Dong Xuan Market
Hang Da Market
Quang Ba Flower Market
Hanoi Weekend Night Market
Cho Hom Market
Long Bien Wholesale Market
Nghia Tan Market
Shopping Streets in Hanoi’s Old Quarter
Buoi Market
Linh Nam – Hoang Mai Market
Phung Khoang Night Market

Vietnam’s capital city, Hanoi, has the best markets offering something for everybody. Shop day and night markets in the Old Quarter and beyond for everything from street food and flowers to fabric and clothing.

Some are open during the daytime, some just at night, and others operate from dawn until midnight, transforming after dark. No matter which market you venture to, each one is just as intriguing as the next and offers a great peek into traditional Vietnamese life. Hanoi also has shopping malls for those looking to add designer fashions, sit-down restaurants, and air-conditioning, along with higher prices to their experience.

Haggling with vendors is customary, and especially foreigners can expect to be given initial higher prices. The best way to get a deal is to make an offer and if they don’t accept it, walk away. Many times, they will come after you and find a compromise. If they don’t, most markets have vendors with very similar items, so you will likely find the same thing at another stall.

Travelers staying at short-term or long-term rentals with kitchenettes can benefit from shopping in the markets to buy produce and ingredients for making their own meals. The night markets are excellent for mingling with natives and letting loose, often with places to grab a bite or drink. Many night markets also have entertainment in the streets, which can be thrilling to watch while browsing the shops.

Here are some day and night markets in Hanoi for food, clothing, flowers, and fabric, in random order:

Dong Xuan Market

Dong Xuan Market. Photo: shankar s.

Dong Xuan is Hanoi’s largest market and a symbol of the city, featuring a large three-story building with a wide variety of items for sale. Set near the Old Quarter, this market sells fresh produce, clothing, souvenirs, seafood, and other household goods for very affordable prices.

There is also a large dining area where some of the best local cuisines can be sampled, on-site or to-go. Dong Xuan is a locals market, but tourists like to visit to embrace authentic Vietnamese culture.

The market has a unique history, as the French constructed it in 1889 near the Red River for easy access for boat trading. The purpose of its construction was to combine and replace two smaller markets, and it has been serving the public ever since.

In the 1940s, this location also had some battle activity during the First Indochina War, for which a memorial was created in 2005. During the 1990s, there was a big fire inside the building, but it was rebuilt even better and can now house up to 2,000 stores.

Dong Xuan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Hang Da Market

Hang Da Market is a famous shopping area in Hanoi’s Old Quarter and is one of the locals’ favorite places to buy day-to-day goods. Built in 1937, this market is located inside a two-story building with a basement, each floor offering a different theme of items to buy.

The basement generally sells produce and fresh seafood. The first floor has dried foods, drinks, and candy. The second floor is a haven of secondhand clothing and imported and branded items like cosmetics, bags, and jewelry. Prices are often negotiable, especially if you don’t look too excited about what you’re interested in.

The name “Hang Da” means leather market in English, which is what it used to sell several decades ago primarily. Back then, it was only a hub of around 300 stores, but it has many more stores and a vast variety of items in modern times. One of the draws to this market for tourists is that this is where you can buy some unique local products like an ao dai, a traditional Vietnamese dress.

P. Hàng Da, Cửa Đông, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Quang Ba Flower Market

Hanoi’s Quang Ba Flower Market is a must-see for window shoppers, as this buzzing, beautiful strip of flower stalls is a one-of-a-kind experience. The market opens at 2 am for wholesalers and the general public at 4 am, when the rows of bright flowers liven the whole area. Hundreds of varieties such as carnations, gerberas, roses, chrysanthemums, daisies, and more can be purchased individually or in a bouquet.

The flower market is a popular place for tourists to browse, as it’s very aromatic and in a calming environment. There are also a few food stands, but not too many. Visitors are often surprised at how much traffic this market gets, but it becomes even busier during cultural events like Tet Nguyen Dan. It also has very long operating hours and closes as late as midnight, open to open again a couple of hours later.

236 Au Co, Quang An, Tay Ho District, Ha Noi

Hanoi Weekend Night Market

Hanoi Weekend Night Market. Photo: shankar s.

At nighttime on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays in the thick of the Old Quarter, about 4,000 outside vendors open up to form a street market that stretches for 3 km/ 1.86 miles from Dong Kinh Nghia Thuc Square to the entry for Dong Xuan Market. Goods like plasticware, fashion accessories, toys, clothing, and street food are readily available here.

There are also plenty of places to grab a drink and numerous street snacks to try while strolling through this fun but extremely busy area. Socializing at this market is very easy, and some street performances are entertaining to watch while exploring the many storefronts.

8 Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội

Cho Hom Market

When shopping for fabrics, Cho Hom Market is your place. Set to the south of Hoan Kiem Lake, this two-story indoor market has an endless variety of color, style, and texture materials. Even with so many options, the quality of this fabric is excellent and can be used to make custom clothing by local tailors.

The first floor of this building sells food items and hot meals-to-go, including produce and items for making traditional Vietnamese cuisine. The second floor is where all the fabrics are sold. A good time to go shopping is around noon when prices are more easily negotiated. According to Vietnamese tradition, the first customer in a store has a lot of impact on its daily fortune, so store owners are less flexible with costs.

No.79 Hue Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

Long Bien Wholesale Market

Long Bien Fruit Market, Hanoi. Photo: gmacfadyen

Opened in 1992 and located under the Long Bien Bridge, this wholesale market is an important location in town for shopping and business. The market has long overnight hours from late at night until early morning, mainly providing fruits, fish, herbs, and vegetables for sale from all over the country.

There are typically more than 1,200 stalls and trucks selling different things. Fresh ingredients are purchased here daily by local buyers, who then turn around and use them for their street stalls or restaurants.

Vendors spend hours organizing and setting up their shops for the morning rush of crowds before 5 am. Tourists that want to see the market in action should show up before dawn; otherwise, an excellent time to go is around noon, when things are calmer, but there is less to see.

189 Hong Ha, Ba Dinh District, Ha Noi

Nghia Tan Market

Inside Nghia Tan market in Hanoi. Photo: ILRI

Visitors seeking new places with lots to eat should add Nghia Tan Market to their itinerary. Located to the northwest of the Old Quarter, this market is bustling from about noon to midnight and has many things to snack on. Many seasonal items like Saigon sweet tea and fresh fruit are sold here, in addition to the region’s famous Vietnamese bread made in a frying pan.

KIỐT 1 P. Nghĩa Tân, Nghĩa Tân, Cầu Giấy, Hà Nội

Shopping Streets in Hanoi’s Old Quarter

Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Photo: David McKelvey

The Old Quarter in Hanoi was first opened in the 11th century and has been a shopping focal point ever since. The area was first created when King Ly Thai To moved to Hanoi, and his followers joined him and started selling their crafts surrounding the Citadel. The Old Quarter is also called “36 streets,” even though it has many more than that, each named after a specific trade.

Today, the Old Quarter holds a lot of historical charm while embracing modern features. Tourists and locals like to shop in this area, which still has a few streets named for a particular craft. People know to go to those streets when looking to buy certain items, which has become a tradition at this point.

Hàng Ngang, Hàng Đào, Hoàn Kiếm, Hà Nội 100000

Buoi Market

Located in the Yen Thai Village in the Tay Ho District, Buoi Market is a vibrant goods market that sells produce, live animals, seafood, crafting materials, and more. The market is smartly divided into themed sections, featuring their famous plant area, which is a relaxing place to browse. Many shop owners from Hanoi travel here to restock their stores in the city and resell what they buy. There are also many household items for sale for fair prices.

When visiting Buoi Market, it’s recommended to take a taxi or use a ride-hailing app as there are limited parking spots. The entire route of the shops reaches about 1 km and doesn’t take too long to stroll through.

Đ. Lạc Long Quân, Bưởi, Tây Hồ, Hà Nội

Linh Nam – Hoang Mai Market

Southeast of the city center and about an hour from the airport, Linh Nam Night Market is a day and night market. In the morning, fruit, vegetables, and other fresh foods are sold primarily to locals. Linh Nam has become a bustling area to buy inexpensive clothing, cosmetics, and footwear in the evenings. Many of the items selling in the morning are sold in the nighttime, too, except for the vegetables.

This market doesn’t have much for dining, making this a place to come after supper when everyone is in the mood for shopping. Like other venues, prices on items are usually twice as high as would be accepted, so haggling is an excellent way to lower those numbers.

Vĩnh Hưng, Hoàng Mai, Hanoi

Phung Khoang Night Market

Set in the Thanh Xuan District, Phung Khoang Night Market is a smaller market that operates in both the morning and evening. During the early part of the day, it sells fresh herbs, seafood, and produce, converting into a place with clothing, bags, shoes, belts, cosmetics, and jewelry at night.

Even though Phung Khoang is busiest during the weekends, it’s open all week long and has a friendly atmosphere. Prices are negotiable here, like in other markets, but vendors are less aggressive in their bargaining.

Phùng Khoang, P. Văn Quán, Nam Từ Liêm, Hà Nội

Day and night markets in Vietnam are an excellent way to explore local shopping, culture, and foods. Even though they have similarities, each one has its characteristics and are exciting places to watch daily life in the country in action. Hit the shops in the morning for some of the freshest ingredients you’ll find, or go after the sun sets for some nighttime entertainment and inexpensive household goods.

Đăng bởi: Quỳnh Lê