80 Best Places to Shop in Vietnam

This prestigious gallery near the Temple of Literature stocks original and quality paintings as well as sculptures. The focus is on young and emerging artists from Vietnam. Art can be viewed and ordered online and shipped worldwide.

Antique replicas here include prints of old colonial Saigon and Dong Ho folk woodcut paintings. There's also a treasure trove of clothing, fabrics, and craft items.

The flagship store of a small local chain sells cute-as-a-button linen and cotton baby and kids; clothing and embroidered home wares. The fish-shape baby sleeping bags are likely to make you squeal.

Old Market, or Cho Cu, is a little glimpse of Old Saigon. It sells everything from fish to plastic toys, and some hit the market at 3 am to get the freshest of the fresh. The juxtaposition of the traditional wet market in the shadow of one of the tallest buildings in the city is striking.

Can Tho's renovated old market, built in 1915, contains dozens of kiosks selling tourist-oriented items, including handicrafts, carvings, lanterns, silk (or fake silk) items, and food souvenirs.

Setting up just before sunset, the night market sells touristy souvenirs, such as shells, handicrafts, and wooden boats. Expect to bargain for souvenirs, but not for food. Avoid buying pearls; they're low-quality imports, not genuine Phu Quoc pearls.

Early risers and victims of jet lag will enjoy this flower market that opens at 10 pm and continues until just past sunrise. It's the floral hub for wholesalers who arrive with bundles of roses and chrysanthemums tethered to their bikes and mopeds. Even if you aren't in the market for flowers, this place is oozing with photo opportunities. A new road threatens the traditional market, but for now it remains a compelling place to visit.

Just as the name implies, Saigon Kitsch offers a treasure trove of entertaining knickknacks—mugs, badges, stickers, coasters, laptop bags, shot glasses, ashtrays—all emblazoned with Socialist period slogans or quirky Vietnam-themed motifs. It's the perfect place to grab a sack full of souvenirs for friends and family back home.

A huge conglomeration of tiny stalls hawking all kinds of clothing, footwear, accessories, and electronics, Saigon Square is a great place to restock on beachwear: shorts, T-shirts, swimsuits, flip-flops, children's clothing, sunglasses, hats, and whatever else you may have worn out while on vacation. There are also lots of knockoffs on offer here, many claiming to use genuine materials. Some haggling is required, even when an item has a price tag attached. Generally, the more you buy, the bigger the discount. Note that all transactions are cash-only.

Owned by painter and fashion/interior designer Quang Tan, TA gallery is a collection of paintings by young artists in Hue. While the first floor is more for "touristic" art pieces, the second and third floors house theme exhibitions with a focus on Hue City; there is also a chic coffee shop and bakery. The themes of the exhibitions change every two months.

The multifloor Takashimaya department store is the centerpiece of this glitzy new shopping mall, which features many international brands, restaurants, and cafés.

This little cobbler shop can custom-make shoes in as little as a week, either copying an existing shoe or replicating one of the samples on display. Expect to pay 1,800,000d and up—not bad for a hand-stitched pair made with quality leather, likely to be a long-lasting reminder of your trip to Vietnam.

Taking cues from traditional paper-making techniques, artist Phan Hai Bang and his colleagues created the modern visual art form, Truc Chi. The process involves using water sprays to etch patterns layer by layer onto wet pulp that films on a fine silk frame. Truc Chi artworks are displayed in a riverfront gallery just a 15-minute walk from Thien Mu Pagoda. 

This cute little shop has a selection of ready-made clothing in Western sizes and a fast and efficient tailoring service. The clothing is mostly women's but there is a small range of men's items, including ties, as well as a range of handbags, scarves, and jewelry.

Allow at least two days for tailoring, even though the shop assistants may tell you they can do a one-day turnaround—some extra fitting and final adjustments may make all the difference to your purchase.

Regular art exhibitions are hosted in this boutique gallery known for showcasing Southeast Asian artists. The gallery also hosts the occasional film screening and other events. Check their Facebook for current exhibitions. In between showings, the gallery is open by appointment only.

Five levels of retail therapy in a shiny new glass-and-chrome skyscraper include an eclectic mix of high-end fashion brands like Versace and well-known midrange options like Gap. There are multiple dining options, a CGV movie theater, and a Kids Zone on one of the basement floors, with a play area for young children and a large arcade for older kids.

The hand-embroidered silk "paintings" created here have to be seen to be believed. They come in a range of styles, from traditional Vietnamese scenes to photograph-quality portraits. The artists work on the top floor, and the lower floors showcase their work, together with a small range of men's and women's clothes and accessories (scarves, ties, and fans). There are other locations in Dalat and Hanoi.

Once the go-to place for army surplus items and Vietnam War memorabilia, this market now has an eclectic range of hardware and camping supplies alongside the military-esque products. So if you're in the market for a Zippo cigarette lighter, a hand truck, an army-green hatchet, or a life jacket, this is the place for you.

This is where locals come to do their shopping, and it's interesting simply to walk around. The market is tidily divided into areas for dry goods, fresh fruit, fish and meat, and clothing. Keen cooks can stock up on inexpensive fish paste and sauce, and there are a few stalls serving steaming bowls of pho and banh canh, a soup with thick noodles made from tapioca flour. All manner of fruit is available here, with some vendors selling sliced mangos ready to go in a plastic bag.