Shopping in Vietnam
Many low-budget travelers considered Vietnam a heavenly place because in many shopping situations they can bargain the prices down to as much as a third of the original cost.
- Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City:
Shopping in Ho Chi Minh is truly one of the highlights of this fascinating city. New shopping malls are springing up all over downtown Saigon, bringing with them international fashion brands to please the most demanding of fashion connoisseurs, but it is the variety of shopping experiences and one-off items that most excite us about shopping in Ho Chi Minh.
Boutique fashion is more prominent here than almost anywhere else in Southeast Asia, where bespoke items can be bought at a fraction of what they cost elsewhere. Markets in Ho Chi Minh are also highly recommended as they still play a central role in the daily lives of locals and visitors – truly a shopping experience you won’t forget quickly.
1 - Ben Thanh Market: Ben Thanh Market is fun at any time of day and well into the night. Early mornings see locals shopping for fresh produce before fashion stalls take centre stage throughout the day, as well as rows of coffee traders, selling a dizzying array of beans. Come nightfall, a night market sets up alongside the main hall, selling clothing, apparel and souvenirs until 23:00,
2 - Vincom Tower: The luxurious Vincom Center is Ho Chi Minh City’s largest shopping mall with over 250 shops spread out over two separate buildings
- Shopping in Hanoi
The best thing about shopping in Hanoi is that you can do it all on foot, with many streets dedicated to specific trades. This is particularly true in the Old Quarter, where Silk Street and Silver Street still retain their particular trades after hundreds of years. Whether you are looking for gimmicky souvenirs such as Vietnamese farming hats or a hand-made silk evening gown, Hanoi can provide.
1- Hang Gai Street: This street is famous in Hanoi as the best place to pick up some high quality, fashionable silk items, such as dresses, apparel and home furnishings, as well as other fashion items. The entirety of this busy 300 metre long street is lined with boutiques, tailors and fashion stores
2- Dong Xuan Market: Dong Xuan Market is the largest market in Hanoi and has a wide array of products for sale over four floors. Located on the northern edge of the Old Quarter, it is an imposing Soviet-style building, surrounded on all sides by merchant shops and stalls. It is a rough-and-ready type of market (some might even say ‘dirty’), especially in the ground floor wet market area. However, head up the stairs and you will find cheap printed tees, bolts of fabric, school uniforms, luggage stalls and much more, all available at wholesale prices. ( Open from 8.00 Am to 17.00 PM)
- Shopping in Hoian
Hoi An’s shopping scene is legendary for its plethora of affordable yet quality tailoring services, where you can easily get your hands on custom-made dresses, suits, shirts, and shoes at a fraction of the price you’d pay for them back home. Of course, there are still plenty of goods on sale in Hoi An and its pedestrian-friendly streets, with charming local shopkeepers making an afternoon or evening out shopping a delight.
The streets of Hoi An Ancient Town are also lined with shophouses and makeshift stalls selling handicrafts, jewellery, traditional apparel, and shoes while its central marketplace is filled with locals bargaining for fresh produce and foodstuffs. You can find an abundance of fair-trade shops and non-profit charity organisations in Hoi An, where all proceeds go toward helping impoverished families and disabled youths in Vietnam. This section of our site features everything you need to know for a fulfilling dose of retail therapy, including where to shop and what to buy in Hoi An.