Hoi An City Tour with Boat Ride & Lantern Release

Market, temples, a 400-year-old bridge, and lanterns on the water

A guided tour of Hoi An's Old Town starting with the market, moving through the Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall and Japanese Bridge, then ending with a boat ride where you release flower lanterns on the river to pray for good fortune. Hotel pickup, English-speaking guide, entrance tickets and dinner are included. The tour runs about five hours.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hoi An city tour and lantern release

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit bustling Hoi An Market
• Buy entrance tickets
• Visit Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall
• See Phung Hung or Tan Ky Ancient House
• Stop at Japanese Bridge
• Boat ride on river
• Release flower lanterns

The experience

The day starts at your hotel in central Hoi An, where your guide meets you and heads straight to Hoi An Market: the place where locals shop for everything from produce to textiles. The market is the real working heart of the town, not a tourist version of one, and your guide navigates you through it before moving into the Old Town proper. From there you walk to the Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, a building that has stood for two centuries with its bright gates, dragon statues and elaborate rooftops still intact. Inside, your guide explains ancestor worship while you watch local devotees making offerings at the family altar: a moment most visitors miss on their own.

You'll see two of the town's best-preserved ancient houses: Phung Hung Ancient House and Tan Ky Ancient House, both of which have weathered 200 years without losing their character. Then comes the Japanese Bridge, built over 400 years ago to connect the Japanese merchants on one side of the small waterway with the Chinese community on the other. The bridge is short enough to cross in seconds but old enough that you can feel the weight of the centuries in its wooden frame. Entrance to all these sites is covered in the tour price, and your guide handles the tickets.

The boat ride is where the day shifts. You get on the water at dusk when the lantern street comes alive, and you release a flower lantern into the river: a moment people come back to Hoi An to repeat. The lanterns drift downstream while you watch, and the act itself is the prayer: for good luck, for family, for whatever brought you here. Dinner at a local restaurant rounds out the five hours, and you return to your hotel as the evening settles in.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off.
• English-speaking guide.
• entrance tickets to Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, Phung Hung Ancient House and Tan Ky Ancient House.
• boat ride on the river with flower lantern release.
• dinner at a local restaurant.
• bottled water and air-conditioned vehicle throughout.

Options for this experience

2 options

Private tourGuide in English · 7 departure times: the first at 14:00, the last at 17:00Hoi An city tour: explore the old town, then ride a boat on the Thu Bon river to release flower lanterns onto the water. Duration 4 hours, with a light dinner, car transport, and pickup included.

Group Sharing TourGuide in English · 14:30Hoi An city and boat ride over 5 hours, including dinner, electric car and boat transport, and pickup is included.

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

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day7 departure times: the first at 14:00, the last at 17:00

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (6 to 80 years) · Child (under 6)

GroupPrivate

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 yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by longtravel-hoian

Is this one for you?Choose the private tour if you want to move at your own pace and have the guide's full attention for questions about the sites and the lantern ritual. The group sharing tour works well if you're comfortable with a small group and want to share the cost of the guide.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (under 6).

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.

What is the Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall, and what will I actually see inside it?

The Phuc Kien Chinese Assembly Hall is a 200-year-old temple built by the Chinese community in Hoi An, decorated with bright gates, dragon statues and intricate rooftops. Inside, your guide shows you the family altar where local devotees still make offerings, and explains the practice of ancestor worship that remains central to the space.

How old is the Japanese Bridge, and why was it built?

The Japanese Bridge was constructed over 400 years ago to span a small waterway and connect the Japanese merchant community on one side with the Chinese residents on the other, allowing the two groups to trade and interact more easily.

When does the boat ride and lantern release happen, and what exactly do I do?

The boat ride takes place in the evening as part of the tour, when the lantern street is lit up. You board the boat and release a flower lantern into the river: a traditional act of prayer for good fortune for yourself and your family.

Is this tour private, or will I be with other travelers?

You can choose between a private tour with just your group or a group sharing tour where you join other travelers. Both include the same guide, sites, boat ride and dinner.

What's included in the price, and what do I need to pay extra for?

Hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, entrance tickets to all sites, the boat ride with lantern release, and dinner at a local restaurant are all included. Tips for the guide and driver are optional.

How long is the whole tour, and what time does it start?

The tour is about five hours and begins at 3 p.m. when your guide meets you at your hotel in central Hoi An.