Hoi An Cooking Class & Fishing Tour: Cook & Catch Your Lunch

Drift through coconut palms on a bamboo basket boat before your meal

A half-day cooking class and fishing tour in Hoi An that starts at the local market, moves to Cam Thanh village for traditional basket-boat fishing on the river, and ends with a two-hour hands-on cooking session where you prepare four Vietnamese dishes and eat what you made. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included; the guide speaks English and children from age 1 are welcome.

The Experience

The morning or afternoon begins with hotel pickup and a stop at the local market in Hoi An, where your guide walks you through the stalls and helps you pick out the fresh ingredients you'll cook with later. From there you head to Cam Thanh village, a quieter stretch of the river lined with water coconut palms, where you board a traditional Vietnamese bamboo basket boat. This is where the fishing happens: your guide teaches you the local techniques for casting nets and catching crab, and whatever you catch stays with you for the cooking class. The boat moves slowly through the palms so you see how the village sits on the water and how fishing still works the way it has for generations.

Around 11:15 am you arrive at the restaurant with a welcome drink. The cooking class runs for two hours, and the chef demonstrates how to prepare four dishes—Hoi An spring rolls, Hoi An rice pancake, fried noodles with seafood, and banana flower salad with pork and shrimp—before you take over and make them yourself. The fish and crab you caught earlier go into the meal. You eat lunch or dinner depending on which time slot you chose, and everything on your plate is something you prepared.

The tour wraps by early afternoon (or evening for the later departure) with hotel drop-off. Minimum group size is two people. If your hotel is in Da Nang instead of Hoi An, there's a 15 USD per person surcharge for the extra transfer distance.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An.
• professional guide in English.
• fishing tour with traditional bamboo basket boat and nets.
• four-course cooking class with a local chef.
• lunch made from the dishes you prepare and the fish you catch.

Good to know

Public transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditions

Operated by Hoi an basket boat and cooking tour

Is this one for you?You'll catch fish with your own hands, shop the local market for ingredients, then cook what you've gathered—leaving with skills and stories instead of just photos.

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Top questions

What four dishes do I cook in the class?

The cooking class covers Hoi An spring rolls, Hoi An rice pancake, fried noodles with seafood, and banana flower salad with pork and shrimp. The chef demonstrates each one, then you prepare them yourself.

Do I actually fish, or is it just watching?

You fish yourself. Your guide teaches you how to cast nets and catch crab using local techniques on the river in Cam Thanh village. The fish and crab you catch are included in your lunch.

What time does the tour start and how long does it run?

Two departures run daily: 8:45 am and 2:00 pm. The full experience takes about four and a half hours from pickup to drop-off at your hotel.

Is hotel pickup included, and does it work if I'm staying outside Hoi An?

Hotel pickup and drop-off in Hoi An are included. If you're staying in Da Nang, pickup is still available but costs an extra 15 USD per person because of the distance.

Can children join this tour?

Yes, children are welcome from age 1. The fishing and cooking are hands-on, so older children can participate fully in both parts.

What's included in the price?

The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a professional English-speaking guide, the fishing tour with boat and bamboo basket boat, the two-hour cooking class with a chef, and the lunch you cook yourself.