Vietnam · Updated October 2026
Mostly yes: Hoi An is completely flat and the Ancient Town keeps motorbikes out for most of the day, but bumpy lanes, lantern-hour crowds and no car seats in taxis mean a light stroller plus a carrier.
Planning your trip?
Hoi An is the easiest town in Vietnam to push a stroller. The Ancient Town is completely flat, and from about 9am until 9-9:30pm motorbikes are kept out of the core streets, so a morning along Tran Phu, Nguyen Thai Hoc and the Bach Dang riverside is genuinely pleasant on wheels. It isn't smooth, though: some lanes are uneven stone or brick, heritage houses have high wooden thresholds and steps, and from sunset the lantern-lit streets and the footbridge to An Hoi fill up shoulder to shoulder. Outside the pedestrian zone you're back to Vietnamese pavements used as scooter parking, and taxis and Grab cars come without car seats. Bring a light compact stroller for daytime wandering and An Bang's beach restaurants, a carrier for the boats and the evening crowds, and avoid October to December, when the river regularly floods the lowest streets.
Seven things that actually matter when you're pushing 12kg of baby + stroller through a foreign city.
Where to stay
Quiet beach village about 10 minutes by car from the old town, with family-room villas and homestays, beach restaurants and the best beach for little ones. You'll take a Grab in for the lanterns.
Riverside and rice-field villas between the old town and the beach: quiet, green and often with a pool. Lovely for naps; many lend bikes or run a shuttle into town.
Stay just outside the pedestrian zone and you can walk in for early mornings and lantern evenings. Choose a newer hotel with a lift; older rooms in the centre are noisy and up steep stairs.
Serviced apartments and villas with a kitchen for bottles and a separate room for naps, mostly between the old town and An Bang. Check the map for the distance to the beach.
With a baby, base yourself at An Bang or in a countryside villa with a pool and come into the old town for short sessions. Ask whether bikes and the town shuttle are free.
Things to do
The UNESCO old town of yellow merchant houses, Chinese assembly halls and the Japanese Covered Bridge. One ticket covers a handful of heritage sites and stays valid for up to three days, so split it into short morning sessions.
Small wooden boats drift along the Hoai River from sunset, and you float a paper lantern on the water. Go at the first sunset slot and insist on life vests on busy nights.
Round bamboo basket boats paddled through the water-coconut palms of Cam Thanh, a short ride from town. Trips last 30-45 minutes and life jackets are usually provided.
Hoi An's best family beach, about 10 minutes by car from the old town: clean, wide and lined with beach restaurants that rent loungers and umbrellas. Calmest from spring to late summer.
The flat riverfront along the old town, with boats coming and going, and the An Hoi islet across the footbridge. Lovely in the morning; packed from sunset.
Do the old town early (8-10am), retreat to the pool or An Bang at midday, and come back for a short lantern stroll around 5:30pm before the crowds peak.
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Beyond the city
Cham temple ruins in a jungle valley. A small electric buggy runs from the ticket office towards the site, then it's dirt and gravel paths between the temple groups, with little shade.
Five limestone hills with pagodas and caves on the road to Da Nang. A lift goes up one side of the main peak; the caves themselves are steep and slippery.
Theme park south of Hoi An with a River Safari and a water park. Free shuttles from the old town are often available; some rides have a 1.3 m height limit, so it suits older siblings more than babies.
Book a private car with a car seat for day trips: taxis and Grab won't have one. My Son is far nicer at opening time, before the heat and the tour buses.
It depends — Hoi An scores 56/100. Doable with planning, but not effortless. Mostly yes: Hoi An is completely flat and the Ancient Town keeps motorbikes out for most of the day, but bumpy lanes, lantern-hour crowds and no car seats in taxis mean a light stroller plus a carrier.
What to book before your family trip
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Navigating a new city with a stroller? You need Google Maps, translation apps, and emergency contacts working instantly — not hunting for a SIM shop with a tired toddler. An eSIM activates the second your plane lands.
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