Lantern Making in Hoi An: A Hands-On Class to Take Home
How a lantern-making class in Hoi An works, and three ways to join one: with the Cam Thanh coconut forest, by bike with Tra Que village, or on a full day with My Son.
By AmGo Travel4 min read
Lantern making in Hoi An is one of the few souvenirs you can make with your own hands and carry home. Every evening the old town glows with silk lanterns, and in the workshops around it local craftsmen still build them by hand. A lantern-making class lets you sit with them, learn how a lantern takes shape and leave with one you made yourself. This guide explains how a class works, which tour to book it with, and practical tips, from the AmGo Travel team in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
Why lanterns and Hoi An go together
Lanterns are the signature of Hoi An. They hang over the streets of the ancient town, glow along the river at night and fill the shop fronts in every colour. A traditional Hoi An lantern is a light bamboo frame covered with coloured silk or fabric, which is why the light looks so soft after dark.
If you have walked the old town in the evening, you have already seen the result. A class shows you the work behind it, and it is a good activity for a morning or afternoon when you want something calm and hands-on.
What happens in a lantern-making class
On all three of our tours, the class follows the same idea:
- Meet the craftsmen. Local makers with skilful hands show you how their brightly coloured lanterns are made, step by step.
- Make your own. With their guidance, you build and finish your own lantern. No experience is needed: the craftsmen help with the tricky parts.
- Take it home. The lantern is yours to keep, a light souvenir and a gift for your family.
The class is the part of the day that most guests talk about afterwards, because it is personal: every lantern comes out a little different.
Option 1: lantern making and the Cam Thanh coconut forest
The most popular way to join a class is our Cam Thanh coconut jungle and lantern making tour, available as a morning or afternoon session from Hoi An or Da Nang.
- Pick-up: from Hoi An at about 9:00–9:15 (morning) or 14:00–14:15 (afternoon); from Da Nang at about 8:00–8:15 or 13:00–13:15.
- Lantern class with local craftsmen first.
- Cam Thanh coconut forest by boat, with round-net and cast-net fishing alongside local fishermen and crab catching.
- Basket boat rowing: learn to paddle the round bamboo boat and watch a basket boat performance.
- A meal of 7 local dishes: lunch on the morning session, dinner on the afternoon session.
You are back in Hoi An at about 12:30 (morning) or 17:30 (afternoon). Life jackets are included for the boat activities.
Option 2: lantern making by bike with Tra Que village
If you like cycling, choose Lantern making and be a real farmer at Tra Que. The tour starts at 8:00 at your hotel or a meeting point in Hoi An, where your guide gives you a bicycle.
- Cycle through rice fields and shrimp farms.
- Tra Que Vegetable Village: dig, sow, plant and harvest with the farmers, and taste E water, a local drink made from Tra Que herbs with a light medicinal flavour.
- Lantern workshop: ride on through small villages to make your own lantern.
- Lunch of Vietnamese local cuisine, back at about 13:00.
Option 3: a full day with lantern making and My Son
For a bigger day, the Cam Thanh eco tour with lantern making and My Son combines the class with UNESCO-listed My Son Sanctuary. After the lantern class and the coconut forest (with a 7-dish lunch at a fisherman's house), you rest at your hotel for about an hour, then spend about 2 hours at My Son with an Apsara dance performance. The day ends with a sunset boat trip back to Hoi An on the Thu Bon River, with a banh mi on board. Pick-up is at about 9:00–9:15 and you are back at about 18:00.
Which lantern-making tour suits you?
- Families and first-timers: the Cam Thanh morning or afternoon session, with boats, fishing and a big meal.
- Active travellers: the Tra Que bike tour.
- History lovers with a full day free: lantern making with My Son and the Thu Bon sunset boat.
Tips for your lantern-making class
- Pack your lantern carefully. It is light but delicate, so keep it in your hand luggage on the flight home.
- Morning or afternoon? On the Cam Thanh tour the activities are the same; the afternoon session ends with dinner instead of lunch.
- See them lit up. After the class, walk the old town at night to see thousands of lanterns glowing. Our guide to Hoi An at night has the details.
- Children are welcome. On the Tra Que and My Son tours, children aged 1–4 travel free sharing with their parents.
FAQ
Can I keep the lantern I make? Yes. On all three tours, the lantern you make is yours to take home.
Do I need any skills? No. Local craftsmen guide you through each step.
Where can I book a lantern-making class in Hoi An? AmGo Travel, a Vietnamese team of trip planners and guides with an office at 61 Hang Ga, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, runs three Hoi An tours with a lantern-making class, with pick-up from your hotel. You can book at amgotravel.com or message the team on WhatsApp.
Can I join from Da Nang? Yes. The Cam Thanh coconut jungle and lantern-making tour picks up in Da Nang as well as Hoi An.
Hoi An lantern-making tours with AmGo Travel
See all Hoi An tours, or message AmGo Travel on WhatsApp and a trip planner will help you fit a lantern class into your Hoi An days.
