Hoi An Sunrise Fishing Tour: Cast Nets with Local Fishermen

Fish the way locals do, then eat what you catch

A private fishing activity in Hoi An where you join local fishermen at sunrise or sunset to cast nets, lift hand traps, and catch crabs by bamboo pole in the coconut forest. The guide is a working fisherman who speaks basic English. Meals and all equipment are included, with pickup available on most options.

The experience

You leave before dawn with a local fisherman who poles a basket boat through water where few tourists ever go. The sunrise hits the river as fish jump and dance on the surface. You watch other fishermen work their hand nets, then pick up a net yourself and throw it the way they do. The work is simple and repetitive and nothing like casting a line from a dock. You lift hand traps, roll nets from the shore, and set traditional fish traps. The boat stops under palm trees where you lean over the side with a bamboo pole to catch live crabs, which takes more hand technique than you'd expect.

The tour moves into the coconut forest, where the guide points out the ecosystem: the Coucal birds that call from the palms, sometimes a squirrel in the canopy. You're learning the forest the way someone who lives here sees it, not the way a nature documentary frames it. Then you head back to the fisherman's home, where a meal of local noodles and Vietnamese coffee waits. You eat what the morning's work brought in.

What’s included

• Private boat and guide led by a local fisherman in basic English.
• all fishing equipment including nets, traps and bamboo poles.
• entrance to the coconut forest.
• life jacket and safety gear for the basket boat.
• local noodles and Vietnamese coffee at the fisherman's home.
• pickup and drop-off on most options.

Options for this experience

5 options

Sunrise Fishing Tour: pickup not providedGuide in English · 05:30, 06:00, 06:30 and 07:00Sunrise fishing tour: you're taken out in the early morning sunrise, before tourists arrive, to watch the fish dancing and jumping and catch fish with our traps. Duration: 1 hour 10 minutes. Local foods and cafe: enjoy an early breakfast of Cao Lau noodles and coffee with our local family to recharge for your new day. No pickup or drop-off: you take a Grab to Funtastic Basket Boat Tour to join our sunrise fishing tour. Pickup is included.

Sunset Fishing Tour: pick-up not providedGuide in English · 16:00, 16:30 and 17:00Sunset fishing tour: this option takes you fishing for 60 minutes, and in the late afternoon, once the tourists have left, you can welcome the sunset on the river. Duration: 2 hours from departure to finish at our location. Local meals and cafe tasting: this option includes local meals as a light dinner, plus a tasty Vietnamese iced coffee or coconut juice with us. Away in the jungle: we take you deep into the jungle for fishing, and once the tourists have left we head back home with the birds to sleep. No pickup or drop-off: you take a Grab to our location, Funtastic Basket Boat Tour & Cooking Class (on Google), to join the experience with us. Pickup is included.

Boat tour-coffee class-lunchGuide in English · 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00Coffee-making class: our local baristas personally teach you to make the finest Vietnamese coffee using filters, by shaking. Duration: 3 hours, from pickup to drop-off at your hotel in Hoi An. Lunch with Cao Lau noodles. Pickup and drop-off by car: we collect you from and return you to your hotel by car. Pickup is included.

See 2 more options

Boat tour-lantern class-lunchGuide in English · 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00Lantern class: our local artisans personally teach you to make a foldable lantern to take home, choosing from different silk materials. Duration: 3 hours, from pickup to drop-off; the experience ends at the lantern-making class, and you can take a taxi back to your hotel at any time. Cao Lau noodles and iced coffee. Boat ride, lunch and lantern class. Car and coracle boat pickup is included.

Boat/lantern class coffee/lunchGuide in English · 09:00, 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00Lantern and coffee class: our local artisans teach you to make a lantern, and our baristas run a coffee class, after the basket boat ride. Duration: 3 hours; the trip lasts about 3.5 hours from pickup to finish. The tour ends at the lantern class, and you take a taxi to your hotel. Cao Lau noodles. Pickup is included.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day11 departure times: the first at 05:30, the last at 17:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 75 years) · Youth (11 to 17 years) · Child (5 to 10 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

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.

Paid on siteUS$ 10

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Hung Le Travel-The Local Signature

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to fish the way locals do rather than watch a demonstration. You're in the boat working nets and traps alongside someone who does this every morning. The early start means you see the river before other tourists arrive, and the meal afterward is cooked from what you caught.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (11 to 17 years); Child (5 to 10 years); Infant (1 to 4 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 fishing techniques will I actually do on this tour?

You throw nets, lift hand traps, roll nets from the dock, set traditional fish traps, and catch live crabs using bamboo poles: the same methods the local fishermen use every day. The guide shows you how and fishes alongside you.

Does the sunrise fishing tour include pickup from my hotel?

Pickup is included with the Boat/Lantern Class and Boat Tour options. The Sunrise Fishing Tour without pickup means you meet the fisherman at the dock. You choose which option suits your schedule at checkout.

What's in the coconut forest part of the tour?

The coconut forest is part of the same outing. You stop the boat under the palms to catch crabs, then ride deeper into the forest to see the ecosystem and wildlife like Coucal birds and sometimes squirrels. All entrance fees are included.

How long is the whole experience from start to finish?

The tour runs about two hours from the time you leave until you're back, including the fishing, the forest stop, and the meal at the fisherman's home.