Hoi An Full Day Tour: Fishing, Cooking & Ancient Town

Catch crabs in basket boats, cook what locals eat, then walk the lantern-lit streets of a 16th-century trading port.

This full-day tour in Hoi An puts you in the daily rhythms of rural and urban local life: you fish for crabs and fish using simple tools in Bay Mau coconut forest, join a cooking competition in a fisherman's home learning to make Banh Khoai and spring rolls, eat lunch from what you cooked, then explore Hoi An ancient town's Japanese bridge and Chinese clubhouses before making lanterns and catching a local theater performance. Private car and English-speaking guide included. Children from age 1 welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Hoi An countryside and ancient town tour

• Pick up at hotels
• Go to Bay Mau water coconut forest
• Take basket boats to fish crabs
• Learn to use simple fishing tools
• Visit local family for cooking class
• Cook local specialties and compete
• Have lunch with cooked food
• Enjoy foot massage with local herbs
• Visit Hoi An ancient town highlights
• Watch performance at Hoi An theater
• Make lanterns and visit market

The experience

The day starts with a pickup at your hotel and a drive to Bay Mau water coconut forest, where you board a basket boat with local fishermen. You learn to handle the simple fishing tools they use (bamboo traps, hand lines), and try your luck catching crabs and fish in the shallow water. It is not staged. The fishermen are working, and whether you catch anything depends on the tide and the day.

From the water you move to a local family's kitchen for a cooking class that doubles as a friendly competition. You prepare Banh Khoai (Vietnamese rice pancakes) and Nem ran (fried spring rolls) alongside other travelers, and the family's cook judges who deserves the title "Local Master Chef" and awards a prize. Lunch is what you just cooked, eaten at the family table with fresh coconut water drawn from the trees outside. After the meal, a local-style foot massage using herbal medicines rounds out the afternoon at the house.

The second half moves into Hoi An ancient town, the largest international trading port of Vietnam from the 16th century onward. Your guide takes you through the Japanese covered bridge, the Tân Ký ancient house, and the Phuc Kien clubhouse: all still standing with their original wooden architecture and lantern decorations. At the Hoi An theater, you watch a live performance: plays, dramas, Champa dance, or a round of bingo. The tour closes with a stop at a lantern maker's workshop where you craft your own, then a walk through Hoi An market before heading back to your hotel.

What’s included

• Private car pickup from your hotel.
• basket boat rides in the coconut forest.
• a hands-on cooking class where you prepare Banh Khoai and spring rolls, compete for the "Local Master Chef" title, and eat lunch from what you cooked.
• a traditional foot massage with local herbal medicines at the fisherman's family home.
• entry to Hoi An ancient town, the Japanese covered bridge, Tân Ký ancient house, and Phuc Kien clubhouse.
• a live performance at Hoi An theater.
• lantern-making materials and instruction.
• two bottles of water per person.
• and an English-speaking guide for the full day.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:00, 08:30 and 09:00

AgesAdult (9 to 85 years) · Child (1 to 8 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

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 13 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Private Tours By Local Guides

Is this one for you?This tour suits small groups and families who want to move beyond sightseeing into the actual work and meals of rural and urban Hoi An life. The private car and fixed itinerary mean the day holds together without anyone building it, and the cooking class and fishing are hands-on rather than watched from a distance. You are doing the work, not observing it.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (1 to 8 years).

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 is Bay Mau coconut forest and what do you actually do there?

Bay Mau is a 7-hectare water forest near Hoi An where you board a basket boat with local fishermen and learn to use their simple bamboo traps and hand lines to catch crabs and fish. Whether you catch anything depends on the conditions that day, but the fishermen are working their usual grounds, not performing for tourists.

How does the cooking class work and what do you make?

You cook in a local fisherman's family kitchen, preparing Banh Khoai (Vietnamese rice pancakes) and Nem ran (fried spring rolls) alongside other travelers. The family's cook judges the results and awards a prize for the best dish, then you eat lunch together at their table with what you cooked and fresh coconut water.

What happens at Hoi An ancient town and how much time do you spend there?

Hoi An ancient town is the 16th-century trading port that still stands with its original wooden architecture, lanterns, and clubhouses built by Chinese and Japanese merchants. Your guide shows you the Japanese covered bridge, Tân Ký ancient house, and Phuc Kien clubhouse, then you watch a live performance at the local theater and make a lantern before visiting the market.

What is included in the price?

The tour includes private car pickup from your hotel, basket boat rides, the cooking class and lunch you prepare, a foot massage at the local family's house, lantern-making materials, entry to Hoi An ancient town sites, the theater performance, two bottles of water per person, and an English-speaking guide. All fees and taxes are covered.