Vietnam is well known for attracting shoppers, with its varied retail scene. From city hubs to countryside villages the markets, across the country offer a delightful mix of handmade crafts fresh local goods and one of a kind mementos. Whether you're looking for fabrics, intriguing art pieces or delicious local treats, Vietnam local market guarantee a shopping adventure that truly connects you with the essence of the community. So follow us to see the best market in Vietnam.
1. Shopping in Vietnam
Vietnam's shopping scene is centered around its markets, where visitors can fully engage with the culture through the vibrant sights, sounds and smells. These bustling marketplaces serve as more than places to shop – they are platforms for interactions. Negotiating prices with vendors appreciating the artistry of goods and exploring regional products all add to an enriching shopping experience. In this blog post, we will highlight best market in Vietnam that are ideal for discovering that perfect souvenir. Don't worry if you're looking for items; most of these markets also offer a range of goods. However, we recommend visiting markets for an authentic and traditional shopping adventure. Keep in mind that while local markets may lack souvenirs they provide a taste of life.
2. Market for shopping in Hanoi Vietnam
a. Dong Xuan market
Dong Xuan Market is one of the largest and oldest markets in Hanoi. It is located in the heart of the city's Old Quarter. Established in the late 19th century the market has been a central hub for trade and commerce in the region for over a century.
The Vietnam local market is housed in a large, four-story building with a distinctive yellow facade. Inside visitors can find an array of stalls and shops offering a diverse range of goods. Including:
Fresh Produce: The market is renowned for its wide selection of fresh fruits. Vegetables, herbs and spices sourced from nearby farms and suppliers.
Textiles and Clothing: A wide variety of fabrics, garments and traditional Vietnamese attire can be found. They are available at many textile stalls.
Household Goods: From kitchenware and ceramics to handicrafts and souvenirs. The market is a treasure trove for household items.
Street Food: Dong Xuan Market is also a popular destination for local and tourist foodies. You can find numerous food stalls serving authentic Vietnamese street food. Ranging from pho to banh mi.
The lively atmosphere, bargaining culture and opportunity to immerse oneself in the local way of life make
Dong Xuan Market a must-visit destination. Tourists exploring Hanoi find it particularly appealing. The market is open daily. The busiest periods are in the mornings and early afternoons.
b. Van Phuc market
Van Phuc Market can be referred to as Silk Village Market, situated in the Van Phuc Commune in Hanoi although it is in the outskirts. The market is well known for provision of a very large range of authentic Vietnamese silk fabrics and clothes.
Van Phuc Market was set up in the late nineteenth century, which has been experienced as the significant market and distribution place for silk in the North of Vietnam. The identity of the market is inherent as it is located in the area known throughout generations for skilled silk weavers and stays a fundamental center of the local silk industry.
At the Vietnam local market, visitors can find a diverse range of silk products, including:At the market, visitors can find a diverse range of silk products, including:
Silk Fabrics: The market provides a wide range of pure silk cloths and garments in different hues, designs, and touch and for local as well as overseas markets.
Silk Clothing: Starting from ao dai, traditional Vietnamese dresses, to silk shirts, blouses, and scarves the market is famous for silk clothes.
Silk Accessories: Enough variety of silk products which includes purses, handbags, ties, paintings made from silk, and many other handicrafts can be observed.
General bustle, direct communication with the talented and expert artisans of silk in Vietnam, and the fact that the visitors can buy quality silk products at rather affordable prices makes the
Van Phuc Market a great place for both, the tourists, and the inhabitants of Vietnam.
This market is open throughout the week although it operates more business during the morning and early afternoon. This would be a perfect opportunity to take a closer look at the traditions of textile in Vietnam and to find a truly special and original souvenirs made of silk.
c. Old quarter night market
The Old Quarter Night Market to be outdoor with booths lined selling various items and trinkets; it comes alive in the evening and is found in Hanoi’s Old Quarter area. The market is functional on the weekends, mainly on Friday evening up to Saturday night from about 6 PM to about 11 PM and occupies a number of streets in the district.
Some of the goods sold comprise a wide array of Vietnamese street food vendors, and other mobile food sellers hawking scrumptious Vietnamese street foods. Tourists can also find a huge variety of traditional handicraft products, mementos, Vietnamese arts and crafts, and artwork products and designs, along with clothing items, including accessories and fabric products namely silk products. The fresh produces, flowers, and household products are also available in the market to suit the need of the local people as well as visitors.
Old Quarter Night Market has a very lively nightlife with mores lights, sounds and faces of people ranging from the locals to the visitors. In this relatively small but engaging region, people can chamber the market, purchase goods, taste Vietnamese street cuisine, and dance till dawn with the fashionable nightlife of the Old Quarter in Hanoi. Paying is rather smooth, negotiation with vendors is possible, which creates an atmosphere of real shopping.
The most significant benefit of the Old Quarter Night Market is its location that allows it to use the Old Quarter historic buildings’ background, enhancing the ambiance. Besides bargaining for the prices, there are even troupes of musicians and dancers who entertain, enhancing the market’s lively nature. The Vietnam local market area is a social point of the population where one can capture scenes of people’s daily activities and their lifestyle in Hanoi.
3. Market for shopping in Da Nang Vietnam
a. Con Market
Located at the central region of Danang city, Con Market is now the symbol of a lively commercial and social life. To people who would like to have the essence of Vietnamese culture in traveling, this market will provide clients with spectacular visuals, amazing sounds, and tasty menu selections that will surely entice. The moment one enters Con Market you are met by fumes from multitude of food vendors circulating in the air. Banh xeo – a Vietnamese savory pancake sizzling on the hot pan, to the aromatic Vietnamese noodle soup Phở – whether it’s a dish or the smells, every corner of the Vietnam local market is an invitation to feast your taste buds on. Local people find Mì Quảng to be a truly addictive numbers that traveler should not skip when visiting this place. Apart from being a kill-the-liver eatery, Con Market is a shoppers’ paradise with thematic halls with beautiful colored textiles, skillful souvenirs, and impressions, and fresh groceries.
Besides being a shopping center, Con Market is also the perfect reflection of Danang’s historic cultural palimpsest. The market is an open market where people come to do their shopping, where they also buy their foods and also a place for social congregation. Interacting with the sellers and other customers provides an idea of the Vietnam warmth and having sellers looking at an array of fruit and moving around calling out gives a view of Vietnam’s hospitality. Con Market is for anyone who is an epicure, consumerist and/or a traveler who loves to explore the local markets and experience the Vietnamese culture. Thus, grab your bags, you’re getting hungry, and welcome to the best immerse into the core of the alive Danang market!
b. Han Market
Called as the Vietnam local market which should be visited by every tourist, Han Market is the most popular among the well-known markets in Danang if to speak about the shopping for the typical souvenirs. Here, you can find chili paste which is packed for takeaway and Ly Son garlic, Rice crackers and dried squid can also be bought as take home products for friends and family. A section you will also notice is fruits which include bananas, mangoes, durians, jackfruits and more, available at several stalls. These are lively and fresh fruits that give the meaning of Vietnam’s agricultural abundance, they are wonderful to be consumed while you are here or as a gift to someone.
Apart from the mouthwatering foods, Han Market is also famous for its well-made but relatively cheap custom made suit or dress. Most attractive and prominent local tailors have their outlets here where they design and sew superior quality clothes for the inhabitants and tourists. Whether you need a formal wear for a business meeting or an elegant dress, there is beauty in the Han Market where excellent tailors can quickly make you a beautiful outfit, which fits you better than ready-made clothes. Due to the great variety of souvenirs, fresh food and excellent tailors, Han Market can be considered as a one-stop shopping destination providing everything that tourists expect from markets in general and markets in Danang in particular.
c. Bac My An Market
Finally, Bac My An Market is located in Da Nang university area nearby University of Economics, thus students frequent the place. With the steady development of the tourism industry in Da Nang, the market and destinations have respectively received great attention from the people who are fond of traveling while seeking for food adventures.
It is a large open-air market and sections are divided by specialization selling food and beverages similar to fresh products and dried products, then clothes and accessories and mainly targets the locals. However, the largest number of visitors is observed in the sale of food where tasty and quality dishes at reasonable prices are offered. The smiling and welcoming faces of the vendors complement the feel of the market and that is why those who visit Da Nang piggyback the market as their favorite.
4. Market for shopping in Saigon Vietnam
a. Ben Thanh market
Ben Thanh Market is commonly recognized as one of the greatest and the most visible symbols of commercial and tourist attraction in Ho Chi Minh City that retains great importance for more than one hundred years. The market is based at District 1 of the city’s central business district, within walking distance of other significant places.
Now Ben Thanh Market is a working, several-storied building of modern appearance accommodating hundreds of shops and stalls selling almost everything. The market is divided into different sections, each specializing in particular product categories:The market is divided into different sections, each specializing in particular product categories:
Food & Produce: The first level of the market is occupied by shops with fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, fish and seafood and other local oriental products.
Handicrafts & Souvenirs: Upper floors to the market have shops that offer Vietnamese handicrafts, souvenirs, textiles and other cultural products that visitors to Vietnam considerably like.
Clothing & Accessories: Many stores on the upper floors sell thoroughly Vietnamese apparels, shoes, bags and accessories.
Household Goods: They can also obtain a variety of utensils, chinaware, ornaments and other useful products every where in the market.
Besides, Ben Thanh Market with extensive ranges of commodities, it also famous with the bustle and boisterous food zone which attracting many tourists. Several types of Vietnamese street foods like pho, banh mi and other local products can be tested when visiting the place as the atmosphere is very vibrant and lively that effectively mirrors the ambience of the market.
Apart from its importance as a business center,
Ben Thanh Market has also evolved to become a historical and cultural symbol of Ho Chi Minh City, and has become one of the city’s key tourist attractions. The style of neo-romantic architecture is making the clock tower of the market a rather attractive icon of the city. Trying out the
Ben Thanh Market that has all sorts of things, from the smells to the tastes should not be missed when one is in Ho Chi Minh City.
b. Binh Tay market
Inside Ho Chi Minh City, Binh Tay Market, which is situated in the center of Cho Lon, a prominent Chinatown district recognized as the second largest outside China, is an ethnic Chinese commercial area. Binh Tay Market is now mostly a wholesale market which supplies local sellers and retailers and a growing number of tourists. The varieties are wide and customers can source almost anything they need from the market; from fruits and vegetables to fresh herbs and spices, dried seafood, nuts, and Chinese medicines and cures. The shoppers can also find all kinds of articles for homes, domestic use such as ceramics, porcelain, kitchenware utensils, textiles and garments.
Moving around Binh Tay Market, especially through the aisle is an organized cultural value because the traders yell to their customers and the energy observed. Negotiation is expected even though most of the items have standard prices and the art of bargaining with the sellers adds to the experience when at the Vietnam local market. Having frequented so many markets, the New World is also replete with all kinds of food vendors that prepare Chinese and Vietnamese foods; thus giving the customers a chance to gain more experience on Chinese and Vietnamese foods.
Thus Binh Tay Market is the central place defining the locality of the Chinatown district since the orientation of Saigon toward China and the Chinese impact in it is evident. One of the most interesting features of the market includes the roof designs that are quite unique, pagoda-like with details that incorporate the Chinese and colonial interface. Furthermore, this Vietnam local market is a wholesale station for many items not only for business outlets in Ho Chi Minh City, but also for the whole southern part of Vietnam.
c. Hanh Thong Tay market
Hanh Thong Tay Market is an indigenous market situated in the District 6 of, Ho Chi Minh City. Despite the fact that compared to Ben Thanh or Binh Tay markets Hanh Thong Tay is not as famous to tourists it remains one of the significant markets to the neighboring communities as well as gives a glance of how Vietnamese citizens spend their day and where do they shop. Currently, Hanh Thong Tay Market is famous with a large quantity of fresh foods and many types of fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and other sources of daily food. However, the Vietnam local market also has sections for fresh produce; grocery; home, laundry, and stationery items; and clothes and shoes among other goods. But one feature that stood out was the fact that about half the shops in Hanh Thong Tay specialised in live animals read poultry and fish, exotic pets, cattle and what have you.
The social interaction between the vendors and the consumers is most lively as they aggressively sell their products and bargain for the prices respectively. Many of the markets in Ho Chi Minh City are meant for both locals and tourists, but Hanh Thong Tay is distinct in the way that it focuses mainly with the locals for their daily provision that are affordable yet of good quality.
Though it is not as famous as some of the other markets that Ho Chi Minh City boasts of it gives the willing traveler a true feel of what shopping in Vietnam is like. Strolling through this market and getting a new view on the channels and stimuli of the city and its shoppers is valuable.
5. Some useful tips for shopping in Vietnam markets
Here are some useful tips for shopping for souvenirs in Vietnam market:
Identify Local Specialties: Each region of Vietnam is known for its unique handicrafts, textiles, and artisanal products. Do some research beforehand to identify the local specialties of the areas you plan to visit, such as lacquerware from the North, silk paintings from the Center, or embroidered goods from the South.
Seek Out Authentic Craftsmanship: Look for items that showcase traditional Vietnamese craftsmanship, such as hand-woven textiles, intricate wood carvings, or delicate pottery. Avoid mass-produced souvenirs and opt for pieces that are clearly handmade.
Inquire About the Origin: When purchasing souvenirs, ask the vendors about the origin and production process of the items. This not only helps you appreciate the craftsmanship but also ensures you're supporting local artisans and small businesses.
Consider Size and Fragility: When selecting souvenirs, take into account the size and fragility of the items. Opt for pieces that are durable and easy to pack, especially if you plan to transport them back home.
Negotiate Prices Respectfully: As with any Vietnam market shopping, be prepared to negotiate prices, but do so in a friendly and respectful manner. Avoid being overly aggressive, as this can damage the rapport with the vendor.
Explore Beyond the Main Markets: While the well-known markets in major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City are popular for souvenirs, consider visiting smaller, local markets in rural areas. You may find unique, off-the-beaten-path items that are not readily available in the more touristy markets.
Collect Business Cards: When you find a vendor selling exceptional quality souvenirs, ask for their business card. This can come in handy if you wish to order additional items or have the vendor ship your purchases directly to your home.
By following these tips, you can maximize your chances of finding authentic, high-quality souvenirs that capture the essence of Vietnam's rich cultural heritage and support local artisans in
Vietnam market. We hope this travel guide is helpful for you in finding a spot to pick out your Vietnamese authentic souvenirs. If you wish to have a wonderful holiday in Vietnam, don't hesitate to contact
Autour Asia - best travel agency in Vietnam. We invite you to experience the genuine beauty of the Vietnamese people and memorable moment during your travels.
Emily Johnson
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What are things to see in old quarter Hanoi ?
Things to see in old quarter Hanoi? Explore narrow streets lined with traditional shophouses and vibrant street markets. Key sights include the Hoan Kiem Lake, a serene spot with the iconic Turtle Tower and Ngoc Son Temple. Visit the ancient Bach Ma Temple and the bustling Dong Xuan Market for local goods. Wander through the French colonial architecture of the Hanoi Opera House and the St. Joseph's Cathedral. Discover traditional craft shops in the “36 Streets” area, where each street specializes in a specific trade. Don’t miss the lively atmosphere of Ta Hien Street, known for its vibrant street food and nightlife.
Daniel Anderson
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What can i find in Vietnam market ?
In Vietnam market, you'll find a vibrant array of goods including fresh produce like fruits, vegetables, herbs, and seafood. Markets also offer a variety of meats, spices, and traditional ingredients used in Vietnamese cuisine. You can explore stalls selling local handicrafts, textiles, and souvenirs such as lacquerware and pottery. In addition to food and crafts, many markets feature household items, clothing, and accessories. Street food vendors offer delicious local snacks and dishes, providing an authentic taste of Vietnamese culinary culture. Each market reflects the local lifestyle and offers a unique shopping experience.
Christopher Wilson
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When do Vietnam local market often open?
Vietnam local market typically open early in the morning, around 5:00 AM, and remain busy until late morning or early afternoon. The peak hours are usually from 6:00 AM to 9:00 AM, when vendors display the freshest produce and local goods. Some markets might reopen in the late afternoon and stay open until 7:00 PM or 8:00 PM, especially in larger cities. Opening hours can vary by location and type of market, but early mornings are generally the best time to experience the hustle and bustle and access the widest selection of products.
