Cooking classes in Hoi An: how to choose and what you will cook
Four Hoi An cooking classes: where they are, what is included (market, boat, herb garden), when to book and what to do in the rainy season.
The easiest way to pick a cooking class in Hoi An is by format: a market and basket-boat trip, a few hours in town, or a home kitchen. The Cooking classes section lists four places: Cam Thanh and Red Bridge in Cam Thanh village by the river, Gioan near the old town, and Cooking with Jolie in the centre. Going in October or November? First read how Hoi An floods, month by month. Updated 26 October 2026.
| Class | Where | Format | Contact |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Thanh Cooking Class | Cam Thanh, 900/4 Trần Nhân Tông | market, basket boat, riverside kitchen; a cooking-only option of 2-2.5 hours | 0899 227 151, camthanhtoursplus.com |
| Red Bridge Cooking School | Cam Thanh, Thôn 4, on the river | market, boat, herb garden, cooking; an evening class too | 0905 452 092, visithoian.com |
| Gioan Cookery School | 222/17 Lý Thường Kiệt, near the old town | 30-minute market tour, 4 dishes of your choice, about 3 hours | 0948 479 598, gioancookery.com |
| Cooking with Jolie | 16 Lưu Trọng Lư | home-style class | 0399 676 852 |
Cooking classes: addresses and contacts Open in Telegram
Which cooking class should I choose in Hoi An?
For a full day with the countryside, take Cam Thanh or Red Bridge: both are in Cam Thanh and both include the market and a boat. Short on time and staying in town? Gioan is near the old town and the whole class runs about three hours. Want a home setting? Cooking with Jolie on Lưu Trọng Lư; VinWonders (16 Nov 2025) says Jolie has welcomed guests into her home for over seven years.
What is included: market, herb garden, boat?
Each class differs. Cam Thanh, per the Hoiana resort blog (15 Dec 2024): a market visit, a basket-boat ride through the water coconut forest, then cooking on the riverbank. The class website offers options from cooking-only (2-2.5 hours) to five hours with buffalo riding and net fishing. Red Bridge's own site lists a market, a river boat trip and a hands-on class; VinWonders adds a stroll through an herb garden. Gioan's site: a 30-minute guided market tour and about three hours of cooking. For Cooking with Jolie, no source mentions a market or boat, so ask when you book.
What will I cook?
At Cam Thanh, Hoiana lists fried spring rolls, caramelised fish and papaya salad. At Gioan you pick four dishes yourself; set menus include pho, bánh xèo, lemongrass chicken and fresh rolls, or bún chả, cao lầu and bánh xèo. Cao lầu, per Danang Fantastic City (24 Sep 2025), "can only be found in Hoi An": the dough is kneaded with water from the ancient Ba Le well and the rice is soaked in lye made from the ashes of Cham Islands trees. The same article calls bánh xèo and white rose dumplings (bánh bao bánh vạc) signature Hoi An flavours.
Are there vegetarian classes?
Yes, at Gioan. The school's website has a ready vegetarian set: plant-based or meat-free pho, eggplant clay-pot, veggie bánh xèo and tofu with vegetables, and it mentions other dietary needs too. The other three places do not state a vegetarian menu, so ask when booking and say exactly what you do not eat.
How do I book and when should I come?
Gioan and Red Bridge take bookings on their websites; Cam Thanh gives a phone number and a booking page. Gioan lets you choose the date and start time. Opening hours per VinWonders (16 Nov 2025): Gioan Monday-Wednesday 7:30-21:30, Thursday-Sunday 8:00-21:00; Red Bridge 8:00-17:00. Hoiana lists Cam Thanh as 8:00-22:00, and sources give different hours for Cooking with Jolie, so call first. A morning class leaves the afternoon free for town; Red Bridge also runs an evening class at Hai Café.
Rainy season and floods
In autumn the Thu Bon river overflows, and Cam Thanh, a village by the water, feels it first. In October-November, ask Cam Thanh or Red Bridge whether the boat is running before you book. If not, the in-town Gioan and Jolie are safer. Month-by-month details: season and floods in Hoi An.
How do I get to the classes?
Cam Thanh is close to the old town: VinWonders puts Red Bridge 3 km from the centre, reachable by motorbike, bicycle or taxi. Red Bridge's address is only Thôn 4, so follow the pin on the map. For getting to Hoi An itself, see how to get to Hoi An.
Frequently asked questions
Which cooking class should I choose in Hoi An? Market and boat: Cam Thanh or Red Bridge in Cam Thanh. Three hours in town: Gioan. A home setting: Cooking with Jolie.
Do I have to go out of town? No. Gioan and Cooking with Jolie are in Hoi An; Cam Thanh and Red Bridge are in Cam Thanh village.
Is there a cooking-only class without the boat? Yes, Cam Thanh has a cooking-only option of 2-2.5 hours.
Is there a vegetarian menu? Gioan lists one on its website. Ask the other places when you book.
How long does a class take? About three hours at Gioan; at Cam Thanh from 2-2.5 up to five hours depending on the programme.
Can I book without the internet? Yes, every place has a phone: Cam Thanh 0899 227 151, Red Bridge 0905 452 092, Gioan 0948 479 598, Jolie 0399 676 852.
What is cao lầu and where do I try it? A Hoi An noodle dish with pork, herbs and crisp noodle pieces; Gioan lists it on a set menu.
Sources and checks
The four class cards in our Cooking classes section: addresses and phones cross-checked against maps and independent publications on 26 Oct 2026. Cam Thanh: camthanhtoursplus.com and the Hoiana blog, 15 Dec 2024. Red Bridge: visithoian.com, VinWonders (16 Nov 2025), Rusty Compass (17 Oct 2017). Gioan: gioancookery.com and VinWonders. Cooking with Jolie: VinWonders. Cao lầu, bánh xèo, white rose: Danang Fantastic City, 24 Sep 2025. No prices here: check the class websites. Text updated 26 Oct 2026.