Hoi An Private Tour & Basket Boat Ride 2026: Old Town & Ao Dai

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Hoi An Old Town & Basket Boat Adventure

Our Private Tour Experience

When planning our trip to Da Nang, one of my biggest dilemmas was whether or not to include Hoi An.

I really wanted to visit Ba Na Hills, which typically takes a full day. I initially thought I'd have to plan a separate trip for Hoi An, but then I discovered the perfect solution: a **Hoi An private tour!**

This tour combined the exciting basket boat experience with a visit to Hoi An, meaning we didn't have to worry about planning an entire day's itinerary ourselves. It offered the flexibility to explore freely.

The best part? It was a **private tour just for our group**, which made the whole experience incredibly comfortable and personalized!

✔ Recommended for:

- Travelers who want to explore Hoi An **at their own pace**

- Those who prefer a **comfortable, private tour** with their own group

- Families traveling with **parents or young children**

- Anyone looking for a **convenient day trip** as part of their independent travel itinerary

Table of Contents

1. Booking the Tour

2. Basket Boat Experience

3. Hoi An Old Town Exploration

4. Overall Review

1. Booking the Tour

Initially, I started researching popular tourist routes and transportation options.

Most people tend to follow this route:

Coconut Village - Old Town - Night Market - Return to Da Nang

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If you were to do this route using Grab (ride-sharing app), the taxi fares alone would likely exceed **~$8 per person!** On top of that, imagine carrying all your shopping bags and feeling exhausted by the end of the day. That's why I decided to look into tours.

And that's how I found this **Hoi An private tour!**

The Hoi An private tour, including the basket boat experience, that I found was priced at **~$27 per person**.

✔ What's Included:

Round-trip transportation

Basket boat experience

✔ What's Not Included:

Dinner

Wish boat and floating lantern fees

Additional regional surcharges

Other personal expenses

Since round-trip transportation is included, with **hotel pickup and drop-off**, there's absolutely no need to worry about getting around. The itinerary flows perfectly from the Coconut Village basket boat experience to Hoi An Old Town!

Considering it's an all-day excursion, I thought this was an **extremely budget-friendly tour**, so I booked it right away!

Bookings are available for groups of 2 or more, and it’s a private tour exclusively for your party!

**Yes, that means even a party of two can book it!** This is a huge advantage, making it perfect for couples or friends traveling together to enjoy a hassle-free trip.

Since it's a private tour, you have the flexibility to adjust your schedule!

If you want to spend more time in Hoi An, you can discuss and arrange it beforehand.

The basic vehicle usage time is 7 hours. If you exceed this, there's an additional **$10 per hour**, and a **$10 night surcharge** for services after midnight. Keep this in mind!

You can find more detailed information through the link below.

Hoi An Coconut Forest Basket Boat Experience

2. Basket Boat Experience

And so, our tour began! **Our dedicated car picked us up right at our hotel**, which was fantastic. No need to stress about calling a Grab early in the morning – it was such a smooth start to the day! ><

Our first stop was the **Coconut Village!**

Even though I've visited Vietnam several times, this was my first time trying the basket boats, and I was filled with wonder and excitement!

As you enter, you see rows of round basket boats lined up.

Each boat usually accommodates two people, but since we were an odd number, **I ended up riding alone!** I thought it might be a bit lonely, but our boatman was incredibly skilled and kept us close to our group, so we could still chat. Plus, it meant I got some fantastic solo photos, which was a bonus! Haha.

At first, I was a little nervous, worried the boat might tip over. But once I got in, it felt surprisingly stable.

Our boatman was a true professional – he took great photos of us and even sang some Korean songs, which was absolutely hilarious! He also picked up a coconut seed to show us mid-ride.

Then he asked if we wanted to try the basket boat spinning, and I was curious, so I shouted, "YES!" We transferred to another boat, and the spinning began. It was quite dizzying, but so much fun!

It was surprisingly thrilling, so if you love a bit of excitement, you'll definitely enjoy it! I noticed the **kids in other family groups absolutely loved it!**

If you're not keen on spinning, just say "no." It was definitely the moment everyone laughed the most!

Our boatman sang many songs and even gave us tips for photo poses. Honestly, I didn't have huge expectations, but **we ended up with some really great photos!**

3. Hoi An Old Town Exploration

Next, we headed to Old Town! We arrived just as the sun was setting, right before it got dark, which meant we caught the most beautiful sunset views.

For this day, I had purchased an **Ao Dai** from Han Market! I got a custom-made one for about **~$12**. I took tons of photos with the lanterns, and I ended up with some amazing, once-in-a-lifetime shots! ^_^

As the lights started to come on one by one in Old Town, the atmosphere became absolutely stunning. Everyone lighting their wish lanterns and sending them down the river was such a charming and adorable sight.

It's easy to see why so many tourists flock here. The night scenery was so beautiful and incredibly relaxing!

We simply told our tour driver when we wanted to be picked up, which was super convenient! This meant we could enjoy dinner at our chosen restaurant and explore at our leisure. We visited the famous Morning Glory restaurant!

After a lot of shopping, the best part was being able to leave all our bags in the car, so **our hands were completely free!**

With my low stamina, I conked out as soon as I got back in the car and safely returned to our hotel! I highly recommend this tour.

4. Overall Review

Overall Rating: ★★★★☆

1. Excellent Value

2. Convenient Transportation

3. Well-Planned Itinerary

4. Flexible Schedule