Street markets in Vietnam

Street markets in Vietnam: shopping in Vietnam markets

Shopping lovers and street market fans will find in Vietnam their personal paradise. Street markets in Vietnam are inherit to the Vietnamese culture and the life style of the country. People say every house in Hanoi is also a business. Shops, street markets, malls in Vietnam... let's go shopping!!!

Bargains in Vietnam

If you want to find bargains in Vietnam, you should know which kind of goods have a lower price in Vietnam than in a foreign country.

Clothing: the price is 3 maybe 4 times less than in Europe or America. A t-shirt, polo t-shirt or long sleeve shirt cost around 200.000 VND (10$, see Vietnam currency).

Belts: for 8$ you can buy a top quality leather belt, but if you prefer any other material, the price could be even less.
Handbags: only an expert will be able to distinguish the replicas from the genuine handbag. You can find a hangbag replicas (no matter if it's a Louis Vuitton or Prada) for 15$.
Shoes: the average price is a half of the price abroad.
Electronics: Vietnam weak point. All electronic items are imported, it doesn't matter the shop, the market or street market, the price won't be a bargain (maybe a little bit cheaper, due to the shipping cost from China / Japan to Vietnam compared to America or Europe).
Genuine clothing: you can find official dealers all over Vietnam. A pair of genuine Levis trousers cost half than in Spain, sport shoes like Nike or Adidas, we can save up to 20%. The rest of the items, we can save from 5% to 15%, due to shipping and import taxes.
Cell phones: if you are willing to buy a brand new iPhone in Vietnam you better have plenty of cash in your wallet, an iPhone costs 800$ in Vietnam (factory unlock, of course). However you can buy protectors, covers and any kind of accessory (no matter if you hae an iPhone 3, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 5 or any other manufacturer) from 1$.
Food: without a doubt, the cheapest thing in Vietnam. Eating and driking in Vietnamese restaurants is a pleasure at giveaway prices. For 5$ you can have lunch or dinner in any city of the country, but if you decided to try a street restaurant the price will be 1$.
Hairdressers: hair cut, washing, new hair style and french manicure for 3$, yes I said 3$.

Shoe street market in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

Shops in Hue. Street markets in Vietnam

Where to find bargains in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)?

An Dong Market

In Ho Chi Minh City district 5 is the shopping mall Windsor Plaza, like the spanish chain El Corte Inglés but in Saigon. However if you prefer the atmosphere of a street market and above all, some bargains, specially cheap bargains. You are lucky, because just around the corner you can find An Dong Market, probably the biggest market of the city, inside a 4 floors building (An Dương Vương street, see Ho Chi Minh City map).

What can I buy in An Dong Market in Saigon?

An Dong market is mainly devoted to textile, clothing, shoes, accesories, handbags, jewelry, imitation jewelry, souvenirs, handicrafts, household, telephony and some electronics. You can find almost everything inside this huge market, even fabric to make a Vietnamese traditional dress.

Floors 1st, 2nd and 3rd are mainly textile, clothing and accessories, but also on the 1st floor you can find jewelery and imitation jewelery. Just as a matter of interest we will tell you on the 3rd floor of An Dong Market they sell winter cloth and coats for the Vietnamese people who will travel abroad, because of the hotter Weather in Saigon we will never need winter cloth or even socks.

Biggest Market in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) - An Dong Market

On the ground floor people sell spices, food and many other things. If you are willing to cook any traditional Vietnamese dish of the Vietnamese Cuisine, the ground floor is your place (unfortunately you won't find many exotic ingredients to prepare a Exotic Vietnamese dish).

Clothing market in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City) - Vietnam

How can I go to An Dong Market?

To go to An Dong Market there are just 2 options:

By Taxi
By motorbike

For a foreign tourist the taxi is by far the best option. At the main gate of An Dong Market there are plenty of taxis to catch when we finish shopping. From the city center, district 1 of Saigon it usually takes 10 to 15 minutes (depending on the traffic).

Pictures of An Dong Market

A collection of picture of the market of Ho Chi Minh City where you can find and buy bargains.

Clothing shops in An Dong Market (Saigon)	Main entrance to An Dong Market. Ho Chi Minh City	Clothing shops of Vietnam street markets
Vietnamese dress for sale in the street market	Vietnamese dress Ao Dai for sale in the street market	Shops with genuine clothing in Vietnam markets
An Dong Market. Ho Chi Minh City	An Dong Market in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City)	Motorbike Parking in An Dong Market. Ho Chi Minh City

Ben Thanh Market

Another interesting option for shopping fans, but a little bit more expensive, is Ben Thanh Market and surrounding streets.

How to go to Ben Thanh Market?

Ben Thanh Market is located in the city center (see Ho Chi Minh City map), you can go on foot, by motorbike, by taxi or you can even try a Tuk-Tuk like vehicle.

Ben Thanh Market. Ho Chi Minh. Vietnam

Where to find bargains in Hanoi?

Hanoi Old Market

The most import shopping point in Hanoi is the Old Market of Hanoi.

Street shop in Hanoi Old Market (Vietnam)

How to go to Hanoi Old Market?

Hanoi's Old Market is a pedestrian area, but it doesn't mean there won't be any motorbike. So that the only option to move around the Old Market is on foot.

Pictures of Hanoi's Old Market

Here you have a couple of pictures of the Old Market of Hanoi, you can check the kind of shops, street shops and the atmosphere of this market in the capital of Vietnam.

Vietnamese girls in a Street Market in Vietnam	Shopping in a street market in Vietnam
Shoe street market in Hanoi Old Town	Street market inside Hanoi Old Market

Videos of Vietnam's Street Markets

Videos of Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) Street Markets

One of the most famous markets in Ho Chi Minh City is Ben Thanh Market, because is one of the oldest markets and also, because it is located in the city center (district 1). However in district 5, just in front of a magnificent, luxury and ultra modern shopping mall, the Windsor Plaza, there is one of the biggest (and cheapest) street markets of Saigon, or better to say Ho Chi Minh City, An Dong Market.

Vídeos of An Dong Market in Ho Chi Minh City

This is the exterior of An Dong Market in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).

The exterior part of a market says just a little, better to take a walk for its shops and the interior of An Dong Market.

Inside An Dong Market, with hundreds of shop to buy cloth, textile, fabric, accessories, jewelery, shoes (in An Dong market you can also buy Vietnamese dress. An Dong Market is a 4 stories market so that you can enjoy shopping in Vietnam, which you can find bargains between 3 to 4 times cheaper than abroad.

Videos of Ben Thanh Market

Let's go inside Ben Thanh Market Ben Thanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City.

Videos of fruit and vegetables market - Street markets of fruit and vegetables

This is a fruit shop on one side of the road. This fruit shop sells exotic fruits.

Videos of Street markets in Hanoi

Video of Hanoi's Old Town and its markets

Hanoi's Old Market is worth to pay a visit, its shops, the people, and all the things that you can buy. The market is located on the nort-east corner of Hoan Kiem Lake, you have just to follow the people (or have a look to Hanoi City Map).

This is Hanoi's Old Market from the street.

And this is Hanoi's Old Market from above (wires included).

In this video, you can feel Hanoi's Old Town and Hanoi's Market atmosphere during night time.

Shoe shopping in street markets in Vietnam

A dozen of Vietnamese girls (motorbike included) gathering on a street market in Hanoi's Old Town to buy shoes.

Pictures of Vietnam Street Markets

Some pictures of several markets around Vietnam:

Street markets in Hanoi
Street markets in Ho Chi Minh City
Street markets in Hue

Vietnamese Hat

In this market in Hanoi they have both models of Non La or Vietnamese Hat: Vietnamese Hat for men and Vietnamese Hat for women. In Hanoi is quite easy to find Vietnamese Hat but in the south of Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, etc) is difficult to find the Vietnamese Hat for men.