Lantern and Silk Making Class in Hoi An: Make Your Own

Build a lantern you'll actually carry home

A lantern and silk-making class in Hoi An where you construct a silk lantern on a bamboo frame, learn how silk is processed by hand, and visit the Old Town with its Japanese bridge and assembly halls. The instructor guides you through each step in English, and the finished lantern folds flat for luggage.

Step-by-step itinerary

Lantern making and Hoi An tour

• Learn lantern making process
• Choose silk color and design
• Make your own Hoi An lantern
• Experience silk making and embroidery
• Try local coffee
• Visit Hoi An Ancient Town
• See Japanese bridge and assembly halls
• Explore old houses and museum

The Experience

How do you actually make one of those silk lanterns you see everywhere in Hoi An? You start with a bamboo frame the instructor provides, then choose your own silk color and pattern to wrap around it. The class walks you through the whole process—shaping, stretching, securing—until you have a lantern that's yours to fold up and take home. It takes a couple of hours, and the lanterns are designed to pack small, so there's no worry about fitting it in your bag.

After the lantern is done, you move into the silk-making side of things: watching how silk is processed by hand and seeing embroidery work up close. You'll also try local coffee, which gives you a real sense of how the craft traditions in Hoi An connect to everyday life here. The class is small enough that the instructor can show you the details without rushing.

Once the class wraps, you have time to walk through Hoi An's Old Town—the Japanese bridge, the Chinese assembly halls, the old houses, and the museum. The town itself is a well-preserved trading port from the 15th to 19th centuries, so the lantern you just made fits into the actual history of the place.

What’s included

• Lantern-making tools and materials (bamboo frame, silk in your choice of colors).
• silk-making process instruction.
• hand-embroidery demonstration.
• local coffee or tea.
• access to Hoi An Old Town, Japanese bridge, Chinese assembly halls, old houses and museum.
• English-speaking instructor throughout.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availableInfants must sit on laps

Operated by TTP Henry Travel Hoi An

Is this one for you?The class runs one to two hours, which leaves the rest of your day open for exploring Hoi An beyond the Old Town or handling other plans. If you want a souvenir you actually made rather than bought, and time to see how it's done, this fits the morning or afternoon without eating up your whole day.

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Top questions

Can I really make a lantern in a couple of hours, or is this more of a demonstration?

You make the whole lantern yourself from start to finish. The instructor shows you each step, but you're the one shaping the bamboo frame, choosing the silk, and assembling it. By the end, you have a finished lantern ready to fold and carry.

What happens if I don't like the lantern I make?

You choose the silk color and pattern yourself before you start, so you're picking the design. The lantern is handmade by you, which means it's one of a kind—the imperfections are part of what makes it yours.

Is there time to see the Old Town, or is it just the class?

After the lantern and silk-making class, you have a chance to visit Hoi An's Old Town, including the Japanese bridge, Chinese assembly halls, old houses, and a museum. The timing depends on how the class runs that day, but it's built into the experience.

Do I need any experience with crafts to join this class?

No experience is needed. The class is suitable for all fitness levels, and the instructor walks you through every step. Children and infants are welcome, and the space is wheelchair accessible.

What's included in the price?

Lantern-making tools, the silk and bamboo materials, coffee or tea, and the English-speaking instructor for the full class. You take the lantern home with you.