Hoi An: Lantern and Coffee Making Class

Coffee first, lanterns second, souvenirs all around. This 210-minute Hoi An workshop combines two local crafts in a relaxed family-run setting: you learn to brew five Vietnamese coffee styles, then make a foldable lantern to carry home. I especially like the practical format, since you do not just watch a demonstration. You make the drinks yourself, choose lantern fabric and shape, and leave with recipes and a handmade keepsake.

The coffee session is lively, funny, and full of useful detail, while the lantern class gives you a calmer change of pace. I also like that the two venues are close together, with staff helping you move from one to the other. The main consideration is caffeine: the coffee is strong, and drinking every sample can leave you very wired before you even begin the lantern work.

Key Points Before You Book

• Five distinct Vietnamese coffees: Prepare black coffee, sweet white coffee, Hue-style salt coffee, Hanoi egg coffee, and coconut coffee using traditional methods.

• A foldable lantern to take home: Choose from different fabrics and patterns, then compress your finished lantern for easier packing.

• Two family-run workshops: The coffee and lantern sessions are operated by related local families, giving the experience a personal feel.

• A hands-on afternoon in Hoi An: You make and taste the coffee instead of sitting through a long lecture, then build a craft with help nearby.

• Strong coffee needs restraint: You are warned not to drink every cup in full. A little sampling is enough to understand the flavors.

• Easy central meeting point: Find the class at 12 Ba Trieu Street, behind Vietin Bank and opposite Le Ba Truyen restaurant.

Why This Two-Part Class Works So Well

Hoi An is famous for its silk, woodwork, food, and lantern-lit streets. This class lets you connect those familiar sights with the work behind them. You learn how Vietnamese coffee gets its bold flavor, then discover that a decorative lantern is not simply a pretty object hanging over the Old Town.

The combination also has a useful rhythm. Coffee making is active and social. You measure, filter, stir, layer, and taste. Lantern making is more patient. You work with fabric and a frame while the instructors step in when your hands need help.

At $24 per person, the price is strong for a three-and-a-half-hour activity. Coffee, cookies, herbal tea or water, an English-speaking guide, a local craft instructor, and your lantern are included. You also receive practical coffee-making guidance that you can use at home.

This is not a high-end cooking school or a private craft lesson. You may share the space with people from other time slots, particularly during the lantern portion. Still, the price works well because you get two activities, two cultural subjects, and a physical souvenir rather than only photographs.

Finding 12 Ba Trieu Street

The meeting point is at 12 Ba Trieu Street, behind Vietin Bank and opposite Le Ba Truyen restaurant. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so plan to reach the address yourself.

The central location makes this easy to combine with time in Hoi An Old Town. Bring a camera if you want photographs of the coffee process, your chosen fabrics, or the finished lantern. You may also want a little room in your luggage, even though the finished lantern folds down for transport.

The class is listed as wheelchair accessible. English instruction is provided, along with an English audio guide. Since the coffee and lantern venues are close together, the change of location should not require a vehicle.

The Coffee Lesson Begins with the Phin

The first part introduces the Phin, the small metal filter used for Vietnamese coffee. It is sometimes compared with a compact French press, but the brewing experience is different. Coffee grounds sit inside the filter, hot water passes through slowly, and the finished coffee collects below.

That slow drip is part of the pleasure. You can watch the coffee form drop by drop while learning how Vietnamese coffee is prepared. The session also explains the use of dark-roasted beans and sweet condensed milk, a pairing that gives Vietnamese coffee its familiar strength and sweetness.

The instructors do not simply hand you five drinks. You take part in preparing them. That makes the class useful for anyone who has enjoyed Vietnamese coffee in cafes but never understood how to reproduce it.

A small cookie is included, and herbal tea or water is available. Those simple additions matter because the coffee tasting is substantial, especially if you are sensitive to caffeine.

Five Coffees, Five Very Different Ideas

The exact emphasis can vary with the group, but the class covers five popular Vietnamese preparations. Each one shows a different way Vietnam balances bitterness, sweetness, salt, creaminess, and texture.

Black coffee

The black coffee gives you the clearest look at the Phin and the beans. Without condensed milk or a flavored topping, you can focus on the dark roast and the slow-filtered method.

It is a good starting point because later drinks add sugar, dairy, salt, egg, or coconut. If you find the black coffee powerful, take small sips. You do not need to finish the full serving to understand it.

Happy white coffee

The white coffee pairs strong brewed coffee with sweet condensed milk. This is one of the easiest recipes to remember at home because the method is simple, but the proportions make a big difference.

You will see how the dark coffee changes once it meets the milk. It becomes sweeter and smoother, but it still keeps the bold taste that makes Vietnamese coffee different from a mild western-style cup.

Hue Imperial salt coffee

Salt coffee sounds strange until you taste what a small amount of salt does to bitterness and sweetness. The Hue-style preparation is an especially useful lesson in balance.

This is not a salty drink in the way soup is salty. The salt is used to shape the coffee’s flavor. If you enjoy trying regional specialties, this is one of the most memorable parts of the session.

Hanoi capital egg coffee

Egg coffee is the class favorite for many people because it feels more like a dessert than an ordinary drink. The creamy topping changes the mouthfeel and softens the coffee underneath.

You learn how the mixture is made and how it is combined with the brewed coffee. It is a good example of Vietnamese creativity with limited ingredients, turning a strong drink into something rich and spoonable.

Coconut coffee

Coconut coffee brings a cooler, sweeter contrast to the darker brews. Several participants specifically favored this one, and it is easy to see why if you like tropical flavors.

The five drinks are not just a tasting flight. They give you a short tour of Vietnamese cafe culture, from plain black coffee to sweet, creamy, and flavored versions. You also receive recipes or guidance that can help you make similar drinks at home.

A Friendly Family Atmosphere

The coffee workshop is praised for its humor as much as its instruction. The brothers who lead it keep the mood light and are happy to explain the background of each drink.

That matters because coffee demonstrations can become technical or slow. Here, the jokes and hands-on steps keep the session moving. Families with older children and teenagers can find enough activity to stay involved, and the class has worked well for groups including children aged 12 and 15.

The family-run setup also gives the experience a local face. You are not dealing with a large anonymous operation. The instructors talk about their city and coffee culture with clear pride, and their personality is part of what makes the workshop memorable.

Still, expect an informal class rather than a tightly scripted professional course. Some groups may move quickly, while others may spend more time asking questions or laughing over the coffee results.

Crossing to the Lantern Workshop

After the coffee class, staff guide you a short distance to the lantern-making venue. The move is simple, but it helps to know that the experience uses two nearby spaces rather than one large workshop.

This transition works well. After several strong drinks, sitting down to craft something gives your hands a slower job. A few participants found the lantern section calming after the caffeine boost, provided they had not consumed every coffee sample.

You choose from different fabric colors and patterns. You may also have a choice of lantern shapes. The amount of work depends on the option you select, with a small lantern taking about 1.5 hours and a large lantern taking about 2.5 hours according to the class guidance.

The overall booking is listed at 210 minutes, so ask about the available lantern size and timing when you arrive. The larger option could require more time than the basic combined session, especially if you build more of the structure yourself.

Building a Lantern from a Frame or from Scratch

One useful feature is the choice between attaching fabric to a prepared frame or constructing more of the lantern yourself. The prepared frame is the sensible choice if you want a straightforward souvenir or have limited time.

Starting with bamboo pieces gives you more of the traditional craft process. It also requires greater care. You work with the structure before adding the fabric, so your finished lantern depends on getting the frame aligned.

The instructors help step by step and do not simply take over. That is important for beginners. You can ask for help with a difficult section while still doing the work yourself.

The fabric selection adds a personal touch. Hoi An lanterns often look similar in photographs, but your choice of pattern and color makes the finished item your own. This is also a good activity for families and friends because people can compare designs without needing advanced artistic skill.

Do not expect every lantern to look factory-perfect. That is part of the value. You are making a real object by hand, and small irregularities show that you made it rather than bought it from a shop.

The Foldable Souvenir Solves a Real Travel Problem

The best practical detail is the lantern’s foldable design. Once compressed, it is much easier to put into luggage than a rigid decoration.

Staff show you how to fold or compress the lantern for the journey home. That turns the class from a pleasant activity into a useful purchase-free souvenir. You do not have to search for packaging or guess how to protect the shape.

Some people also buy extra lanterns and coffee products after the session. Those purchases are optional, and the class itself already includes a lantern, but the extra items can appeal if you want gifts for friends.

Keep the lantern dry and handle it carefully when packing. The provided information does not specify a storage box or protective case, so bring your own packing material if your luggage will be tightly filled.

The Biggest Practical Tip: Pace the Coffee

The coffee is strong enough to deserve a warning. You are encouraged not to drink all five portions in full, and that advice should be taken seriously.

One participant described feeling almost drunk from caffeine after drinking two full coffees and part of the others. That is an easy mistake to make because the drinks are delicious and the class is social.

I would taste each coffee, then leave the rest. Drink water or herbal tea between samples, and avoid scheduling another caffeine-heavy activity right afterward. If you know you are sensitive to coffee, tell the instructor early.

This is also why the lantern portion works as a follow-up. It gives you a seated craft to focus on rather than another energetic activity. Still, the class may be less comfortable for you if even one strong coffee causes trouble.

Who Will Get the Most from This Experience?

I would recommend this to anyone who wants more than a quick photograph of Hoi An’s lanterns. You learn how the objects are assembled, how they fold, and why they require more work than they first appear to.

It also suits coffee drinkers who want recipes they can repeat at home. The Phin filter method is simple enough to remember, and the class introduces several variations rather than stopping at condensed-milk coffee.

Families can benefit from the mixed format. The coffee session keeps children involved with demonstrations and tasting, while the lantern work lets everyone choose a design and make something at their own pace.

Couples and friends should enjoy it too, especially if you want a rainy-day plan or a break from walking around the Old Town. The activity is social without requiring you to perform in front of the whole group.

I would be more cautious if you dislike caffeine, have little patience for handcrafts, or want a private lesson. The workshop is friendly and helpful, but it is still a shared class with a casual pace.

Booking, Timing, and Value

The listed cost is $24 per person, with a duration of 210 minutes. That is good value for an English-led coffee lesson, five preparations, tasting, cookies, drinks, instruction from local craft workers, and a lantern to take home.

You can cancel up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. The reserve-now, pay-later option also lets you hold a place without paying immediately, which is useful if your Hoi An schedule depends on weather or transport.

Starting times vary, so check availability before booking. Since there is no hotel transfer, allow enough time to reach 12 Ba Trieu Street.

The class has earned a perfect 5.0 rating from 154 verified ratings, with repeated praise for the humor, patience, family atmosphere, coffee instruction, and foldable lantern. The strongest pattern is clear: people value the warm teaching style and the fact that both parts involve doing, not just watching.

Should You Book the Hoi An Lantern and Coffee Class?

Yes, if you want a friendly cultural activity with something useful to take home. The best reasons to book are the five coffee styles, the patient lantern instruction, and the easy pairing of a lively lesson with a calmer craft.

Go in with two sensible expectations: pace yourself with the coffee, and allow flexibility if you choose the larger lantern or spend extra time on the frame. For $24, this is one of Hoi An’s better-value hands-on activities, especially for families, couples, and anyone who wants to make rather than merely shop.

FAQ

How long does the Hoi An lantern and coffee class last?

The combined experience lasts 210 minutes. The lantern portion may take about 1.5 hours for a small lantern or about 2.5 hours for a large one.

How much does the experience cost?

The price is $24 per person.

Which Vietnamese coffees will I make?

The class covers black coffee, sweet white coffee, Hue Imperial salt coffee, Hanoi capital egg coffee, and coconut coffee.

Do I get to take a lantern home?

Yes. You make a lantern during the workshop and can fold it for easier packing and transport.

Where is the meeting point?

Meet at 12 Ba Trieu Street, behind Vietin Bank and opposite Le Ba Truyen restaurant.

Is hotel pickup included?

No. Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included, so you must make your own way to the meeting point.

Is the activity taught in English?

Yes. English instruction is provided, and an English audio guide is included.