diff --git a/spanner/cloud-client/snippets.py b/spanner/cloud-client/snippets.py
index 26402bcd3be..9c0eb3d64b9 100644
--- a/spanner/cloud-client/snippets.py
+++ b/spanner/cloud-client/snippets.py
@@ -28,6 +28,31 @@
 from google.cloud.spanner_v1 import param_types
 
 
+# [START spanner_create_instance]
+def create_instance(instance_id):
+    """Creates an instance."""
+    spanner_client = spanner.Client()
+
+    config_name = "{}/instanceConfigs/regional-us-central1".format(
+        spanner_client.project_name
+    )
+
+    instance = spanner_client.instance(
+        instance_id,
+        configuration_name=config_name,
+        display_name="This is a display name.",
+        node_count=1,
+    )
+
+    operation = instance.create()
+
+    print('Waiting for operation to complete...')
+    operation.result(120)
+
+    print('Created instance {}'.format(instance_id))
+# [END spanner_create_instance]
+
+
 # [START spanner_create_database]
 def create_database(instance_id, database_id):
     """Creates a database and tables for sample data."""
@@ -1455,6 +1480,7 @@ def create_client_with_query_options(instance_id, database_id):
         default='example_db')
 
     subparsers = parser.add_subparsers(dest='command')
+    subparsers.add_parser('create_instance', help=create_instance.__doc__)
     subparsers.add_parser('create_database', help=create_database.__doc__)
     subparsers.add_parser('insert_data', help=insert_data.__doc__)
     subparsers.add_parser('delete_data', help=delete_data.__doc__)
@@ -1567,7 +1593,9 @@ def create_client_with_query_options(instance_id, database_id):
 
     args = parser.parse_args()
 
-    if args.command == 'create_database':
+    if args.command == 'create_instance':
+        create_instance(args.instance_id)
+    elif args.command == 'create_database':
         create_database(args.instance_id, args.database_id)
     elif args.command == 'insert_data':
         insert_data(args.instance_id, args.database_id)
diff --git a/spanner/cloud-client/snippets_test.py b/spanner/cloud-client/snippets_test.py
index a33c4424587..49a11dce91a 100644
--- a/spanner/cloud-client/snippets_test.py
+++ b/spanner/cloud-client/snippets_test.py
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-import os
 import time
 import uuid
 
@@ -22,19 +21,27 @@
 import snippets
 
 
+def unique_instance_id():
+    """ Creates a unique id for the database. """
+    return f'test-instance-{uuid.uuid4().hex[:10]}'
+
+
 def unique_database_id():
     """ Creates a unique id for the database. """
     return f'test-db-{uuid.uuid4().hex[:10]}'
 
 
-INSTANCE_ID = os.environ['SPANNER_INSTANCE']
+INSTANCE_ID = unique_instance_id()
 DATABASE_ID = unique_database_id()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='module')
 def spanner_instance():
+    snippets.create_instance(INSTANCE_ID)
     spanner_client = spanner.Client()
-    return spanner_client.instance(INSTANCE_ID)
+    instance = spanner_client.instance(INSTANCE_ID)
+    yield instance
+    instance.delete()
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope='module')
@@ -46,6 +53,11 @@ def database(spanner_instance):
     db.drop()
 
 
+def test_create_instance(spanner_instance):
+    # Reload will only succeed if the instance exists.
+    spanner_instance.reload()
+
+
 def test_create_database(database):
     # Reload will only succeed if the database exists.
     database.reload()