Hoi An food tour with lantern making and tailoring: 4 hours

Make a silk lantern by hand in the streets where they glow at night

A four-hour guided tour of Hoi An Ancient Town combines walking through heritage sites, making a traditional lantern with bamboo and silk, tasting local dishes like Cao Lau and Banh Mi, and visiting tailor shops. The guide speaks English, pickup and drop-off are included, and entrance tickets are covered.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Hoi An's culture and crafts

• Tour Japanese Covered Bridge
• Visit Tan Ky Ancient House
• See Phuc Kien Assembly Hall
• Participate in lantern making workshop
• Enjoy local food tour
• Visit tailor shops for custom clothing

The experience

The tour starts with a guide leading you through Hoi An's old streets to three landmark sites: the Japanese Covered Bridge, a small temple built into its structure; the Tan Ky Ancient House, showing 18th-century merchant life; and the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, with ornate wood carvings and ceramic work. These stops set the context for what comes next: the town's layered history of Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese influence shapes everything you taste and make here.

The lantern workshop is the hands-on core of the tour. You work with bamboo frames and colored silk or paper to build one of the lanterns that light Hoi An's streets at night. It's not a demonstration. You're holding the materials and doing the assembly, learning the craft that makes these lanterns recognizable across Vietnam. After you finish, the guide takes you to local food stops where you taste Cao Lau (chewy noodles with pork, herbs, and crunchy croutons in savory broth), and Banh Mi sandwiches with crusty baguettes, meats, fresh herbs, and pâté. These are dishes unique to or shaped by Hoi An's history.

The tour ends at tailor shops throughout the ancient town, where you can see how bespoke garments are made and choose fabrics and styles if you want custom work. The whole day is four hours, with pickup and drop-off at your meeting point, water provided, and an English-speaking guide who explains the history and craft as you move through the town.

What’s included

• Pickup and drop-off at the meeting point.
• entrance tickets to heritage sites.
• a bottle of water.
• lantern-making workshop with materials.
• local food tastings including Cao Lau and Banh Mi.
• visits to tailor shops.
• English-speaking guide throughout.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day8 departure times: the first at 08:00, the last at 15:30

Book up to1d before

AgesAdult (12 to 70 years) · Child (6 to 11 years) · Infant (1 to 5 years): free

GroupUp to 15

Live guideEnglish

Audio guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by TC Hoi An Travel

Is this one for you?You're doing the lantern work yourself rather than watching it, so this suits anyone who wants to leave with something they made, not just something they saw. The four-hour length fits a morning or afternoon slot without eating a full day, and the food and tailoring stops let you explore the town's crafts beyond the workshop.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (6 to 11 years); Infant (1 to 5 years): free.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What exactly do I make in the lantern workshop?

You build a traditional Hoi An lantern using a bamboo frame and colored silk or paper, learning the hands-on process that goes into the lanterns that light the town's streets at night.

Which local dishes do I get to taste on this tour?

The food stops include Cao Lau, a regional specialty with chewy noodles, pork, herbs, and crunchy croutons in broth, and Banh Mi sandwiches with crusty baguettes, meats, fresh herbs, and pâté.

What are the three heritage sites we visit?

The Japanese Covered Bridge with its small temple inside; the Tan Ky Ancient House, preserving 18th-century merchant life; and the Phuc Kien Assembly Hall, decorated with ornate wood carvings and vibrant ceramics.

Is pickup from my hotel included?

Yes, pickup and drop-off at your meeting point are included, along with a bottle of water and entrance tickets to the sites.

How much walking is involved?

The tour covers Hoi An's old streets and requires at least a moderate level of physical fitness to move between sites and complete the lantern-making workshop.