How to choose the best Hoi An cooking classes for your trip

A basket of herbs, a bundle of rice paper, a clay pot still hissing on the stove. For many visitors, a cooking class is the part of Hoi An they remember longest, not the lanterns or the yellow walls. Lonely Planet placed cooking experiences in Hoi An among the 13 experiences most worth trying in Vietnam in 2024, and the local travel industry now treats them as a flagship product (Source: Bao Da Nang).

The difficulty is choosing. Dozens of restaurants, hotels, homestays and travel companies sell Hoi An cooking classes, and they differ in setting, length, price and what you actually cook. This guide explains how the classes work, what they cost, and compares three formats that cover most travellers’ needs: a farm-and-herb-garden class in Tra Que, a boat-and-coconut-forest class in Cam Thanh, and a home-kitchen class cooked with a local family.

How a Hoi An cooking class works

Most classes follow the same arc.

• The market: A guide takes the group through Hoi An’s central market to point out herbs, spices, dried goods, fresh fish and tools, and often to buy the ingredients for the day.

• The journey: Many classes add a bicycle ride through the rice fields, or a boat trip along the Thu Bon River, before reaching the kitchen.
• The kitchen: Aprons and equipment are laid out, and an instructor demonstrates each dish step by step: chopping herbs, mixing dipping sauces, dipping rice paper, pouring pancake batter, rolling spring rolls.
• The meal: Everyone eats what they cooked, tasting and sharing around a long table.

Standard groups run from about 5 to 15 people. Homestay classes can be smaller or larger, less polished but warm, and sometimes free for guests staying at the property.

What you will cook

Menus are built around Quang Nam’s best-known dishes: banh xeo (crispy turmeric pancakes), fresh spring rolls (goi cuon), Hoi An fried spring rolls (nem), mi Quang, cao lau and bun bo. Many classes also include a papaya salad, a fish and aubergine clay pot, or a sour soup (canh chua). The most popular choices historically have been banh xeo, shrimp tom huu and stuffed bitter melon soup, which one Australian visitor insisted on learning for its bitter, sweet, crisp and chewy mix of textures.

Dishes in classes are designed to be repeatable at home: the ingredients are balanced rather than exotic, and the techniques (slicing herbs, mixing a dipping sauce, folding rice paper) transfer easily.

Read more: Market-to-Table Cooking Class by Bicycle

Hoi An Cooking Classes at a glance

Tra Que water wheel: Cooking in the Herb Garden

• Address: Tra Que Vegetable Village, Hoi An Tay
• Rating: 4.9★ (733 Google reviews)
• Hours: 08:00-17:00 daily
• Cost: About 1.003.200 VND for farming and rice-paper packages, about 1.399.200 VND for the full market, garden and cooking class (children aged 6-10 from about 396.000 VND)
• Duration: 4.5-5.5 hours, starting at 08:30 or 13:30
• Phone: +84 905 018 009

This is the class for people who want to see where the herbs on every Hoi An plate come from. It sits inside Tra Que Vegetable Village, the farming community whose organic beds supply the town’s restaurants.

The day starts in town, where a guide leads the group through the morning market, pointing out herbs, fish and the cooking tools sold on the dry-goods stalls. From there, the road leads by bicycle or vehicle past rice fields and into the village, where a cool welcome drink and a pause in the shade come before the garden walk. 

Rows of basil, mint, perilla and coriander grow between beds of leafy greens, and the air smells of crushed leaves and damp soil. Farmers who work the beds with methods handed down over generations explain what each plant does in the kitchen, and guests can plant or pick herbs themselves. Some visitors finish with a herbal foot bath before cooking.

In the open-air kitchen, the menu usually covers four dishes: fresh spring rolls, papaya salad, Vietnamese pancake, and fish with aubergine in a clay pot. One standout option is the rice-paper workshop. Rice paper is made from scratch rather than by machine, a craft that is disappearing, and each person makes and cooks their own sheets, at least three ways. 

Vegetarian and vegan versions of every dish are possible, and groups with mixed diets are regularly accommodated. Many classes close with a ride in a traditional basket boat, paddled by a local fisherman, along the nearby waterway.

The 4.5-hour farming and rice-paper-making package costs around 1,003,200 VND and suits visitors with limited time, while the 5.5-hour package, at around 1,399,200 VND, also includes a market visit and herb garden tour. Choose a morning session to watch local farmers working in the fields and enjoy cooler weather. If you plan to take part in planting activities, wear shoes that are easy to clean, as the soil may be muddy.

Sabirama cooking tour: The all-in-one day

• Address: Group 1, Con Nhan hamlet, Cam Thanh, Hoi An (about 4 km from the town centre) 
• Rating: 4.9★ (182 Google reviews) 
• Hours: 08:00-19:00 daily 
• Cost: About 1.029.600-1.214.400 VND per person on booking platforms (a hotel pick-up in Hoi An is typically included; Da Nang hotels pay a surcharge) 
• Duration: About 5 hours, starting at 08:00 or 13:00, with a small-group cap of around 12
• Phone: +84 905 607 463 

Sabirama packs the most into one booking: a market tour, a boat ride, a coconut-forest basket-boat ride and a massage, all before the cooking begins. It is the best fit for travellers who want one day of food, scenery and a little adventure.

The day opens in the market, where the instructor walks through the stalls explaining what each ingredient does and why. Then the group boards a boat for a slow, scenic run along the river, drifting past fishermen casting nets in the shallows. 

At the edge of the water-coconut forest, everyone steps into a round bamboo basket boat, spun and rowed by a friendly boatman, who usually turns the ride into a show of laughter and splashing. Back on land, a foot, head and shoulder massage comes before the cooking class, a calm pause that sets the tone. The kitchen is airy and set in greenery, with the instructor demonstrating every step. Groups typically cook about four dishes, and the recipes are easy enough to repeat at home. Printed recipes are given to take away, and vegan menus are available.

Guest Carmen praised her tour with guide Ms. Vang for combining a local market visit, a coconut-forest basket boat ride and a hands-on cooking class. She appreciated the guide’s clear instructions, traditional recipes and thoughtful extras, including a foot massage, describing the experience as a memorable introduction to Vietnamese culture and cuisine.

Book a morning tour to avoid the midday heat while travelling along the river. If you have any dietary requirements, such as vegetarian or vegan meals, or food allergies, inform the organisers in advance so they can make suitable arrangements. Wear lightweight clothing, bring a hat and apply sunscreen, as basket boats offer very little shade.

Read more: Tra Que Farming, Herbal Massage & Cooking Class

Hoi An Express Home Cooking: A meal in a local family’s kitchen

• Address: 30/2 Tran Hung Dao, Minh An, Hoi An
• Rating: 4.3★ (201 Google reviews, for the travel agency overall)
• Hours: 07:00-18:00 daily
• Cost: On request, as prices depend on the package
• Phone: +84 938 405 917

This option is for travellers who care less about spectacle and more about sitting in a real home. A local family opens its house to guests, who prepare an everyday meal alongside the host.

The class starts at the market, where the group buys the ingredients for the day, then travels by boat from the market landing to the family’s house, with the Old Town sliding past on the water. At home, the host introduces each ingredient and shows how to prepare it: how a herb is torn, how the sauce is balanced, how the pan is handled. 

The kitchen is a family one, small and warm, and the atmosphere is closer to being invited to lunch than attending a lesson. After cooking, everyone sits down with the family to eat the dishes they have made.

Which Hoi An cooking class is best for you?

• For gardens and herbs: Tra Que Water Wheel.
• For a full day of adventure: Sabirama.

• For an authentic home kitchen: Hoi An Express home cooking.
• For families: Tra Que Water Wheel, where children can join at a lower price and take part in planting and basket-boat rides.
• For vegetarians and vegans: Tra Que Water Wheel and Sabirama both adapt menus.
• For a short schedule: the 4.5-hour farming package at Tra Que Water Wheel.

How much do Hoi An cooking classes cost?

The price of a Hoi An cooking class depends on how much is included in the experience. A market visit followed by a hands-on lesson is a practical choice for travellers who want to focus on Vietnamese cuisine. Packages that combine cooking with a basket boat ride or a visit to Tra Que Vegetable Village offer a broader introduction to local food culture, while private classes provide more flexibility for menus and individual guidance.

Pair it with lantern making

Many visitors combine a cooking class with another hands-on experience. Lantern making is the most popular: in about an hour, guests learn to glue silk onto a bamboo frame and shape their own lantern. Hoi An still has about 40 families who make lanterns, and finished lanterns range from about 100,000 VND to 1 million VND depending on size. Tripadvisor placed the lantern-making tour among Vietnam’s top 10 travel experiences of 2023, and the activity pairs naturally with a half-day cooking class.

Read more: Lantern Making Workshop

Common mistakes to avoid when booking a Hoi An Cooking Class

• Booking only on price: A cheap class that skips the market or farm often cuts the best part of the day.
• Ignoring the start time: Morning classes catch the freshest market and cooler weather.
• Skipping dietary notes: Tell the organiser early, since menus are planned in advance.
• Choosing by photos alone: Check the group size, since a class of 20 feels very different from a class of 8.

A Hoi An cooking class works best when it matches the kind of traveller. A garden-and-herbs day suits people who want to understand where the flavours come from. A boat-and-basket-boat day suits those who want an easy, full programme. A home-kitchen meal suits those who want to sit at a family table. Whichever one you choose, go early, ask about the group size, and tell the organiser about dietary needs in advance.

What stays with most visitors is small: the smell of crushed basil in a village garden, the sizzle of a pancake hitting a hot pan, the first roll that holds together. Recipes for those dishes travel easily, which is why so many guests cook them again once they get home.

FAQs

How much does a Hoi An cooking class cost?

Prices typically range from 1,003,200 to 1,399,200 VND per person, depending on the package.

What dishes can you learn to cook in Hoi An?

Popular dishes include banh xeo, fresh spring rolls, cao lau, mi Quang and papaya salad.

Which Hoi An cooking class is best for families?

Tra Que Water Wheel is a good choice, with hands-on farming activities and reduced prices for some children’s packages.

Are vegetarian and vegan cooking classes available in Hoi An?

Yes. Tra Que Water Wheel and Sabirama can adapt menus for vegetarian and vegan guests.

Can you combine a Hoi An cooking class with a basket boat ride?

Yes. Some tours, including Sabirama, combine cooking with a river trip and a basket boat ride through Cam Thanh’s coconut forest.