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VietnamDescription and is it worth visiting
Riding traditional round basket boats in Hoi An (Basket Boat Ride) is a popular tourist attraction that offers a completely different experience than river cruises in the city center. It's important to understand the difference. In Hoi An itself, along the embankment, they give rides on familiar long rowing boats - this is an evening cruise with views of the lights of the old town (read about cruises in Hoi An center here). However, the round basket boats operate in other places, usually outside the center, on quieter and relatively wild sections of the river or in lagoons surrounded by coconut groves. The views here are completely different: village landscapes, fishing houses, and, if you're lucky, fishermen at work.
If you didn't know, round boats appeared in Vietnam due to poverty. In the past, many fishermen didn't have money to buy or build a proper wooden boat. The solution was a woven bamboo basket, coated with resin or covered with waterproof material. It was cheap, easy to pull ashore, and the round shape made it quite stable in shallow water and waves. Now it's more of a cultural symbol and entertainment for tourists.
During such a tour, you'll see calm river landscapes, and the boatman often allows you to try rowing yourself. But be prepared: maneuvering this round boat is not easy. It feels unstable and spins easily on the spot, so you need to be careful, especially with a camera or phone in your hands.
In our opinion, this is an interesting but not mandatory activity. If you come to Hoi An for one day as part of an excursion, time is already very limited, and it's better to focus on the old town itself. But if you are vacationing here for several days and have already seen the main sights, then an hour-long ride on such a boat can be a good entertaining addition. It gives you the opportunity to move a little away from the tourist center and see a different, more rural Hoi An.
🕐 Opening Hours
During the day or in the evening, as you wish.
💵 Entrance Fee / Ticket Prices
- On-site ride for 30-40 minutes – from 200,000 dong per boat for 2-3 people / 7.6 USD.
- Ready-made tour from the hotel – from 280,000 dong per 1 person / 10.63 USD.
- Ready-made tour from the hotel with boat ride + cooking lesson – from 450,000 dong per 1 person / 17.09 USD.
We recommend the tour with a cooking lesson, it's cool and interesting.
🚶 How to Get There
There are several places around Hoi An where you can ride these boats. We were at the dock in the Coconut Village and the prices listed above are from this location (dock on the map). You can get here yourself by taxi (from the center about 100,000 dong) or rented transport, and negotiate the ride right on the spot. There is a cafe and a travel agency near the dock that organizes everything; booking in advance is not required.
There are also tours here from Hoi An and Da Nang with transportation, prices are higher. You can buy them at hotels, street travel agencies, or online on review websites via the links below.