Hoi An food tour
HOI AN BITES FOOD TOUR - Discover Hoi An’s heritage in a curated food adventure like no other.
Beyond the bridges and colonial splendour of this ancient city, lies local culinary heroes that have been firing up their woks for decades. We begin with a steaming bowl of cao là u noodles, hand-cut from the original family house using water hauled that morning from the millennia-old Bà Lê well. This movable feast is just getting started, with 15+ tastings in all - from smoky marinated meat skewers to shredded com gà chicken over fragrant rice.
Tucked away is an alleyway joint serving black sesame xà mà soup for over 70 years, made of the same secret recipe as the centenarian couple that invented it. Next we’ll venture to the market to find dishes championed by Anthony Bourdain, of translucent tapioca shrimp dumplings carrying the royal lineage of the court kitchens in Huế.
Our culinary odyssey takes us to the nearby village of Tra Que, for an exclusive invite from an organic farmer into the 400 year-old community. There’s a hands-on experience to fire-grill rice paper and pluck fresh herbs, before gorging on a farm-to-table feast: claypot braised eggplant, sizzling bánh xèo pancake, among many more surprises.
Back in the heart of the Ancient Town, we’ll stand witness as the masters delicately wrap Hoi An’s "White Rose" dumplings — a craft a single family has guarded with almost religious devotion for over a century. You’ll be tossing your chopsticks over a dish that exists nowhere else on earth.
Taste the real Hoi An on an evening’s discovery through food. We’re taking you to the hidden kitchens that most tourists walk right past. Come hungry - our passionate guides are your ultimate hosts to Hoi An’s melting pot of Vietnamese cuisine.
Why this tour is awesome
To find the city's soul, we have to go off-script and dive into the back alleys to uncover the culinary holdouts and the family-run joints that were fuelling the locals for generations before the tourists arrived.
We’re seeking the curious and the bold dishes that tell the true story of Hoi An.
Your guide
Meet Quin, your homegrown Hoi An insider and the ultimate authority on all things delicious. Born and raised among the ancient town’s iconic yellow alleyways, Quin doesn't just know the food—she knows the families, the history, and the secret spots that sometimes don't make it onto a map. When she’s not busy curating her flavor-fuelled Instagram feed, she’s leading hungry travellers to the city's best-kept culinary secrets. If you want to skip the tourist traps and dive straight into the authentic heart of Hoi An’s street food scene, Quin is your pro!
Your guide
Sonny's a street food fixer with a mental map of the back-alley stalls that don’t always exist on Google. He’s spent years deep in the trenches of Hoi An’s food scene, finding the families who have spent decades perfecting signature dishes. Whether it’s hunting down a bowl of cao lau or finding the grills that matter. Sonny is your pass into the city's culinary underground. Sonny’s Rule: If the locals aren't eating there, we aren't stopping there.
The charcoal grill burns under meat skewers
Taste traditional Vietnamese recipes
Meet the legendary food heroes of Hoi An
Family owned eateries passed down generations
Don't miss Hoi An's speciality, cao lau noodles
Sun setting over the Ancient Town
Visit an organic farm in a 400-year old village nearby
Delicious food awaits from farm-to-fork (or chopstick)
Try your hand at rice-paper grilling
Local chefs cooking up a storm
The more than a century-old white rose dumplings
Discover the real food scene in Hoi An
Includes
- Price US $45 per person
- Tastings 15+ food tastings included
- Stops Movable feast with 6-7 stops
- Drinks Bottled water included
- Small group tour Maximum of 8 guests (private tours or groups of 9+, please contact us)
- Start Time 4:00PM
- Duration Around 3.5 to 4 hours, depending on the pace of the group
- Guide Led by one of our superb Hoi An food hosts
- Transport Walking tour with 6-7 stops
- Child Policy Children aged 3-12 years: 50% discount. Infants 0-2 years: free
- Instant Confirmation Book instantly on our live calendar. If your date is unavailable, please contact us
- Cancellation policy Cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund
- Language English
- Pick up / Drop off Not included. Easy to find meeting point for all guests
Dietary information
- General Advice Many streetside vendors specialise in signature menus, and may not have alternatives. It is not always possible to cater for all dietary requests at every stop
- Vegetarian Meat and seafood are used in 3-4 tastings
- Vegan Unsuitable as meat, seafood and eggs are used in 5-6 tastings
- Pescatarian Possible, though meat is used in 2-3 tastings
- Pork Possible, though pork is used in 2-3 dishes. Unsuitable for halal diets.
- Halal Unsuitable, as there are no vendors on the tour route that hold halal certification.
- Gluten Intolerance / Celiac Possible, though gluten is used in 2-3 tastings, and soy sauce in more tastings. Unsuitable for celiac disease.
- Lactose intolerance Suitable for lactose intolerances, only 1-2 tastings have lactose
- Tree nut / peanut allergy Possible for mild allergies, though peanuts are used in 1-2 tastings. There are no other known tree nuts
- Seafood / Shellfish allergy Possible for mild allergies, though seafood is used in 3-4 tastings
- Severe allergies Due to the nature of street food cooking, we can never guarantee any dish to be 100% free from allergens, as there is always the risk of traces and cross-contamination. It is unsuitable for severe allergies. Contact us: info@achefstour.com
How to book
To join our Hoi An food tour, use the live booking calendar to select your date and secure your tour. If the date is unavailable, or for special requests and private bookings, please contact us. Safety and comfort of guests is our first priority, so if you have any questions on dietary information or food allergies, please contact us before booking.
What to expect
This tour is designed for adventurous eaters with an interest in discovering the food locals eat. It’s a walking tour, but the pace is gentle, the terrain flat and there are plenty of rest (eating) stops along the way. Join us on the best Hoi An food tour in the city, you won't regret it.
Meeting point
This Hoi An food tour starts inside Hoachampa Coffee & Tea House. It's easily reachable in the centre of Hoi An. At the end of the experience, your guide can help you find transport back if you wish. More details will be sent upon booking.
Cancellation Policy
Why you should book with us
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99% 5 star reviews across our tours -
Secure payments through provider Peek
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No hidden charges - all food tastings included in the price
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Authentic food experience, escape the tourist traps