Hanoi Villages: Incense, Conical Hat & Lacquer Art Tour

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/26

Duration8h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Handcrafting hats painting incense sticks and lacquer art in Hanoi

You’ll step into real workshops outside Hanoi—smell incense drying in Quang Phu Cau village, try making your own conical hat with artisans in Chuong, and paint lacquerware alongside a local master if you choose the full-day option (with lunch at his home). Expect laughter, sticky fingers, and stories you’ll remember long after you leave.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit traditional craft villages near Hanoi

Visit Chuong Conical Hat Village
Make and paint your own conical hat
Explore Quang Phu Cau Incense Village
See incense stick production factory
Travel to Ha Thai lacquer art village
Meet local artisan and try lacquer art
Return to Hanoi with optional Train Street drop-off

The Experience

We were already halfway to Chuong village before I realized how quiet the road had gotten outside Hanoi. Our guide, Linh, kept pointing out tiny roadside shrines and laughing at my attempts to say “nón lá” (the conical hat). The workshop smelled like fresh bamboo shavings and something sweet I couldn’t place—maybe glue? There was this old woman with silver hair who showed me how to bend the palm leaves just right. My first try looked wobbly but she just grinned and fixed it with a few quick stitches. I still have that hat sitting by my door now.

After that, we drove out to Quang Phu Cau—the incense stick village. It’s hard to describe the color: bright pinks and reds everywhere, bundles of incense fanned out like giant flowers drying in the sun. The air was thick with the smell of sandalwood and something smoky. Kids ran past us carrying armfuls of sticks while our local guide explained how each family has their own secret recipe for mixing the powders. I tried rolling a few myself (not as easy as it looks) and got red dust all over my hands. Someone’s radio played old pop songs in the background—it felt oddly familiar.

If you go for the full day tour from Hanoi, they’ll take you to Ha Thai village too, where lacquer art is still done mostly by hand. We sat cross-legged on the floor while Mr. Bao—a third-generation artisan—showed us how to layer the sap onto wood panels. My fingers stuck together for hours after trying it myself. Lunch was at his house: rice, tofu with tomato sauce, fried fish—simple but honestly one of my favorite meals in Vietnam so far. His wife kept refilling our tea cups even when we said we were full.

I didn’t expect to feel so welcome or so clumsy at times—especially painting my own hat (Li laughed when I tried to sign it in Vietnamese). There’s something about seeing these crafts up close that makes you pay attention differently; not just looking but touching, smelling, messing up a little. On the way back through Hanoi’s traffic, I caught myself thinking about those colors drying in the sun—and yeah, I kind of miss that smell now.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off within Hanoi Old Quarter, guided visits through Chuong Conical Hat Village and Quang Phu Cau Incense Village (plus Ha Thai Lacquer Art Village if you choose full-day), hands-on craft activities with artisans, all entry fees covered, an authentic home-cooked Vietnamese lunch (full-day only) with vegetarian options available—and an optional stop at Train Street before returning to your hotel.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for heart conditions

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