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Shopping In Ho Chi Minh City: Essential Insights You Should Know

Ho Chi Minh City, known as the “sleepless city,” is not only a leader in the economic aspect but also a shopping paradise with diversity and richness in various products. Experience uniqueness in shopping in Ho Chi Minh City with Deluxe Group Tours.

Shopping for Unique Items in Ho Chi Minh City

1. Clothing

Ho Chi Minh City is often the origin of manufacturing for consumer goods, making the prices of items here generally much more affordable. Clothing, in particular, is a must-shop item when visiting this city. The Saigon Square is home to a wide range of branded clothing stores and premium outlets like American Eagle Outfitters, Gap, Old Navy, etc. Many residents prefer shopping for clothes in stores along Nguyen Trai Street or Saigon Square.

shopping in ho chi minh city

Internationally, Saigon Square offers a shopping experience similar to an Outlet Mall, but the intriguing aspect is that you can bargain. Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City, especially for clothing items, is a fascinating and diverse experience, ranging from local market stalls to homegrown brands and even international labels.

2. Footwear

Ho Chi Minh City often dedicates specific streets to particular items, and footwear is no exception. Ho Chi Minh City has two distinct streets solely for shoes. Similar to clothing, you’ll find numerous shoe stores when entering this unique world, ranging from branded shoes to affordable footwear, with a diverse range of designs at reasonable prices.

shoes shop in ho chi minh city

You can explore places like Ly Chinh Thang Street, which boasts a variety of shoe stores with different sizes and styles, catering to various fashion preferences. Luu Van Lang Street, located outside Ben Thanh Market, features shops specializing in athletic shoes and casual footwear.

3. Antiques

Antiques in ho chi minh city

Café Chợ Đồ Cổ is a place that gathers a diverse range of both new and old items, uniquely characteristic of the people of Saigon. The cafe is located at No Trang Long Street, Ward 13, Binh Thanh District, with a spacious area and refreshing greenery. The market takes place weekly starting at six o’clock in the morning until two p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. The entrance fee is 40,000 VND per person, which you can use to redeem for a dish or drink. The antique items here are mainly sourced from the collections of deceased collectors’ families, overseas Vietnamese, or introduced by familiar customers with clear origins.

Antiques in ho chi minh city

You can come here to shop or stroll around, as the cafe owner is easygoing and enthusiastic. After selecting your items, you can enjoy some food and drinks, soaking up the bustling atmosphere of buyers and sellers.

4. Paintings

Shopping In Ho Chi Minh City: Essential Insights You Should Know

Ho Chi Minh City is a destination with numerous art galleries that host artistic performances featuring many of the most talented local artists. However, if you want to purchase famous art pieces or original paintings from less renowned artists, you should visit the painting streets in the city. Similar to shoes, there are not just one but two streets filled with painting shops, which are Tran Phu Painting Street and Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Painting Street. Many locals prefer shopping for paintings in District 5 rather than District 3, but you can find excellent choices in any painting street when painting shopping in Ho Chi Minh.

5. Fabrics

shopping Fabrics in ho chi minh-city

Vietnam is often recognized as a country with some of the world’s finest quality tailor-made products. If you want to tailor your clothing or shop for fabric to use as gifts, you should head straight to the “fabric district” to find an excellent selection for your creative needs. The fabric street is located right across from Tan Dinh Market. You will discover fabric stores with even better options than those available in the market, although the stores on this street offer a wider variety of fabric materials. You can also visit Soai Kinh Lam Market in Cholon. This is a wholesale market, where the prices are cheaper and there’s more selection.

6. Potteries

shopping Potteries hochiminhcity

Ceramics are a popular souvenir in Saigon, appreciated for their uniqueness and exquisite craftsmanship. If you want to give ceramic ware as a gift, consider visiting the pottery village in Thu Duc District to experience the unique handmade ceramic-making process. Alternatively, you can choose to purchase distinctive ceramic products that are exclusive to the pottery village. This will be a special gift carrying intrinsic value for your loved ones.

7. Gold-plated Paintings

Shopping In Ho Chi Minh City: Essential Insights You Should Know

Sparkling and luxurious gold plating paintings crafted with skillful artisans’ hands are the ideal and must-shop items. It allows you to experience shopping in Ho Chi Minh City and bring back eye-catching gifts. These are top products that feature value not only in terms of form but also meaning. Notable gift models include the gold-plated Independence Palace painting, the gold-plated Ben Thanh Market painting, the gold-plated City Hall building painting, etc. These gifts are the perfect way to express consent—not too formal nor too simple—making them the ideal souvenir gifts.

Iconic Shopping Spots in Saigon

1. Ben Thanh Market

  • Address: Le Loi Street, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
  • Opening hours:
    • From 07:30 AM to 06:00 PM: Explore, shop, and dine inside the market.
    • After 07:00 PM: Night market stalls outside the market open for business.

 

ben-thanh-market-Deluxe Group Tours

Strolling around, shopping, and exploring Ben Thanh Market has long been an indispensable activity in Saigon. The market comprises over 1,400 business households, divided into 4 sections with 11 departments. Sections 1 and 2 mainly feature fabric stalls and clothing; sections 3 and 4 offer miscellaneous items, groceries, cosmetics, food, food processing technology, fresh produce, and beverages. It is now a site where you can get almost anything, from the common to extremely scarce or moderately priced, as well as premium stuff.

Ben Thanh Market: A Vibrant and Iconic Hub in Ho Chi Minh City

2. Saigon Square

  • Address: 77-89 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia, Ben Thanh Ward, District 1
  • Opening hours: from 09:00 to 21:00

Shopping In Ho Chi Minh City: Essential Insights You Should Know

What sets Saigon Square apart is its bright and clean space, along with the attractive and well-organized display of clothing products. Saigon Square is usually seen as a “market” because products are categorized and sold in individual stalls, similar to traditional market shops.

Saigon Square has over 350 stalls offering a wide range of diverse items, including clothing, shoes, bags, sunglasses, watches, and many other small products, unmatched by any other shopping center or store in terms of variety.

3. Vincom Centers

  • Address:
    • 72 Le Thanh Ton Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
    • Floor B1, Vincom Center Landmark 81, 772 Dien Bien Phu, Ward 22, Binh Thanh District
  • Opening hours: from 08:00 to 23:00

Vincom Centers hochiminh city

In Ho Chi Minh City, 13 Vincom shopping centers are operating, scattered across the central districts and suburbs of the city. If you stay in District 1, District 3, or Binh Thanh District, you can visit Vincom Dong Khoi or Vincom Center Landmark 81. Similar to many other best shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City, they showcase a variety of fashion brands, cosmetics, renowned jewelry brands, food and beverage chains, cafes, and numerous recreational activities, boasting over 250 fashion stores, restaurants, cafes, and entertainment areas, catering to every need in each Vincom center.

Widespread fashion brands like H&M, Zara, Stradivarius, Pull & Bear, and more are concentrated in Vincom Center to meet the shopping demands of both locals and tourists. Vincom Center is also an ideal shopping destination in Ho Chi Minh City, where you can indulge in your passion for shopping.

4. Lon Market-Binh Tay Market

  • Address: Address: 57A Thap Muoi, Ward 2, District 6
  • Opening hours: from 02:00 to 23:00

Shopping In Ho Chi Minh City: Essential Insights You Should Know

Binh Tay Market is a place with over 2,500 stalls operating in more than 30 different business categories, strategically arranged and organized to focus on each business area and leverage the strengths of each product category. Binh Tay Market primarily sells grocery items such as fabrics, aluminum and plastic products, handbags, souvenirs, dried foods, etc.

5. Le Cong Kieu Antique Street

  • Address: Le Cong Kieu Street, Nguyen Thai Binh Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City
Le Cong Kieu Antique Street -hochiminhcity
Le Cong Kieu Antique Street -hochiminhcity

Le Cong Kieu Street is one of the oldest existing antique trading areas in Saigon, with dozens of small and large shops specializing in various items. There are stores specializing in bronze items, places dedicated to ceramics, and even antique items from around the world.

Even though antique items are not as popular and widespread nowadays, Le Cong Kieu Antique Street remains an interesting shopping spot for tourists exploring Ho Chi Minh City.

Le Cong Kieu Antique Street offers a wide range of antique items, including currency, Buddha statues, Nguyen and Thanh Dynasty ceramics, and various utility items such as bowls, plates, incense burners, candle holders, bronze lamps, and more. These antique items’ prices range from several hundred thousand dong to tens of millions.

6. Takashimaya Shopping Mall

  • Address: 92-94 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia Street, Ben Nghe Ward, District 1
  • Opening hours: from 09:30 to 21:30

Takashimaya Shopping Mall- ho chi minh city

Takashimaya’s first shopping mall in Vietnam commenced operations in 2016, located in the bustling area of Ho Chi Minh City. This big shopping mall in Ho Chi Minh City is 5 floors of the Saigon Center building with more than 10,062 square feet. In Takashimaya, you can shop for fashion items, cosmetics, and jewelry from renowned global brands. This luxury shopping mall also regularly hosts entertainment activities, promotional events during holidays, Tet (Vietnamese New Year), and special occasions in the city.

7. An Dong Market

  • Address: An Dong Construction Site, Ward 9, District 5
  • Opening hours: from 06:00 to 18:00

andong-market-ho chi minh city

An Dong Market is one of the central markets in the city, offering numerous products, including fabric, clothing, shoes, etc. A section handling food, pastries, fruits, fresh flowers, etc., is found from the ground to the third floor. The upper floors house hotels and bank branches. An Dong Market is spacious, well-organized, clean, and modern, ensuring safety and convenience for shoppers. It acts as a central location in which items from diverse parts of the world, such as Guangzhou (China), Thailand, Japan, etc. Moreover, it is the biggest fashion wholesale market in HCM City which provides customers with fashion products agents and retail shops of Southern provinces as clothing, fabric, shoes, etc.

The best time for shopping in Ho Chi Minh

The dry season in Ho Chi Minh City covers December through April and is a peak of the touristy shopping period. You can engage yourself in shopping without worrying about sudden rain showers disrupting your rare journey.

Nevertheless, if you plan to purchase footwear while exploring this city, March-September will offer maximum discounts. During this time, shoe stores may offer promotional programs to stimulate demand as sales slow down. Additionally, purchasing clothing during the transitional seasons offers discounts of up to 70%, even for major brands.

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Moving Guide for Shopping in Ho Chi Minh

Getting around the city for shopping is very convenient with various transportation options.

Renting a motorbike is one of the most popular choices. Most accommodations assist with motorbike rentals, or you can find rentals online, especially in the central areas. The price for rent per day varies depending on the motorbike category and ranges from 100,00 VND to 200,000 VND. Some places may require a deposit of 1 to 4 million VND, while others only ask for personal identification documents.

Moreover, using technology motorbike taxi services (cars or motorbikes) in Ho Chi Minh City is also convenient. However, continuous use can become costly.

Saigon Street Food Tour

Public transportation is a reasonable choice for those looking to save money. You can opt for buses or public bicycles (within the central area). Public bicycles were introduced in December 2021, with bike stations strategically placed on sidewalks along various routes in District 1, near bus stops, bus waiting areas, parks, tourist attractions, etc., priced at 5,000 VND for 30 minutes and 10,000 VND for 60 minutes.

Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City Travel Tips

  • You can bargain with the shopkeeper for a suitable price when shopping in Ho Chi Minh City (except when purchasing at malls where prices are fixed). However, you shouldn’t bargain without purchasing or exchanging goods early in the morning or late in the afternoon to avoid negatively impacting the store’s daily sales activities.
  • For Saigon specialties purchased as gifts, carefully check the production date, expiration date, and product packaging to avoid buying expired, near-expiry, or damaged items.
  • When shopping at markets, malls, or crowded places, be cautious in protecting your personal belongings to avoid theft or snatch-and-grab incidents.
  • If buying gift items, check to ensure they are not restricted to air travel.
  • Verify the route on a map to avoid one-way streets and car lanes when moving by motorbike while shopping in Ho Chi Minh City, especially in the central area.
Kris Goetghebeur

Author: Kris Goetghebeur

With over 20 years of work experience, ranging from seasonal to full-time assignments in different sectors of the Travel, Recreation, Hostelry, and Service Industry, I have a strong background. I have been based in Saigon, Vietnam, since 1999. My educational qualifications include a degree in Management in Tourism and Recreation Studies as well as a degree in Accountancy. I am proficient in French, Dutch, English, and German. I have extensive experience in crafting tailor-made tours and incentive packages, boasting a nearly 100% satisfaction record from my customers.