Beyond Lanterns: The Complete Guide to Hoi An's Creative Workshops and Cultural Experiences
- maya dalal
- Dec 30, 2025
- 10 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
"But that's impossible," I thought to myself as I looked at the cup I wanted to create.
I was standing in the bamboo workshop, covered in "bamboo dust" (as they call it), after two hours of sanding, cutting, and physical work. With hands full of small scratches, I explained to the instructor that I wanted something unusual: a coffee cup with a detachable handle.
"I want flexibility," I explained. "Sometimes to drink hot coffee with a handle, sometimes cold coffee without."
He looked at the images I showed him from Google. I could see the wheels turning in his mind.
"I'm thinking about how to make this work," he said in such a curious tone.
Half an hour later he returned with a handle that attaches and detaches smoothly. Not exactly what I suggested, but something that works much better with bamboo. A genius solution.
"In the two years I've been working here, and the ten years this place has existed, no one has ever requested a detachable handle," he said. "You're the first."
Now he's making more cups like this for display. He fell in love with the idea.
And this is exactly what happens in Hoi An workshops.
Not just a "tourist activity." Not "ticking a box." This is genuine collaboration with local artisans, creating something that didn't exist before, and an opportunity to learn something about yourself you didn't know.
So if you've caught a rainy day (and it happens), or you just feel like engaging your hands and heart, I've compiled the best workshops Hoi An has to offer.
But first - let's understand why there are so many workshops here.
Why Hoi An? (The Story Behind the Workshops)
"Why are there so many workshops here?" I asked the instructor at the coffee workshop.
"Because we were very rich," he answered with a smile. "And then we became very poor. So all we had left were our hands."
Here's the story in brief:
15th-18th Centuries: Hoi An was one of the most important trading ports in Southeast Asia. Ships from China, Japan, India, and Europe arrived here. The city buzzed with life. Artisans from all over Vietnam migrated here - those who knew how to work with ceramics, silk, wood, bamboo.
Late 19th Century: The Thu Bon River filled with silt. Large ships could no longer reach the port. Trade migrated to Da Nang. Hoi An was left without a source of income.
200 Years of Quiet: The city barely changed. Artisans continued working, but the world forgot about them.
1990s: Polish architect Kazimierz Kwiatkowski began restoring the city. In 1999, Hoi An was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Tourists arrived.
And here came the turning point: Instead of turning it into a "museum," local residents understood that their crafts - those 500 years old - could become an experience. Not just selling a lantern, but teaching how to make one. Not just serving egg coffee, but showing the artistry behind it.
So when you enter a workshop here, you're not "doing an activity."
You're entering a 500-year-old story.
You're meeting descendants of artisans who supplied goods to trading ships from around the world.
You're learning a technique passed down through generations and once considered endangered.
Now let's get to the workshops themselves.
🏮 The Classics: Hoi An's Icons
1. Silk Lantern Making
You can't visit Hoi An without falling in love with the colorful lights illuminating the Ancient Town. But did you know you can make one yourself?
What happens in the workshop:
You choose the frame shape (bamboo), silk fabric, and colors. The instructor teaches you to stretch and glue everything precisely. Your fingers run over the bamboo frames - smooth from delicate handwork, light and slightly rough. The fabric: real silk that slides between your fingers like water.
What you'll get:
A foldable souvenir that easily fits in your suitcase and brings Vietnam's light to your living room.
2. Basket Boats, Buffalo Riding & Village Cooking
If you want one day that combines all the "fun" of Vietnamese village life - this is it.
What's included:
🛶 Cruising in "basket boats" through the coconut forest - a hilariously fun experience. I paid a small extra and did the "spinning show": one moment you're watching the peaceful scenery, the next you're spinning in circles like an amusement park ride. Recommended before eating 🥴
🐃 Buffalo riding in water - yes, it's real and incredibly photogenic.
🍳 Village cooking class - you'll learn to make the famous Banh Xeo. The life-changing technique: don't soak rice paper in water! Just the edges, in circles, then gently wet with your palm.
This is a perfect day for families and anyone wanting to escape the city and laugh a lot.
👐 Handcrafts: Create Your Own Lasting Souvenir
3. Leather Workshop - My Favorite!
Hoi An is Vietnam's leather capital. Instead of buying a ready-made bag, enter a studio and learn to design, cut, and sew real leather with your own hands.
The smell of fresh leather fills the room - rich, warm, almost sweet. Professional tools are heavy in hand, and the knife is so sharp it cuts through leather like butter.
At the end, when you're holding the wallet or bag you made, your fingers run over the stitches you sewed yourself - each stitch tells a story of patience.
This is a perfect gift to yourself that will last a lifetime.
4. Bamboo Workshop (Taboo Bamboo)
Bamboo is Vietnam's "steel." In this special workshop in the rural area, you'll learn how to transform this tough plant into functional art for your home.
My story:
I requested a coffee cup with a detachable handle. The instructor could have said "impossible." Instead, he thought, created, and returned with a genius solution. Today this cup reminds me every morning not to compromise on what I really need.
This is a workshop very suitable for families, in an open and relaxed atmosphere, far from the city's noise.
5. Traditional Hand Embroidery Workshop
Vietnamese precision is something you have to see to believe. In this intimate workshop, you'll learn the delicate techniques of local embroidery.
It's a kind of meditation with thread and needle. The repetitive movements, required concentration, and beauty created slowly - all of this disconnects you from the speed of modern life.
You can decorate a canvas bag or your own clothing, and get a glimpse into an ancient culture still alive and kicking.
6. Wood Carving Workshop
In the famous carpenter village of Kim Bong (located a short boat ride or bike ride away), artisans have been carving masterpieces for hundreds of years.
In this workshop, you'll meet a local artisan and learn how to carve wood with your own hands. This is a deeply rooted cultural experience - you're not just learning a technique, but also hearing stories about how this craft passed from father to son, grandmother to granddaughter, through all the revolutions and wars.
☕ Tastes and Nature
7. Vietnamese Coffee Making Workshop
Addicted to coffee? Me too.
What you'll learn:
How to use the traditional Phin filter, and how to make the big hits: Egg Coffee and Coconut Coffee.
My story with egg coffee:
The first time I tried it in Hanoi - I failed. It was terrible. But in this workshop I understood the difference between egg coffee made properly and... something pretending to be egg coffee.
The technique is truly an art: separating the yolk, adding vanilla extract, rice water, honey and condensed milk, then whipping for five minutes until you get a smooth, creamy texture. The vanilla smell was amazing.
When I ate (yes, you eat it slowly with a spoon!) this coffee this time, I understood something important: sometimes it's worth giving second chances to things that didn't work the first time. Maybe the problem wasn't the idea itself, but how it was executed.
8. Full Vietnamese Cooking Experience
The complete experience: local market tour, coconut boat cruise, crab "fishing" (they appear like actors in a show that's been running for ten years), and finally the cooking itself.
The course star?
The peanut-butter-soy sauce. I didn't think a sauce could be so delicious - and its secret is crushed and lightly fried garlic. Yummy!
Garlic is the main ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine, and maybe that's why I eat Vietnamese food with such appetite.
Magical moment:
During the coconut boat cruise, I met a Canadian woman who knows how to count to 100 in Vietnamese. The elderly driver didn't speak a word of English, but when she started counting with him in Vietnamese - he was so happy. They counted together out loud to 100. It was a moment that showed me how basic communication and genuine curiosity can create bridges between cultures.
9. Cham Island Escape
If you've exhausted the city and it's too hot, take the speedboat to Cham Island. It's a biosphere reserve with white beaches and crystal-clear waters.
My story:
This day almost completely disappeared from my memory - not because it wasn't good, but because that evening I ended up in the emergency room. But the photos I have remind me of beautiful moments:
The jump into cool water - as if the water washed away all the fatigue, the hangover, the weight of the heat. I felt light, refreshed, and new.
A cow I petted on the way between temples - she circled around me and "nudged" me gently, exactly like my cats when they want to express love. A magical moment with a cow - not something I thought would happen to me in Vietnam.
Conversation with a Swedish couple about sign language interpretation - I learned that every language has its own sign language, and that an interpreter accompanies a deaf girl in a regular school.
Simply disconnect from everything for a few hours.
💭 Why Try At All?
"Why do we stop learning as adults?"
This question kept coming back to me again and again at Hoi An workshops.
Kids do it naturally: trying ballet, drawing, piano, basketball - until they discover what suits them. And also what doesn't suit them. It's part of the process.
Us? We simply stop.
Maybe it's the fear of not being good at something. Maybe it's the feeling of "precious time I don't have." Maybe it's a habit that says "after all, I already know who I am."
But what if we don't? What if the parts we haven't discovered in ourselves are exactly those that can reconnect us to joy, curiosity, or simply make us feel alive?
In the bamboo workshop I met myself anew through sanding, sawing, and a detachable handle that didn't exist until I requested it.
In the coffee workshop I discovered that sometimes it's worth giving second chances to things.
In the jewelry workshop? I learned it's not for me - and understood that's completely okay too. Even discovering something isn't for you - that's a victory. It saves time, doubts, energy.
I feel like I'm developing this part of my brain that tries new things. It affects me positively - I think new thoughts, create new connections in my brain.
FAQ - Hoi An Workshops
Why are there so many workshops in Hoi An?
Hoi An was a major international trading port in the 15th-18th centuries, with artisans from across Vietnam producing ceramics, silk, and woodwork. When the port silted up in the 19th century, the city lost its trade but preserved its crafts. When tourism arrived in the 1990s, workshops became a way to preserve ancient traditions and provide income for local artisans while creating an authentic tourism experience.
Which Hoi An workshop is best recommended for beginners?
The silk lantern-making workshop is the most classic and beginner-friendly option. The process is simple - choosing a bamboo frame, silk fabric, and colors, then learning to stretch and glue. The lantern folds up, is easy to carry, and the result is rewarding. It's also the most quintessentially "Hoi An" workshop - the city's iconic symbol. Suitable for children and adults, lasting about 2 hours.
How much do Hoi An workshops cost?
Prices vary by workshop and duration. Simple workshops like silk lanterns cost around $10-15. More complex workshops like bamboo, leather, or cooking cost $25-35. Combined experiences with basket boats, buffalo, and cooking can reach $40-50. It's recommended to book in advance online for better prices and to ensure availability.
Are Hoi An workshops suitable for families with children?
Yes! Most workshops are suitable for children aged 5 and up. Silk lantern, bamboo, and cooking workshops are designed for kids too, with patient instructors and adapted processes. The combined experience with basket boats and buffalo is especially perfect for families - lots of laughter and adventure. Leather and wood carving workshops are more suitable for teenagers and adults due to the tools involved.
What's the difference between a tourist workshop and an authentic workshop in Hoi An?
An authentic workshop is located outside the city center (like Taboo Bamboo in the village), run by second and third-generation local artisans, uses traditional materials, and teaches real techniques. You can identify it by: fewer tourists in the group, instructors sharing family stories, and unique products (not templates). Regular tourist workshops focus more on quick photos and identical products for everyone.
Final Tip From Me to You
Hoi An is a place that needs to be experienced through the hands.
Don't be afraid to try something new, even if you've never held a chisel or needle. The instructors here are among the most patient I've met in the world.
And remember - when you enter a workshop here:
You're not just "doing a tourist activity"
You're entering a 500-year-old story
You're meeting descendants of artisans who supplied goods to trading ships from around the world
You're learning a technique passed down through generations
Enjoy the creation!
Yours,
Maya🧡
🗺️ My Hoi An Map - Available Now!
After weeks of searching, testing, and documenting every place in Hoi An – the ultimate map is finally here!
This isn't just another list from Google. It's a real experience map that includes only the places that are truly worth it – where locals eat, work, and enjoy themselves.
What you'll find in the map:
✨ Perfect cafes for digital nomads (excellent WiFi + AC!)
🍜 Restaurants and street food stalls that locals love
🎨 Authentic local workshops (not the tourist traps)
🏛️ Attractions worth visiting (and which to skip)
💆 High-quality spas and massages
📍 All the little tips that save time and money
The map includes over 60 places I personally tested, with detailed notes about each one – what's special, when to go, and how much it costs.
💡 Need Help Planning Your Route?
If you feel like you want something more personal – a custom itinerary made just for you, with all recommendations that fit exactly your travel style and budget – I'm here for you!
I offer personal consultation and custom itinerary planning for people who want to travel smart, save time, and avoid expensive mistakes.
Some of the links in this post are affiliate links - if you book through them, it won't cost you more, but it helps me continue writing and sharing this journey with you. Thank you for your support! 🧡
Read More About Vietnam Here:
⭐Get to Know Vietnam: The Complete Guide
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