9 Best Shopping Places in Saigon

1. Ben Thanh Market – Le Loi road, Ben Thanh ward, District 1, HCMC

Ben Thanh Market is entertaining at all hours of the day and night. Early mornings see locals shopping for fresh vegetables before fashion vendors take center stage during the day, as well as rows of coffee traders selling a bewildering rainbow of beans, making Ho Chi Minh City's central market a must-see while visiting Vietnam's largest and most noisy city. After dark, a night market emerges alongside the main hall, selling clothing, apparel, and souvenirs until 00:00, as well as unique pop-up street food kiosks.

2. Cho Lon (Chinatown Market) – 57 Thap Muoi street, District 6, HCMC

Cho Lon aka Binh Tay Market, is a market on the outskirts of District 5 in Ho Chi Minh City. The market has a dynamic ambiance, beautiful Chinese architecture, and a wonderful array of handicrafts, lacquerware, textiles, and fresh fruit, making it a great place to learn about local Buddhist culture. At the back of the market, there's an open-air food court where you can sample Vietnamese noodles, banh bao (steamed buns with pork filling), and Chinese sausages.

3. Vincom Center – 171 Dong Khoi & 72 Le Thanh Ton street, District 1, HCMC

With over 250 stores spread out over two buildings, the opulent Vincom Center is Ho Chi Minh City's largest shopping mall. Vincom Center A is a lovely, low-rise colonial edifice that houses numerous international fashion houses' flagship stores, including Ralph Lauren, Hugo Boss, and Hermes. Vincom Center B is located across the street from the old location, on the first four floors of a new glass tower. More high-street labels, sporting apparel, and homeware can be found here.

4. Saigon Square – 77 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia road, District 1, HCMC

Saigon Square is a two-story wholesale clothing mall in Ho Chi Minh City with some of the greatest deals. There are seemingly infinite lanes of little stalls offering t-shirts, men's and women's clothes, shoes, purses, swimwear, luggage, jewelry, and textiles, making it ideal for bargain hunters. While the prices on the tags may be a little high, negotiating is expected, so never accept the first bid. Because it's quite easy to find stalls selling similar things, simply tour the shopping mall before agreeing on an asking price that you're comfortable with.

5. Fashion Boutiques – District 1 & District 3, HCMC

Anyone interested in fashion should spend some time in Ho Chi Minh's boutique fashion stores, which cater to practically every taste and budget. Dong Khoi Street in District 1 is a good location to start, although there are plenty of other stylish businesses across the city.

6. Diamond Plaza – 34 Le Duan road, District 1, HCMC

The Diamond Plaza department store in District 1 is surrounded by many of Ho Chi Minh City's most popular attractions, including Notre Dame Cathedral and April 30th Park. In this restored medieval structure, there are multiple floors of shopping divided into men's and women's fashion, homeware, and sports products. After you've finished shopping, there are a variety of food and entertainment options. Diamond Plaza, in particular, has family-friendly activities such as bowling and a movie theater.

7. Art Galleries on Dong Khoi Walking Street – Dong Khoi street, District 1, HCMC

From crude, paint-by-numbers replicas of classic paintings to some of the world's best modern art, Ho Chi Minh's art galleries have it all. Obviously, the prices differ dramatically as well. If you want to see a wide variety of art galleries in Saigon, walk down Dong Khoi and take your time browsing for galleries with higher-quality artworks. Cua Hang Saigon Crafts and especially Apricot Gallery, are higher-end galleries with better quality work and prices to match. Cua Hang Saigon Crafts and, in particular, Apricot Gallery are higher-end galleries with higher-quality work and comparable prices.

8. An Dong Market (aka Craft Market) – An Dong Construction Site, District 5, HCMC

An Dong Market (aka Craft Market) is mostly a fashion wholesaler for locals, but there are many craft shops on the top level, making it one of the greatest sites in Ho Chi Minh City to buy handicrafts from expert artists who practice Vietnam's proud lacquer and woodwork traditions. The craft market is in District 10, which is west of the city and is located outside of the city center. Taxis, on the other hand, are readily available. It should take no more than 10 minutes from Saigon's central business district.

9. Takashimaya Vietnam – 92 Nam Ky Khoi Nghia road, District 1, HCMC

Takashimaya Vietnam is Ho Chi Minh City's first Japanese department store, offering a diverse assortment of merchandise from Japan, Europe, and the United States. The five-story department store, with a total retail space of 15,000 square meters, caters mostly to middle-class and upper-class shoppers.