5 Best Local Markets in Hanoi

Dong Xuan Market is known as Hanoi’s largest indoor market, offering a wide range of goods within its 4-storey, Soviet-style building. The ground floor has a bustling wet market section, where locals purchase fresh seafood, meats, and vegetables. Meanwhile, the upper levels are where you can find printed tees, fabrics, school uniforms, luggage stalls and much more, all available at wholesale prices. Located on the northern edge of the Old Quarter, Dong Xuan Market is a must-visit if you’re looking to experience the local lifestyle – you might even end up leaving with a pair of cheap sunglasses and a Vietnamese conical hat.

The Hanoi Weekend Night Market in the Old Quarter takes place every weekend, starting from Hang Dao Street towards the edge of Dong Xuan Market. While most stalls sell pretty similar items such as postcards, handicrafts, and accessories, the main draw of this lively bazaar is the endless rows of food vendors offering exotic Vietnamese street food. On special occasions such as the Mid-Autumn Festival, you can also catch traditional Vietnamese music performances such as ca tru, xam, and quan ho. If you’re looking to purchase souvenirs at Hanoi Weekend Night Market, make sure you bargain for lower prices (a good starting point is around 75% off the retail price).

Set within a 3-storey building, Hang Da Market is great for purchasing imported wines, second-hand clothing, and quality fabrics at very attractive prices. Not only are the pre-loved clothes in pristine conditions, they are available in all sizes as most are imported from Japan, Europe, Korea and the US. The best time to visit this indoor market is in the early morning when you can shop in a relatively quiet atmosphere as well as enjoy Vietnamese-style breakfasts such as pho xao (stir-fried rice noodles with beef slices) and bun cha (charcoal-grilled pork patties with vermicelli noodles).

Cho Hom Market is renowned for offering the most extensive collection of fabrics in Hanoi, making it a popular shopping venue for local tailors and tourists looking to purchase materials for their very own custom-made clothing. Similar to most Hanoi markets, the ground floor is filled with stalls selling local food, fruits, vegetables, flowers, fish, seafood, meat, and household appliances. The second floor is where you can find hundreds of stalls selling cotton, linen, wool, silk, tweed, brocade, and nylon materials, all of which are stacked up in piles. The prices here are also negotiable. You can often get up to 50% off the retail prices.

The Quang Ba Flower Market in Tay Ho district offers fresh flowers from all across Vietnam, including Dong Anh, Soc Son, Me Linh, Dalat, and Nhat Tan. Open as early as 2 am, you can find rows of colourful daisies, cherry blossoms, roses, orchids and sunflowers which can be purchased separately or arranged in bouquets. The market is especially busy during the annual Tet Festival, with well-dressed locals in mopeds passing through the narrow aisles. If you’re a flower enthusiast or an extremely early morning riser, make sure to include Quang Ba Flower Market in your travel itinerary.