9 Things to Buy in Ho Chi Minh City: Detailed Shopping Guide

Coffee & Tea

Topping my suggestion of things to buy in Ho Chi Minh City is coffee and tea. These convenient beverages are health-friendly (if you consume them moderately), carry the strong flavors of Vietnam, and come in a variety of types and prices.

Buy coffee and tea in Ho Chi Minh City

You may spend between 2 to 20 USD per pack when buying coffee and tea in Vietnam. It depends on the type. These popular drinks can be found at various local stores, markets, and supermarkets in the city. For more options, you can visit and check out specialized coffee and tea shops:

• La Viet Coffee: 6D Tran Quang Dieu, District 3

• Bosgaurus Coffee Roasters: Villa 1, Street 5, Saigon Pearl, 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh District

• 96B Cafe & Roastery: 96B Phan Ngu, Da Kao, District 1

• Organic Herbs: Secion building, 2nd Floor, Saigon Pearl, 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh District

• An Tra Herbal Tea: 75A Nguyen Chanh Sat, Tan Binh District

Small tips noted down for you:

• Robusta is considered the main coffee variety in Vietnam. It is widely loved by Vietnamese for its strong aroma, distinctive flavor, and lack of acidity. Meanwhile, Arabica offers a more delicate and mild taste.

• You can usually ask to try the tea or coffee before buying as many stores offer this option.

• Some popular types of tea in Vietnam include green tea, lotus tea, jasmine tea, and oolong tea.

Checkered scarf

Vietnam Southern traditional checkered scarf

One of the signature pieces of clothing from Southern Vietnam that you must buy is the checkered scarf. This basic yet stylish accessory is a common choice for everyday life among the locals.

There are a variety of color options including black, blue, green, yellow, pink, purple, or red. Black is the most popular sample. A checkered scarf typically costs between 1 and 3 USD. These scarves are commonly sold at tourist spots, apparel stores, and markets. You can also spot them while exploring shopping districts in Ho Chi Minh City like Nguyen Trai Street, Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street, Le Van Sy Street, and others.

This type of scarf can be used for sun protection, rain cover, photography accessory, makeshift mat, headband, or neck wrap. Furthermore, individuals can get creative with different tying styles whether it is on your head or around your neck.

Ceramic Ware

Ceramic wares Ho Chi Minh City shopping

Ceramic ware is one of the timeless handmade products famous in Vietnam. Vietnamese ceramics are resilient and safe for regular use. You can buy tea cups, kitchenware like bowls, and plates, as well as decorative pottery featuring animal motifs and iconic Vietnamese landmarks.

Prices for ceramic items range from 1 to 6 USD for small to medium-sized pieces. When shopping for pottery, you should pay attention to the proportionality of the item and observe whether the surface is smooth or has cracks, black spots, or unevenness.

Here are a few ceramic shop addresses you can visit and shop for:

• Minh Long Ceramic: 17 Ba Huyen Thanh Quan, Vo Thi Sau, District 3 (popular local ceramic brand)

• O Day Co Ban Gom shop: 54B Nguyen Binh Khiem, Da Kao, District 1

• O Me Ly: 15/27 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Ben Nghe, District 1

Embroidered bags

Embroidered bag designs in Ho Chi Minh City

Yet another noteworthy handcrafted item in Ho Chi Minh City is embroidered bags. Vietnamese embroidered bags have high-quality fabric, sturdy stitching, convenient designs, creative styles infused with Vietnamese motifs and colors, and exquisite embroidery.

Simple embroidered bags usually cost from 4 to 12 USD. Other complicated designs can cost up to 41 to 200 USD. Bag varieties are also widely available downtown. Some shops I recommend you to visit:

• Anna Craft: 2nd Floor, 26 Ly Tu Trong, Ben Nghe, District 1

• Ponagar Shop: 166 Hoa Lan, Ward 2, Phu Nhuan

• Giggle Handmade: 159/13 Hoang Van Thu, Ward 8, Phu Nhuan District

• Ziczac Design: 8D Nguyen Thi Minh Khai, Da Kao, District 1

To ensure that the bags in the shops suit your taste, you should check the product information of those shops on their website or social media to see if they match your preference before visiting.

Clothes & Shoes

Ho Chi Minh City’s Clothes and Shoes

From everyday casual items to creative, fun, unique, or elegant designs, the fashion scene in Ho Chi Minh City is impressive and well worth exploring for any visitors. If you are aiming for mass shopping with item prices starting from 4 USD, you can visit wholesale markets such as Ben Thanh Market, Cho Lon Market, Tan Binh Market, or shopping streets such as Nguyen Trai Street and Hai Ba Trung Street.

For high-quality casual clothing shopping, you can visit Saigon Square, Saigon Centre, Aeon Mall Tan Phu, Vincom Dong Khoi, Saigon Garden, and more. Prices at these places can start from 40 USD upwards.

If you are interested in buying fashionable items from local Vietnamese brands, you can visit:

• Gout De Jun: 01 Tran Quang Dieu, Ward 14, District 3

• LIBÉ: 26 Ly Tu Trong, District 1

• Dottie: 170 Nguyen Trai, Ben Thanh, District 1

• Dear José: 49A Nguyen Trai, Ben Thanh, District 1

Handicraft Souvenirs

Handicraft souvenirs - Things to buy in Ho Chi Minh City

Souvenirs in Ho Chi Minh City come in a plethora of styles, designs, and functionalities. They are available at prices starting from 1 USD. Common souvenir items for visitors to choose from are keychains, coasters, wallets, fans, conical hats, stuffed animals, bamboo products, books, etc.

Souvenirs can be found at local markets and the Saigon Post Office, or you can visit various souvenir shops:

• Saigon Eco Craft: 36 Le Loi, District 1

• Laura Saigon Gift: Store 17, Sense Market, 98 Le Lai Street

• Laiday Refill Station: 47/1 Quoc Huong Street, Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc

Scents and Perfumes

Best perfumes shops in Ho Chi Minh City

If you are a fan of fragrances, you can consider exploring Vietnamese-produced perfume brands. These fragrances crafted in Vietnam have garnered positive feedback, boasting high-quality ingredients and a diverse selection suitable for both men and women.

Vietnamese perfumes range in price from 24 USD, perfume oils start at 7 USD. Below named a few local perfume brands headquartered in Ho Chi Minh City that you might want to explore:

• Morra: 522c Le Van Sy, 14 Ward, District 3

• Hoarient: 1st Floor Lotte Mart, 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, Tan Hung, District 7

• Coolmate: 1st floor, 165 Tran Trong Cung, Tan Thuan Dong, District 7

• F Fresh Spray: 60A Cao Thang, Ward 5, District 3

• AERU: Oversole concept store, 120 Le Loi, Ben Thanh, District 1

Herbals & Spices

Herbals and spices to buy in Ho Chi Minh City

Vietnam's tropical climate fosters an abundance of aromatic herbs and spices. These products are definitely one of the top things to buy in Ho Chi Minh City. You can spice up your home cooking with these locally sourced spices and elevate your self-care routine with herbal ingredients for tea or body soak.

You can buy shrimp salt, high-quality fish sauce, black pepper, chili salt, dipping sauce, cloves, cinnamon, star anise, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, etc, and a variety of herbs such as rose petals, dried chrysanthemum flowers, dried jasmine flowers, herbal throat sprays, grapefruit peel, butterfly pea flowers, and more. All offer the distinct flavors of Vietnam land.

These fragrant additions usually cost between 2 and 8 USD. You may want to check out some specialty stores at the addresses below:

• L'angfarm: 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, Tan Hung, District 7

• Duc Thinh shop: 1236 Kha Van Can, Linh Trung, Thu Duc

• Organic Herbs: Secion Building, 2nd Floor, Saigon Pearl, 92 Nguyen Huu Canh, Binh Thanh District

• Viet Hiep Spices: 409/70 Nguyen Oanh, Ward 17, Go Vap

Dried fruits

Saigon-dried food to buy

Lastly, on this list of top things to buy in Ho Chi Minh City are dried fruits. There are many tropical fruits for choice such as jackfruit, mango, strawberry, sweet potato, and others, as well as various dried vegetables and nuts. 

There is one intriguing fruit in Ho Chi Minh City you should give it a try, which is durian. The fresh durian has a very distinctive flavor that some might think is weird to eat. Then you can opt for the dried durian instead. It is easier to taste after the drying process.

A pack of dried fruits and vegetables starts from 2 USD depending on the type. You can purchase them at shopping centers or visit specialty shops:

• L'angfarm: 469 Nguyen Huu Tho, Tan Hung, District 7

• Nafoods Store: No 1, 24B Street, An Phu, District 2

• Nong Lam Food: 68 Nguyen Hue, Ben Nghe, District 1

Looking for more information? Our article on travel guide to Vietnam!

Here are some options for things to buy in Ho Chi Minh City. There is no shortage of unique items to discover and take home as a reminder of your time in this dynamic city. By the way, feel free to reach out to New Asia Tours if you need any further assistance regarding Vietnam tours.