Ho Chi Minh City (Hồ Chí Minh) is well-known and popular for Vietnamese visitors and international tourists around the world not only because of impressive landscapes but also local markets. These marketplaces in Ho Chi Minh City are full of niche items such as authentic woodwork, memorabilia, branded sportswear, fashion wholesale outlets, and war memorabilia. Furthermore, you can also buy household supplies, fresh produce, and Vietnamese streets food at low prices. Located in tourist-friendly districts, most of the famous local markets in Ho Chi Minh open as early as 6 am. If you want to enjoy a day of shopping and learn more about the local cultures, the following best local markets in Ho Chi Minh should not be missed on your trip.
Must-Visit Local Markets In Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
1. Ben Thanh Market (Chợ Bến Thành)
The emblematic market of Ho Chi Minh City due to its popularity and the long-time establishment is Ben Thanh Market. Built from 1912 to 1914, Ben Thanh Market with 100 years old is located in the center of District 1.
In Ben Thanh Market, there are four separate gates that link to various main streets. The clock tower image in the Southern gate has become one of the iconic symbols of Ho Chi Minh City.
Inside the market, about 3,000 vendors are selling products and throughout the market, you can find many retail shops and wholesale. At the north gate, vendors often open at about 4 am and sell fresh fruits and ingredients. The rest of the vendors start operating at about 8 or 9 am. In the day time, Ben Thanh market sells the products mainly including handicrafts, souvenirs, textiles, garments, and local specialties.
Location: Le Loi (Lê Lợi), Ben Thanh (Bến Thành), District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 4 am – 11 pm
2. Ba Chieu Market (Chợ Bà Chiểu)
Ba Chieu Market is one of the famous local markets in Ho Chi Minh City that is situated on Bach Dang (Bạch Đằng) Street, Binh Thanh (Bình Thạnh) District. Built in 1942 with a total area of 8,465 m2, this market is very busy and dynamic with both locals and international tourists.
This market is divided into 8 different areas with 800 households selling 40 types of goods. The majority of products here include footwear, clothing, foods, and fruits that are sold at reasonable prices. Many of the goods have price tags; therefore, it is easy for you to compare the cost of the same product in different stalls. To get a good price, you need some bargaining skills. The majority of the vendors are open and kind, you can bargain down their items, but no more than two-thirds or a half.
Location: Bach Dang, Ward 1, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 5 am – 8 pm
3. Binh Tay Market (Chợ Bình Tây)
Binh Tay Market was constructed from a large donation of a Chinese businessman who wants to build homes around the market and place his statue there after he died. the market was built in western materials with architecture affected by Eastern style.
Nowadays, Binh Tay has become one of the great local markets you should come if you have a chance to visit Ho Chi Minh City. As one of the biggest markets in the city, Binh Tay market has a broad range of selection but the typical items here are foods and electronics.
Compared with other markets elsewhere, the price of products in the Binh Tay market is quite cheap. If you come to the market, it is recommended eating favorite dishes there such as Pha Lau (Phá Lấu), Chinese-style roasted duck, fish curry and black chicken raised with Chinese medicine.
Chinese is the second popular language in Binh Tay Market; therefore, knowing some basic Chinese sentences can give you some advantage when shopping here. Although many stalls and shop open until 7 pm, it is recommended visiting this market early in the morning in order to see how vendors prepare and transport their goods.
Location: 57A Thap Muoi (Tháp Mười), Ward 2, District 6, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6 am – 7 pm
4. An Dong Market (Chợ An Đông)
This 60-year-old market was built later than Ben Thanh Market, but it is quite noteworthy and significant. There are over 2,700 vendors selling a huge selection of products here. The typical product in An Dong Market is fashion as you can see the countless fashion boutiques with authentic products of famous brands such as Wacoal, Vera and more.
In An Dong Market, you can find the products at very low prices because they come straight from the manufacturing factories
Apart from the clothing, there is also a variety of Vietnamese, Chinese, Thai and Indian cuisine you can enjoy in the market. The favorite dishes here include crab noodle soup, Thai hot spots, chicken noodle soup, and goat curry.
Location: An Duong Vuong (An Dương Vương), District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 7 am – 6 pm
5. Dan Sinh Market (Chợ Dân Sinh)
Dan Sinh Market specializes in selling a wide array of old military items, military memorabilia and special camping gear such as combat tents, outdoor clothing, mosquito nets, etc. Some stall here also sells electric appliances.
If you are a collector, Dan Dinh Market is definitely a must-visit attraction in Ho Chi Minh City where you can find a various array of antiques, from replicas to authentic items. The prices range from VND 100,000 to VND 1,000,000.
Location: 104 Yersin, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 7 am – 6 pm
6. Russian Market
Situated next to Sunland Hotel Ho Chi Minh City, the Russian Market attracts a great number of tourists and expats from northern Eurasia. Set within a big building with an air conditioner, the Russian Market offers a lot of branded products including winter gear, shoes, luggage, and sportswear.
Because the products are usually stacked up in piles, you should spend some time rummaging to find a suitable good at Russian Market. But it is worth as a high-quality winter jacket is often sold at VND 950,000 and children clothing’ s price ranges from VND 20,000 to VND 80,000.
Location: 328 Vo Van Kiet (Võ Văn Kiệt), District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 8 am – 8 pm
7. Soai Kinh Lam Fabric Market (Chợ Soái Kình Lâm)
Soai Kinh Lam Fabric Market displays the tailored items and a wide array of fabrics at tailor stores. In this market, there are more than 500 small to large cloth stalls where you can get the latest fashions at very affordable prices.
The standout feature of the market is that each stall displays and sells one particular type of fabric but in different textures and color, which makes the shopping experience more organized and less overwhelming. Visiting Soai Kinh Lam Fabric Market, you can find any kind of cloth from chiffon, spandex, cotton, velvet, fabrics to khaki for curtains, cushions, sheets or tablecloths. If you have a chance to take your vacation in Vietnam, it is great to get a beautiful ao dai, the national Vietnamese costume made from fabrics like silk, satin, and brocade. Many tailored shops in Soai Kinh Lam Fabric Market can help you do that.
Location: 545 Tran Hung Dao (Trần Hưng Đạo), Ward 14, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 8 am – 6 pm
8. Ho Thi Ky Flower Market (Chợ Hoa Hồ Thị Kỷ)
Ho Thi Ky Flower Market is a leading market supplying and selling flowers in Vietnam. Coming here in the early morning, you will be astonished at many beautiful fresh flowers that mainly come from Mekong Delta and Da Lat. But you can also find some flowers imported from other countries like Cambodia.
The market is beautiful with colorful flowers, like a miniature flower forest and a giant garden. There are many kinds of flowers here including roses, lilies, daisies, orchids, hydrangeas, lotuses and so on. The best time to visit Ho Thi Ky Flower Market is during Tet (Tết) holiday (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) as this market becomes more crowded at this time.
Location: Ho Thi Ky (Hồ Thị Kỷ), Ward 1, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 24 hours a day
9. Tan Dinh Market (Chợ Tân Định)
Established in 1926, Tan Dinh Market is one of the great local markets in Ho Chi Minh City selling multiple types of products mainly including raw and fresh foodstuffs, fabric, clothing, dry foods, fruits, and footwear. Coming to this market, you can find countless dressing items. Furthermore, you can also have a chance to taste many delicious dishes including crab, Vietnamese vermicelli soup and shrimp tapioca noodle soup, etc.
However, the prices of products in Tan Dinh Market are much more expensive than ones in other markets. It is a reason why Tan Dinh Market is considered as the market for the rich. To get a good and satisfying price, you need to know some essential skills of bargaining.
Location: Hai Ba Trung, Tan Dinh Ward, District 1
Opening hours: 3 am – 9 pm
10. Ba Hoa Market (Chợ Bà Hoa)
Built in 1967, Ba Hoa Market is a famous trading market specializing in Quang Nam’s cuisine. Not only Quang Nam locals but also visitors from different areas travel to this market to enjoy the central special dishes.
Furthermore, in Ba Hoa Market, you can interact with other residents with different accents. Traders and vendors are very hospitable, friendly and ready to sell products at reasonable prices.
Location: Tran Mai Ninh (Trần Mai Ninh), Ward 11, Tan Binh District, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 2 am – 8 pm
11. Xom Chieu Market (Chợ Xóm Chiếu)
Xom Chieu Market is very crowded and busy because it sells any kinds of food dishes, fruit, and vegetables which burst with color in the early morning. Although this market has a narrow entrance, the tight outer circles of stalls and shops sell all sorts of goods, bottled sauces, and kitchen equipment.
At the center of the market, there are several stalls of fish and meat. Visiting the market, you can taste various Vietnamese dishes from sweet bean desserts to noodle soups.
Location: Le Van Linh (Lê Văn Linh), District 4, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 4 am – 5 pm
12. Binh Dien Market (Chợ Bình Điền)
Binh Dien Market is a great seafood-eating market in Ho Chi Minh City that is situated on the outskirts of the city. If visiting the market in the early morning, you can see trucks and boats coming to upload their products taken from the rivers of the East Sea, Mekong Delta and the Gulf of Thailand.
Binh Dien Market has three great hangers filled with shells, fish, reptiles, and crustaceans. In addition to seafood, you can also buy poultry, meat, vegetables, and fruits in this market. To purchase raw fresh seafood, it is recommended visiting this market by 6.30 am. It is also the time when you can enjoy the hearty well-earned breakfast. Most of the seafood here is kept alive with big metallic containers of bubbling water.
Location: Nguyen Van Linh (Nguyễn Văn Linh), District 8, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 6 am to 8 pm
13. Hoa Hung Market (Chợ Hòa Hưng)
Hoa Hung Market is lively but some people may have a not good impression about this market because it is on the worse roads with noise and traffic. However, talking about the local markets in Ho Chi Minh City, I still want to recommend this market for you.
Going sightseeing to the market, you will see the vendors chopping the meat with cleavers and high-quality kinds of rice displaying in bags. Furthermore, you can hear the laughter, yelling, and banter between people working in the market.
Hoa Hung Market has the smaller scale than other local markets in Ho Chi Minh but it is still lively, energetic and dynamic with noodles, fish, meat, spices, rice, sauces, candies, vegetables, fruits, clothes and jewelry sold in a small space.
Location: 539A Cach Mang Thang Tam (Cách Mạng Tháng Tám) Street, District 10, Ho Chi Minh City
Opening hours: 24 hours a day
Read more:
- 18+ Best Foods To Eat In Ho Chi Minh City
- What To Do In The Evening In Saigon?
- Top 19 Must-See Ho Chi Minh Attractions For Tourists
- Things To Do In Saigon
A tour to Ho Chi Minh City won’t complete without visiting one of those popular local markets there, which gives you an amazing and exciting experience and helps you learn more about the cultural values. After reading this article in Vina.com, do you decide which the best market is to buy your favorite shopping items? Let us know your opinions in the comments, and we will respond as soon as we can.
