Traditional Craft Villages Private Tour from Hanoi

At around 7:30am - 8:00am, your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and you will drive to various villages on the outskirts of Hanoi to learn about traditional handicrafts and see the locals as they work on their products.

The first stop is the pottery village of Bat Trang, which for hundreds of years has been making its high-quality and extraordinarily beautiful ceramic products, particularly dinnerware and ornamental ware. Wander the narrow streets to watch the skillful and talented workers producing sophisticated porcelain, tableware and ornaments using the modern gas-fired kilns. Inside the studios, you will see the craftsmen mixing clay or dipping burnt cases into glaze to highlight their crackled lines. The painting masters will apply intricate designs on the raw terracotta before heating them in the ovens. The outcome pottery products include a diversified range of bowls, dishes, pots, cups, wine pots, large flower-vases, leg lamps, lime-pots and big-bellied jars featuring a plethora of colored and patterned glazes which you will see and learn about.

Continuing the tour, you will depart for Dong Ho, where paintings made via a wooden block printing method which you will see. Once in the village, you will visit craftsman, Nguyen Dang Che’s home to see this craft in action. This is just one of two families still engaged in this painstaking craft. The remainder of the village has turned to a more lucrative pursuit, turning out paper votive offerings.

After a 30 minute stop for lunch, you will drive to the wood carving village of Dong Ky, which is associated with making carved hardwood furniture in both private and state run workshops. The craftsmen here embody enough superb skills to make the exquisite high-quality wood furniture which is sold both inside and outside the village. The most common pieces are tables, chairs, cupboards and carved beds.

Finally, you will visit the rattan-knitting village of Phu Vinh. Phu Vinh bamboo and rattan-woven products exceed 500 varieties. You will be able to watch this intricate art in action. The most notable products include art work such as panels, couples, birds and animal pictures. They are made of extremely thin and small splints woven with a small awl as if embroidered. Another variety includes fruit baskets, trays, plates, bags, suitcases, sandals, hats, lamp shapes and flower vases. A third category includes large baskets, sieves, buckets and creels.

After the final village visit, you will return to your hotel around 5pm.