Central Vietnam · HOI AN LANTERN MAKING CLASSES
You glue silk over a bamboo frame and carry the lantern home. These 15 classes compare on price, group size and whether the lantern folds flat for the flight.
Choose the express class, where you decorate a prepared bamboo frame, or the full two-hour workshop, where you bend the bamboo and build your lantern from scratch. Instructors guide you through the work, share a little about Hoi An lantern traditions, and show you how to fold your finished lantern for the journey home.
“Great class! Easy to follow steps and super fun activity! Highly recommend!”
At a family-run workshop in Hoi An’s Cam Pho district, you’ll build a foldable lantern from bamboo stakes, wire, silk, and a tassel, with an instructor guiding each step. Choose a lotus, diamond, sunrise, or sunset shape, sip traditional herbal tea, and leave with your own lantern plus one made by your instructor.
“It was a very fun experience, and I would highly recommend it. They are very cheerful and helpful and also fix any little mistakes you make at each step. I had a very good time and I would definitely come again in the future if I am back in Hoi An.”
At a local lantern workshop at 3/6 Phan Boi Chau Street, you’ll learn about Hoi An lanterns and make a 20-cm lantern with an English-speaking instructor. Choose a shape, fabric, and tassel, then follow each step with help at hand. Materials and tools are included, and the finished lantern folds for easier packing.
“Really good workshop! Takes longer than the time in the booking tho, so keep that in mind”
Visit a local market with an English-speaking guide, ride a round basket boat through Hoi An’s water coconut forest, cook dishes such as pho and banh xeo, then make a lantern to take home. Guides including Linh, Anna, and Thao have led the experience, though your guide may vary. Morning and afternoon schedules are available.
“Thank you very much to Lin it was perfect, we had so much fun !”
Spend half a day combining a local market visit, a Cam Thanh basket-boat ride, lantern making, and a Vietnamese cooking class. Hotel pickup in Hoi An is included, and you can choose a morning or afternoon start. Guides such as Hami, Huong, Hoang, and Thao have led the activities.
“Excellent !!! Well worth the price! Enjoyed learning about the veggies and cooking. The boat was super fun and making lanterns was (surprisingly) enjoyable. We did a morning trip so it was only 4 in our group. Looks like afternoon was busier.”
At Hoian Handicraft Tours in Hoi An, a lantern master prepares the frame while you choose silk, glue it in place, add finishing touches, and select a tassel. Sip herbal tea, hear about lantern culture, and take home a lantern that folds for packing. The master also makes an extra lantern as a gift.
“This was a really great activity and came at the perfect time as we were starting to feel the heat after consecutive days in the sun and 30+ degrees. It was indoors and aircon was on. Activity wise too, it was really fun to do and the staff were Read more”
Meet an English-speaking instructor at The Lantern Lady on Phan Boi Chau Street for a one-hour lantern-making class. Hear why Hoi An families hang lanterns for luck and happiness, choose fabric and design options, and make a foldable 20-centimeter lantern to take home. Materials and tools are included.
“It was amazing and totally worth it! We liked it so much, we stayed longer and made more lanterns. Everyone was do helpful and welcoming. We had the best time!”
At Hằng Dũng Lantern in Hoi An, you can make a lantern, paint a design, or combine both. Choose a 20 cm or 30 cm foldable lantern, pick its shape, fabric, and color, then work with a teacher on the frame and decoration. Tea, coffee, and cake are included. A class has been led by a staff member named Hung.
“It was such a fun experience to paint the lantern! I had a lot of fun and truly recommend it! ☺️💜🙏”
Spend about five hours on a small-group Hoi An outing with hotel pickup, a lantern-making lesson, a basket-boat ride in Bay Mau Coconut Forest, crab fishing, and lunch or dinner at a local home. You can wear an Ao Dai for the boat ride. The group is capped at nine, and host Ms Trâm is named in the experience details.
“What a beautiful afternoon we had such fun making the lanterns, quite therapeutic and great help from the lovely ladies. Food was out of this world and really well prepared and presented we enjoyed it very much. Would highly recommend”
In about two hours, an English-speaking local artisan guides you through making a bamboo-and-paper lantern to take home and a floating candle for your wish. Then board a private boat for your booking and see Hoi An’s lantern-lit riverfront. Instructor Le is praised for her patient, encouraging teaching.
“This was an absolutely wonderful experience. Ms. Lè is a literal legend and was very patient with me. I have never been very good with making things but she made me feel very capable. We had a wonderful conversation. She provided inforRead more”
At Lynn’s family workshop in Hoi An, you’ll learn about local lantern-making and build your own from a bamboo frame and your choice of silk fabric. Lynn and her family guide you through shaping, gluing, and covering the frame. The two-hour class costs $14 per person, with materials provided and no experience needed.
“We had the best time learning to make lanterns! Lynn is such a wonderful teacher and very helpful. I cannot recommend her enough, very very good value for money. This is a must try experience in Hoi An🏮✨”
Spend 4.5 to 6 hours making a Hoi An lantern, riding a bamboo basket boat through Cam Thanh’s coconut palms, and learning four local recipes with an English-speaking chef. The small group is capped at 14, with hotel pickup in Hoi An or central Da Nang. Morning tours include lunch; afternoon tours include dinner.
“Nice experience, perfect timing oh the activities. Cooking class very well organised and location very clean.”
Spend about four hours exploring Hoi An with an English-speaking guide, from the Japanese Covered Bridge to local food, a hands-on lantern workshop, and tailor shops. The group is capped at 15, and the price includes a bottle of water, entrance tickets, and food. No guide name is provided.
“I really enjoyed this bike tour by TC Hoi An Travel. The guide was very professional and informative, he spoke excellent English and answered all our questions. The bike was clean and comfortable, and the route was well-designed. We visiteRead more”
This private Hoi An tour links a pottery class in Thanh Ha, basket boating in Bay Mau Coconut Forest, a Vietnamese coffee lesson, Cao Lau lunch, and lantern making. Activities depend on your chosen package. Guides named for the experience include Ben, Hay, Tony, and Mr Giang.
“Mr Giang was a great guide and driver! The trip was well worth it! We enjoyed the pottery and lantern making! We had a nice lunch in the garden on return from our coconut boat ride. Recommended this trip.”
Spend the morning visiting an organic garden and Hoi An market before cooking four Vietnamese dishes at Jolie’s home. You’ll eat the lunch you prepare, then make a simple lantern to take home. The group is capped at 10, vegetarian ingredients are available, and fresh passion fruit juice and filtered water are included.
“We had a great & varied time with Rosie. We had an interesting & educational visit to a home farm & a market. Lots of help with our lantern making - very proud of our work ! And what fun our cooking class was - well organised, very clean, great recipes (already received), help from Bamboo & left with very full tummies of great Vietnamese food”
A boat, a kitchen, a bicycle or the old streets on foot.
