Hoi An rural villages tour: make rice paper & incense sticks

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

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Duration4h–5h

GroupPrivate

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Roll rice paper and incense with the families who've made them for generations

A private tour from Hoi An that takes you to three rural villages and islands around the city, where you make rice papers and local snacks on Cam Kim Island, roll incense sticks in Kim Bong village, and weave river-reed mats with a local couple. The tour runs 4 hours without a meal or 5 hours with Vietnamese lunch or dinner included; your English-speaking guide and driver pick you up from your Hoi An hotel, and you choose between a US military jeep, USSR army jeep, or modern car.

4h–5h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore rural villages and local crafts

Hotel pickup or meet at office
Cross Thu Bon River to Cam Kim Island
Make rice papers and local snacks
Visit Kim Bong village for incense making
Weave colorful mats with local family
Stop at coffee house for refreshments
Drive over bridges to view fish and shrimp farms
Basket boat ride in Cam Thanh water coconut forest
Visit Tra Que vegetable village
Enjoy Vietnamese lunch or dinner

The Experience

What sets this apart from a standard sightseeing tour is that you're not watching—you're making. On Cam Kim Island, you meet a 65-year-old couple who've spent their lives perfecting rice-paper craft. You grind rice by hand, turn the milk into paper, and shape local snacks. Then you eat what you just made. In Kim Bong village, an incense-making family hands you their traditional tools and walks you through rolling sticks while the smell of herbs and spices fills the room. They tell you why incense matters to the village and to their daily lives. A third family, in a quiet village, teaches you to weave colorful mats from river reeds the way locals do—the same kind they sleep on.

Between the hands-on stops, the day opens up. You cross the scenic Thu Bon River to reach Cam Kim Island. A coffee break at a local shop gives you a chance to rest and learn how Vietnamese coffee is made. You drive over high bridges with views of fish farms, shrimp farms, and rice paddies dotted with buffalo. At Cam Thanh fishing village, you board a round basket boat—a traditional woven craft—and a local fisherman takes you on a quiet ride under the water coconut forest canopy. You can cast a fishing rod to catch river crabs for fun. Then Tra Que Vegetable Village, where you walk among herb gardens and see how villagers grow vegetables using traditional methods.

The tour lasts 4 hours if you skip the meal, or 5 hours with a Vietnamese lunch or dinner at a riverside restaurant. You choose your vehicle at checkout—US military jeep, USSR army jeep, or modern car—and pickup happens from any hotel in or around Hoi An. Your guide speaks English and knows the families and villages personally. Water, coffee, and entrance fees are included; if you're staying outside Hoi An (Da Nang, Hoiana Resort, or VinPearl Resort), you can arrange a private transfer for an additional fee.

What’s included

Your English-speaking guide and driver pick you up from your Hoi An hotel and drop you back there.
bottled water and a coffee stop with refreshments.
all entrance fees, donations at local homes, and taxes.
a choice of vehicle—US military jeep, USSR army jeep, or modern car.
Vietnamese lunch or dinner at a riverside restaurant (in the 5-hour option only).
specialized infant seats available upon request.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Local Buddy Tours - Danang City

Is this one for you?Book the 4-hour option if you want the hands-on crafts and village walks without a meal stop, or the 5-hour version if you'd rather sit down to Vietnamese lunch or dinner at a riverside restaurant and have more time to linger in the villages. Choose the jeep if you want an open-air ride through the rural landscape, or the modern car if you prefer air conditioning and easier entry with luggage or young children.