Hoi An: Countryside Bike Tour & Basket Boat Cooking Class

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Duration4h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Cycle quiet roads near Hoi An, row basket boats, cook with locals

You’ll cycle quiet lanes near Hoi An with a local guide, visit riverside villages and water coconut groves, row a basket boat with real fishermen, and try your hand at planting herbs before joining a hands-on cooking class for lunch. Expect laughter, muddy fingers, and glimpses into daily life you won’t get from any window.

Step-by-step itinerary

Cycling and local life exploration

Pick up from hotel in Hoi An
Cycle along Thu Bon River
Visit fishing village and learn fishing
Cycle through water coconut village
Row basket boat and throw nets
Hear about Vietnam War history
Cycle to organic vegetable village
Learn about vegetable growing and fertilizers
Taste vegetables and have lunch
Return to hotel to end tour

The Experience

The first thing I noticed was the hush—no motorbikes, just the soft whir of our bikes rolling along the Thu Bon River. Our guide, Minh, waved us over to a cluster of old wooden boats where fishermen were mending nets. He grinned and told us this village has been here for more than a century. I tried to ask one of the older men how long he’d been fishing (my Vietnamese is...not great), and he just laughed and patted my shoulder. The air smelled like river water and something green I couldn’t quite place.

We wound through country roads at an easy pace—rice paddies on both sides, water buffaloes chewing lazily in the shade. Minh pointed out how the fields change with the seasons; right now they were bright green but you could see patches where last year’s harvest had left golden stubble. We stopped in a water coconut village—seven hectares of tangled palms—and Minh started telling stories about how people hid here during the war. I hadn’t expected that part; it made everything feel heavier for a minute.

Next was the basket boat ride. I’m not exactly graceful with oars, but our local captain (she called herself Auntie Lan) didn’t seem to mind my clumsy paddling. She showed us how to throw nets for crabs—mine landed in a bush instead of the water, which got everyone laughing. The canal was so narrow you could touch both banks if you stretched your arms out.

After we dried off, we cycled on to Tra Que Vegetable Village. The smell hit me before we even got there—fresh basil and something peppery in the air. A local farmer handed me a tiny trowel and tried to show me how to plant herbs without squashing them (I failed). They don’t use any chemicals here, just compost from riverweed and buffalo dung—honestly, it’s impressive. Lunch was rice pancakes we made ourselves (sort of—I needed help flipping them), plus a spread of dishes I still think about when I’m hungry late at night back home.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup within central Hoi An, use of bicycles for exploring riverside paths and villages, entrance tickets along the route, a 45-minute basket boat ride with all gear provided, an interactive rice pancake cooking class at a local family home, lunch featuring regional specialties at Tra Que Vegetable Village, an English-speaking guide throughout, bottled mineral water to keep you cool in the sun—and your return transfer back when it’s all done.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Local Life Hoi An