Hoi An Morning Food Walk: Cao Lau, Chicken Rice & the Central Market
Day tour
Food tour
Standard
Departure point
→
Destination
Hoi An, Vietnam
Hoi An
1N (Participation Duration)
Walking (Transportation)
English (Language)
Number of participants 0/10
0 booked
Tour description
Hoi An is the only town in Vietnam with its own closed menu. Four dishes were invented here and are still barely made anywhere else: cao lau, chewy noodles whose water supposedly has to come from one particular well; white rose dumplings, made by a single family who supply every restaurant in town; com ga, chicken rice with turmeric and Vietnamese coriander; and the Hoi An version of mi Quang. This walk eats all four in one morning, in the shops that locals go to.
We start in the Central Market before the tour buses, where your guide walks you through the herbs, the rice papers and the fermented pastes, and you eat cao lau at a market stall rather than a restaurant. Then into the Old Town's yellow shophouse lanes for the dumpling workshop, the chicken rice house that has been open since the 1950s, and a bánh mì counter famous enough to have a queue at breakfast.
Your guide covers how a Japanese-Chinese-Vietnamese trading port produced this menu, why the noodles are said to need well water, and which of the town's famous addresses are now coasting on reputation.
Small group, maximum 10 guests, entirely on foot on flat streets.
We start in the Central Market before the tour buses, where your guide walks you through the herbs, the rice papers and the fermented pastes, and you eat cao lau at a market stall rather than a restaurant. Then into the Old Town's yellow shophouse lanes for the dumpling workshop, the chicken rice house that has been open since the 1950s, and a bánh mì counter famous enough to have a queue at breakfast.
Your guide covers how a Japanese-Chinese-Vietnamese trading port produced this menu, why the noodles are said to need well water, and which of the town's famous addresses are now coasting on reputation.
Small group, maximum 10 guests, entirely on foot on flat streets.
Meeting point:
View on map
Hoi An Central Market, Tran Phu Street entrance, Hoi An
We meet at the Tran Phu Street entrance to Hoi An Central Market, beside the fruit stalls. Your guide will have a small sign with your name. The Old Town is closed to vehicles at this hour, so come on foot or by bicycle.
Detailed itinerary
Stop 1 - Hoi An Central Market: A guided walk through the herb, rice-paper and fermented-paste stalls before the crowds, with a tasting of hen tron, baby clams tossed with rice crackers.
Stop 2 - Cao lau at a market stall: Thick chewy noodles, slices of char siu pork, crisp noodle squares and greens, with just enough broth to coat. The dish that supposedly cannot be made outside Hoi An.
Stop 3 - White rose dumplings: Translucent shrimp dumplings pinched into flower shapes, from the workshop that has made them for the whole town for generations, topped with fried shallot and served with a light dipping sauce.
Stop 4 - Com ga Hoi An: Turmeric-stained rice cooked in chicken stock, shredded poached chicken, Vietnamese coriander, onion salad and a bowl of broth, from a family shop open since the 1950s.
Stop 5 - Banh mi: A Hoi An banh mi with pate, cold cuts, herbs and house chilli sauce from one of the two counters that made this town a sandwich destination.
Stop 6 - Coffee and che: Vietnamese coffee or a sweet che in a shophouse courtyard, with your guide's map of where to eat on your own.
Stop 2 - Cao lau at a market stall: Thick chewy noodles, slices of char siu pork, crisp noodle squares and greens, with just enough broth to coat. The dish that supposedly cannot be made outside Hoi An.
Stop 3 - White rose dumplings: Translucent shrimp dumplings pinched into flower shapes, from the workshop that has made them for the whole town for generations, topped with fried shallot and served with a light dipping sauce.
Stop 4 - Com ga Hoi An: Turmeric-stained rice cooked in chicken stock, shredded poached chicken, Vietnamese coriander, onion salad and a bowl of broth, from a family shop open since the 1950s.
Stop 5 - Banh mi: A Hoi An banh mi with pate, cold cuts, herbs and house chilli sauce from one of the two counters that made this town a sandwich destination.
Stop 6 - Coffee and che: Vietnamese coffee or a sweet che in a shophouse courtyard, with your guide's map of where to eat on your own.
Tour price includes
• Small-group English-speaking local food guide
• All food and drink tastings listed in the itinerary
• One local drink at the final stop
• Bottled water and wet wipes throughout the walk
• All taxes and service fees
• All food and drink tastings listed in the itinerary
• One local drink at the final stop
• Bottled water and wet wipes throughout the walk
• All taxes and service fees
Tour price excludes
• Hotel pick-up and drop-off unless stated
• Additional drinks beyond those included
• Personal travel insurance
• Tips for your guide (appreciated but never expected)
• Meals and purchases outside the programme
• Additional drinks beyond those included
• Personal travel insurance
• Tips for your guide (appreciated but never expected)
• Meals and purchases outside the programme
Cancellation policy
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the tour start time for a full refund. Cancellations within 24 hours are non-refundable. Tours run rain or shine. During the October to December flood season we may reroute inland; if flooding makes the walk unsafe we cancel and refund in full.
Other notes
Runs daily at 07:30. The early start is deliberate - the market is at its best before 09:00 and the Old Town fills with day-trippers from about ten.
Hoi An Old Town heritage ticket: a street-level food walk does not require the ticket, because it is checked at the entrances of the 22 heritage houses and temples rather than on the street. We do not enter ticketed sites on this tour. If you want to visit them afterwards, tickets are 120,000 VND for foreign visitors, cash only, from the yellow booths. Ignore anyone selling single-site coupons in the street - they are counterfeit.
Flood season runs late October to mid December, worst in October and November. The riverfront streets flood first. We hold an inland alternate route.
Dietary needs: tell us at least 48 hours ahead. Vegetarian is straightforward in Hoi An; cao lau and white rose can both be adapted.
The Old Town is closed to cars and motorbikes for much of the day, so this is a pure walking tour of about 2 km on flat streets.
Hoi An Old Town heritage ticket: a street-level food walk does not require the ticket, because it is checked at the entrances of the 22 heritage houses and temples rather than on the street. We do not enter ticketed sites on this tour. If you want to visit them afterwards, tickets are 120,000 VND for foreign visitors, cash only, from the yellow booths. Ignore anyone selling single-site coupons in the street - they are counterfeit.
Flood season runs late October to mid December, worst in October and November. The riverfront streets flood first. We hold an inland alternate route.
Dietary needs: tell us at least 48 hours ahead. Vegetarian is straightforward in Hoi An; cao lau and white rose can both be adapted.
The Old Town is closed to cars and motorbikes for much of the day, so this is a pure walking tour of about 2 km on flat streets.
Detailed price list
| Guest type | Price |
|---|---|
| Adults | $45 |
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