Central Vietnam · TOUR REVIEWS
Hoi An is small enough to walk in an afternoon and busy enough to fill a fortnight. These 15 are the days worth building a trip around, from the coconut forest to the Cham towers, with prices, timings and what travellers say afterwards.
At Bay Mau Coconut Forest, a local boat guide takes two people in a round basket boat through the waterways, with chances to try crab fishing and watch a fishing net cast. The 50-minute ride costs from $3.88 per person. Arrive before 9 a.m. for a quieter river, and budget extra if you want boat spinning or photos.
“well organised. great fun. the boat guys are amazing. lots of singing. an around fun time.”
Join a small-group coffee workshop in Hoi An to follow Vietnamese coffee from crop to cup and make five styles, including Hanoi egg coffee and Hue salt coffee. Local instructors, including Tan and Le, guide you through the Phin filter, recipes and coffee stories. Tea, cookies and ingredients are included.
“Very fun experience. Worth the money and the guides were lovely.”
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!”
Spend about four and a half hours combining a Hoi An market visit, a bamboo basket-boat ride in Cam Thanh, a try at net fishing, and a hands-on cooking class. A chef-guide, such as Hai or Ly, teaches four dishes, with recipes to take home. Central Hoi An pickup is offered, and morning and afternoon departures provide flexibility.
“Lý was a great chef and we had a wonderful time cooking Vietnamese dishes. Would highly recommend this tour! 5/5 stars!”
Start with a guided visit to Hoi An’s produce market, then head to the Nipa palm waterways for a bamboo basket boat ride and a try at crab fishing. Finish with about two hours of hands-on cooking and a meal you prepare yourself. Morning and afternoon departures are offered; guides named by past participants include Ag, also called Michael, and chef Tam.
“We had an awesome time on this tour! It was a lot of fun, and the food we cooked was excellent. The tour organizers responded promptly over WhatsApp and were there on time to pick us up. Would definitely recommend for a unique, culRead more”
Leave Hoi An around 5:30 am for My Son Sanctuary, where an English-speaking guide explains Cham temples, faith, and local traditions before the day heats up. You’ll have time to walk and take photos, then sit down to coffee and a regional brunch with vegetarian options. Guides vary, with Lin, Han, and Bruce among the names travelers have enjoyed.
“The tour was amazing. Truly no complaints. We got the 5:30am tour and if you have the opportunity to take it. It truly exceeds all expectations of what you think itll be. The drive there isnt too bad! You start off with a coffee and then the tour guide gave us tons of history and facts of the sanctuary. The area is just stunning… with the morning glow of the sun, birds chirping, seeing all the trees and plants. After a while of history and walking around looking at all the sites, we were able to have 15min to ourselves to walk around and take photos/do our thing. Then, we…”
Leave Hoi An by minivan for Ba Na Hills, where cable cars climb to the Golden Bridge, flower gardens and Fantasy Park. An English-speaking guide handles the route and timing, with guides including Mr Bean, Loc and Long. Check your booking options carefully: cable car tickets and buffet lunch may cost extra.
“We had a fabulous day with mr bean on this tour despite being misty at the top it was still beautiful and we very much enjoyed the cable car ride . The buffet lunch was very good. Buy the fast pass it is so worth it.”
Meet your guide in Hoi An for a market visit, a 40-minute bamboo basket boat ride through water coconut palms, and a hands-on cooking class. You may learn with guides such as Anna, Thao or Linh. Expect seasonal produce, folk songs on the water, and a generous meal of the dishes you prepare.
“We had such a fantastic time on this tour! Thao was so kind and helpful, making it an experience we will remember for a long time & take the delicious recipes back to Ireland! Thank you again Thao 💗”
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.”
Meet an English-speaking guide by the Kazimierz Kwiatkowski bust on Tran Phu Street, collect your paper lantern, and walk about five minutes to the dock. Your group of up to five gets its own wooden boat for a 10-to-15-minute ride on the Hoai River. The rower helps light and release your lantern; expect scenery, not guided commentary.
“the guide Mr Linh was on time to give us tickets and guided us to the river. we skipped the queu . perfect 🙂”
Meet at 153 Tran Phu Street near the Japanese Bridge, then walk with staff to the Hoai River for a roughly 15-minute boat ride. Your $8 ticket includes a lantern to release, herbal tea, and a 24-hour eSIM with 8GB of data and 10 minutes of local calls. The river can be crowded, especially during the monthly lantern festival.
“Very nice to explore Hoi An at night on the boat. They had plenty of times to take photos and videos and the guide was very professional”
In Cam Thanh, a local boatman rows you through coconut-palm waterways in a traditional bamboo basket boat. Try rowing, look for small crabs, and watch boat performances, with karaoke sometimes joining the river soundtrack. The ride lasts about one to two hours; hotel pickup may be arranged. Spinning and boat photos can cost extra.
“brilliant fun value for money, we booked a time and just got a Grab to and from danang and into Hoi An. well worth it. shout out to hang too great guide.”
Spend about four and a half hours visiting a Hoi An market, riding a bamboo basket boat through Cam Thanh’s nipa palm forest, trying crab fishing, and cooking Vietnamese dishes with an English-speaking chef. Hotel pickup in Hoi An is included. Classes are small, with a maximum of 11 people, and lunch or dinner departures are available.
“Fantastic experience! Our guide was very funny and we had a blast cooking all of the amazing foods. The coconut boats are fun, we were caught in a rainstorm but it added to the craziness of our experience. 10/10!”
This pass covers Hoi An Impression Theme Park from 4:00 p.m. and the 8:00 p.m. Hoi An Memories Show, a one-hour outdoor production featuring ao dai, dance, music and large-scale effects. Arrive early for the park’s mini shows and food stalls. Transport and meals are not included.
“If there is one thing to do in Hoi An let this be it! Absolutely incredible show, well worth the money. I have no words to describe how wonderful this is. Don’t bother with paying more money for High class or VIP seats, the Eco seats are long yellow benches, the high class are red plastic stadium seats and the VIP is under a canopy. You can see the whole stage from any seat in the arena, so it is totally pointless paying more for high class, if you want shelter then go for VIP. Make sure you take a raincoat just incase it rains, if you are in any…”
From Cẩm Thanh, ride a traditional round bamboo basket boat through Bay Mau Coconut Forest. Local boat rowers show you how to paddle, help you try crab fishing, and may demonstrate boat spinning and net casting. Hotel pickup is available if selected. Go before 9 AM for a quieter river, or arrive before 3:30 PM to catch the net casting.
“Lovely experience from start to finish and very well organised. Car picks you up from your hotel, you get a detailed briefing and then dropped off back at your hotel. Ding as the coconut boat driver was fantastic, enthusiastic and happy whilst singing songs and taking lots of photos and videos! Highly recommend for a hassle free and fun experience”
A boat, a kitchen, a bicycle or the old streets on foot.
