Top 10 Things to Buy in Vietnam: Shopping for Local Souvenirs And Food Items

Having had the privilege of living and working in Vietnam for nearly two years, choosing a favourite thing about this Southeast Asian gem is tough. From buzzing bia hoi’s, to braving mad traffic, Vietnam provides a rush like no other. If I had to choose? It’s got to be the markets. It’s home to some of the worlds most bustling, cheapest and wackiest!

From Hanoi to Hoi An, right on down to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s diverse markets each offer a distinct experience. Step inside them and you’ll be amazed at some of the crazy, wondrous and exotic delights that await.

How best to drop a few dong? Take a look at these wallet-worthy goodies.

TOP 10 THINGS TO BUY IN VIETNAM: SOUVENIR SHOPPING LIST

Snake Wine

Vietnam’s answer to “Budweiser” or “Carling” (not quite), snake wine is the sort of gift likely to send your grandmother into a coronary (great if you want her will money for extra travel!) There’s not much “wine” to it – the snake is infused in grain alcohol – but at least it’s novel to look at. Believed to increase virility by the Ancient Chinese, having a bottle of this on your bedside table is probably more likely to kill the mood rather than reinvigorate it.

Conical Hat

Yes it’s obvious but you know what? I love conical hats. Owning one and popping down to your local Wal-Mart or Tesco is always going to raise a few eyebrows. Get one from the markets in Vietnam’s old capital of Hue and you can even get a little poem inscribed inside. It’ll be in Vietnamese of course. “I wandered lonely as a cone” and all that. A dollar well spent.

War Souvenirs

Do you know Vietnam and America were once at war? Who’d of thunk that eh? Especially given the good ol’ US of A’s pacifistic record (note the sarcasm there). But jokes aside, as America has done their best to forget about that little blip on their record, Vietnam, on the other hand, has turned it into a fully blown tourism business. Just as well though because the Zippo lighters you can pick up, replete with platoon philosophy like “Though I Walk Through The Valley Shadow of Death I will fear no Evil For I’m the Evilest Son of a Bitch”, make sparking up a spliff back home look even cooler.

Ao Dai

What western girl wouldn’t want a tight-fitting little silk number to take home and wow the boys? The Ao Dai, Vietnam’s traditional national dress, isn’t just for girls though. Guys can pimp themselves up too with their own tidy tunic and pantaloon get-up. Pull this off in corporate America and I’ll personally come over there and high five you.

Iced Coffee

Who would have thought that drinking iced coffee out of a bag could be so good? Known as cafe da to the locals, it’s a beverage best savoured in Bin Thanh, Saigon’s huge indoor market in the centre of the city. Supping on one always had me buzzing for hours. The kids I was teaching at the time? Must have thought I was on crack.

Ho Chi Minh T-shirt

The image of lovable Uncle Ho, despite the fella being dead for well over 40 years, is everywhere in Vietnam. Enter into a market and you’ll notice swathes of T-shirts with the good man himself emblazoned across them. Ho goes really well in pink. Any hipster worth their Smiths vinyl will tell you that.

Pho

Whether you love or hate the staple beef noodle broth, there’s no better place to get pho than in the middle of a busy Vietnamese market. Head to Hanoi’s labyrinthine Dong Xuan for some of the best in the country. I’ve seen many a backpacker go mad for a dish of pho cuon (beef wound in long thin strips of rice vermicelli, with aromatic herbs and spicy fish sauce).

Chon

If I told you that chon is made by a group of weasels chucking up coffee beans you probably wouldn’t want some would you? But bring a bag home for mum and she’d never need to know until after the point she’d had a nice big warm cup of weasel puke. At less than a dollar for a month’s supply? You know it’s the right thing to do!

Pig Parts

From pig’s tails to trotter to even snouts, Vietnam’s markets are the place to go for piggy produce. A stern vegetarian myself I couldn’t quite stomach the sight yet I knew many a meat-eater who would go ga-ga over the chasing of a good bit of tail. Apparently the trotters go well in soup too. I’ll let you test that out for yourself.

Watercolour Painting

Everybody’s got a soft spot for a nice little mantelpiece watercolour. Picking up a painting of a pastoral scene of Vietnam’s stunning countryside is well worth doing. The artists here, the great copy masters that they are, do their own thing really well too.

So whether it’s gifts for your loved ones you’re after or just something nice to help spruce up your hostel or house back home, the madness of Vietnam’s markets has got you covered. What’s number one on your shopping list?

Vietnam Market Survival Guide – Tips & Tricks Worth Considering 🇻🇳

Vietnamese markets are a whirlwind—full of energy, color, sounds, and the promise of treasures you never even knew you needed. Here’s how to level up your market game.

Know Your “Cho” – Match the Market to the Merchandise

Vietnam’s markets are as niche as Netflix. Track down the right “chợ” (pronounced chuh?) and you’ll save both time and sanity.

Tip: If you’re really serious about snagging fabric for that custom Ao Dai, tackle HCMC’s Tân Định market at 7 a.m. when rolls are fresh, vendors caffeinated, and temps still humane.

The Bargain Ballet – How to Haggle Without Losing Face

Haggling is practically compulsory, but there’s a delicate choreography to nailing a fair price and leaving both parties grinning.

1. Warm-up with a Greeting
   Start with a smiley “Xin chào!” or “Chào cô/chú” (hello auntie/uncle) to melt the ice faster.
2. Ask the Honest Price
   “Giá bao nhiêu?” (How much?) delivered with raised brows and a friendly head tilt signals you’re no newbie off the plane.
3. Counter at 40–50 %
   Vendors often double the local price for tourists. Offer half, then inch upward like a snail.
4. Use the Walk-Away Gambit
   If negotiations stall, polite thanks + slow stroll out equals final discount nine times out of ten.
5. Keep Small Notes Handy
   A wad of 10 000–50 000-dong bills (that’s €0.40–2) avoids the classic “I have no change” upsell.
6. Celebrate the Win
   Both sides happy? Seal the deal with “Cảm ơn nhiều!” (Thank you very much) and consider tipping if you feel you scored a steal.

Spotting Quality: Snake Wine to Silk

Vietnam’s souvenir scene is a minefield of factory knock-offs and guru-level treasures. Here’s how to decode what’s legit:

• Silk Scarves & Ao Dai: Hold the fabric up to the light—real silk has a subtle lustre and irregular weave, while polyester shines like a disco ball. Rub between fingers; silk warms quickly, synthetics stay cool.
• Snake Wine: Authentic jars sport a whole cobra (or scorpion) coiled around ginseng or herbal roots, submerged in clear rice liquor. If the liquid looks murky or the snake floats belly-up, back away!
• Coffee Beans: “Weasel” (cà phê chồn) ranges from premium arabica rolled in civet-poop glory to mystery blend dyed with caramel. Always ask for roast date and sniff for burned-sugar odour (a red flag).
• Paintings & Lacquerware: Flip the piece—hand-painted works reveal brush textures and sometimes artist chops. Printed copies are laser crisp and identical across stalls.
• War Relics: Those “authentic” Zippos? 90 % are repros aged in vinegar. If you’re okay with a copy, no worries; if not, buy from antiques dealers with provenance papers.

Pack & Ship: Getting the Haul Home

You scored teak salad spoons, five kilos of robusta, and a watercolour of Hạ Long Bay longer than your arm—now what?

• Vacuum Bags for Textiles: Ao Dai, scarves and cotton fisherman’s pants compress to half size. Swing by Miniso or Daiso for roll-up versions under 50 000 D.
• Snake Wine Wrapping Protocol: Tape the cork, bubble-wrap the jar, then slide into a two-litre dry bag—double insurance against customs-size heartbreak.
• Coffee & Tea: Whole beans survive months; ground coffee oxidises fast. Ask roasters to vacuum-seal. Tea tins travel best in carry-on to dodge rough baggage tosses.
• Poster Tubes for Art: Office-supply stores like Thiên Long sell 60 cm tubes for pennies; stuff socks in ends for padding.
• Door-to-Door Logistics: Vietnam Post’s EMS service is surprisingly reliable and cheaper than backpack overweight fees. Mark box ‘Gifts – Non-commercial sample’ to sidestep painful import duties on arrival.

Five More Off-The-Wall Market Goodies

Already bagged the top ten? Here’s an encore of quirky extras locals love:

1. Lotus Tea Incense Sticks – burn sweet, repel mozzies, and leave your hostel smelling like Hoàn Kiếm at dawn.
2. Rice-Paper Notebooks – eco-friendly pages flecked with straw; perfect for travel journalling.
3. Fish-Sauce Caramels – Vuông Tròn brand blends Phú Quốc nước mắm into buttery toffee (trust us, oddly addictive).
4. Retro Propaganda Posters – block-print reissues of 1970s slogans like “Độc lập – Tự do – Hạnh phúc” (Independence – Freedom – Happiness).
5. Bánh cốm (Green Sticky-Rice Cakes) – pastel parcels stuffed with mung-bean paste, famed Hà Nội wedding treat; lasts a week unrefrigerated.

Market Etiquette Cheat-Sheet

Don’t be “that” traveller. Memorise these quick courtesies:

• Shoes Off – When stepping onto raised wooden platforms or mat-dining areas.
• Both Hands – Offer cash or receive change with both hands to show respect.
• Photo Permission: A smile + camera-gesture + “cho tôi chụp hình?” (may I photograph?) avoids frowns.
• Quiet Awe: Whisper in temples adjoining many city markets; monks are light sleepers.
• Kids & Animals: Refrain from gifting sweets to children or petting penned piglets without asking.

When to Go & How to Dodge the Crowds

• Early Birds Win: 6–8 a.m. offers cooler temps and the best bargaining leverage before vendors meet daily quotas.
• Lunar Calendar Quirk: Major markets close or stock staples only during Tết (Vietnamese New Year). Shop 3–4 days before the holiday for festive snacks, but book accommodation far in advance.
• Mid-Day Siesta: In steamy regions, stalls half-shutter at 1 p.m. Catch your iced coffee-in-a-bag break then, and resume rummaging around 3 p.m.

🏙️ Where to Shop: Vietnam’s Best Markets

Here’s where to go for the full-on market experience, sorted by city:

📝 Final Word: Shop With a Sense of Adventure

Vietnam’s markets are organised chaos. You’ll haggle, you’ll sweat, you’ll sip questionable beverages from Ziplocs…and you’ll likely board your onward flight wearing a conical hat that absolutely refuses to fit in the overhead locker. That’s the point. Embrace the pandemonium.

What’s your favorite Vietnamese market buy—or best bargaining story? Drop your tips, surprises, and must-haves in the comments below! The next traveler (and maybe even your future self) will thank you.

Chúc mua sắm vui vẻ! (Happy shopping!)

Guest Post from Will Peach