With Guide
Our Tip
Hoi An Ancient Town Experience
Discover the enchanting UNESCO World Heritage town with lantern making and culinary delights.
4 days
View
$649
Make one. Float one. The river does the rest.
Trip duration: 5 hours
Hoi An Silk Lantern Workshop and Dusk River Boat
Trip duration: 5 hours
Hoi An's lanterns are everywhere — hanging above every alley, glowing orange from every shopfront. Most visitors photograph them. This evening, you make one.
The workshop is in a family home in the old town where the same artisan household has been crafting silk lanterns for three generations. Over about two and a half hours you'll bend and bind a bamboo frame, stretch hand-dyed silk across it, and assemble a finished lantern of your own — yours to take home, packaged flat for travel. The artisan narrates every step; the work is unhurried.
When the workshop finishes, the group moves to the riverbank. A wooden boat on the Thu Bon River carries you along the waterfront as the old town glows behind the lantern reflections. The boat captain releases a paper lantern onto the current — a ritual that feels right at the end of an evening like this. Back at the dock within the hour, in time for dinner in the old town.
Guided tour central-vietnam hoi-an cultural craft lantern workshop evening river-boat
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What you'll experience
🏮
Make your own silk lantern
Bend a bamboo frame by hand, stretch dyed silk over it, and finish a full-size Hoi An lantern you take home flat-packed.
👨👩👧
Three-generation artisan family
The workshop is in a family home where the same household has made lanterns for three generations — the artisan teaches every step.
🌅
Thu Bon River at dusk
A wooden boat ride along the Hoi An waterfront as the old town lights up after dark — the best angle on the lanterns you just spent the afternoon making.
🪔
Paper lantern on the current
The boat captain sets a glowing paper lantern adrift on the river as the boat returns — the traditional evening ritual on the Thu Bon.
✂️
Every technique explained
Framing, silk stretching, tying, and finishing. The artisan works alongside you and explains every step, even for complete beginners.
🎁
Lantern to take home
Your finished lantern is packaged flat for travel. Full-size, hand-made, and specific to the Hoi An style you see all over the old town.
What to expect
- 15:30
Arrive at the artisan family workshop in the old town
Your guide meets you at the workshop entrance in the old town. Brief introduction to the family and the history of Hoi An lantern-making before you begin.
- 15:45
Bamboo framing: bend and bind your lantern skeleton
The first stage is the frame. You select your lantern shape, then bend and tie a bamboo skeleton by hand under the artisan's guidance. Takes about 45 minutes.
- 16:30
Silk stretching, dyeing, and finishing
With the frame complete, you choose coloured or patterned silk, cut it to fit, and stretch it tight over the bamboo. The artisan shows you how to seal the edges and add the hanging fitting.
- 17:30
Short break: tea and snacks at the family home
A pause before the boat with Vietnamese tea and a small snack at the family's home. Your lantern is set aside to dry and packaged for the journey home.
- 18:00
Evening boat on the Thu Bon River
Walk to the riverbank and board a wooden boat for an hour on the Thu Bon. The old town glows from the water as the evening settles in. The captain releases a paper lantern onto the current before returning to the dock.
- 19:00
Return to the dock: lanterns collected, evening free
The boat returns to the landing near the old town. Your lantern is handed back packaged. The old town restaurants and night market are a short walk away.
What's included
All essential services for a comfortable and memorable trip.
- Silk lantern workshop with artisan guide (all materials provided)
- One finished full-size silk lantern to take home (packaged flat)
- Vietnamese tea and snacks at the workshop
- Evening wooden boat ride on the Thu Bon River (approx. 1 hour)
- Paper lantern releasing ceremony on the river
- English-speaking guide throughout
- All workshop and boat fees
Not included
Items and services that are not part of the package price.
- Hotel pick-up and drop-off (meeting point in the old town)
- Additional food and drinks
- Tips and personal expenses
Meeting point: your guide meets you at the workshop in Hoi An old town — exact address confirmed with your booking. The workshop starts at 15:30 and finishes on the boat by 19:00. The lantern you make is packaged flat and fits in most carry-on luggage. The experience runs in all weather — the boat has a canopy.
1/6
“<p>Most guests come to Hoi An for the old town. Few realise the lanterns hanging above those alleys are still made by hand in family workshops a five-minute walk away. Making one yourself changes how you look at the rest of them. The boat ride after is a quiet end to the day — the old town looks completely different from the water at dusk.</p>”
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Why travel with Banh Mi Escape Travel
Trips with English-speaking guide
Our experienced guides speak fluent English and know Vietnam inside out. They share local insights and ensure you have an authentic experience.
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Choose between small group tours with like-minded travelers or customize a private journey just for you and your companions.
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With nearly a decade of experience in Vietnam, we've built trusted relationships and deep local knowledge.
We've tried everything ourselves
Every hotel, restaurant, and activity we recommend has been personally tested by our team. We only offer what we love.
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Weather
Best months to visit this destination
Best
Good
Off-peak
Weather in Hoi An in July
Vietnam can be visited year-round. The north is cooler in winter (January, February), sometimes with snow in the mountains. Autumn (September, October) in central Vietnam can be rainy. The south is warm year-round, with minimal rainfall from March to the end of September except for some islands. Best time to visit: February-June and September-December.
Air temperature
30 °C
Water temperature
27 °C
Frequently asked questions about this trip
None at all. The artisan guides you through every step from the first bamboo bend to the finished silk panel. Most guests complete a full-size lantern in around two hours.
A full-size traditional Hoi An lantern — the hexagonal or oval shapes you see hanging throughout the old town. When packed flat it fits in a standard suitcase or large carry-on bag.
Yes. At the start of the workshop you choose your lantern shape and the colour of the silk — the family keeps a range of hand-dyed fabrics in traditional Hoi An patterns.
A wooden boat on the Thu Bon River for about one hour, starting at dusk. The boat follows the Hoi An waterfront as the old town lights come on. The captain releases a paper lantern onto the current before returning. The boat has a canopy and runs in all weather.
Yes. The boat is steady and unhurried, and the lantern-releasing ceremony is a favourite with younger guests. Children under 5 are free. Let us know ages at booking.
The workshop is in Hoi An old town — your booking confirmation includes the exact address. It is easily reached on foot from most hotels in the old town or by a short taxi or bicycle ride from the new town.
Different experience. The standalone lantern class is a two-hour workshop only. This experience adds the evening Thu Bon boat ride, runs for five hours total, and starts in the mid-afternoon so the boat section lands at the best light.
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From
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