Hoi An Private Tour
- 4h 30m
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- Guided in English
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
John Lee Tours invites you to explore the hidden beauty of Cam Kim Island, a peaceful countryside escape just outside Hoi An. Cycle through quiet villages, rice fields, and scenic backroads with a friendly local guide. Visit the 500-year-old Kim Bong Carpentry Village to see skilled artisans craft wooden boats and sculptures, and enjoy hands-on cultural experiences with local families making rice paper, rice noodles, and colorful sedge mats. End your journey with a relaxing boat ride back to Hoi An Ancient Town, escaping the crowds and discovering the authentic charm of rural Vietnamese life.
Inclusions
What's included
- Food samples in the itinerary
- Boat trip on Thu Bon River
- English speaking guide
- Entrance tickets to all craft villages and local homes are fully included in the tour.
- Bottled water - Bicycle (1 bicycle per person)
What's not
- Transport to/from the meeting point in Hoi An center
- Tipping for tour guide
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses
Itinerary
Ride across this metal bridge spanning the Thu Bon River — the largest river in the area — to reach Cam Kim Island from Hoi An Ancient Town. Built in 2016, this local commuter bridge is used by motorbikes, bicycles, and pedestrians. Crossing it offers a slightly thrilling and unusual experience, giving visitors a unique glimpse into everyday local life.
Rice Fields Vietnam is one of the world’s largest rice producers, and Hoi An — especially Cam Kim Island — sits within the fertile Thu Bon River delta. Along the way, visitors can enjoy beautiful rice field scenery, stop for photos, and learn more about Vietnam’s traditional rice-growing culture.
After riding through peaceful rural villages, visitors will arrive at Kim Bong Carpentry Village, one of Hoi An’s oldest living craft villages. Located along the banks of the Thu Bon River, this village has preserved its 500-year-old traditions of boat building and woodcarving. Our guide will take you through the village to observe skilled carpenters at work, visit artisan workshops and galleries, and admire the intricate handcrafted products created by local masters. Near the riverside, guests can also watch traditional boatbuilding at the local shipyard. Here, visitors will also have the opportunity to try wood carving themselves in a local workshop for a hands-on cultural experience.
Rice Paper Making & Trying ‘Banh Dap’ Visit a local family who have been making rice paper and rice noodles for generations. Here, you’ll learn the traditional process of creating rice paper from rice milk and even have the chance to try making your own by hand. Afterward, the artisan will demonstrate how fresh rice paper is transformed into noodles, as well as how to prepare banh dap (“smashing rice paper”), a well-known Hoi An specialty. Guests can then enjoy tasting banh dap the local way. Rice paper and noodle making remain among the main traditional industries on Cam Kim Island.
Sedge Mat Weaving Continue riding through peaceful rural villages to visit a local family specializing in traditional sedge mat weaving, one of Cam Kim Island’s long-standing local industries. Here, our guide will help you connect with the artisans, offering insight into their daily lives and traditional craftsmanship. Visitors will also have the opportunity to try weaving colorful sedge mats by hand, creating a memorable hands-on cultural experience.
Boat Trip on the Thu Bon River After returning to Kim Bong Carpentry Village, enjoy a boat trip across the Thu Bon River back to Hoi An city center. This traditional river crossing was once part of daily life for Cam Kim Island residents before modern bridges were built, offering visitors a glimpse into the region’s past transportation culture. *Visitors will bring their bicycles onto the boat. Optional Local Lunch If lunch is included in your booking, enjoy a delicious local meal featuring authentic regional dishes. Return From the boat station in Hoi An Old Town, cycle back to your hotel if located in the city center, or return to the original meeting point. The tour concludes.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
- 55
- 40
- 30
- 20
- 10
Ratings come from 5 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Meeting point
- Meeting Point
- Pickup
- Pickup is offered, or you can meet at the starting point.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- John Lee Tours
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Hoi An
- Its from-price is close to the median of the 2561 experiences we list in Hoi An.
- Its length is typical for the group.
- By number of reviews it ranks 606 of 2561.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Hoi An
Lantern-lit lanes, tailor shops and riverside cafés glow after dark in Hoi An, a beautifully preserved old trading port in central Vietnam.
The Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, preserves centuries-old merchant houses, Chinese assembly halls and temples along the Thu Bon River. The covered Japanese Bridge is its emblem, and old houses such as Tan Ky show the blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese influences that shaped the port.
Top-ranked sights in Hoi An: Hoi An Ancient Town, My Son Sanctuary, Japanese Covered Bridge (Chua Cau).
Special offers in Hoi An
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
