Your afternoon smells like coffee and paper lanterns. I love Phin-filter Vietnamese coffee that’s both bold and surprisingly teachable, and I love the foldable lantern you’ll finish with and actually be able to pack. One thing to note up front: there’s no hotel pickup, so you’ll want to plan how you’ll get to Ba Trieu Street.

This workshop runs about 210 minutes and mixes hands-on coffee with hands-on lantern making in a comfortable, low-pressure setup. You’ll learn the steps behind dark-roast brewing with condensed milk, and you’ll also get to make egg coffee while an English-speaking team keeps things fun and clear.

Key Highlights You’ll Care About

• Phin filter brewing: Learn how this small metal filter shapes the flavor, drip by drip.
• Five Vietnamese coffee styles: You’ll taste multiple local favorites, including egg coffee.
• Dark beans + sweet condensed milk: Get the practical “how it tastes” method, not just a demo.
• Foldable lantern souvenir: You’ll make one you can take home and decorate with later.
• English guidance and an audio guide: You won’t be left guessing.
• Family-run, laughter-forward vibe: Many people mention humor and patient step-by-step help, including a guide named Tam.

Where You Start in Hoi An (and How to Not Stress About It)

You meet at a simple, specific spot: behind the Viettin bank, directly opposite Le Ba Truyen restaurant on 12 Ba Trieu St. Since hotel pickup isn’t included, treat this like a true “meet at the point” experience. If you’re staying a bit outside the center, I’d budget extra time for the short taxi or ride.

Bring a camera if you want photos of the coffee setup and your lantern at the end. That craft stage is way more satisfying than it sounds on paper, because you’re making something you can physically fold and pack without destroying it.

One more practical note: the class is listed as wheelchair accessible, which is a helpful detail if mobility is part of your planning.

Vietnamese Coffee 101: The Phin Filter and Dark-Roast Method

The coffee portion starts with the star tool: a little metal filter called a Phin. If you’ve only had instant coffee or Western drip, this is where the experience gets interesting fast. The Phin forces a slow, controlled brew, so the cup ends up tasting heavier and more layered.

Here’s the core idea you’ll learn: roasting the beans to a dark level and then brewing in a way that pairs with sweetened condensed milk. That combo is the backbone of a lot of Vietnamese coffee styles, including the ones you’ll make and taste during the class.

What I like about this part is that you’re not just being told stories. You’re taught steps you can repeat at home: how the filter sits, how the brew behaves, and how the final cup changes once condensed milk enters the picture.

You’ll also get breaks built into the flow, including herbal tea or water alongside the coffee. That matters because Vietnamese coffee can hit hard, especially if you drink it fast.

The Five Coffee Styles You’ll Taste (Including Egg Coffee)

During the session, you’ll be guided through five different types of Vietnamese coffee. The lineup you can expect includes:

• Black coffee
• Happy white coffee
• Hue Imperial salt coffee
• Hanoi egg coffee
• Plus one additional local style that’s part of the five-coffee set explained during class

Even if you’re not a coffee superfan, I think this structure is smart. You get variety in flavor direction: bitter and strong, sweet and creamy, and then the more unusual versions that use salt or eggs.

Egg coffee: why it’s more than a gimmick

Egg coffee is usually what gets people curious, but the class helps it make sense. You’re learning the steps that create the egg-foam style texture and taste, and then you’re drinking it as a finished product. You’re not just watching someone else do it.

What you’ll feel after

Several people mention how strong the coffee can be, and that you may want to pace yourself rather than trying to finish every cup at full strength. I’d follow that advice. Drink what you enjoy, take breaks with water or tea, and keep the lantern workshop calm and steady.

At the end of the coffee portion, you’ll also have a cookie with your coffee, which is a small detail, but it helps the tasting feel like a real experience instead of a sprint.

From Coffee to Lanterns: Making a Foldable Hoi An Lantern

Once the coffee portion wraps, you shift gears to the lantern workshop. Many groups move by walking across the street or down the road to the second venue. The transition is short, so you’re not sitting around bored while your caffeine fades.

This part is where the workshop becomes hands-on in a different way: you’re making a lantern. You’ll be able to choose fabric colors and patterns, and you’ll typically have a choice of lantern shapes. The end result is meant to be taken home, and a big selling point here is that your lantern is foldable for easier transport.

Your craft options (and why they matter)

In some sessions, you may have options such as:

• building more from scratch with bamboo materials, or
• using a pre-built lantern base/frame and attaching fabric

If you prefer precision and speed, the frame approach can feel easier. If you want a more classic feel with more assembly steps, building from bamboo might be the better match. Either way, the instructors are there to help without taking control away from you.

Folding for travel: the “don’t just make it, pack it” skill

What I really appreciate is that you’re not just taught to create a pretty object. You’re taught how to compress it so you can actually get it home safely. That sounds minor until you try to pack a fragile souvenir, and then it becomes the difference between a fun trip memory and a crushed decoration.

The 210-Minute Timing: What It Feels Like Day-of

The activity is listed at 210 minutes, so plan it as a solid afternoon block. In practice, the experience usually breaks into two chunks: coffee first (a couple of hours), then lantern making right after.

People also note that the lantern workshop can vary in length depending on whether you make a smaller or larger lantern (some sessions mention around 1.5 hours for a smaller one and up to 2.5 hours for a larger one). If you’re given a choice, I’d pick the length that matches your energy level. Coffee can make you feel buzzy, and lantern assembly rewards patience.

If you’re visiting in the heat, the structure helps: you get a guided, indoor-feeling craft flow for coffee and lantern time instead of wandering Hoi An with nothing planned.

Included Perks (and What You Might Want to Add)

Included in the price:

• Cookies
• Herbal tea or water
• Coffee
• English guide
• Local master

The class also lists English instruction and an English audio guide. That combination is practical. If you miss a detail, you can re-check the context, and you won’t lose the thread.

Is the value really there for $24?

For $24 per person and about 3.5 hours, the value comes from the fact you do two activities in one afternoon: brewing and tasting multiple coffees plus making a tangible lantern souvenir. You’re not paying only for entertainment—you’re paying for instruction, materials, and the final items you carry home.

One more value point from the experience: people mention receiving a Phin to take away in some cases. Even if you’re unsure about that detail in your specific slot, the class clearly teaches you the brewing tool and method so you can recreate the experience later.

If you want to spend money in Hoi An, this is also a good “choose later” setup. You can see what’s possible in the workshop, then decide if you want to buy more lanterns or extra coffee items afterward.

Who This Workshop Fits Best (and Who Might Adjust)

This is a great fit if you:

• like hands-on workshops more than passive tours,
• want a deeper look at Vietnamese coffee culture,
• enjoy crafts you can actually take home,
• are traveling with family and want an activity that keeps multiple ages engaged.

It’s also a strong rainy-day option because you’re indoors for the coffee portion and seated at tables for the lantern work.

Who should be a little cautious

If you’re very sensitive to caffeine, I’d be careful. Multiple people warn that the coffee is strong, and one of the best “life hacks” here is pacing. Drink a portion, take water breaks, and don’t try to knock out all the cups.

Also, this is not a “quiet, minimal talking” experience. The tone is usually upbeat, with humor and lots of guidance. If you love chat and energy, you’ll probably have a great time.

Should You Book the Lantern and Coffee Making Class?

I think you should book it if you want a real Hoi An experience that mixes food culture with a handmade souvenir. The workshop structure works: you learn brewing basics with the Phin, you taste a set of local coffees (including egg coffee), and then you switch to a craft where your choices matter—fabric, shape, and the final foldable lantern you take home.

Skip it (or consider a different plan) if you don’t want to meet at the exact location or you hate coffee-heavy afternoons. Also, if you want a very slow, sightseeing-only day, this workshop is hands-on and structured.

If you can spare an afternoon in central Hoi An, this is one of those activities that gives you both memories you can hold in your hands and skills you can use again.

FAQ

Where is the meeting point for the class?

You meet behind the Viettin bank, opposite Le Ba Truyen restaurant at 12 Ba Trieu St.

How long is the experience?

The total duration is 210 minutes.

What’s included in the price?

It includes cookies, herbal tea or water, coffee, an English guide, and a local master.

What isn’t included?

Hotel pickup and drop-off are not included.

Do they provide English instruction?

Yes. The instruction is English, and there is also an English audio guide.

What should I bring with me?

Bring a camera if you want photos.

Is it wheelchair accessible?

Yes, the experience is listed as wheelchair accessible.