Hoi An: Basket Boat, Lantern Making & Cooking Class

Basket Boat Through Coconut Forest, Then Cook & Craft in Hoi An

You're picked up from your hotel, taken to a local market to see ingredients, then board a basket boat for 45 minutes through Cam Thanh's coconut forest with a fisherman guide. Back at Phu Lanh, you craft a silk lantern to take home and cook four traditional Hoi An dishes in a hands-on class. Hotel return is included, and the group stays small throughout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Market visit, basket boat, lantern and cooking

• Hotel pick up by guide
• Visit local colorful market
• Travel to Phu Lanh Travel
• Enjoy welcome drink
• Brief about Cam Thanh village
• Board coracle basket boat
• 45-minute basket boat ride
• Watch coracle boat performances
• Learn palm leaf souvenir making
• Try boat shaking and crab catching
• Return to Phu Lanh Travel
• Refresh and prepare for lantern class
• Learn lantern history and making
• Make your own lantern souvenir
• Join cooking class with local host
• Prepare local specialties for meal
• Enjoy Vietnamese food you cooked
• End services and return to hotel

The experience

Stepping into a woven basket boat at Cam Thanh, you're pushed out into the narrow channels of the coconut forest by a local fisherman who's been working these waterways his whole life. The 45-minute ride winds through the palms, and at one point he'll shake the boat side to side. Something that looks like it might tip you over but doesn't, and the whole boat laughs. Before you head back, he teaches you how to weave palm leaves into small souvenirs, and if you're curious enough, how to catch crabs the way locals do. It's not performed for tourists. It's just what happens here.

After you return to Phu Lanh, a quieter eco-setting outside the main town, there's time to breathe before the lantern-making class starts. Your guide walks you through the history of Hoi An's famous silk lanterns (why certain colors mean certain things, how they're assembled), and then you make your own. You actually get to keep it, which sounds small until you're packing it carefully into your luggage three days later. The cooking class comes next, and you're working alongside a local host in a real kitchen, not a demo stage. You'll prepare Hoi An deep-fried spring rolls, Vietnamese rice pancakes, papaya salad with chicken, and cau lau noodles: the specialty dish that's hard to find outside the city. You eat what you cook.

The whole day moves at a pace that doesn't feel rushed, partly because groups stay small and partly because the guide isn't trying to cram in ten stops. Hotel pickup happens in the morning, and you're back by evening. It's the kind of tour where you leave with something physical (a lantern, a recipe muscle memory, a sense of how the village actually works) instead of just photos.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An, entry to Cam Thanh village and the basket boat experience, a welcome drink at Phu Lanh, the lantern-making class with your finished lantern to keep, a full cooking class where you prepare and eat four local dishes, mineral water throughout, and an English-speaking guide for the entire journey.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 13:30

AgesAdult (12 to 80 years) · Youth (6 to 11 years) · Child (3 to 5 years): free · Infant (under 3): free

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24h 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 16 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Phú Lành Travel

Is this one for you?A good fit if you want to move beyond watching (you're actually in the boat, making the lantern, cooking the meal), and you have a full day to spend doing it. The boat ride and cooking class mean you're on your feet and engaged for most of the day, which is what makes the immersion real.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (6 to 11 years); Child (3 to 5 years): free; Infant (under 3): 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 24h before the start.

How long is the basket boat ride?

45 minutes through the coconut forest channels at Cam Thanh village.

Do I get to keep the lantern I make?

Yes, you craft your own lantern and take it home as a souvenir.

What dishes do I cook in the class?

Hoi An deep-fried spring rolls, Vietnamese rice pancakes, papaya salad with chicken, and cau lau noodles.

Is hotel pickup included?

Yes, pickup and drop-off at your Hoi An hotel are included in the tour.

What's the group size?

Groups are kept small for a more personal experience, though exact numbers vary by departure.

Is this tour suitable for pregnant travelers?

No, it's not recommended for pregnant travelers due to the boat activities and physical demands.

Do I need to speak English?

Your guide speaks English and will explain each activity and the cultural context as you go.

What if I have mobility concerns?

The tour includes boat boarding and walking. It's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries or poor cardiovascular health. Check with the operator about your specific needs.