Hanoi Craft Villages Tour: Make Conical Hats & Incense

You make the hat. The artisans teach you how

This half-day or full-day small-group tour from Hanoi takes you to two or three traditional craft villages where you work alongside local artisans. In Chuong village you craft and paint your own conical hat to take home. In Quang Phu Cau village you watch century-old incense production and receive free incense sticks after making some yourself. The full-day option adds a lacquer village where you paint a piece. Hotel pickup in the Old Quarter is included. A live guide speaks English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and eight other languages.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit traditional craft villages near Hanoi

• Pickup from Hanoi Old Quarter
• Visit Quang Phu Cau incense village
• Observe incense-making process
• Take photos of colorful incense bundles
• Meet and interact with local villagers
• Visit Conical Hat Village
• Learn about conical hat craftsmanship
• Create and personalize a conical hat
• Optional drop-off at Hanoi Train Street

The experience

You have a free afternoon or morning in Hanoi, and you want to step outside the city without spending the day on logistics. This tour picks you up at your hotel in the Old Quarter and takes you to villages where the work itself is the point, not a demonstration you watch from a distance. The half-day runs about six hours. The full-day adds a third village and lunch cooked at a local artisan's home.

Chuong village is where the conical hat (nón lá) gets made. You'll meet the craftspeople who shape and weave them, then sit down and make your own: choosing the design, painting it, and taking it home as a souvenir that you actually built. Next is Quang Phu Cau, famous for incense production that has run for over a century. The work is intricate: you see how the sticks are rolled, bundled, and dried in those bright stacks that fill the village. You make incense yourself and leave with a handful of free sticks. On the full-day option, you also visit a lacquer village where you learn the technique of layering resin and painting, and you paint a piece to keep.

The guide is a live person who speaks your language: English, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Thai or French depending on the option you book. Bottled water is included throughout. On the full-day tour, lunch is home-cooked Vietnamese food at an artisan's house, with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes both served. The half-day tour does not include a meal. If you book a private option, the guide speaks multiple languages. If you choose the group tour or the incense-village-only guide option, the setup changes. Check the option details at checkout to confirm what's included for your choice.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in the Hanoi Old Quarter (except the incense-village-guide-only option).
• professional live guide in your chosen language.
• bottled water throughout.
• one free conical hat for painting and personalizing.
• free incense sticks after you make them.
• lunch with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options on the full-day tour only.
• lacquer piece for painting on the full-day option.

Options for this experience

5 options

Incense village guide, no car includedGuide in English or Vietnamese · 07:45One-hour local guide tour. Your guide will meet you in Incense Village and start the tour there, visiting only Incense Village. Choose this option if you already have a car and only want to book a local guide. Car transfer and entrance fees are not included. Pickup is included.

Incense Village and Conical Hat Village, without lunchGuide in English or Vietnamese · 07:45 and 11:45Pickup is included

Full-day tour of 3 villages, including lunchGuide in English or Vietnamese · 07:45Incense, Hat and Lacquer Villages tour lasting 8 hours, with a home-cooked lunch. The places visited are the 3 villages (Incense, Hat and Lacquer). Optional drop-off at Train Street. Car pickup is included.

See 2 more options

Private half-day tour, without lunchGuide in 12 languages · 8 departure times: the first at 07:45, the last at 17:00Incense Village and Hat Village tour lasting 5 hours with a bottle of water. Pick-up and drop-off by car are included. Available in languages other than English, such as German, French, Spanish, Chinese and Italian (check availability). Pickup is included.

Private full-day tour of 3 villagesGuide in 12 languages · 07:45, 09:00 and 11:45Incense, Hat and Lacquer Villages tour lasting 8 hours, including a home-cooked lunch. The places visited are the 3 villages (Incense, Hat and Lacquer). Car 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 day8 departure times: the first at 07:45, the last at 17:00

Book up toStart time

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

GroupUp to 10 · max 9 per booking

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 half-day tour if you have a free morning or afternoon and want to work with artisans without committing a full day. Choose the full-day option if you want to add the lacquer village and sit down for a home-cooked meal. The extra time lets you move at a pace that lets the crafts sink in instead of rushing between stops.

Traveler reviews

4.94★★★★★★★★★★

2,394 verified traveler reviews

5 ★2,273

4 ★100

3 ★18

2 ★3

1 ★0

Read all the reviews ›

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).

What exactly do I make or do with my hands at each village?

In Chuong village you craft and paint your own conical hat, choosing the design and taking it home as a personalized souvenir. In Quang Phu Cau village you make incense sticks yourself and receive free incense to keep. On the full-day tour, you also paint a lacquer piece at the third village.

How long does the tour take and when do I get picked up?

The half-day tour runs approximately six hours with morning and afternoon departure options. Hotel pickup in the Hanoi Old Quarter is included (except for the incense-village-guide-only option, which does not include car transport). You return to your hotel or can request drop-off at Hanoi Train Street instead.

Is lunch included, and what if I'm vegetarian?

Lunch is included only on the full-day option and is home-cooked authentic Vietnamese food prepared at a local artisan's home. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are served. The half-day tour does not include a meal.

What do I take home from this tour?

You take home the conical hat you painted, free incense sticks you made, and on the full-day option, the lacquer piece you painted. These are your own work, not purchased items.