Hoi An Cooking Class: Market, Basket Boats & Local Meal

Shop a local market, row a basket boat, then cook and eat an authentic Vietnamese meal

A five-hour cooking class in Hoi An that starts with a market tour and a bamboo basket boat ride through water coconut forests, then moves to a local chef's home where you learn to prepare traditional Vietnamese dishes and eat what you've made. English-speaking guide, hotel pickup, ingredients and a recipe book are included. Vegetarian options available.

The experience

The morning or afternoon begins with pickup at your Hoi An hotel, then a walk through the local market where your guide introduces the ingredients and daily rhythms of the neighborhood. You'll see what goes into the dishes you're about to cook and get a sense of how people here shop and eat. From there, you board a bamboo basket boat (a small, round vessel unique to this region), and travel the narrow waterways into the water coconut forest. Your guide teaches you how to row it, and you join local fishermen catching purple crabs. There's time to make palm-leaf souvenirs and watch a basket boat dance performance before the group heads back.

At a local chef's home, the cooking class begins. You learn the traditional techniques for preparing five dishes: rice milk, rice pancakes, spring rolls, papaya salad and fried chicken with lemongrass. The chef walks you through each step, and you do the work yourself. Once everything is ready, you sit down and eat the meal you've prepared. A recipe book goes home with you so you can make these dishes again.

Three purchase options let you shape the day: cooking class only (no market or boat); cooking class tour (adds the market and boat); or cooking class full tour (the complete experience with all three elements). All include your guide, ingredients, the meal and hotel pickup and drop-off. The class runs five hours total, with morning departures at 8:30 and afternoon ones at 14:30. Vegetarian versions of the menu are available. Just let the operator know when you book.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An.
• all ingredients for the cooking class.
• the lunch or dinner you prepare.
• recipe book to take home.
• market visit (on tour and full tour options).
• bamboo basket boat ride and rowing instruction (on tour and full tour options).
• palm-leaf souvenir making and basket boat dance performance (on tour and full tour options).

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 14:30

Book up to1h before

AgesAdult (18 to 55 years) · Senior (56 to 77 years) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish

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 7 days ago

Good to know

Infant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Happy Tour

Is this one for you?Choose the cooking class only if you want to focus on learning the dishes without the morning market and boat activities. Pick the full tour if you want the complete rural experience (the market, the boat ride and the cooking) all in one morning or afternoon.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (1 to 4 years): free.

What exactly do I cook in the Hoi An cooking class?

You prepare five dishes: sua gao (rice milk), banh xeo (rice pancake), cha gio (spring roll), goi du du (papaya salad) and ga chien (fried chicken with lemongrass). The menu can shift slightly to feature local ingredients, but always includes traditional Vietnamese food. Vegetarian versions are available if you request them at booking.

Does the class include the market visit and basket boat ride, or are those separate?

It depends on which option you choose. The cooking class only covers the cooking and meal at the chef's home. The cooking class tour adds the market visit and basket boat ride. The cooking class full tour includes all three: market, boat, and cooking class with meal.

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

Your hotel pickup and drop-off, the English-speaking guide, all ingredients for cooking, the meal you prepare, and a recipe book are included. Drinks (beer, juice and soft drinks) are not covered, so you can order those separately if you'd like.

How long is the whole experience?

The class runs five hours total. Morning sessions start at 8:30 and afternoon ones at 14:30, with return to your hotel by 13:30 or 19:30 depending on which time you choose.