One of the fastest ways to understand Hoi An is by making something with your own hands. This lantern-making and cooking class pairs a hands-on Hoi An lantern workshop with a step-by-step Vietnamese meal taught in English, so you leave with both a keepsake and a practical new skill. I especially like the friendly, helpful team and the chance to chat and eat together at the end. The only drawback: there’s no hotel pickup, so you’ll need to get to the meeting point on time.

You’ll start with a guided lantern session where you create a foldable silk-and-bamboo lantern that’s meant to bring good luck, happiness, and wealth. Then you move straight into cooking, following an English-speaking chef’s instructions using quality ingredients. It’s a group tour, so the pace is social—great if you like meeting people, less great if you want total quiet.

At $28 per person, it’s a solid value for Hoi An. You’re paying for an instructor-led craft, ingredients, and lunch/dinner all in one block of time, plus the souvenir you make yourself. Just remember the small logistics note: public holidays come with a 200,000 VND cash surcharge per person, and kids under 4 can join for free but won’t cook.

Key things to know before you go

• You keep your handmade lantern: one lantern per person, made in a silk-and-bamboo style.
• Cooking is chef-led and step-by-step: you’re guided through ingredients and technique, not just shown a finished dish.
• Hoi An specialties are on the menu: fried spring rolls, rice pancakes, and Cao Lau noodles.
• It’s group-friendly: you’ll share a meal with the group and get time to chat.
• Vegan/vegetarian can be arranged: request it when booking.
• Holiday cost increases: Vietnamese public holidays add 200,000 VND per person paid in cash.

Entering the lantern workshop: what you’re really signing up for

This is more than a craft class where you watch from the sidelines. You’ll actually make a foldable lantern using silk and bamboo parts, then assemble it into a shape that feels personal. The instructor guides the process, so even if you’re not “crafty,” you still end up with something you’ll feel proud to carry home.

I like that the lantern is treated as a meaningful symbol, not just decor. They explain the good-luck side—happiness and wealth—which gives the work more weight than a quick souvenir stop. And because you make it yourself, it won’t feel like something you bought off a rack.

Meeting point reality: timing, transport, and group energy

The tour is a group experience, and it starts with pick-up at the meeting point—not hotel pickup and not hotel drop-off. That means you’ll want to plan your day so you’re not rushing through Hoi An. Build in a little buffer to get there, especially if you’re walking from the main tourist streets.

Once you’re in, the flow is straightforward: welcome drink, lantern-making class, then cooking class and a meal. The group element matters here. You’re likely to be placed with other participants, and you’ll get a chance to chat while you eat what you cooked. If you enjoy conversations and don’t mind sharing a table, this part can be the highlight.

One practical note: the schedule and menu can shift a little. That’s normal for group classes in Vietnam, and it usually doesn’t affect the quality—you’ll still be cooking Hoi An dishes with guided instruction.

Silk-and-bamboo lantern making: the skill you can take home

Lantern-making is often marketed as a “photo moment.” This one is built around making. You’ll learn how to work with silk and bamboo to create your own lantern, including the foldable aspect. The instructor walks you through the steps, so you aren’t stuck guessing what comes next.

What you’ll be doing (in plain terms) is assembling and finishing the lantern so it looks right and holds up as a souvenir. The class covers lantern-making crafts with silk and bamboo, and you’ll be creating lanterns in different shapes. That’s useful because it means your final lantern won’t feel identical to everyone else’s—there’s room for small variation even within a guided process.

The best part is how quickly it becomes satisfying. At first it’s all small steps. Then, once the structure starts to come together, you can see the result. By the time you’re done, you’re holding a handmade object that carries the story of how it was made.

Cooking class with a local chef: how you actually learn Vietnamese food

After the lantern session, you switch gears to the cooking kitchen—again with an English-speaking instructor/chef guiding the process. This part is designed to be practical. You’re not just sampling dishes; you’re learning how to prepare them through step-by-step directions.

You’ll work with quality ingredients, follow along at the group pace, and cook traditional popular dishes. That matters because Vietnamese cooking is very technique-based—timing, heat, and how ingredients are combined. A guided class helps you avoid the most common mistake visitors make: trying to replicate a dish later using wrong ratios or skipping a key step.

Once everyone is finished, you eat together and sample each other’s cooking. That social setup is more than entertainment. It’s also a built-in feedback loop—if someone nails a texture or gets the seasoning spot on, you notice what they did and can compare it to your own plate.

The Hoi An dishes you’ll make and why they matter

The menu is built around Hoi An favorites, so you’re not leaving with generic Vietnamese recipes. The cooking includes fried spring rolls, rice pancakes, and Cao Lau noodles, which are known as a specialty from Hoi An. Even if you’ve eaten Vietnamese food before, Cao Lau is the kind of dish that feels tied to the region, not just the country.

Here’s what that combination gives you as a home-cook:

• Fried spring rolls help you learn crunch and filling balance, plus the rhythm of frying.
• Rice pancakes teach you how batter or rice-based components behave under heat.
• Cao Lau noodles give you something distinctively Hoi An, so you’re not just repeating what you can already find in any pho-and-banh-mi spot.

And because the class is taught with step-by-step instructions and ingredient support, you’ll have a clearer idea of what’s essential versus what’s optional. That’s what makes the recipes easier to recreate later, instead of staying stuck as a memory.

The meal: lunch/dinner, welcome drink, and the family-table feel

You’ll get a welcome drink when the class begins, then you’ll eat the food you prepared. The tour includes lunch/dinner, so you’re not paying extra for meals afterward.

I like that the experience ends with a shared meal style. You’re seated with the group, you sample what you made, and you get to taste what others made. That turns the class into more of a communal moment—like you’re joining the process, not just taking part in a “workshop.”

It also gives you a chance to ask questions in real time. If you want to know how to adjust a flavor next time, or what ingredient is doing the most work in a dish, the people around you (and the instructor) are the right place to ask.

Price check: what $28 buys you in Hoi An

Let’s be honest: Hoi An has plenty of lantern activities. What makes this one feel worth the money is that it bundles three things into one price: you keep a handmade lantern, you cook a full meal with ingredients included, and you get an English-speaking instructor/chef.

At $28 per person, that’s not just a souvenir fee. You’re paying for instruction, materials, and a meal. If you were to price those separately, it would usually add up faster—especially the chef-led cooking portion.

There are two cost considerations to keep in mind:

• Vietnamese public holidays add a 200,000 VND per person surcharge, paid in cash at booking.
• Hotel pickup/drop-off isn’t included, so plan your own timing and transportation to the meeting point.

If you’re already in Hoi An and you like hands-on activities, this pricing feels aligned with what you actually get.

Vegan and kids: how this fits families and special diets

You can request a vegan/vegetarian option when booking. That’s important because not every cooking class can accommodate dietary needs without turning the menu into an awkward side dish.

For younger kids, children under 4 can attend free of charge, but they won’t participate in the cooking. So if you’re traveling with a toddler or small child, you’ll want to expect that they’ll be watching more than cooking.

If you’re bringing kids who are old enough to participate, the group format can work well because the class is guided and structured. Still, the most important point is that the “hands-on” part is for those who will actually join the cooking steps.

Who should book this lantern-and-cooking combo

This is a great choice if you want:

• A hands-on souvenir that you made yourself (not a disposable craft).
• A cooking class that teaches you how to recreate dishes later, not just how to eat them.
• A social experience where you can meet new people while you share a meal.

It’s especially ideal for first-timers in Hoi An who want one activity that covers both culture and food. If you already know Vietnamese cooking basics and you want a super advanced course, you might find the group pace more basic than expected—but for most visitors, the structure is exactly what makes it approachable.

Should you book it? My practical recommendation

Book it if you want a one-stop experience with real output: a foldable silk lantern in your hands and a full Hoi An meal you made yourself. The $28 price feels fair because you’re getting instruction, ingredients, a welcome drink, and lunch/dinner—not just a quick photo opportunity.

I’d skip it only if you strongly dislike group tours or you can’t reliably get to the meeting point on time. Also, if you’re traveling on a Vietnamese public holiday, do the math with the 200,000 VND cash surcharge so there are no surprises.

If you’re game for a fun craft plus a chef-guided meal, this class is one of the more practical ways to spend your time in Hoi An.

FAQ

What is the price for this tour?

The price is listed at $28 per person.

Is hotel pickup or drop-off included?

No. Hotel pick up and hotel drop-off are not included. You’ll be picked up at the meeting point.

What do I get to make and keep?

You make one foldable lantern per person and keep your handmade lantern as a souvenir.

What dishes are included in the cooking class?

The cooking class includes fried spring rolls, rice pancakes, and Cao Lau noodles (a Hoi An specialty).

Is there a vegan or vegetarian option?

Yes. Vegan/vegetarian is available as requested upon booking.

Is there an extra cost on Vietnamese public holidays?

Yes. Booking on a Vietnamese public holiday has an extra charge of 200,000 VND per person, paid by cash.

Can children participate?

Children under 4 can attend free of charge, but they will not participate in the cooking.