Hoi An Full Moon Lantern Evening & Master Tailor

Hoi An turns off its electric lights on the fourteenth evening of each lunar month. The Ancient Town is lit by paper lanterns: hung from doorways, floated on the Thu Bon River, held by children running between merchant houses. The effect, in a UNESCO heritage town where the architecture has been intact for four centuries, is extraordinary.

We organise your visit to coincide with the Full Moon Festival and add a second appointment: your private session with one of the three master tailors we work with in Hoi An. These are not the shops on the main street with sample suits in the window. These are family workshops where the cutter has thirty years of experience with European fits, where fabric is selected from bolts rather than swatches, and where a bespoke suit arrives in 24 to 36 hours.

The evening begins with a guided walk through the lantern-lit Ancient Town with a local historian. Dinner follows at a riverside restaurant with Central Vietnamese specialities: white rose dumplings, cao lau noodles, bánh xèo sizzling pancakes. The tailor appointment is arranged before dinner, with a fitting the following morning.

The lantern festival takes place on the fourteenth day of each lunar month, the night before the full moon. On that evening, the town centre closes to motor traffic, and shop owners switch off their electric lights in favour of lanterns. Stalls sell paper lanterns and flowers, and people release small candle-lit boats onto the river with a wish. Because the lunar calendar shifts against the Western one, the date changes from month to month, and we schedule your visit around the festival when your dates allow. If your dates do not match, the old town is still beautifully lit with silk lanterns every evening, though without the special atmosphere.

The evening begins at 5:30 PM at the Japanese Covered Bridge, the symbol of Hoi An. Your local historian guides you through the old town, explaining how Hoi An prospered as a trading port from the sixteenth to the nineteenth century, when Japanese, Chinese, Dutch and Portuguese merchants settled here. Highlights include the assembly halls built by Chinese communities, old merchant houses and the riverside, where boats glide past lanterns hung from trees.

Dinner is served at a riverside restaurant, featuring dishes that are specific to Hoi An. Cao lau is a noodle dish with thick, chewy noodles, pork, herbs and crisp croutons. White rose dumplings are delicate, translucent shrimp dumplings shaped like petals. Banh xeo are crisp rice pancakes filled with shrimp and bean sprouts, wrapped in rice paper with fresh herbs and dipped in a rich sauce.

Hoi An is famous for its tailors. Skilled workshops can make shirts, dresses and suits in a day or two, copying a photograph or a garment you bring, and a good tailor takes time to choose fabric and measure carefully. This tour includes an appointment with a workshop, arranged before dinner, so that measurements are taken in the evening and fittings can follow the next morning. Bring a photo or a garment you like, and allow at least two fittings. The price depends on the fabric and design, and is quoted by the tailor. Check the stitching, seams and lining carefully, and do not hesitate to ask for adjustments.

The best time to visit is from February to May. The rainy season, from September to December, can flood the old town, though visits are still possible. The town is at its busiest at weekends and during holidays, and the lantern festival can be crowded.

The evening lasts around five hours. A private local historian guide for three hours, a lantern to float on the river, a three-course riverside dinner and a tailor appointment with a fabric consultation are included. The cost of tailored garments, hotel transfers and gratuities are not.