An Bang Beach, Hoi An: What to Know Before You Go

Hoi An's favorite beach, ten minutes from the Old Town: getting there, when the sea is safe, and what the erosion of recent years means for your visit.

Published Oct 2026 • Updated Oct 2026 • By the Vietnam Private Tours planning team, reviewed by Van Anh (Founder & Chief Executive Officer)

Quick answer

An Bang is Hoi An's best-loved beach, about 4 km from the Old Town (10 minutes by car, 15–20 by bike). Swim from March to August, when the sea is calm; from October to January waves and red flags are common. The beach is free; restaurants lend loungers if you eat or drink. Storms have eroded the coast, and a new seawall was finished in September 2026.

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An Bang Beach at a glance

Distance from the Old Town	About 4 km north; 10 minutes by car, 15–20 by bicycle
Best for swimming	March – August
Rough sea	October – January (central Vietnam's rainy and storm season)
Entry	Free; paid parking for bikes and scooters
Facilities	Beach restaurants and bars with loungers, showers, lifeguards on the main stretch
Where it is now	Hoi An, which became part of Da Nang city in July 2025

Getting there

Bicycle: the nicest way, through rice fields and villages; many hotels lend bikes.
Grab or taxi: about 10 minutes from the Old Town.
From Da Nang: about 40–45 minutes by car along the coast road.

Go early (before 9 am) or late afternoon: the midday sun is strong from May to August, and the light is best for photos at sunrise.

Erosion and the new seawall

Hoi An's 7.5 km coastline has been losing sand for years. In October 2025 storm waves struck the An Bang and Tan Thanh area so hard that soldiers and residents worked through the night to shore it up. Da Nang has since built a 1,950 m emergency seawall along the Hoi An coast, completed on September 30, 2026, as part of a larger coastal protection project.

What it means for you: the beach can be narrower after storms, especially from October to January, and some stretches have rocks or sandbags. In the summer season the sand builds back and An Bang is at its best.

Making a day of it

Combine a morning at An Bang with a bicycle ride through Tra Que vegetable village or the rice fields of Cam Thanh, then return to the Old Town for the evening lanterns. In calm months, add a day on the Cham Islands.

Plan your Hoi An days with us: we time beach days for the season and the tides.

Sources

Báo Tin Tức: emergency seawall on the Hoi An coast, September 2026 (Vietnamese)
Tuổi Trẻ: overnight effort to save Hoi An's eroding coast, October 2025 (Vietnamese)
Da Nang City portal: Hoi An coastal erosion project (Vietnamese)

Frequently asked questions

How far is An Bang Beach from Hoi An Old Town?

About 4 km, or 10 minutes by taxi or Grab and 15–20 minutes by bicycle along quiet roads through the rice fields. Many Old Town hotels lend bikes for free.

Is An Bang Beach good for swimming?

From about March to August, yes: the sea is usually calm and lifeguards watch the main stretch. From October to January the waves are big, red flags are common and swimming can be dangerous. Always swim where other people are swimming and follow the flags.

An Bang or Cua Dai: which beach is better?

An Bang. It has more sand, more restaurants and a more relaxed feel. Cua Dai, closer to the river mouth, lost much of its beach to erosion and is mainly the departure point for boats to the Cham Islands.

Is An Bang Beach affected by erosion?

Yes. Hoi An's 7.5 km coastline has been eroding for years, and storms in October 2025 hit the An Bang and Tan Thanh area hard. A 1,950 m emergency seawall along the Hoi An coast was completed at the end of September 2026. The beach is narrower in places after storms; it is usually at its widest in summer.

Do you have to pay to use An Bang Beach?

The beach is free. You pay for parking (a few thousand to tens of thousands of dong for a bike or scooter), and the restaurants lend sun loungers and umbrellas if you order food or drinks.

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