Tra Que Herb Village & Cooking Classes in Hoi An
A visual guide from the Hoi An travel guide — see all posters in Visual Guides.
Tra Que is a pocket-sized farming village between the Old Town and the beach where every row of basil, mint, rau ram and lemongrass is raised by hand and fed with algae raked from the local lagoon — a method so distinctive that UN Tourism named Tra Que one of its Best Tourism Villages in 2024. It also doubles as Hoi An's open-air cooking school: many of the town's famous classes begin among these beds.
Visiting the Gardens
Cycle in along the An Bang road — the village sits conveniently mid-route between town and beach — pay the small entry fee, and wander raised beds tended with twin watering cans exactly as they have been for generations. Farmers will happily hand you the cans or a rake for the classic photo. Early morning and the last hour before sunset bring the best light and the coolest air; pair it with a beach afternoon.
Cooking Classes
The classic format runs half a day: a market walk in town, a bike or boat out, herbs picked straight from the beds, then wok stations where you cook four or five dishes — spring rolls, banh xeo pancakes, and often Hoi An specialities like white-rose dumplings or cao lau. Vegetarian versions are everywhere, kids are welcome at most, and popular kitchens book out in high season, so reserve a day or two ahead.