Ho Chi Minh City

Ben Thanh Market

Chợ Bến Thành

A den of thieves, but great shopping for tourists — locals rarely head here for their every day needs. Ben Thanh is recognizable from its clock tower on the large roundabout. Due to its popularity with tourists, the market is now divided between tourist goods (jeans, T-shirts, smaller souvenirs in abundance) and regular items (fruit and vegetables, rice, kitchen wares, flowers, meat, fast food and local-style pickled fruits). Most items are not price-marked, and vendors always quote a 50-100% higher price to tourists, so bargaining hard will save you money. Bargaining is common in traditional markets. Feel free to negotiate the price before purchasing items. The chief method of parting visitors from their money is ambiguity: for example, never making it quite clear how much you are being quoted or what the exact price is or what exchange rate is being used to calculate your change. Be ready for these ruses (often by a sweet, smiling young lady), or be prepared to part with more cash than you need to. At the north side (back) of Ben Thanh Market are some shops that are operated by Ben Thanh Group and they sell goods at fixed price and much cheaper than the stalls in the market. No bargaining needed. If the good selection of knock-offs here just won't do, there's plenty to be had in the surrounding side street shops or night market later. If retail warfare isn't your cup of tea, you could skip the touristy Ben Thanh altogether and go to Chợ Bình Tây.

Till 18:00·Wheelchair accessible

Ben Thanh Market

It's a rather touristy market where you still can enjoy the most authentic Vietnamese pho.

Chợ Bình Tây

The underrated twin of Ben Thanh, selling everything from fruits, meat, spices, Chinese medicines, and silk to obscure varieties of fermented fish, dried seafood, and jerky. If you are searching for a variety of Vietnam silks and velvets, skip the tourist trap Ben Thanh Market and go to Bình Tây instead. Most of Chợ Bình Tây is wholesale goods. Much of Ben Thanh Market's goods are from here.

Saigon Center

A mall near Ben Thanh Market, just across the street from Saigon Square. Look for the Takashimaya sign. Many high-end luxury brands have branches here.

Saigon Square

A good place for a visit. It is a twin of Ben Thanh but with air conditioning. Haggling your way through this place is the rule of thumb. Local middle-class Vietnamese shop here on the weekends too. Consider planning your shopping here during the day and go to Ben Thanh for the night market. The daytime Ben Thanh can be planned as a sightseeing trip instead of a shopping spree.

Thái Bình Market

Chợ Thái Bình

Not that large but got all the things locals need on a daily basis. Head inside the market where you can also find food stalls.

Twenty-Three September Park

Running along Phan Ngu Lao St are a number of parks which fill up with locals before sunset, after work. They play a variety of games which you can participate in: badminton, kicking a shuttlecock and women's group aerobics to music are all very popular, and are great to watch. If you sit down by yourself in the open area near the Ben Thanh market a number of young university age locals will come and ask to practice English with you, this is a great way to spend an evening and the best way to meet intelligent interesting youth, they will question you either individually or in groups and share with you a lot about their country. Beware of those men who want to introduce you to their "sister" who's working as a nurse and wants to move to your country. They will try to make you come into their home so you can reassure their parents, but will actually gamble and cheat at cards with you and/or ask you for money after telling a sad and fake story about some dying relative.

War Surplus Market

Dan Sinh Market

Sometimes called the American Market or "Cho Cu" or "Khu Dan Sinh". Hidden behind rows of hardware and electric supplies shops, just brace yourself and enter. Dense warrens of stalls include those selling old American military gear of indeterminate authenticity (e.g., "nice collection of so-called authentic GI's Zippo lighter from the war era"), cheap T-shirts and military paraphernalia: just don't hope to find a genuine US wartime Zippo, they're all fakes now. Do not rely on this market for military surplus gear that can stand up to serious use, even boots sold here are often low quality knockoffs that will quickly break. Despite the name, most stalls now specialise in various industrial-type products such as hand tools and personal safety equipment.

Night Market

Here you can enjoy many kinds of different foods and drink and do your shopping as well. But it is just a small street with traffic passing and pushy sellers, not the nicest place to hang around.

Daily 18:00-late

An Dong Market

An Dong Market

Awesome cheap market

Ba Chieu Market

Phan Đăng Lưu

Open now · open 24 hours·Built 1942

Ban Co Market

Nguyễn Ðình Chiểu

Burned Market

Bách Hóa Xanh - 2C - 2D Phùng Văn Cung

Cau Dua Market

Chọ mini

Only sells in the morning Chỉ bán vào buổi sáng

Chợ Ba Đình

Bến Ba Đình

Chợ Bàn Cờ

Chợ Bàu Sen

Hẻm 138 An Dương Vương

Chợ Campuchia

Hồ Thị Kỷ

Chợ Chiều

Chợ Cô Giang

Chợ Cư xá Ngân hàng

Chợ Hoa Hồ Thị Kỷ

Chợ Hòa Bình

Chợ Long Kiểng

Chợ Nancy

Chợ Nhật Tảo