Highlights
- Explore Hoi An's old town eating at hidden local stalls tourist maps never show
- Taste Cao Lau, Banh My, White Rose and other dishes found only in Hoi An town
- Float along the Hoai River at night on a private wooden boat just for your group
- Release a paper lantern on the water and watch it drift into the Hoi An night
- Enjoy a group of eight with no rushing, no waiting and more time at each stop
Description
Tour Duration: 2.5–3 hours
Meeting Point: 40 Tran Hung Dao Street, Hoi An (in front of Starbucks)
Meeting Time: 5:30 PM
The heat drops, the tour groups thin out, the lanterns come on, and the old town starts to breathe again. The narrow alleyways fill with the smell of charcoal smoke and fresh herbs and grilled meat, and the restaurants that were empty at lunch are suddenly full of locals. This is the hour this food tour was designed for.
You meet your guide at the meeting point on Tran Hung Dao at 5:30 PM. From there the evening is three hours of walking, eating, and discovering a side of Hoi An that most visitors completely miss.
The tour moves through the old town on foot, stopping at seven different local spots hidden across the ancient quarter. Each dish either originated here or is made in a way you cannot find anywhere else in Vietnam.
You start with Banh My, not the version sold at tourist bakeries on the main road but the original Hoi An filling made by a family that has been using the same recipe for decades. From there, Cao Lau, a noodle dish that can only be made authentically with water drawn from a specific ancient well in the town. Then Banh Xeo, golden crispy pancakes that you wrap yourself in fresh herbs and lettuce before dipping. Then Nem, grilled spring rolls still smoking from the charcoal. Then White Rose dumplings, steamed and delicate, topped with crispy shallots and a sauce that takes two days to prepare. A sweet finish rounds the evening out with a local dessert or mango cake. Your guide talks about each dish as you eat it, not as a rehearsed speech but as a story about the people and the town she grew up in.
After the food walk, the group moves to the Hoai River. Your guide walks you to the dock and your private wooden boat is already waiting. No queuing at the river bank, no haggling with boat drivers, no watching the price change as you approach the water. The boat is reserved for your group only, and the boatwoman rows you slowly along the river while the lights of the old town reflect on the current below you.
Your lantern is handed to you on the boat. You light it and lower it onto the water and watch it drift downstream with the others. In the middle of the river, surrounded by the lit-up bridges and buildings of the ancient town, with another lantern floating away in front of you, this is the moment people come back from Hoi An still talking about.
The tour ends back at the meeting point after around three hours. You will have eaten a full evening's worth of food and seen the river the way it is meant to be seen. The meeting point is at 40 Tran Hung Dao, in front of Starbucks.
Start time is 5:30 PM daily. The group is capped at eight people. All food at every stop, the tour guide, the boat ride and your paper lantern are included. Please eat lightly beforehand so you have room for everything.
Includes
English-speaking guide
All food and drink items as per itinerary
Paper lantern per person on the river
Wooden boat ride on the Hoai River
Bottled water
Excludes
Hoi An Old Town entrance fee ($6USD/pax)
Alcoholic drinks
Pickup and drop off service
Tips and gratuities
Important Information
- Most travelers can participate
- Start time is 5:30 PM daily
- The group is capped at eight people
- Please eat lightly beforehand so you have room for everything
- This excursion takes place rain or shine
- Please provide us your contact information (Zalo/WhatsApp/Phone number)
- If the excursion is cancelled due to poor weather, then you are offered a different date or a full refund
Easy cancellation
Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
