Hanoi craft villages tour: Make conical hat & lacquer art

Three villages, three crafts you make yourself

A full-day class in three traditional craft villages near Hanoi where you make a conical hat, try lacquer painting and watch incense stick artisans at work, with a local guide, home-cooked lunch and hotel pickup included. The small-group format and hands-on setup mean you spend the day making things, not standing in a queue or listening from a distance. Hotel pickup covers the Hanoi Old Quarter area. Some options include a local guide at the incense village only, without vehicle transport.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore traditional craft villages

• Visit incense stick-making village
• Create your own conical hat
• Enjoy home-cooked lunch
• Visit lacquer art village
• Try making lacquer painting
• Optional drop-off at Train Street

The experience

The day starts at your hotel in the Hanoi Old Quarter, where a guide picks you up in an air-conditioned vehicle. The first stop is the incense stick-making village, where artisans arrange dried bundles into flower-like shapes. A 300-year-old process that is still done by hand and sun-dried. You watch the techniques and can make incense sticks yourself. You'll take home some free sticks as a reminder of the morning.

Next is the conical hat village in Thanh Oai district, about 30 kilometers southwest of Hanoi. This is where Nón Lá, the iconic Vietnamese conical hat, has been made for over 300 years. You paint your own hat under instruction from a local artisan and take the finished piece home as a personalized souvenir. After that comes lunch: a home-cooked authentic Vietnamese meal at a local artisan's house or a riverside restaurant, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options both served.

The afternoon takes you to Ha Thai Lacquer Village in Thuong Tin District, about 15–20 kilometers south of downtown Hanoi. This village has specialized in lacquerware for over 200 years and was once known as the "village that serves the king" because of the quality it produced for the royal court. Here you try your hand at painting a lacquer piece, learning the intricate process from artisans who still work in the traditional way. If you want to extend the day, the tour offers an optional drop-off at Hanoi Train Street, a famous narrow alley along the railway tracks where cafes operate just inches from passing trains: a popular photography spot if you have time.

What’s included

• Air-conditioned vehicle with hotel pickup and drop-off in the Hanoi Old Quarter.
• a local guide fluent in your chosen language.
• one free conical hat for you to paint and take home.
• a try at painting a lacquer art piece.
• some free incense sticks after you make them yourself.
• home-cooked authentic Vietnamese lunch with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
• bottled water.
• all fees and taxes.

Options for this experience

5 options

Incense Village guide, no carGuide in English or Vietnamese · 08:001-hour local guided tour: your local guide meets you at Incense Village and starts the tour there, visiting only Incense Village. Choose this if you already have a car and only want to book a local guide. Car transfer and entrance fees are not included, but pickup is included

Incense Village and Hat Village tourGuide in English or Vietnamese · 08:00 and 12:00Incense Village and Hat Village, Half Day option: visit two villages, the Conical Hat and Incense Craft Village, plus optional Train Street. Group shared tour lasting 6 hours, with bottled water and car, and pickup is included

Private Incense and Hat tourGuide in 12 languages · 12 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 19:00Incense Village and Conical Hat: departs from Hanoi in the morning or afternoon, with hotel pickup in Hanoi at 8:00 am or 12:00 pm. Lasts 5 hours, and pickup is included

See 2 more options

Hanoi: Small Group tour covering Incense Village, Conical Hat and Lacquer ArtGuide in English or Vietnamese · 08:00Lasts 8 hours, includes a home-cooked lunch and car, and pickup is included

Private 3 Village tour with lunchGuide in 12 languages · 10 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 13:00Private 3 Village tour with lunch, Full Day option: visit three villages (Lacquer, Conical Hat and Incense) with a home-cooked lunch, plus optional drop-off at Train Street. Lasts one day, includes a home-cooked lunch and car, and pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day16 departure times: the first at 07:30, the last at 19:00

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (5 and older) · Child (1 to 4 years)

GroupUp to 9

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Russian, Thai and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by INCENSE VILLAGE HANOI TOUR

Is this one for you?Book the private tour option if you want a guide and vehicle dedicated to your group and the flexibility to move at your own pace through the three villages. Choose the small-group option if you prefer to share the experience and the cost with other travelers: both formats include the same hands-on activities and lunch, so the difference is group size and whether the guide is yours alone.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Vietnamese, Thai, Korean, Chinese and Japanese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 4 years).

Can I make the conical hat and lacquer art myself, or do I just watch?

You paint your own conical hat in the hat village and take it home. You also try painting a lacquer piece in the lacquer village. The incense village is primarily a demonstration of the artisans' techniques, though you can make incense sticks yourself there as well.

Does the tour include lunch, and what kind of food is served?

Lunch is included on the full-day tour: a home-cooked authentic Vietnamese meal at a local artisan's house or riverside restaurant. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options are served, so dietary preferences can be accommodated.

How far are these villages from central Hanoi, and how long does the full day take?

The incense village and conical hat village are about 30 kilometers southwest in Thanh Oai district. The lacquer village is 15–20 kilometers south in Thuong Tin District. The full day is 8 hours including hotel pickup and drop-off.

Is hotel pickup included, and which areas does it cover?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are included for most options and cover the Hanoi Old Quarter area. One option (the local guide at the incense village only) does not include vehicle transport, so you would meet the guide at the village instead.

Can I visit Hanoi Train Street as part of this tour?

Train Street is offered as an optional drop-off at the end of the day if you want to explore it. It is a free-to-enter Instagram spot along the railway tracks, but adding it extends your time beyond the standard 8-hour tour.