Central Vietnam · WORKSHOPS
These are the 15 workshops & classes that earn their slot in a Hoi An week, each with its price per person, how long it takes and who it suits best. The first on the list is where most people should start.
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”
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.”
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 three-hour Hoi An outing combines a guided basket boat ride through the Bay Mau nipa forest with crab catching and a hands-on Vietnamese cooking class. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included. Instructors such as Thuy and Li lead the cooking, while local boat rowers add songs, stories, and, sometimes, a lively spin for an extra charge.
“Amazing day. So much fun. I couldn’t believe the value! So much food to eat, met and spoke to interesting people from all over the world and the he banana boat was great!!”
This 4.5-hour Hoi An outing pairs a guided market visit with net fishing, crab catching and a basket-boat ride through Bay Mau Coconut Forest. An English-speaking guide and chef lead a two-hour cooking class, then you eat what you prepare. Hoi An hotel transfers, drinks and the forest ticket are included.
“A fantastic day Great tour guide very friendly and knowledgable Good fun Great food Very authentic Picked us up at the hotel went to a local market then on to the fishing for a fun day and good food”
At a small-group class in Hoi An, an English-speaking instructor guides you through Vietnamese coffee culture and five recipes: phin-brewed black coffee, happy white coffee, Hue salt coffee, Hoi An coconut coffee, and Hanoi egg coffee. The two-hour class costs $15.39 per person, includes a phin filter to take home, and meets at 10C Bà Triệu.
“Great family run business. Lots of banter, info and plenty of coffee made by you! They have their own coffee beans which are for sale also. Ok to bring into Australia as at date of this review. Special gift at end of class.”
At The Lantern Lady’s Hoi An workshop, you’ll choose a lantern shape and fabric, then build a traditional bamboo lantern with step-by-step help from an English-speaking instructor. The class is self-paced, usually takes about 90 minutes, and costs around $6 per person. Choose a foldable fabric lantern to carry home or a paper lantern to light and float on the river.
“Had fun & got a beautiful lantern. Great experience, highly recommend 😊”
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”
Cook a changing menu of four local dishes, such as pancakes and spring rolls, with an English-speaking chef in a countryside setting near Hoi An. Day classes meet in Cam Thanh Village; the evening class is held at Tra Que Herbs Garden. Expect hands-on prep, a shared meal and a relaxed group, with instructors such as Ha, Nhung and Wan.
“Nhung was really nice and she has a great sense of humor. Food was so good. I really recommend !!”
Spend four hours moving from Hoi An’s market to the Thu Bon River and Bay Mau coconut forest, then join a hands-on class for four Vietnamese dishes. Hotel pickup, a local guide, a basket boat ride, and a herbal foot soak and massage are included. Ask ahead about dietary needs and confirm which extra activities will run on your date.
“This afternoon experience was fun. Be showed us through the markets, talked about different foods & spices, then we went on an old town wood boat up the river & a short basket ride (transferred from boat to basket in the river!) & then a Read more”
Choose a cooking-only class in Hoi An’s Cam Thanh coconut village or at a Da Nang kitchen. An English-speaking instructor guides you through four local dishes, then you sit down to eat. Hotel pickup is available, with some location surcharges. Menus and class times vary by city and day.
“It was absolutely brilliant we had an amazing time! Could not be happier. The class was really informative and the food was so tasty!”
A boat, a kitchen, a bicycle or the old streets on foot.
