Hoi An Coconut Village & Ancient Town Tour: Release lanterns on the Hoai River

Glide through coconut groves in a basket boat and light your own lantern on the river

A full-day tour of Hoi An and Cam Thanh Coconut Village combines hands-on fishing, a bamboo basket boat ride through water coconut trees, guided exploration of UNESCO-listed ancient architecture, and an evening boat ride on the Hoai River where you release a flower lantern. Hotel pickup, local dinner, entrance fees and an English-speaking guide are included. The tour runs about 6.5 hours and welcomes children from age 1.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Cam Thanh and Hoi An Town

• Hotel pickup from Da Nang area
• Ride basket boat in Cam Thanh Coconut Village
• Try traditional fishing with locals
• Visit Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall
• Tour Phung Hung and Tan Ky Ancient Houses
• Explore 150-year-old Chinese merchant house museum
• See Japanese Bridge and learn its history
• Shop at handicraft stores and art galleries
• Enjoy local specialty dinner
• Evening boat ride on Hoai River
• Release flower lantern for good luck
• Walk through lantern-lit night market

The experience

The day starts at Cam Thanh Coconut Village, where you board a bamboo basket boat (a small, round vessel locals have used for generations), and row through narrow waterways lined with coconut palms. You'll watch a local fisherman demonstrate how to cast a large net into the water, then try it yourself. The guide explains how families in this village have lived off the river and its resources for centuries, and you get a direct sense of that rhythm as you navigate the quiet channels. Afterward, you walk through the village to see how people live and work in the coconut groves.

Next, you head to Hoi An Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site where the architecture has survived centuries of weather and war. The guide takes you through the Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, then into one of the preserved merchant houses (either Phung Hung or Tan Ky), where wealthy traders once lived while doing business with merchants from across Asia. You'll visit a museum housed in a 150-year-old Chinese merchant building that displays artifacts from daily life over two floors. The Japanese Bridge, built more than 400 years ago to connect the Japanese and Chinese communities, is a key stop. The guide explains the symbolic carvings and paintings inside. You also have time to browse handicraft shops and art galleries before sitting down to a local dinner with regional specialties.

As evening falls, the town transforms. You take a boat ride on the Hoai River, where lanterns light up the old buildings along the water. You release a flower lantern onto the river, a moment many travelers find meaningful, and then spend time at the night market, walking through the lantern-lit streets and taking in the sights and sounds of the old town after dark. The tour ends with hotel drop-off.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• Cam Thanh Coconut Village entrance fee and basket boat ride.
• hands-on fishing net casting.
• Hoi An Ancient Town entrance fees and guided walking tour of the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, a preserved merchant house, and the 400-year-old Japanese Bridge.
• museum entry.
• local dinner with regional specialties.
• evening boat ride on the Hoai River with flower lantern release.
• mineral water.
• English-speaking guide throughout.

Options for this experience

2 options

Coconut Jungle Eco and Hoi An City Tour, including a boat rideGuide in English · 12:30Includes pickup

Private Coconut Jungle and Hoi An tourGuide in English · 6 departure times: the first at 12:30, the last at 15:00Includes pickup

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day6 departure times: the first at 12:30, the last at 15:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

GroupUp to 12

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePets welcomeNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Venus Travel

Is this one for you?Book the private option if you want the flexibility to set your own pace and ask questions without a larger group. The shared tour works better if you're traveling solo or with one other person and prefer to split the cost with other travelers. Either way, the basket boat and lantern release are the same. The difference is group size and how much time you spend at each stop.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years); Infant (1 to 4 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

Can I really try fishing myself, or is it just a demonstration?

You cast the fishing net yourself after watching the local fisherman show you how. It's a hands-on activity, not just observation, and the guide will help you through it.

What is the Japanese Bridge and why is it important to Hoi An?

The Japanese Bridge was built over 400 years ago to connect the Japanese community living on one side of the river with the Chinese merchants on the other. The bridge's carvings and paintings carry symbolic meaning tied to both cultures, and it remains one of Hoi An's most recognizable landmarks.

Is the flower lantern release included, or do I have to buy one?

The flower lantern release on the Hoai River is included in the tour. You'll release it during the evening boat ride as part of the experience.

What's included in the local dinner?

Dinner features regional specialties and local dishes. The meal is included in the tour price. The guide will take you to a restaurant serving traditional Hoi An food.