What are night markets and why are they popular in Vietnam?

Night markets play a significant role because they have long been a part of Vietnamese culture, resembling typical markets but with the unique aspect of operating at night. These night markets in Vietnam are captivating destinations that deserve your attention when traveling in Vietnam. They always exude a joyful atmosphere and are brimming with local characteristics, offering exciting activities. You can indulge in delicious food here, a culinary paradise that will leave an indelible impression. In these night market areas, you can shop for gifts, souvenirs, and everything else available at these night market areas.

Top 6 Night Markets to Visit in Vietnam

Night markets in Vietnam always have a charm that appeals to food enthusiasts, resulting in bustling and captivating. To save you time searching for a beautiful and large night marketplace, the top 6 night markets to visit in Vietnam will be something you cannot ignore.

Ben Thanh Night Market in Ho Chi Minh City

Coming to Ho Chi Minh City, it's essential to explore the night markets, and the most prominent one is Ben Thanh Night Market. The market has existed for more than 20 years and continues to be the place of trading activities of the people here. Ben Thanh Market is located at Le Loi Street, Ben Thanh, District 1.

Why it attracts visitors: Ben Thanh Market is a large market in District 1, where not only is it busy during the day, but at night it becomes more vibrant and bustling than ever. This fascinating feature demands your attention when coming to Ho Chi Minh City.

Ben Thanh Night Market in Ho Chi Minh City

Ben Thanh Night Market in Ho Chi Minh City

Must-try activities: Coming to Ben Thanh night market, you can experience shopping for fashion, handicrafts, souvenirs and more. With hundreds of diverse shopping stalls, you can choose them to commemorate your trip.

Delicious food options: Not only is it a bustling and vibrant shopping place. This place also sells restaurants, diverse foods from North to South, or dishes from other regions, such as:

  • Sai Gon Broken Rice.

  • Noodles with fish sauce.

  • Bun Suong.

  • 7 colors of sticky rice.

Ben Thanh Market - night markets in vietnam

Many tourists explore Ben Thanh Market

Hanoi Weekend Night Market

Hanoi is a bustling city with a vibrant atmosphere that extends beyond the daytime and into the night. Therefore, when you visit, you cannot miss the Hanoi Night Market on weekends. The market is located in the Hoan Kiem district of Hanoi.

Why it attracts visitors: By visiting this ancient town night market, visitors can immerse themselves in its ancient and poetic scenery. This creates an alluring destination for both domestic and foreign tourists.

Hanoi Night Market

Hanoi Night Market

Must-try activities: Hanoi Weekend Night Market offers a wide range of goods, allowing visitors to choose and shop from a diverse selection. In particular, you can enjoy street art shows and take in the nighttime ambiance around Sword Lake.

Delicious food options: There's nothing better than experiencing the delightful food options at this market, with its enchanting lights. Some suggestions include:

  • Bun cha, pho and banh cuon.

  • Hot drift cake.

  • Grilled and fried food.

Hanoi Night Market

Hanoi Weekend Night Market

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Ha Long Night Market

When visiting Ha Long City, the first thing you cannot ignore is exploring the night market in this area. As a tourist destination that attracts visitors, Ha Long Night Market is always crowded and bustling. It also provides an opportunity for relaxation and observing local life.

Why it attracts visitors: The excitement of the people here has created curiosity for tourists, making them integrate into the culture here. As a result, Ha Long Night Market has become more and more crowded. If you have been to Ha Long, why not try the night market here? You will not be disappointed.

Ha Long Night Market

Ha Long Night Market

Must-try activities: Ha Long Night Market features a large scale with hundreds of shopping stalls. You can easily search for yourself fashion items, handmade items and souvenirs. This night market offers a wide range of activities for you to experience, including playing games and strolling around.

Delicious food options:  When coming to the night market, food stalls are an essential part of the night market experience. This place is full of attractive culinary dishes that you cannot ignore:

  • Banh troi tau (glutinous rice balls in ginger syrup).

  • Banh gat gu (a type of traditional cake).

  • Chao trai (oyster porridge).

  • Banh goi (pillow-shaped dumplings).

Hoi An Night Market

Hoi An Night Market is an interesting destination that you should visit when you come to Quang Nam, where it has the wild appearance of an ancient Hoi An ancient city. The market is located on Nguyen Hoang Street, Minh An Ward, Hoi An. You can experience many interesting things when coming here.

Why it attracts visitors: Coming here, you will sink into a poetic space full of stalls with beautiful and attractive decorative lanterns. Not only that, the market is located right on the Hoai River, creating a great space for visitors to check-in and take a walk when visiting the market.

hoi an night market

Hoi An Night Market

Must-try activities: The night market has many features of the old town here. The stalls give visitors the opportunity to shop for souvenirs, handicrafts and many other activities such as:

  • Sightseeing around the market.

  • Listen to folk songs.

  • Playing folk games.

Delicious food options: In addition to shopping, this place also has stalls with dishes such as:

  • Sweet baked banana cake.

  • Wet cake with grilled meat.

  • Hoi An Quang Noodles.

Cham singing at the Hoi An Night Market

Cham singing at the Hoi An Night Market

Da Lat Night Market

Da Lat is a famous tourist destination in Vietnam, where it has fresh air, a bit chilly, and beautiful nature. When coming here, the place that any visitor can hardly ignore is to participate in the Dat night market, which is quite famous in the night markets in Vietnam, the market is located on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai street, near Da Lat city center.

Why it attracts visitors: Not only has beautiful scenery, the people here also make their own cultural identity with bustling and vibrant night markets, attracting visitors to participate in life. here. You will not be able to miss this place if you want to experience the essence of the culture of the people here.

Da Lat Night Market

Da Lat Night Market

Must-try activities: Coming to this place, you can integrate into the night market of the people and shop for souvenirs and handmade items. In addition, there are many activities between the community such as folk games are also held regularly.

Delicious food options: When entering the night market, one thing that you can hardly resist is the scent of the specialty dishes here, you can enjoy some of the local specialties such as: 

  • Baked rice paper.

  • Soymilk.

  • Crab soup, corn sticky rice.

  • Mixed grilled skewers.

Da Lat Night Market

The area selling clothes in Da Lat Market

Dinh Cau Night Market in Phu Quoc

Coming to Phu Quoc Pearl Island, a place that you cannot miss when going out at night is Dinh Cau Night Market. Dinh Cau Night Market is a typical cultural feature of the people here every evening. An interesting thing that any visitor should experience, and you too, you can experience the night market at Dinh Cau, group 1, Duong Dong town.

Why it attracts visitors: Seeing the nightlife of Phu Quoc pearl island as well as integrating into the bustling life is what many people expect when coming here. You can easily see the life of the people here active at night as well as see this beautiful scenery.

Must-try activities: Dinh Cau night market is quite large with more than 100 stalls for tourists to shop. You can easily see souvenirs or crafts made from shells or sea creatures of the people here.

phu quoc night market

Dinh Cau Night Market in Phu Quoc

Delicious food options: This place sells many delicious dishes, especially from seafood to dry dishes, in addition to some dishes that can make you fuller:

  • Grilled oysters open onions.

  • Seafood porridge.

  • Fish cake soup.

  • Grilled fish with salt and chili salt.

seafood at phu quoc night market - night markets in vietnam

Grilling fresh live seafood right at the Phu Quoc Night Market

Safety Tips for Visiting Night Markets in Vietnam

When starting your trip to night markets in Vietnam, it's important to be cautious about your belongings as well as potential food-related issues to ensure a safe and smooth journey. However, these tips are not only applicable to Vietnam; staying alert is necessary wherever you travel. Here are some safety tips for your trip when you begin exploring Vietnam:

Keeping your belongings safe

Your personal property is something you always have to be wary and careful of wherever you go out to avoid crooks. Some of the following suggestions will help you:

  • Make sure to constantly keep an eye on your personal belongings, especially if you have a lot of items. It's important to keep them within your sight at all times.
  • Keep your handbags or wallets in focus: Store them in secure pockets or cross-body bags and remember to check them regularly.
  • Avoid using unsafe payment methods: Be cautious with payment cards that may not be secure. Criminals can easily steal your money by scanning such cards.

How to avoid scams and pickpocketing

Scams and pickpocketing are common issues in tourist destinations, and tourists are often targeted. To protect yourself from scams and theft, you can follow these measures:

  • Stay vigilant at all times: A moment of distraction is all it takes for criminals to seize your belongings unnoticed.
  • Regularly check your belongings: Periodically inspect your possessions to ensure they are intact.
  • Research price information: Many scammers take advantage of tourists by overcharging or inflating prices. Familiarize yourself with the usual costs to avoid being exploited.

Enjoying delicious food at night markets in Vietnam is something you cannot ignore when traveling to the country. Not only can you visit new places, but experiencing the night markets will also help you integrate into the local community and gain a better understanding of Vietnam's cultural features. And if you are looking for best Vietnam tour package, don't hesitate to contact us!