A Guide to Shopping in Hanoi

Shopping has never been an out-of-date means of entertainment when traveling, especially in major metropolitans like Hanoi. Take a look at our blog below for authentic local insights about shopping in Hanoi.

Shopping in Hanoi - Shopping Malls

Hanoi is now more and more bustling with a lot of shopping malls densely situated. Shopping malls are all-inclusive stops, covering numerous shops, restaurants, and entertainment activities, from common to high-end brands. Moreover, shopping malls are certainly more credible and you will not have to face scamming, which is great! Here are our picks for the most popular shopping malls in Hanoi.

Vincom Centers

The more developed Hanoi is, the more Vincom Centers you will be likely to see. There is a large number of Vincom Centers located all over the city, mostly in busy areas such as Hoan Kiem District, Cau Giay District, Dong Da District or Ba Dinh District, …

Vincom Centers are often extremely spacious with the most modern architectural style. They are always considered as some of the most luxurious yet trustworthy shopping centers and entertainment complexes. At Vincom Centers, you are likely to see many retail shops, luxury brands, local brands, cinemas, restaurants, and other entertainment activities such as bowling rinks.

The restaurants here cover a wide range of cuisine, from local Vietnamese street food to Japanese, Korean, Thai, Chinese, and Western specialties.

Vincom Mega Mall Royal City

Address: 72 Nguyen Trai, Thanh Xuan District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 9:30 AM – 10 PM

Vincom Mega Mall Royal City is the first underground trading center in Vietnam

Vincom Mega Mall Times City

Address: 458 Minh Khai, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 8 AM – 10 PM

Vincom Mega Mall Times City is known for having the largest aquarium in Vietnam

Vincom Center Ba Trieu

Address: 191 Ba Trieu, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 9 AM – 9:45 PM

Vincom Center Ba Trieu is the gathering place for many young people

Vincom Center Nguyen Chi Thanh

Address: 54 Nguyen Chi Thanh, Dong Da District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 9:30 AM – 10 PM

Nguyen Chi Thanh area is home to a lot of major universities in Hanoi such as Foreign Trade University, Diplomatic Academy or Hanoi Law University

Vincom Metropolis

Address: 29 Lieu Giai, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 9:30 AM – 10 PM

This shopping mall has numerous cafes and pastry shops, which is very favorable since it is near many offices and companies

Trang Tien Plaza

Address: 24 Hai Ba Trung, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 9:30 AM – 9:30 PM

Trang Tien Plaza is a luxury shopping mall, including many extravagant international brands namely Prada, Dior, Dolce & Gabbana, Louis Vuitton, and so on. This architecture is built in the French colonial style and was renovated to be a shopping center for the ones who love world-class fashion designers.

Trang Tien Plaza is located right in the center of Hanoi Old Quarter, next to Hoan Kiem Lake and is easily reached within a five to ten-minute walk.

Trang Tien Plaza is special with its high-end products

Lotte Shopping Center

Address: 54 Lieu Giai, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi (20-minute drive from Hanoi Old Quarter).
Opening hours: 9 AM – 10:30 PM

Lotte Shopping Center is the second tallest building after the Keangnam Landmark in Hanoi. This place features more than 250 famous fashion and lifestyle brands, both globally and locally, as well as many different entertainment activities and fine dining restaurants.

Besides, this building also has a hypermarket, a hotel, residential apartments, a gym, a spa, and Hanoi’s most fascinating observation deck. The observatory is the highlight of Lotte Shopping Center, where you can observe the stunning panoramic views of Hanoi and enjoy a romantic date.

Lotte Shopping Center is one of Hanoi's skyscrapers.

AEON Mall

Address: 27 Co Linh, Long Bien District, Hanoi (15-minute drive from Hanoi Old Quarter).
Opening hours: 10 AM – 10 PM

AEON Mall is one of the first and most spacious Japanese shopping centers in Vietnam. Its area is about 120,000 meters, divided into 4 floors, which creates an entertainment complex and also a shopping center with more than 150 different retail brands and a wide range of amusing possibilities.

Besides shopping, dining options are various here, ranging from fast food, local street food, dining restaurants to an expansive food court right on the first floor. You can enjoy international cuisine at fairly reasonable prices.

There is also a bowling rink and a cinema if you want to do something casually to entertain.

You can even spend a whole day at this mall to fully explore it

See more in Hanoi Shopping Malls 

Shopping in Hanoi – Local Markets

Local markets have long been an indispensable experience when coming to Asian countries. These markets are a part of the city’s history and lifestyle, symbolizing the cultural beauty of Hanoi. Therefore, there is no doubt that you should pay a visit to some local markets, do some shopping and experience a totally different lifestyle.

Dong Xuan Market

Address: Dong Xuan Street, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 8 AM – 6 PM

Check out our full guide here Dong Xuan Market in Hanoi.

Dong Xuan market is a familiar name when mentioning local markets in Hanoi. It has been built since the Nguyen Dynasty and remains to be one of the busiest and most bustling markets in Hanoi. A wide variety of goods are sold here such as souvenirs, clothing, snacks, suitcases, dried food, ….

The market’s architectural style is quite nostalgic but also includes a modern twist with two elevators, providing visitors with the most convenient shopping experiences.

Leave your stomach hungry for a little bit when coming to Dong Xuan Market and try some amazing yet cheap local street food in Dong Xuan alley.

Dong Xuan market is one of the most well-known markets in Hanoi

Hom Market

Address: 79 Hue Street, Hai Ba Trung District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: 6 AM – 6 PM

Hom market is one of the oldest markets in Hanoi and home to a mixture of fresh goods such as seafood, vegetables, or fruits. And since it is located in the center of Hanoi, which mostly guarantees quality and freshness, many locals say that it is usually recommended to purchase food here.

However, clothing materials are the most common products in this market and you can easily see many different materials right from the entrance.

Hom market is not just a place to shop, it is also a place for the locals to come, gather and chat

Quang Ba Night Flower Market

Address: 236 Au Co Street, Tay Ho District, Hanoi.
Opening hours: The market is open daily and it has two main sessions:
-   From 2 AM to 4 AM: for wholesalers
-   From 4 AM until Midday: for retailers

Quang Ba night flower market is the biggest wholesale fresh-cut flowers in Hanoi. It is the place where diverse types of flowers coming from all over the country gather at and then will be delivered to every corner in Hanoi.

It is the busiest during the period of 2 AM to 4 AM, when wholesalers and retailers all coming, trading flowers and trucks full of flowers being loaded and unloaded continually. The only source of lighting comes from the dim light bulbs hanging on every stall.

Quang Ba night flower market is probable to provide you with captivating sight-seeing of blooming, vibrant flowers and cultural experiences.

Quang Ba night flower market is one of the night markets you must visit when coming to Hanoi

Shopping in Hanoi – What to Buy?

Full guide: Vietnamese Souvenirs to Buy in Hanoi.

Silk & Clothing

Silk is a popular gift among tourists

Silk in Hanoi is authentic traditional silk that is famous for being thin, soft, and elegant in design. Moreover, it comes in a variety of product forms, from trousers, scarves, dresses to shoes. The price for a piece of silk is also quite affordable, often fluctuates between VND 50,000 and VND 5,000,000 due to how prolific the silk production is.

Where to purchase silk in Hanoi:

+ Van Phuc Village in Ha Dong District is the best if you want to purchase some authentic silk at reasonable prices and to obtain a deeper understanding of silk production.
+ Duc Loi Silk: 77 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
+ Le Minh Silk: 79 – 111 Hang Gai, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Assorted Dried Fruits (“O mai”)

Assorted dried fruits are traditional snacks of Hanoians

Assorted dried fruits are favorite snacks of many Hanoians and are commonly served only on special occasions such as Tet Holiday. The flavorful snack is dried fruits seasoned with salt, sugar, ginger, chili, and other spices.

There are some well-known brands that you can get your loved ones some assorted dried fruits:

+ Hong Lam: 11 Hang Duong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
+ Tien Thinh: 21 Hang Duong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.
+ Toan Thinh: 15 Hang Duong, Hoan Kiem District, Hanoi.

Shopping in Hanoi – Local Tips

-  When coming to local markets, you should bargain the price, or else you may get scammed and remember to prepare some cash, and changes if possible.
-  Do not bring too many important personal documents, especially when you're visiting local markets.
-  If possible, try to do shopping in the afternoons or in the evenings as the weather is extremely hot in the summer.

Our Take on Shopping in Hanoi

Shopping in Hanoi can sometimes be frustrating if you do not know where to go or what to buy. However, we hope that our guide above has been informative enough to help you out when visiting Hanoi and have a more wonderful shopping experience.

If you are in Ho Chi Minh City, check out our Guide to Shopping in Ho Chi Minh City.