Hoi An: Farming & Fishing Tour with Basket Boat & Lunch

Cycle rice fields, meet farmers, paddle basket boats, taste home cooking

You’ll cycle through Hoi An’s villages with a local guide, try your hand at farming in Tra Que Vegetable Village, ride a water buffalo in open fields, cruise coconut waterways in a bamboo basket boat, and share a real home-cooked lunch with locals. Expect muddy hands and genuine smiles—the kind you remember long after you’ve left.

What’s included

Your day includes free hotel pickup in Hoi An city (within 8 km of Old Town), bicycles and helmets or optional scooter transfer if needed, all activities like farming in Tra Que Vegetable Village, riding a water buffalo, paddling a bamboo basket boat through coconut palms with your English-speaking local guide, plenty of cold bottled water along the way, plus a traditional Vietnamese lunch or dinner with rice pancakes and spring rolls before heading back.

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Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Hoi An countryside farming and fishing

• Transfer to bike station or start at hotel
• Cycle through country roads to farming village
• Join local farmers: hoe soil and water vegetables
• Ride water buffalo in rice fields
• Board bamboo basket boat and cruise waterways
• Learn to paddle basket boat
• Explore coconut-palm waterways and hear war stories
• Enjoy local meal with drink
• Cycle back to hotel and end trip

The Experience

We’d barely started pedaling when our guide, Minh, called out to an old woman selling herbs by the roadside. She handed me a handful of something sharp and green—rau ram, I think—and laughed as I tried to say thank you in Vietnamese (I probably got it wrong). The smell clung to my fingers all morning. Cycling through the lanes near Tra Que Vegetable Village, we passed kids waving from doorways and ducks waddling right across the path. It was humid but somehow not heavy—maybe the breeze off the paddies helped.

At one point Minh stopped us by a patch of earth where two farmers were watering rows of vegetables with those big tin cans on bamboo poles. He showed us how to hoe the soil and sprinkle water without crushing the seedlings. My hands got muddy fast—so much for keeping clean. There was this quiet rhythm to it that felt different from anything back home; even the air smelled like fresh mint and wet earth. Then out of nowhere he grinned and asked if anyone wanted to ride a water buffalo. I didn’t expect to actually climb on one (they’re bigger than they look), but there I was, clutching its back while everyone else took photos.

The river part came after—a quick hop onto these round bamboo basket boats that wobble more than you’d think. The boatman showed me how to paddle in circles (I was useless at it) while telling stories about how these coconut palm waterways were used during the war. There was a moment when everything went quiet except for the sound of water against the hull and some distant rooster crowing. We ended up at a local house for lunch—crispy banh xeo pancakes, spring rolls, cold beer—and honestly, I still think about that meal sometimes.

Top questions

Is hotel pickup included for this Hoi An farming & fishing tour?

Yes, free hotel pickup is included within 8 km (5 miles) of Hoi An Old Town.

Do I need to know how to ride a bicycle?

No—you can request a scooter “xe ôm” service for an extra fee if you don’t cycle.

What food is served during the tour?

You’ll have rice pancakes (banh xeo) and spring rolls for lunch or dinner at a local house.

How long does the day trip last?

The tour typically lasts half a day including cycling, farming activities, basket boat ride, and meal.

Is this tour suitable for pregnant travelers?

No—it’s not recommended for pregnant travelers or those with spinal or heart issues.

Are drinks provided on this tour?

Yes—cold bottled water is included along with beer or soft drinks at lunch/dinner.

Can children join this Hoi An farming & fishing life tour?

The tour is suitable for all fitness levels but not recommended for certain health conditions; check before booking.