Private Hoi An countryside tour: Pottery, farms and basket boats

Four villages in a morning, each one a working place where something is made or grown

A private countryside tour of Hoi An visits Thanh Ha Pottery Village, Cam Ha Village, Tra Que Vegetable Village and Cam Thanh Water Coconut Village over four hours with a local English or Vietnamese-speaking guide. You shape clay on a pottery wheel, ride a water buffalo through organic farms, and paddle a traditional basket boat through nipa palm canals. Local tea and candy are included. The tour runs private (your group only) or shared without pickup. Children from age 2 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Hoi An countryside villages

• Visit Thanh Ha Pottery Village
• Try shaping clay on pottery wheel
• Stroll village lanes and Terracotta Park
• Discover Cam Ha Village and kumquat gardens
• Visit local Buddhist temple
• Explore shrimp farming and fishing methods
• Experience Tra Que Vegetable Village farming
• Ride a water buffalo and chat with farmers
• Explore Cam Thanh Water Coconut Village by basket boat
• Watch boat-spinning and try crab fishing

The experience

Thanh Ha Pottery Village opens the morning: a 500-year-old craft community where you watch artisans throw clay and then try the wheel yourself. The village sits just outside Hoi An, quiet enough that you can walk the lanes between workshops and visit the Terracotta Park without crowds. You'll make a handmade souvenir to take home, something you shaped with your own hands instead of buying from a shelf.

The route then moves through Cam Ha Village, where kumquat trees grow in careful rows and a local Buddhist temple sits at the village center. Your guide introduces you to farmers who explain how they shape the trees and tend the orchards, and you'll see traditional shrimp farming areas and watch the fishing methods locals have used for generations. Tra Que Vegetable Village comes next (the organic farming community Hoi An is known for), where you learn how soil is prepared, herbs watered and vegetables harvested by hand. Riding a water buffalo through the fields is part of the experience, not a photo stop. You're moving through the work as it happens.

Cam Thanh Water Coconut Village closes the tour on the water. A traditional basket boat (woven and shaped to spin in the shallows) carries you through nipa palm canals where the light filters green and the only sound is the paddle. You'll try crab fishing using local techniques and watch boat-spinning performances that show how these small craft move. The whole sequence takes four hours and stays on the ground where the work is: pottery wheels turning, farmers bending, water moving through palms.

What’s included

• Local guide in English or Vietnamese.
• entry to Thanh Ha Pottery Village, Cam Ha Village, Tra Que Vegetable Village and Cam Thanh Water Coconut Village.
• pottery wheel experience.
• water buffalo ride.
• traditional basket boat.
• local tea.
• local candy.

Options for this experience

2 options

Shared tour, no pickupGuide in English or Vietnamese · 08:30 and 14:30Shared tour, no pickup: Starts from the meeting point in Hoi An. Pickup is not included. Pickup included

Private tour, pickup includedGuide in English or Vietnamese · 08:30 and 14:30Private tour with pickup: Includes private round-trip transfers directly from your hotel. Flexible timing. Pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

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 and 14:30

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 50 years) · Youth (12 to 17 years) · Child (2 to 11 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Vietnamese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Hoi An Countryside and Old Town Private Tour

Is this one for you?Book the Private Tour with Pick Up if your hotel is in Hoi An and you want the guide to handle the timing and route: the morning stays unbroken because transport is arranged. Choose the Shared Tour No Pick Up if you prefer a smaller cost and don't mind meeting the group at a set point.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Vietnamese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 17 years); Child (2 to 11 years).

What exactly do I do at Thanh Ha Pottery Village?

Thanh Ha Pottery Village is a 500-year-old craft community where you watch skilled artisans at work and then try shaping clay on a pottery wheel yourself. You walk through the village lanes, visit the Terracotta Park, and create a handmade souvenir you can take home.

Can I ride a water buffalo at Tra Que Vegetable Village?

Yes. At Tra Que Vegetable Village you ride a water buffalo through the organic farms while learning how local farmers prepare soil, water herbs and harvest vegetables using traditional methods. You also chat with the farmers and experience the peaceful countryside firsthand.

What happens on the basket boat at Cam Thanh Water Coconut Village?

The traditional basket boat glides through lush nipa palm canals where you can try crab fishing using local techniques and watch boat-spinning performances that show how the small woven craft move through the water. It's a hands-on look at how locals fish and navigate the river.

Is pickup from my hotel included?

Pickup is included with the Private Tour with Pick Up option. The Shared Tour No Pick Up option does not include hotel pickup, so you'll meet the guide at a designated location.

What's included in the tour price?

The tour includes a local guide who speaks English or Vietnamese, entry to all four villages, the pottery wheel experience, the water buffalo ride, the basket boat, local tea and local candy. Children from age 2 are welcome.

How long is the tour and what's the fitness level needed?

The tour runs four hours and requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness. It involves walking through villages, riding a water buffalo and paddling a basket boat. The tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnant travelers, or those with poor cardiovascular health.