Bến Thành Market in Sài Gòn: what to buy and how to bargain

If Sài Gòn has a postcard, it is the clock tower of chợ Bến Thành, Bến Thành Market. Under one roof there is row after row of stalls: fabric, coffee, souvenirs, dried fruit, and a food section where you can sit down for lunch. It is touristy and it is crowded. It is still worth an hour.

A bit of history

The market building dates from the French era and opened in 1914, in the heart of the city centre: District 1, as most people still call it. The clock tower over the main entrance became a symbol of the city, and it still is: it is the photo everyone takes. The name is usually explained as “the wharf by the citadel”, after an older market that stood on the riverbank.

What’s inside

• Fabric: bolts of silk and cotton, and fabric for an áo dài. If you want one made, Hội An is the place: see our áo dài guide.
• Souvenirs: conical hats (nón lá), lacquerware, chopsticks, bags and T-shirts.
• Dried goods: coffee beans and ground coffee, tea, cashews, dried fruit, dried shrimp and squid, spices. Good for gifts that survive the flight.
• The food section: counters cooking southern dishes, with stools to sit on. A good place to rest your feet over a bowl of noodles, a glass of fresh juice or a chè.

How to bargain

Prices at Bến Thành are aimed at visitors, and bargaining is expected. Done well, it is a friendly game, not a fight.

1. Look around first. The same hat or bag is usually sold at many stalls. Get a feel for prices before you buy.
2. Ask the price: “Bao nhiêu tiền?” How much?
3. Offer less, with a smile. A price you would be happy to pay, and somewhere to meet in the middle.
4. Use the words. “Mắc quá!” Too expensive! (in the north it is đắt quá). “Bớt chút đi.” A little less, please.
5. Walk away politely if you can’t agree. Sometimes you will be called back; sometimes not. Both are fine.
6. Once you agree, buy. Don’t haggle hard over small change, and don’t haggle over food. Bargaining is for hats and handbags, not for your lunch.

Stallholders may call out or touch your arm to get your attention. A smile and “không, cảm ơn” (no, thank you) is enough.

Where locals shop

• Chợ Bình Tây: the big wholesale market of Chợ Lớn, Sài Gòn’s old Chinese quarter. Busy, noisy and mostly selling to shopkeepers, in a Chinese-style building that is worth the trip on its own.
• Chợ Tân Định: a smaller market used by people who live nearby, known for its fabric stalls.
• Your neighbourhood market: every part of the city has one. Go early in the morning, when the fresh food is at its best.

Good to know

• The aisles are narrow and crowded. Keep your phone in a front pocket and your bag in front of you.
• Bring cash, in small notes. Big notes make bargaining awkward.
• It gets hot inside. Carry water, and take a break in the food section.
• For what to eat once you are back outside, see our Sài Gòn street food guide.

Shop it with a local

Our Market-to-Wok Cooking Class starts in Bến Thành’s back lanes with a market auntie. The market tour and ingredients are included; then you cook four southern dishes in her home kitchen, eat lunch together, and leave with printed recipe cards.