Hoi An: Countryside Bike Tour, Buffalo Ride & Basket Boat

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/48

Duration3h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Cycle Hoi An’s green fields meet farmers ride buffalo boats spin

You’ll pedal quiet lanes past Hoi An’s rice fields, ride a gentle buffalo with help from locals, spin in a basket boat on the river, and share lunch by the fields. Expect muddy shoes, laughter with your guide, and small surprises—a day that feels honest and real.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hoi An countryside bike tour and activities

Walk through organic vegetable village
Learn farming activities from locals
Bike 10–15 km through countryside
Stop for buffalo riding experience
Feed buffalo and take photos
Cycle to coconut village
Drink fresh coconut water
Learn and try crab fishing
Experience basket boat spinning
Play duck feet massage game
Rest by rice field with drinks
Cycle back to hotel

The Experience

We started pedaling just as the morning air still felt cool—our guide Minh waved us off with a grin and a warning about the ducks (I didn’t get it then). The path wound past little vegetable plots where women in those conical hats bent over rows of herbs—mint, basil, something else I couldn’t name but smelled sharp and fresh. Minh stopped to show us how they water everything with those heavy cans. My shoes got muddy right away, but nobody seemed to mind.

After maybe half an hour—time’s fuzzy when you’re trying not to wobble into a rice paddy—we reached this open field where a huge water buffalo was waiting. Minh called him “Big Boy.” I climbed on (awkwardly) and tried not to slide off while Minh snapped photos. The buffalo’s skin felt rough and warm under my hands. I fed him a handful of grass—he stared at me like he’d seen it all before. There was this moment when the only sound was his chewing and some distant bird calls. Kind of peaceful, actually.

We kept riding through coconut groves until we hit the riverbank. That’s where the basket boats were tied up—round, wobbly things that look impossible to steer. A local fisherman showed us how to paddle (sort of), then spun us in circles until we were dizzy and laughing so hard my stomach hurt. He let me try crab fishing too—I failed spectacularly, but he just shrugged and said something that made Minh laugh again.

Lunch was simple: chicken, fish, rice pancakes, salad—all from nearby farms. We ate it sitting next to the fields while someone brewed strong coffee over a tiny stove. There was this weird little game with duck feet massage (don’t ask—I still don’t know if it worked or if we just looked silly). On the way back, legs aching in that good way, I kept thinking about how everyone waved as we passed—kids shouting “hello!” like it never gets old for them here.

What’s included

Your day includes use of a bicycle suited to your ability level (or alternative transport if needed), guidance from an experienced local guide throughout every stop—from organic farm walks to buffalo rides—plus lunch featuring fresh chicken, fish dishes and vegetables grown nearby. Coffee breaks by the rice fields are also part of the experience before returning home in the afternoon.

Good to know

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

Operated by Man Travel