Hoi An: Lantern and Coffee Making Class

Hoi An is famous for its glowing lanterns, but this workshop lets you see how they are made instead of simply photographing them. You begin with five Vietnamese coffee styles, then move to a nearby family-run workshop to build a foldable lantern with help from local makers.

I like the honest, hands-on format. You make each coffee yourself, and you can take home the recipes, a Phin filter, and your lantern. I also like the easy pairing of activities: the coffee gives you a taste of daily Vietnamese life, while lantern making slows the pace. The main caution is caffeine. Five small coffees can hit hard, so sip rather than finish every cup.

Key points

• Five coffee styles in one class: Make black coffee, sweet milk coffee, Hue salt coffee, Hanoi egg coffee, and coconut coffee.
• A real souvenir: Choose fabric, shape, and construction style, then fold your finished lantern for easy packing.
• Two nearby family businesses: The coffee and lantern workshops are separate but close together on Ba Trieu Street.
• A lively teaching style: The English-speaking hosts use humor, history, and patient step-by-step help.
• Strong value at $24: Coffee, snacks, instruction, a lantern, and often a Phin filter are included.
• Plan for the caffeine: You do not need to drink all five coffees, and it is wise not to.

Five Vietnamese coffees before lunch

The first part of the class centers on the Vietnamese Phin, a small metal filter that sits directly over your cup. It is slower than a machine and simpler than a café setup, but it produces the concentrated coffee that makes Vietnamese drinks so distinctive.

You learn how dark-roasted beans are used with sweetened condensed milk. The coffee is strong, sweet, and carefully balanced by the other ingredients. Your guide explains the basic method, then lets you prepare the drinks yourself rather than simply watching a demonstration.

The exact order may vary, but you can expect five styles:

• Black coffee
• White coffee with condensed milk
• Hue Imperial salt coffee
• Hanoi-style egg coffee
• Coconut coffee

This is a good way to compare regional habits in one sitting. The salt coffee is especially useful for understanding how a small savory note can soften bitterness. Egg coffee is almost a dessert, with a sweet, creamy topping. Coconut coffee brings a cooler, sweeter contrast to the darker brews.

You are not just sampling finished drinks. You measure, filter, mix, and taste as you go. That matters because the class shows you the logic behind each cup. If you like one style, you can repeat it at home with the recipes provided.

The coffee hosts are described as funny and energetic, and that tone is part of the appeal. The class is not a formal lecture. You can expect jokes, questions, and a relaxed atmosphere, with explanations about Vietnamese coffee culture woven into the practical work.

Why the Phin filter is worth learning

The Phin is one of the most useful takeaways from the morning. It needs no electricity and takes little space in your luggage. Several people have found it useful to take one home, and it is a practical reminder of the class rather than a decorative souvenir.

The filter also changes how you drink coffee. Instead of an instant cup or a fast espresso, you watch the coffee drip slowly into the glass. That pause is part of the experience. Add condensed milk, ice, egg, coconut, or salt, and you can make several familiar Hoi An café drinks in your own kitchen.

The guide also covers the roasting process and explains why the beans are roasted dark. You should not expect a professional barista qualification or a technical roasting course. This is a friendly introduction to the flavors and methods most closely linked with Vietnamese café culture.

One practical point deserves attention: the coffee can be much stronger than many visitors expect. A past participant described feeling buzzed after drinking only part of the full set. I suggest tasting every drink, then leaving unfinished portions if you feel the caffeine building. The workshop provides cookies and herbal tea or water, which helps, but pacing yourself is the smart move.

A short walk to the lantern workshop

After the coffee session, you move to the lantern-making venue on the same street or just nearby. The coffee team may walk you over, which removes the usual worry about finding a second meeting point.

The published duration is 210 minutes for the combined activity. Reviews suggest the two parts can each take roughly one and a half to two and a half hours depending on the lantern size and how much construction you choose. That means you should allow the full half-day rather than trying to squeeze this into a tight gap between other plans.

The two workshops are family-run businesses. The coffee side is handled by brothers or relatives, while the lantern side has its own family team. Tam is specifically praised for her patient, funny help during the lantern session. You are not handed materials and left alone. The instructors step in when a tricky section needs attention, then let you continue at your own pace.

This change of activity works well. After several concentrated coffee tastings, sitting down with fabric and a lantern frame gives you something quieter to do. The coffee is lively and social. The craft session is more relaxed and creative.

Build a lantern from a frame or from scratch

At the lantern workshop, you choose from different fabric colors and patterns. You may also have a choice of lantern shapes. The central decision is how much construction you want to handle.

You can attach fabric to a prepared frame, which is the quicker and easier route. This option suits families, anyone with limited time, or people who want to finish a polished souvenir without wrestling with every structural step.

You can also build more of the lantern yourself, including work with bamboo sticks. That takes longer and requires more patience, but it gives you a better sense of how the lantern is put together. The finished object may look simple from the outside, yet the construction involves careful shaping and covering.

The staff help with the difficult parts without taking the work away from you. That balance is important. You leave with something you made, not an item that was completed for you while you watched.

The small lantern is generally the quicker choice. A larger lantern can take around two and a half hours, so ask about the available size and timing when you arrive. If your booking is limited to the combined 210-minute session, the smaller or prepared-frame option may be the safer choice.

The best souvenir is the one that folds

Hoi An’s lanterns are attractive but awkward to carry if they remain fully assembled. This workshop solves that problem by showing you how to compress your finished lantern for transport.

That detail makes the $24 price more convincing. You are not paying only for an afternoon activity. You receive a handmade object that can fit into luggage more easily, along with the skill to set it up again at home.

The folding feature also makes the lantern more useful after your trip. You can store it flat, then open it for a room, dinner, or a small reminder of Hoi An. It is still a fragile craft item, so pack it carefully, but it is far easier to carry than a rigid lantern bought from a shop.

Some visitors also purchase extra lanterns or coffee products at reasonable prices, but those extras are not included in the booking. Treat them as optional shopping, not part of the promised package.

What the $24 price really includes

At $24 per person, this is strong value if you want both coffee and craft work. The fee covers instruction in English, the local master, coffee, cookies, herbal tea or water, and your lantern.

The cost is especially fair for you if you would otherwise pay separately for a coffee tasting and a craft class. You also get a usable Phin filter in some sessions, though you should confirm that at booking because the main inclusions list does not explicitly promise one.

The value is less clear if you do not drink coffee or dislike hands-on crafts. The coffee portion is central, not a brief welcome drink. Likewise, the lantern is not a quick five-minute souvenir activity. You spend a substantial part of the session making it.

The family-run setup adds a local feel, but it also means this is not a polished hotel-style class with a fixed corporate script. The energy may be informal and playful. For most people that is a strength. If you prefer a quiet, highly structured workshop, the jokes and relaxed pace may take some getting used to.

Who will enjoy this Hoi An workshop

I would recommend this for couples, families, and solo visitors who want an activity beyond walking the Old Town. It works particularly well for a rainy afternoon or a very hot part of the day, since much of the session takes place indoors.

Teenagers can stay involved because they are making and tasting things rather than sitting through a long talk. The coffee hosts have kept both 12 and 15-year-olds engaged during the full session, and the lantern part gives younger participants a creative task.

It is also a good choice for anyone who wants to meet local people through a family business. You spend time with the makers, ask questions, and learn how two familiar Hoi An symbols are produced and enjoyed.

You should think twice if you are sensitive to caffeine, have no interest in coffee, or need to leave after a fixed short period. The combined session is long enough to feel like a proper half-day plan. You can apparently book the coffee and lantern workshops separately, so that may suit you better if you want only one activity.

Location and timing on Ba Trieu Street

The meeting point is at 12 Ba Trieu Street, behind VietinBank and opposite Le Ba Truyen restaurant. Use those landmarks carefully, since the experience shifts between two nearby venues.

Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included. You need to make your own way to the meeting point, and you should allow a few extra minutes to find the correct shop in Hoi An’s busy central streets.

The class lasts 210 minutes as a combined booking. Starting times depend on availability, so check the schedule before planning dinner or another tour. You can cancel up to 24 hours ahead for a full refund, and the reserve-now, pay-later option lets you hold a place without paying immediately.

The activity is listed as wheelchair accessible. If you need a particular arrangement at the transition between venues or have other mobility concerns, it is still sensible to confirm the details before booking.

Bring a camera if you want photos of your coffee setup and lantern in progress. The finished lantern is the main visual souvenir, and the colorful fabric choices give you plenty to record without interrupting the workshop.

Small details that improve the experience

Arrive ready to participate. You will handle coffee, filters, ingredients, fabric, and possibly bamboo, so this is not a sit-back-and-watch excursion.

Taste the coffees in moderation. You can enjoy the flavors without emptying every cup. If you want to compare them properly, take small sips and note which one you prefer. Coconut may be your favorite if you like sweeter drinks, while egg coffee is the most unusual of the set.

Ask for the recipe of the drink you like best. The class provides instructions that can be used at home, and the Phin method is simple enough to repeat without special equipment beyond the filter.

For lantern making, choose your construction style with your time and patience in mind. A prepared frame gives you more control over the final finish and takes less time. Building from bamboo gives you more involvement but demands a steadier hand.

The instructors are happy to help, but do not rush the craft. The most satisfying part is seeing the fabric tighten around the shape and watching a flat, unfinished object become a lantern you can carry away.

Should you book the coffee and lantern class?

Book it if you want a practical, good-value introduction to two familiar parts of Hoi An culture. The combination works because it balances tasting with making, lively instruction with quiet craft, and a local drink with a lasting souvenir.

The strongest reasons to go are the five coffee styles, the foldable lantern, the friendly family-run setting, and the chance to learn skills you can repeat at home. The main drawbacks are the strong caffeine, the three-and-a-half-hour commitment, and the fact that the workshop is informal rather than luxury-polished.

For most visitors, I would choose the combined session over doing only one class. Just pace the coffee, allow enough time for the lantern, and arrive at 12 Ba Trieu Street with room in your luggage for a colorful new decoration.

FAQ

How long does the combined experience last?

The combined activity lasts 210 minutes. The exact starting time depends on availability, and lantern construction time can vary by size and method.

Where is the meeting point?

Meet at 12 Ba Trieu Street, behind VietinBank and opposite Le Ba Truyen restaurant in Hoi An.

What types of Vietnamese coffee will I make?

You can make black coffee, white coffee with condensed milk, Hue Imperial salt coffee, Hanoi capital egg coffee, and coconut coffee.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you need to reach the meeting point yourself.

Can I take the lantern home?

Yes. You make a lantern during the workshop and learn how to fold it for easier transport.

What is included in the price?

The $24 price includes coffee, cookies, herbal tea or water, an English-speaking guide, a local master, and the lantern-making activity.