This experience combines a hands-on lantern making class with a peaceful boat ride on the Hoai River. Travelers create their own lantern with local artisans, then enjoy a calm river journey away from crowded areas, releasing a floating candle in a relaxed and authentic setting. The experience is designed for small groups, allowing personal interaction and a slower, more meaningful way to experience Hoi An.
Prices change with the date; the lowest is shown.
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $12.
Larger groups pay less per person.
Out at sunset: the 4:30 PM departure is under way when the sun sets, around 5:20 PM in the coming weeks.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 13.
Join a lantern-making workshop where you can craft your very own lantern, take it home as a meaningful keepsake, and gently release it onto the river, carrying your wishes along the flowing water.
Enjoy a delightful 20-minute boat ride and release your handcrafted wish into the poetic, tranquil river.
We will contact you via WhatsApp regarding pickup and time.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Excurgo comparison of 1,966 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Hoi An Lantern Making Class with Hoai River Boat Ride lasts about 2 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
Prices start at $6 per person for this Hoi An experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $12. There are 3 booking options, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, with 7 departures a day between 4:30 PM and 8:00 PM.
Children aged 5–11 pay from $6, adults from $6.
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Yes, pickup is offered. We will contact you via WhatsApp regarding pickup and time. Pickup points include La An Central Boutique Villa & Spa.
The experience is available in EN.
It is a small-group experience with a maximum of 30 participants.
Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Travellers rate it 4.9 out of 5 across 48 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Hoi An Lantern Boat Experience.
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Magical experience on the water at night. Recomend Booking for the evening after 630 for the best light experience. Then find a restaurant with a balcony to view from above
Thank you for your lovely review! We’re so happy you enjoyed the magical evening on the water. Watching the lanterns from a balcony afterward is a wonderful suggestion! We hope to welcome you back to Hoi An soon
A really fun experience in Hoi An. Low stress craft making of a take home lantern and a lantern to launch. Boat ride to launch lantern was a nice addition.
Thank you for joining us! We’re so happy you enjoyed making the lanterns and the little boat ride. We hope your lantern wish comes true!
We purchased the two hour lantern making class and boat ride and were not given the opportunity to make a lantern - the 20- min boat ride was nice but it is not what we signed up for and paid for
We have checked your booking reference. You only booked our 20-minute boat service, so our guide provided the service exactly as specified on the ticket. We apologize for the misunderstanding.
Lovely experience enjoyed by my family - Tear was incredibly patient with us and her English was excellent. Our little silk lanterns looked pretty decent and it was nice to send off our wishes in the paper lanterns on the river. Thanks to Tear and would recommend!
Thank you so much for your lovely review! We’re delighted to hear that your family enjoyed the lantern-making experience and the peaceful boat ride on the Hoai River. We’ll be sure to share your kind words with Tear — she’ll be very happy to know that her patience and English made your experience even more enjoyable. We’re also glad you enjoyed sending your wishes down the river. Thank you for recommending us, and we hope to welcome your family back to Hoi An again!
My husband & I did this activity together! It was a good experience creating the lanterns. I needed help, and the staff were there to help us! It felt a little rushed sometimes throughout the process. They offered bottled waters for us, no AC, only fans. After we were done making the lanterns and water offering, they helped us with the boat ride. It was included in the package. Have cash for a tip. The boat ride was nice, definitely could’ve been longer. Overall, we enjoyed it and had a good time!
Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us! We’re delighted to hear that you and your husband enjoyed making the lanterns and the Hoai River boat ride, and we’re especially glad our staff were there to assist you when needed. We also appreciate your honest feedback about the pace of the lantern-making class and the boat ride. We’ll take your comments into consideration to make the experience more comfortable and enjoyable for our guests. Thank you again for joining us, and we hope to welcome you back to Hoi An for another memorable experience!
Driver was over 20 minutes late picking us up. We got to the lantern making and only when others were late did they let us start. If you want to feel like all thumbs, making lanterns is where to go. Lanterns turned out well for us. The “private boat” with lantern float turned into a not so private float with another family. Because of this, we didn’t get the chance to put our lanterns in the water ourselves. No ride is provided back to the hotel
Thank you for sharing your feedback, and we sincerely apologize for the inconvenience you experienced. We are especially sorry about the lantern boat arrangement. Due to a misunderstanding by our guide when assigning the boats, your private boat was mistakenly shared with another family. We have discussed this directly with our guide, who sincerely apologizes for the mistake. We will take greater care to ensure this does not happen again. We’re also sorry for the pickup delay and understand your disappointment. We’re glad you enjoyed making the lanterns and were happy with the result. Regarding transportation, our tour includes hotel pickup but does not include hotel drop-off, as stated in the tour description. If you are still in Hoi An, please contact us. We would be happy to offer you a complimentary private lantern boat ride on the Hoai River, giving you the chance to release your lantern and make your wish as you had originally hoped. We truly appreciate your feedback and sincerely apologize again for the inconvenience.
We shared a fun moment with the teachers who were all very kind and gentle. We were like children, gluing and cutting our pieces of silk, impatient and attentive to the patient advice of the teachers despite the numerous requests from the students. We were happy and proud to leave with our little masterpieces!
Thank you so much for your wonderful review! We are delighted that you enjoyed making your lantern and felt welcomed by our teachers. It means a lot to know you had such a fun and memorable experience. We hope your handmade lantern will always remind you of your time in Hoi An. We look forward to welcoming you back again!
This lantern making class is excellent The teacher Le is fantastic She is helpful and patient It was a wonderful experience The organization was excellent and we were picked up at our hotel Going on the river was memorable
Thank you so much for your kind review! ❤️ We're so happy you enjoyed the lantern making class with Ms. Le, our hotel pickup, and the memorable river boat ride. We hope to welcome you back to Hoi An again soon!
Beautiful and seamless boat ride experience! Organizing in advance helped with ensuring I made it to next stop on time.
Thank you for your wonderful feedback! We're so happy you enjoyed the boat ride and that everything went smoothly for your schedule. We hope to see you again in Hoi An soon
We had a lovely experience. Highly recommend. Once we had folded our paper lanterns we stops at Chips and Fish restaurant for a quick drink whilst it got darker. We sat up stairs and the view over the river was beautiful. When it was time to go out on the boat and cast our wishes we had a private boat for the four of us. Very lovely experience. Once back on land we took a stroll along the river side and night market then returned to Chips and Fish and enjoyed a lovely dinner. We were very well looked after by Phan
Thank you for your lovely review and recommendation! We're thrilled that you enjoyed the lantern-making workshop, the private boat ride, and the magical atmosphere of Hoi An at night. Special thanks for mentioning Phan—we're so glad he helped make your experience even more memorable. We look forward to welcoming you back again soon
| Tour | Duration | Rating | Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hoi An Lantern Making Class with Hoai River Boat Ride | 2 hours | 4.9 (48) | $6 | |
 Hoi An Private Basket Boat, Lantern Making & Hoai River Boat Ride | 3 hours | 5.0 (32) | $39 | View |
 Hoi An: Lantern Making Class & Optional Private Boat Ride | 1 hour | 5.0 (77) | $8 | View |
 Hoi An Full Lantern Making Class- A special Foldable lantern | 2 hours | 5.0 (2,079) | $15 | View |
 Cooking Class with Basket Boat, Coffee & Lantern Making Class | 4h 30min | 5.0 (263) | $30 | View |
 Hoi An Full Lantern Making Class , Basket Boat , Crab Fishing And Food | 5 hours | 5.0 (108) | $32 | View |
 Hoi An Private Night Boat Ride With Lantern Release on Hoai River | 20 min–30 min | 5.0 (2) | $10 | View |