Even if shopping isn’t your thing, visiting local markets in Hanoi is a must because it can be a great way to get to know the culture of the area and history. Hanoi’s local markets are fun to explore, especially if you have a penchant for shopping because there are so many unique and exciting traditional goods on display.
For those who are interested in the best local markets in Hanoi, we will divide your options into:
- Shopping for food and groceries
- Shopping for specialties or sightseeing
The location, additional guidance, helpful tips, and business hours of local markets in Hanoi will be named in order to help you make the most of your travel. If you’re planning a trip to Hanoi for the first time, read the post below, and don’t miss out!
- Local Markets in Hanoi
- Shopping for food and groceries
- Dong Xuan Market – The biggest central local market in Hanoi
- Hang Da Market – An Ancient Site to A Contemporary Shopping Center
- Hom Market – A paradise for fabric and food in Hanoi
- Long Bien Wholesale Market – One of the seven most unique flea markets in the world
- Hanoi Weekend Night Market – A famous local market in Hanoi
- Shopping for specialties or sightseeing
Local Markets in Hanoi
Shopping for food and groceries
Dong Xuan Market – The biggest central local market in Hanoi
Source: lemiapp.com
Dong Xuan Market, located in the center of the Old Quarter, is the largest indoor market in the city. The market’s French-style architecture dates back to the 19th century. As the largest market in the capital city, it attracts about 10,000 of visitors every day who come to shop, take pictures, and eat at the numerous food shops that line the market’s perimeter.
The market spans three floors and is both comprehensive and aesthetically pleasing, with multiple entrances and escalators for the convenience of both shoppers and vendors. So you might as well be a pinprick when you’re in the middle of a vast “hall” like this.
- Address: Đồng Xuân, Hoàn Kiếm, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
- Special guidance: The market’s ground floor is where customers may purchase fresh fish, meat, and produce. Souvenirs, clothing, handicrafts, and so forth can be seen on the top floors. The nearby street sellers offer a variety of beverages and Vietnamese street fare in the eating area. You may find Dong Ho and Bat Trang drawings, laces, and sand paintings in many businesses surrounding the market. Try local specialties, including rib and cartilage gruel, beef jerky, green papaya salad, sweet soup (“Che”), and grilled meat on bamboo sticks while shopping.
- Helpful tips: Bargaining is a great skill; hence you should ask for prices before buying, but avoid bargaining many times, as it can lead to an argument. You should wear shoes or sandals and carry a drink for easy walking.
- Opening hours: From 6 am to 7 pm
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Hang Da Market – An Ancient Site to A Contemporary Shopping Center
Source: travelhanoi.org
The Hang Da Market, which can be found right in the center of Hanoi, is one of the city’s largest and most well-known markets. This market dates back to 1937, making it an essential part of the city’s history. Since leather was the original staple commodity there, the name “Hang Da Market” (“Hang Da” means leather market) has been popular through the ages.
Historically, there were fewer than 300 stalls at this market. It’s developed into a major shopping center with restaurants, bars, and stores selling jewelry, clothing, furniture, and appliances.
- Address: P. Hàng Da, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Special guidance: The most exciting things in this market are the traditional Vietnamese clothes (Ao Dai) and tailored clothing. Costumes from Hang Da market will never disappoint you because it has intricate embroidery and weaving made from natural silk indeed.
- Helpful tips: You can find one-of-a-kind skirts, dresses, and coats at Hang Da market. The best time to go to Hang Da market is in the morning as the vendors are getting ready for the day. After shopping on the first floor, you can buy freshly cooked Vietnamese snacks. You should try to get a good deal when shopping at Hang Da market.
- Opening hours: 5 am to 9 pm, every day
Hom Market – A paradise for fabric and food in Hanoi
Source: guidebold.com
In the 19th century, Hom Market’s initial name was Doc Hang Gao. It is a market on Hang Bai Street that sells mostly chicken. The market was moved to the Duc Vien pagoda; meanwhile, Hang Bai was made more prominent. The French built Hue Street in 1921, which made the call even bigger.
Hom Market is a popular place for locals and tourists to shop. It has a wide range of goods from all over Vietnam.
There are three floors in the market, each serving a different purpose. Most goods, from fresh vegetables to clothes, are sold on the first floor. The second one sells mainly fabrics, and the third has a gym and a terrace.
- Location (google map): No.79, Hue Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi
- Address: 79 P. Huế, Ngô Thì Nhậm, Hai Bà Trưng, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Special guidances: Since this market is known for its fabric and is Hanoi’s primary fabric market, it is a great place to learn about traditional items and how people live there. There are a lot of great jerseys, stretch wools, chiffons, satins, embroidered and sequined fabrics, tulle, and fleece.
- Helpful tips: The best time to go to this market is around noon, so you don’t have to be the first customer. Vietnamese shop owners believe that the first customer often brings luck or bad luck to the store. So it’s easier to negotiate the price; try to get it for half.
- Opening hours: around 6 am to 6 pm
Long Bien Wholesale Market – One of the seven most unique flea markets in the world
Source: laughtraveleat.com
Long Bien wholesale market is the second-largest market (after Dong Xuan Market) in Hanoi and in the North of Vietnam. This market has been open for over 20 years and sells everything from vegetables to meat to eggs.
From the 100-year-old Long Bien Bridge, you can see the brightly lit market, where people shout at each other in the many stalls. You can’t miss this if you want to know a crowded place or want to take some great pictures.
- Address: Đ. Hồng Hà, Phúc xá, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Special guidance: The main parts of the Long Bien wholesale market are the area for aquatic products, livestock, and poultry. Because this is a wholesale market, you can get anything here, from apparel to home furnishings and even tools. The freshest fruits, vegetables, and seafood from a number of products are particularly gathered here before being distributed to a number of other locations, including smaller markets.
- Helpful tips: Avoid where the trucks unload due to the fact that the traffic can be dangerous.
- Opening hours: all day, but the busiest time is 2 am to 5 am because Long Bien Market is famous as the “sleepless” market
Hanoi Weekend Night Market – A famous local market in Hanoi
Source: lhhtx.vn
The Weekend Night Market is a well-liked stop for both tourists and locals alike, thanks to its convenient location in the middle of the Old Quarter in Hanoi. You can visit the night market every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 8 o’clock in the evening. It spans over 3 kilometers from Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square to the entrance of Dong Xuan market. The market is peaceful and welcoming to tourists because there is no cost to enter, and traffic is diverted around it.
There are a plethora of stands selling a wide variety of items. Most of the foreign souvenirs here retail for between 3 to 5 USD. This is an unforgettable destination for purchasing memorable keepsakes for loved ones back home. A large number of tourists buy handicrafts as mementos from this area.
- Address: P. Hàng Bạc, Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Special guidance: If you’re in the area, stock up on travel essentials like backpacks, coats, and more at prices that won’t break the bank. It’s among the least expensive options for buying travel necessities. Famous local cuisines are as little as VND 15,000 ($42.25 USD), so you may shop and fill up simultaneously: Pho, the Vietnamese sandwich known as banh mi, Bun cha, Bun Thang, and grilled fish prepared in the La Vong style. On Saturdays, the place comes alive with the help of artwork and entertainment. Don’t miss out on these fantastic shows!
- Helpful tips: It’s important to remember to haggle for a fair price before making a purchase.
- Opening hours: Friday – Sunday, 7:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Shopping for specialties or sightseeing
Quang Ba Flower Market – One of the biggest flower markets in Hanoi
Source: holidify.com
Flowers for sale in Hanoi’s largest flower market, Quang Ba Flower Market, come from all across Vietnam. This night market on the edge of West Lake opens around 2 a.m. when wholesalers come with piles of roses and chrysanthemums to claim their spots, and it stays open until sunrise. Quang Ba is a great place to go during Tet holiday when flowers are needed for the many celebrations of the new year.
- Address: 236 Đ. Âu Cơ, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội 100000, Vietnam
- Special guidance: The primary difference between this market and others in Hanoi is the abundance of fresh flowers. Considering its status as Hanoi’s primary wholesale and retail flower market, Quang Ba Flower Market prices are very fair. For instance, a bouquet of about fifty roses costs only VND 30,000 (about $1.50). The market’s operating hours are sporadic. The wholesalers and retailers have separate shifts, the former running from 2 am to 4 am and the latter from 4 am to midnight.
- Helpful tips: The best time to go is midnight and 2 a.m. when the flowers will be at their peak freshness. Remember to haggle, but do so courteously and with a friendly attitude.
- Opening hours: usually 2 am to 4 am, and then from 4 am to 12 pm
Tay Ho weekend market – A must-visit for expats in Hanoi
Source: Weekend Market
The concept for this market originated with a Frenchman who wanted to showcase locally produced, sustainable goods. It’s not just a market; the atmosphere here draws people in. At other times, the market’s welcoming atmosphere makes it a popular gathering place for locals and visitors to mingle and share their respective cultures.
- Address: Số 4, Ngõ 67, Ngách 67/12, Đ. Tô Ngọc Vân, Quảng An, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Special guidances: Tay Ho Weekend Market prices are set and plainly displayed. The pricing may seem steep initially, but when you consider the excellent quality and originality of the products, you’ll agree that they’re well worth it. The rules of Tay Ho Weekend Market are particular on how the market must be run to protect the environment. Plastic bags and other pollution are something they attempt to use as little of as possible. Alternatives would be eco-friendly alternatives (paper bags, paper cups, etc.).
- Helpful tips: Tay Ho Weekend Market is famous for selling high-quality goods, so you can expect to pay more than you would at a regular market.
- Opening hours: 9 am to 12 am every Saturday
Van Phuc flea market – A nostalgic marketplace with traditional wares
Source: kenh14.vn
For many people, antiques aren’t worth much, if anything at all. Flea markets, however, are a great place to find one-of-a-kind treasures because of the sentimental value linked with the past and the proof of a particular period they represent.
Van Phuc flea market in Hanoi’s Ha Dong area is the most talked-about destination for collectors. As dawn breaks, the peaceful ambiance has been replaced by the bustle of vendors hawking their wares. Many people are looking to buy and sell goods in this market. The elderly and collectors make up the bulk of our clientele. They browse the needs, discussing what to buy before engaging in some friendly haggling.
- Location (google map): Cau Am Street, Ha Dong District, Hanoi
- Address: 64 P. Cầu Am, Vạn Phúc, Hà Đông, Hà Nội, Vietnam
- Special guidance: As its name suggests, this is quite a sizeable second-hand market in Hanoi, trading various old and ancient goods. Customers are mainly collectors and antique lovers who visit to exchange antiquated merchandise and wish to find an ancient atmosphere once again. Stalls are filled with many old designer products made in the 1950s, such as telephones, watches, antique furniture, and accessories.
- Helpful tips: You should carefully inspect any goods you plan on snatching because it is difficult to define the origin of products there. Taking a stroll around numerous booths there, a bunch of unique and old items can catch your eyes at first sight.
- Opening hours: 11:00 am – 5:50 pm (5th, 10th, 15th, 20th, 25th, 30th according to Lunar Calendar every month)
It would be a pity to visit Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi and not stop by some of the city’s famous traditional marketplaces. Shopping in these places can be simple and challenging, depending on how well-prepared you are. Hence, read all the preceding advice before embarking on your Hanoi shopping adventure.
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