Tra Que Vegetable Village: Farm, Cook and Cycle in Hoi An
Tra Que Vegetable Village explained: what the village is, farming with the locals, E water, and three guided ways to visit from Hoi An, with cooking or lantern making.
By AmGo Travel4 min read
Tra Que Vegetable Village is the green side of Hoi An. Just outside the Ancient Town, families have grown herbs and vegetables here the same way for more than 300 years, and the village now welcomes visitors who want to cycle out, put on a farmer's hat and get their hands in the soil. This guide explains what Tra Que is, what you do there, the three ways to visit with a guide and how to choose, from the AmGo Travel team in Hanoi's Old Quarter.
What is Tra Que Vegetable Village?
Tra Que lies about 3 km north-east of Hoi An Ancient Town, between Tra Que Lagoon and the De Vong River. The soil is fertile and the air is fresh, which makes it ideal for organic vegetable farming. Rows of lettuce, basil, mint and other herbs grow in neat beds, and many of the greens served in Hoi An's restaurants come from villages like this one.
It is a working village, not a theme park. Farmers still water by hand, turn the soil with traditional tools and harvest early in the morning. Visiting with a guide lets you join in for a while, learn why each herb matters in Vietnamese cooking, and then eat what you helped to grow.
What you do in Tra Que
Each tour has its own mix, but most visits include:
- Cycling out of town along small country roads, past rice fields, buffaloes and farmers at work.
- Farming with the villagers: put on a farmer's outfit and conical hat, then dig, sow, plant, water and harvest with traditional tools.
- E water: a local herbal drink made from Tra Que herbs, with a light medicinal flavour.
- A meal of local food, either one you cook yourself or a set menu at a village restaurant.
Three ways to visit Tra Que
Farming and cooking class, with an herbal massage
This is the most complete Tra Que day. Your guide meets you at your Hoi An hotel at 9:00 with a bicycle. You ride to a local market to learn about the vegetables used in daily cooking and traditional medicine, then cycle through the rice fields to Tra Que. After a glass of E water and some time farming in a conical hat, you relax with a head, shoulder and foot massage using fresh herbs from the garden.
Then comes the cooking class. You learn to carve decorative flowers from carrots, tomatoes and spring onions, and cook five local dishes, such as Hoi An spring rolls, Vietnamese pancakes, banana flower and green papaya salad, chicken in clay pot and grilled pork with lemongrass. A vegetarian menu is available on request. The tour ends around 1:30 PM, and it runs as a small group of 1 to 12 guests.
Farming and lantern making
If you would rather make something to take home, this half-day tour combines Tra Que with Hoi An's best-known craft. From 8:00 AM you cycle through rice fields and shrimp farms to the village, work alongside the farmers and taste E water. Then you ride on to a lantern-making workshop, where local craftsmen help you make your own colourful lantern. A Vietnamese lunch is included, and you are back at your hotel around 1:00 PM. Groups are 2 to 12 guests.
Three craft villages in one tour
This half day by bicycle links three villages around Hoi An. At Thanh Ha you try making pottery and visit its temples and museums. At Kim Bong, on the far bank of the Thu Bon River opposite the Ancient Town, you watch carpenters carve wood. Finally, at Tra Que, you put on the farm uniform before a set-menu meal at a local restaurant. Choose the morning (8:00 AM to 12:00 PM, with lunch) or the afternoon (1:30 to 5:30 PM, with dinner). A car or electric car can replace the bicycle on request.
How to choose
- Love food? Pick the farming and cooking class. Read our Hoi An cooking class guide to compare it with other classes in town.
- Want a souvenir you made yourself? Pick farming and lantern making.
- Curious about crafts? Pick the three craft villages tour.
- Travelling with children? All three work well. Children aged 1 to 4 travel free when they share a seat and meals with their parents.
Tips for visiting Tra Que
- Go in the morning. It is cooler for cycling and farming, and the village is at its liveliest.
- Wear clothes that can get muddy and shoes you can slip off easily.
- Bring sun protection. The fields have little shade.
- Ask before photographing farmers, and do not step on the vegetable beds.
- Pick-up: hotels in Hoi An city are included. Hotels further out, such as in Thang Binh or Duy Xuyen district, pay a transfer surcharge.
FAQ
How far is Tra Que from Hoi An? About 3 km north-east of the Ancient Town, an easy bicycle ride along country roads.
Do I need to be fit to cycle there? No. The roads are flat and the pace is gentle. On the three craft villages tour you can ask for a car or electric car instead.
Is there a vegetarian option? Yes. The farming and cooking class has a vegetarian menu on request.
Where can I book a Tra Que tour? AmGo Travel, a Vietnamese team of trip planners and guides based at 61 Hang Ga in Hanoi's Old Quarter, arranges Tra Que tours with pick-up from your Hoi An hotel. You can book online at amgotravel.com or message the team on WhatsApp.
What is E water? A Tra Que speciality: a herbal drink made from the village's fresh herbs, with a light medicinal taste.
Tra Que tours with AmGo Travel
See all Hoi An tours, or message AmGo Travel on WhatsApp and a local trip planner will help you choose your morning in Tra Que.
