It Happen
The Hoi An Full Moon Lantern Festival (Hoi An Lantern Festival) occurs on the 14th day of each lunar month. The 2026 dates:
Lunar Month
Approximate Gregorian Date
1st
February 12
2nd
March 14
3rd
April 12
4th
May 12
5th
June 10
6th
July 10
7th
August 8
8th
September 7
9th
October 6
10th
November 5
11th
December 4
12th
January 3 (2027)
Dates shift by a day or two — check the Vietnamese lunar calendar closer to your trip. The festival runs from approximately 6PM to 10PM.
The Best Festival Experience by Season
Dry Season Festivals (February-August)
The dry season festivals are the most reliable. Clear skies mean the lanterns reflect cleanly on the river without rain disrupting the surface. Temperature: 25-35°C in the evening — warm but comfortable.
The March and April festivals tend to be the best-attended by tourists (shoulder season, good weather). The June-August festivals coincide with peak tourist season and can be extremely crowded.
My pick for dry season: April or May. Warm evenings, manageable crowds, and the added bonus of lush green rice paddies in the surrounding countryside.
Wet Season Festivals (September-January)
The wet season adds a wildcard. Heavy rain can dampen the lantern release and cancel outdoor performances. But when the rain holds off (and it often does for the evening hours even during wet season), the wet-season festivals have a moodier, more atmospheric quality.
The October and November festivals carry a risk: Hoi An's old town floods during heavy monsoon rains. The water can rise waist-high in the streets, and the festival is cancelled. But a light rain on festival night creates reflections in the wet streets that double the lantern effect.
If you're visiting during wet season, have a flexible itinerary. The festival might be perfect or it might be rained out.
How to Experience the Festival
Before 6PM
Arrive in the old town by 4PM. The afternoon light on the yellow-painted merchant houses is at its warmest. Walk the Nguyen Thai Hoc and Tran Phu streets while the shops are still operating normally.
Visit the Japanese Covered Bridge (free with old town ticket, 120,000 VND / $4.80), the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, and the Tan Ky House — all better appreciated before the evening crowds arrive.
Eat dinner early — 5PM. Restaurants fill up fast on festival night. Cao lau at the Central Market (30,000 VND / $1.20) or banh mi at Madam Khanh (30,000 VND / $1.20). You don't want to spend festival hours in a restaurant queue.
6PM-7PM: The Transition
This is the magic hour. The electric lights switch off gradually. Shopkeepers place candles in their doorways. The paper lanterns appear — vendors sell them along the riverbank for 10,000 VND ($0.40) each.
The river darkens. The first lanterns hit the water and begin to drift. The candles on the sidewalks create pathways of light. The silk lanterns overhead — the permanent ones strung across the streets — take on a deeper glow without competing electric light.
Position yourself on the An Hoi Bridge for the best view of the lanterns on the river. Or find a riverside cafe on Bach Dang Street — seats fill up by 6:30PM, so arrive early or accept standing.
7PM-9PM: Peak Festival
This is when the music starts, the games begin, and the crowds peak. The riverside fills with people releasing lanterns, taking photos, and watching performances.
The bai choi singers are worth finding — they wander through the crowd singing improvised verses, drawing from a lottery-style system of cards and songs. It's been a tradition in Hoi An for centuries and is a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.
If the crowds on the main streets become overwhelming (they can — the old town is compact), walk to the An Hoi night market on the south side of the river. Less crowded, good food stalls, and an excellent vantage point for the river lanterns.
9PM-10PM: The Quiet End
The crowds thin. The music winds down. The river still has floating lanterns drifting slowly downstream. This is the most peaceful hour — the candles are still burning, the streets are still car-free, but the noise has dropped.
Walk the backstreets behind Tran Phu. The residential lanes still have candles in doorways, and without the tourist crowds, the old town feels private. This is when Hoi An stops performing and just exists.
Practical Tips
Accommodation: Book your hotel 2+ weeks ahead for full moon nights. Prices may increase 10-20% at old-town properties. Staying in the old town is worth it — you can walk to and from the festival without dealing with motorbike traffic.
Photography: The challenge is low light. A phone camera in night mode works for the overall ambiance. For the floating lanterns, you need a steady hand or a mini tripod. The best shots are from the An Hoi Bridge looking upstream, or from the Cua Dai Bridge looking toward the old town.
Release a lantern: 10,000 VND ($0.40). The lanterns are made of paper and bamboo — biodegradable. Light the candle inside, place it on the water, make a wish. It'll drift downstream and either burn out or be collected by cleanup boats. The environmental impact is managed.
Eating during the festival: Street food stalls operate along the riverbank. Banh trang nuong (Vietnamese pizza — grilled rice paper with toppings) for 15,000 VND ($0.60) is the perfect festival snack. Fresh spring rolls: 20,000 VND ($0.80).
Getting around: Walk. The old town is pedestrian-only during the festival. Bicycle isn't practical due to crowds. If you're staying outside the old town, park your motorbike near the Japanese Bridge parking area and walk in.
The Non-Full-Moon Alternative
If your dates don't align with the full moon, the old town's nightly lantern display is still extraordinary. Some shops and restaurants keep candles going every evening. The silk lanterns overhead are lit every night. And the river has a handful of floating lanterns most evenings from vendors keeping the spirit alive.
It's not the same as the full festival — the electric lights remain on, the performances don't happen, and the crowds are normal-level rather than festival-level. But Hoi An at night, even on a random Tuesday, is one of the most atmospheric places in Asia.
The full moon just turns the dial from "beautiful" to "transcendent."
Plan your trip around it if you can. If you can't, come anyway. Hoi An doesn't need a special occasion to be special.
