Hoi An: Lantern Making, Basket Boat & Crab Fishing

You'll Make a Lantern, Then Fish From a Basket Boat in a Coconut Forest

You make a silk-and-bamboo lantern by hand, then travel to a coconut village where you learn to paddle a traditional basket boat and catch crabs in the forest canals with local fishermen. Lunch at a family home is included, along with hotel pickup and a guide who speaks English. The half-day format (morning or afternoon) means you can fit it around the rest of your Hoi An itinerary.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lantern making and basket boat tour

• Hotel pickup by local guide
• Attend Hoi An lantern making class
• Make and take home lantern
• Dress in traditional Ao Dai costume
• Ride bamboo basket boat in Bay Mau forest
• Learn to paddle basket boat
• Watch basket boat spinning performance
• Cast net and catch crabs
• Lunch at local home Long’s

The experience

"How do you even steer that thing?" The basket boat looks impossible. Just woven bamboo, round as a bowl, sitting in the water. But that's exactly the point. After you've spent the morning folding silk and bamboo into your own Hoi An lantern at the lantern maker's workshop, you get picked up from your hotel and driven out to Cam Thanh coconut village, where the fishermen will show you. They dress you in an Ao Dai, the traditional Vietnamese tunic, and hand you a paddle. The boat spins easier than you'd think.

The tour runs either 8:30am to 1pm or 2pm to 6:30pm, pick whichever fits your schedule, and it's structured so you're not rushing between stops. The lantern class comes first, where a local craftsperson walks you through each fold and frame, step by step, until you have something you can actually carry home in your luggage. Then you head straight to the water. The Bay Mau Nipa forest is quiet, the canals narrow, and you'll paddle past the spinning basket boat performances the fishermen do for visitors, then learn to cast a net and pull up crabs yourself. It's not theater. These are working fishermen showing you how they actually fish, and the water is real.

Lunch happens at a local home run by Mrs. Tram and her neighbors, who cook what they catch. You get a bottle of water, a life jacket, an umbrella in case of rain, and an English-speaking guide the whole time. The pickup and drop-off at your accommodation are included, so you don't have to figure out transport or timing. By the end of the afternoon tour, you're back at your hotel with a handmade lantern, damp clothes, and the muscle memory of how to paddle a basket boat.

What’s included

Your day includes hotel pickup and drop-off, a guided lantern-making class where you create a souvenir to take home, a basket boat ride through the Bay Mau Nipa coconut forest, instruction in traditional paddle techniques, crab fishing in the canals, lunch at a local family home, a life jacket, umbrella, raincoat, a bottle of water, and an English-speaking guide throughout.

Before you book

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

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (9 to 80 years) · Child (4 to 8 years) · Under 4: can't be booked

GroupUp to 9

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight 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 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Hoi An Family Eco Cooking Tour

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to learn two distinct crafts (lantern-making and basket-boat fishing) in a single half-day without arranging transport or timing yourself. The fixed morning or afternoon slot and included pickup mean you can plan the rest of your Hoi An day around it.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 8 years). Children under 4 can't be included in the booking.

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 time does the tour start?

Morning departures run 8:30am to 1pm, and afternoon tours run 2pm to 6:30pm. You choose which slot works for your schedule.

Do I get to keep the lantern I make?

Yes. The lantern folds flat and fits in luggage, so you can take it home as a souvenir.

Is the basket boat ride safe?

A life jacket is provided. The boats are used daily by local fishermen and the guide will teach you how to paddle and balance.

What's included in the price?

Hotel pickup and drop-off, lantern-making instruction, basket boat ride, crab fishing, lunch at a local home, water, life jacket, umbrella, and an English-speaking guide.

Will I get wet?

You'll be on the water, so splashing is likely. A raincoat is provided if needed, and you'll have time to rest at the fisherman's house before heading back.

How far is Cam Thanh coconut village from Hoi An?

The village is in the countryside outside Hoi An. Transport by car is included in the tour.

What if I have mobility concerns?

The tour is wheelchair accessible, and transportation is adapted for mobility needs. The lantern-making class and boat ride can accommodate most fitness levels, though it's not recommended for people with poor cardiovascular health.