Hoi An Cooking Class & Basket Boat Ride: Market to Table

Market, boat, kitchen: one morning that moves through three versions of how Hoi An eats

A five-hour cooking class in Hoi An that begins at the local market, moves to a basket boat ride in the water coconut palm forest where you fish alongside locals, and ends in a kitchen where you cook lunch using what you learned and caught. The guide is English-speaking, pickup is included, and all ingredients and a recipe book come with the class.

The experience

The morning starts at your hotel in Hoi An's old town, where your guide picks you up and takes you to the local market. This is where you see how locals actually shop (the stalls, the haggling, the seasonal rhythm), and you buy the ingredients you'll cook with later. It's not a tourist walk-through. You're there to understand what goes into the basket and why.

From the market, you drive past rice paddies toward the Cua Dai river and the Bay Mau nipa grove: a water coconut palm forest where fishermen work daily. You board a bamboo basket boat with a local fisherman and spend time on the water learning to cast nets, catching fish and purple crabs, and making small souvenirs from palm leaves. The guide shares stories about the area's history during the Vietnamese-American War, grounding the landscape in something beyond the postcard version.

Back on land, you move into the cooking lesson. Using the ingredients you picked at the market and the catch from the boat, you prepare lunch or dinner under instruction. The recipe book stays with you. You eat what you made, and the tour ends with your guide returning you to the hotel.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Hoi An.
• all cooking ingredients.
• a recipe book to take home.
• lunch or dinner.
• the basket boat ride with a local fisherman.
• market visit with ingredient shopping.

Options for this experience

2 options

Cooking class only.Guide in English · 10:30 and 16:30Duration: 3 hours. This option does not include pickup, a basket boat ride, or a market visit. Exploring.

Cooking tour and eco experience in Hoi AnGuide in English · 08:30 and 14:30Duration: 5 hours. This option includes pickup.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30, 10:30, 14:30 and 16:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 80 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 6 pickup points.

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

Prices and times updated 4 days ago

Good to know

Wheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Hoi An Eco Cooking Tour

Is this one for you?Book the full Eco & Cooking Tour if you want the market and the boat as part of the story. They're what make the cooking lesson feel connected to where the food actually comes from. The cooking class alone works if you already know Hoi An and just want the hands-on kitchen time.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (3 to 11 years); Infant (under 3): free.

What do I actually do on the basket boat in the coconut palm forest?

You board a bamboo basket boat with a local fisherman and learn to cast nets, catching fish and purple crabs. You also make small souvenirs from palm leaves while the fisherman explains how the work happens daily in that grove.

Do I need to know how to cook to take the cooking class?

No. The guide teaches you the techniques and the ingredients as you work, and you cook lunch or dinner together using what you bought at the market and caught on the boat.

How long is the whole experience?

Five hours from pickup at your hotel to drop-off, including the market, the boat ride, and the cooking lesson with lunch or dinner.

What's the difference between the two options?

The Hoi An Eco & Cooking Tour includes the market visit, the basket boat ride in the coconut palm forest, and the cooking class. The Cooking Class Only option skips the market and the boat and goes straight to the kitchen.

Is the guide English-speaking?

Yes, the guide speaks English and leads the whole experience from pickup through the market, the boat, and the cooking lesson.

What happens if I have mobility concerns?

The experience is wheelchair accessible, and all areas and surfaces are accessible. However, it is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health due to the boat and the physical activity involved.