Where to Shop in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is a fun place to shop for bargains. Some goods can be unique and fascinating – old propaganda posters, for example; we found one that exhorted people to plant garlic for export.

Clothing includes silks and hand-woven fabrics with a reputation for high quality. Vietnam is also famous for handicrafts including bamboo ware, ceramics and lacquer.

There are, too, all the usual holiday souvenirs such as T-shirts and beaded handbags at prices that are hard to beat.

Where to Shop

District 1

There are plenty of ways to begin shopping in Ho Chi Minh City but many people chose to go to District 1 for its many fine shops, particularly in Dong Khoi Street, where designer shops sit cheek-by-jowl with boutiques, galleries, antique shops and jewelry stores.

Markets

For those who enjoy bargaining, try Anh Dong Markets in District 5 (the Chinese district) for kitchen essentials such as spices. The lively Ban Thanh indoor market in downtown Saigon abounds with postcards, T-shirts, silk scarves, ethnic print coin purses, embroidered bags, satin slippers, throws, carved figurines and much more.

Saigon Duty Free Shop

This store is at 102 Nguyen Hue Blvd in District 1, and specialises in the usual duty-free items such as perfumes and colognes. It is open from Monday to Friday. Tel: +848 823 4547.

Diamond Plaza

The multi-floor Diamond Plaza, in the Central Business District, is where you can find cosmetics, leather goods, ornaments, footwear, fine wooden artworks, clothing by Vietnamese designers and interior decoration materials. There is also a restaurant, a bowling alley, snooker tables and video games. Tel: +848 822 5500.

Tax Department Store

The Tax Department Store is a mall with air conditioning and escalators. It has cheap CDs and DVDs, and other goodies such as lacquer ware, silk scarves and T-shirts, along with a supermarket on the second floor. It is at the intersection of Nguyen Hue St and Le Loi St in District 1.

Clothing

Minh Hanh sells one-off designer fashions, elaborate hats, scarves and dresses. Tel: +848 824 5774;
Minh Khoa has versions of traditional Vietnamese silk clothing. Tel: +848 829 8934;
Khai Silks offers silk blouses, robes, and other clothing for men and women. Tel: +848 829 1146;
Indochina Boutique sells scarves and blouses. Tel: +848 822 4971.