80 Best Places to Shop in Vietnam

With more than 20 years of experience in fashion and customer service, Bo is the person to turn to if you need a dress or a shirt tailor-made in four hours. A true professional who speaks fluent English and French, Bo consults with you about design, material, and budget, ensuring you end up with the custom-made piece of your dreams tailored in house. Hats, silk, and cashmere scarves as well as embroidered clothes are available.

Situated just two kilometers from Sapa City itself, Cat Cat is a village populated entirely by local H'mong people. Unlike the population in Sapa, which in recent years has ballooned with an immigrant influx from richer parts of the country, Cat Cat is a protected heritage zone under the auspices of the Vietnamese government's cultural craft preservation policy.

While Sapa remains the undisputed capital of Northwest Vietnam, concerns over mass tourism and the local population being pushed out of their homes due to high tourism interest remain valid points of contention. Cat Cat and other tribe villages of its kind are among the solutions being pushed by the local government.

Here, the H'mong population does not need to worry about being priced out of the land their forefathers cultivated.

It's not completely clear of all the problems of over-tourism, but here you actually get to see H'mong craftspeople practicing their own crafts and selling the fruits of their labor right out of their own abodes. The offerings include some of the best dye and fabric work of the region, beautiful brocaded pieces, and silver jewelry.

There is an entrance fee to the village itself, from $2 to $3, which goes toward maintenance and development of the village itself. There are also weekly cultural programs and performances organized by Cat Cat citizens as a celebration and promotion of the tribe heritage.

French fashion editor-turned-designer Catherine Denoual creates soft and luxurious hand-embroidered bed and table linens in elegant neutral colors, many with a dragonfly motif. The linen and other home wares in her flagship store have been described as contemporary heirlooms for their elegance and attention to detail with prices to match.

Wander through the labyrinth of vendors serving up freshly prepared Hoi An specialties including cao lau—a regional dish made with noodles, pork, and greens that can only be found in Hoi An—alongside a good range of other Vietnamese favorites like pho, banh zeo (savory pancakes), and bun bo hue. This is where the locals shop, so expect a lot of activity in some cramped quarters, especially if you arrive for early-bird specials. Once you've chosen your stall you are welcome to order dishes and fruit juices from other vendors who will bring them to your table. Prices are fixed and displayed, and the food vendors follow strict food hygiene rules, making this one of the best spots to sample a vast array of dishes normally only available on the street.

Wander past the vendors to find market stalls packed with local spices, coffee, the famous Quang Nam Chili jam, and cooking utensils, but be prepared to barter hard with the friendly yet business-savvy stallholders in this area of the market.

This lovely gallery features the work of French photographer Réhahn, who has been based in Hoi An since 2011. His award-winning photographs are mainly portraits, many featuring Vietnam's ethnic minorities. Many are printed on fine art paper but there is a selection of smaller gifts and books as well.

This nonprofit organization benefits artisans by selling their handmade crafts such as textiles, bags, scarfs, clothing, and trinkets at fair-market prices. Items are of high quality and prices are reasonable. The back room on the first floor has a designated section of handbags and silk purses.

This gallery regularly hosts exhibitions of painting, sculpture, and mixed media by emerging and mid-career Vietnamese artists.

One of Ho Chi Minh City's newest shopping complexes, Crescent Mall, in the Phu My Hung expat area, has just about everything you could want in one shopping experience: a supermarket, an eight-screen movie theater, fashion boutiques, specialty shops, restaurants and cafés, furniture and housewares, electronics, and a children's entertainment area.

Test your bartering skills at the local markets, where you can find everything from clothing and food to souvenirs and dodgy electronics. With its knockoff brands and cheap trinkets, Dam Market caters to tourists, while Xom Moi is more for locals who come for fresh produce and dried goods, a great place to see local life in action. Xom Moi is at 49 Ng Gia Tu. Dam Market is on the corner of Hai Ba Trung and Phan Boi Chau. Both are open daily 6–6.

One of the first modern department stores in town, Diamond Plaza has several floors of shopping as well as restaurants, a spa, and a mini-supermarket. The original building houses the department store, while two high-rise towers contain offices and serviced apartments.

Well-designed, modern home furnishings—linens, furniture, lamps, candles, and more—are for sale here. Simple, curved designs in wrought iron are a signature style, one you'll see in restaurants and hotels throughout town.

Hue's main market, Dong Ba, situated north of the Citadel just beyond the central Hue bus station, is the place to go for street food, souvenirs, clothing, and knockoff brands. It's enormous and packed to the rafters, so it can feel cramped and hot, especially near the food stalls in the center. Unlike many other local markets in the central region, this one comes alive as the sun goes down, when crowds descend for dinner right in the front of the market. Bargaining is expected at the market stalls.

Ho Chi Minh City's flower market is a vibrant and colorful affair. Busiest early in the morning when the bulk of the wholesale trade is conducted, the market continues to trade until midafternoon. The area is also home to a Khmer community, so break up your wandering with some Cambodian specialties like soup laced with the pungent prahok (fermented fish paste).

If it's custom shoes you're after, this is Hoi An's top destination for leather boots and sandals. After you select your design and material, the staff will take your measurements and have the item tailored within 24–72 hours. Then they will deliver it to your hotel or ship it directly to your home. Their motto is "No Like. No Pay," which they back up with a 180-day money-back guarantee, as well as a generous warranty of six months for shoes and one year for bags.

The emphasis at Ginko is on print T-shirts, some made with organic cotton, that showcase eclectic aspects of Vietnamese culture. The brand unashamedly targets tourists, but the quality is good and the designs remain fresh.

For years Nha Trang Center was the city's only international-style mall, but now there are several Vincom shopping malls. All malls have the same formula of shops, cafes, chain Asian restaurants, and entertainment such as an arcade, a cinema, or a bowling alley. Of them all, Gold Coast Mall Nha Trang has the most brands familiar to Western travelers; plus, it has a Lotte Mart grocery store to stock up at.

This gallery sells works from some of Vietnam's biggest names in lacquer and oil painting, including Nguyen Thanh Chuong, Le Thanh Son, and Hong Viet Dung. The owner was an art critic in a previous life and is very reputable.

Located right in the center of the city, this sprawling multistory local Vietnamese market is a good place to head if you want to sample some good old-fashioned Danang specialties. It’s very much like a miniature version of Ben Tanh Market in Ho Chi Minh City. There's an indoor food court near the meat section that offers the freshest and tastiest dishes. Worth trying are mi quang (noodles with pork, shrimp, and a light broth) or com hen (baby clams and rice). Venture upstairs for fabric, clothes, cosmetics, and housewares.

This is one of the biggest, busiest, and most atmospheric markets in town. It specializes in fabric, but there's a broad range of other items on sale, from candles to underwear. The best action takes place on the upper floor, but note that some market sellers can be sensitive about photographs. This is a local market, not a tourist sight, so consider buying something small before asking permission to take a photo.

This funky little traders house on Nguyen Thai Hoc stocks a truly Hoi An–inspired collection of casual resort- and swimwear. Each fashion-forward piece is professionally printed and stitched in Vietnam. Hot Chili focuses on producing apparel, swimwear, and accessories made from a fusion between handmade art and screen printing technology.

This vocational center for young people with special needs turns out to be a more lively and fun place than it sounds. Bright and welcoming smiles are seen by the time you appear at the gate. On the right hand side is the Raku pottery workshop where disabled artisans patiently work on the pottery wheels. On the left, there is a souvenir shop where the others are meticulously weaving colorful electric wire or single-use plastic wrapper into beautiful items. Handicraft classes are available if you wish to sit down with these delightful young artisans to learn how to make pottery and share laughter.

This city-centered space near the iconic Truong Tien Bridge is a great place to shop for handicraft items and local produce with fixed prices. Apart from souvenirs made in Hue, there are also the former capital’s specialties such as cajeput oil, sesame candies, and royal tea and rice wine. The amiable and knowledgeable staff are available to explain the techniques of making conical hats, paper lotus flowers, and incense sticks. There are also handicraft classes with friendly and patient local artisans on site. There are two sister spaces at 79 Nguyen Chi Dieu Street (Luc Bo Cultural Space) and at Thieu Phuong Garden inside the Hue Forbidden Purple City worth visiting.

Finely crafted Vietnamese lacquerware in traditional and modern designs, as well as a range of wooden products, are all made at Nga's factory in District 9.

The beautifully embellished handbags here, which are sold at high-end boutiques around the world, are considered by some to be the ultimate style souvenir from Vietnam.

Primarily a women's fashion store, there's a little something for every size and taste here, though the large selection of embroidered handbags are particularly eye-catching. Other products available include dresses, skirts, knitwear, swimwear, shoes, wallets, and bags.

While the city at large has garnered a reputation for its custom-made suits, Lana Tailor stands out among Hoi An's dozens of tailors because of its stylish selections and satisfaction guarantee (you won't be asked to pay until you see the finished product and are happy with it). Choose from a showroom of in-vogue dresses, suits, jackets, and skirts, and if you don't find what you're looking for, just show them a photo of it online and they'll make it within 24 hours. Choose from fabrics including leather, cotton, cashmere, and wool. Tailored dresses range from $45 to $85 in U.S. dollars, while suits cost between $79 and $200. Items can be shipped internationally for an additional fee.

Choose from a stunning range of high-quality jewelry designs, handcrafted locally by Quang Nam's finest artisans. Take your pick from a selection of intricate Vietnam-inspired pendants, earrings, bracelets, and rings, or tailor your own personal design from a selection of jade, turquoise, opal, amethyst, citrine, blue topaz, or freshwater pearls.

They can also reset and remold jewelry brought from home.

Mixing retro and modern stylings to create items that are fresh and unique, Magonn has become one of Vietnam's leading female fashion brands with several branches throughout Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

This small high-end, ethical slow fashion brand produces one-of-a-kind clothing and accessories made from premium and organic materials. Metiseko also sell quilts and home decor, all with lovely prints and fabrics, drawing inspiration from Vietnamese culture, folk traditions, and landscapes.

Feel GQ-worthy with a custom suit from this leading men's tailor, where jackets, suits, and coats are all made within 24 hours. Materials and fabrics are a cut above the other shops in Hoi An, and somehow Mr. Xe manages to get you a perfect fit on the first attempt—maybe because he and his staff are meticulous with measurements. A three-piece suit will set you back around $150; it's okay to haggle for the price.