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Top 5 Best Local Markets in Hanoi

The best local markets in Hanoi are always bustling with hundreds of stalls selling fresh produce, quality textiles, and household supplies as early as 06.00 am, making them popular spots for tourists looking to experience the daily lives of the city’s local population. Conveniently set within prominent districts such as Hoan Kiem and Tay Ho, these indoor and outdoor markets are easily accessible on foot, cyclos, and taxis.

While it’s easy to get caught up in the lively atmosphere, do keep your wits about you as the throng of motorbikes and people can be intense. Nevertheless, a visit to Hanoi’s most popular markets is essential for any traveler looking to purchase (and bargain for) inexpensive clothing, souvenirs, fabrics, fresh flowers, and Vietnamese street food.

1. Dong Xuan Market

Address: Dong Xuan Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Opening Hours: Daily 06.00 - 19.00 pm

Established in 1889, Dong Xuan Market is known as Hanoi’s largest indoor market, offering a wide range of goods such as fresh produce, souvenirs, accessories, and clothing, as well as electronic and household appliances. Similar to most markets in Southeast Asia, Dong Xuan Market has a bustling wet market section on the ground floor, where locals shop for seafood, meat, and vegetables while the back section sells an array of pets (cats, dogs, and fish) and fresh flowers from all across Vietnam.

If you’re looking to shop for souvenirs, head to the upper levels, where you can find numerous stalls selling tee shirts, fabrics, school uniforms, handbags, handicrafts, all of which are sold at wholesale prices.

Kết quả hình ảnh cho dong xuan market
There’s also a massive dining area within Dong Xuan Market, with food vendors selling Vietnamese coffee and exotic local dishes for as low as VND 15,000. Highly recommended dishes include tiet canh (duck blood soup), fried frog, bun cha (marinated grilled pork served with noodles), and banh cuon (rolled cake).  

Dong Xuan Market

Surrounding Dong Xuan Market are many more shops where you can purchase traditional Dong Ho drawings, Bat Trang ceramics, Binh Da embroideries and laces, and sand paintings. Within walking distance of Hoan Kiem Lake, 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). 

2. Hanoi Weekend Night Market

Opening Hours: Friday - Sunday 20.00 - 23.00 pm

Address: Hang Dao Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi

Held every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, Hanoi Weekend Night Market is a busy, bustling gathering of roadside stalls and local food vendors that bring huge crowds of locals and tourists. It runs through the Old Quarter district from 19.00 pm onwards, starting from Hang Dao Street and running North to the edge of Dong Xuan Market.

Hanoi Weekend  Night Market

Pedestrian streets and historical sites within the area are illuminated with decorative lights, making this a popular spot for traveling photographers. Shopping-wise, the fashion items on sale won’t turn much head as you will find the usual array of inexpensive t-shirts, handicrafts, accessories, shoes, sunglasses, and souvenirs at Hanoi Weekend Night Market. However, the overall environment is very lively and bargaining is a way of life here - a good start is to offer about 75 percent off the opening price.
3. Hang Da Market

Opening Hours: Daily 5.00 – 17.00 pm

Address: 1 Hang Da Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi

Hang Da Market
Hang Da Market, located in the heart of Hanoi’s central business district, is a three-storey shopping mall that houses an electric array of stalls. Smaller than Dong Xuan and offering a more select product range, this is the place to come for imported wine, flowers, second-hand clothes, and fabrics. The outside of the building is also very picturesque with its white multi-perforated façade and it’s expected that the whole interior may one day change from market stalls to boutique outlets.

Hang Da Market is a great place to pick up one-off clothing items including skirts, dresses and coats and some of the best buys are stylish second-hand clothes which are pretty much all in perfect condition. The market is best visited first thing in the morning when the traders are unpacking for the day and best avoided over weekends or during the midday heat. Take a break when you shop on the first floor where you can buy some freshly cooked Vietnamese snacks.

4. Cho Hom Market 

Opening Hours: Daily 06.00 - 17.00 pm

Address: 293 Tran Nhan Tong, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi

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.

Cho Hom

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, where you can get up to 50% off the retail prices.

5. Quang Ba Flower Market Tay Ho (West Lake)

Opening Hours: Daily 02.00 – 12.00 pm

Address: Au Co Street, Tay Ho, Hanoi

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 02.00 am, you can find rows of colorful daisies, cherry blossoms, roses, orchids and sunflowers which can be purchased separately or arranged in bouquets.

Quang Ba Night Flower

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.