Haggle for bargains in Ben Thanh market

Ben Thanh market is one of the more exciting places to visit in Ho Chi Minh City. It’s a chance to truly get stuck in with the locals and test your bargaining skills. It’s a very different experience if you get used to fixed priced items that the idea of bargaining never comes to mind but after visiting a few markets, you almost start to limber up at the prospect of haggling your way through amazing bargains. 

 

Ben Thanh market, located in District 1 across from the bus station, is probably the best known. It is especially popular in the evening and at night, when food vendors set up stalls and locals and tourists alike gather to eat and shop.

Ben Thanh is possibly more regulated, so you may have to worry less about knock-offs or price gouging. That said, you should always be wary of knock-offs and gouging.

Shopping inside the market will require you to practise the art of bargaining and, as they commonly deal with unsuspecting tourists, the vendors at Ben Thanh are pros. A common practice is to inflate prices to double or triple their actual value, meaning you must work the price down to get a reasonable deal. A quick tip in bargaining at Ben Thanh is to cruise the outer ring of the market, where all stalls are fixed priced and most items are actually marked with a price tag. This will give you a good idea of what a moderate price will be when you go inside to haggle.



Bartering is the way to shop here, so jump right in, offer a price that you think is fair, and have fun. Be extra careful if prices are absent or not clearly marked – that goes for everything, everywhere, every time.

See more

  • Visiting Bac Lieu longan orchard

    Bac Lieu longan orchard has many characteristic values of geology, geomorphology, ecology, culture, tradition and cuisine. Moreover, the ancient longan orchard is over...

    Read more

  • Diving and snorkeling

    Nha Trang has a long and beautiful beach with the most colorful and beautiful coral reef and high biodiversity.  Nha Trang is one of the best and most affordable...

    Read more

  • Make Up Your Own Mind About the Hanoi Hilton

    Hoa Lo Prison, better known to Westerners as the Hanoi Hilton, is definitely a polarizing and confusing place. All the signage and displays point to the prison having been a...

    Read more

  • Take a Cyclo Ride

    Not the most efficient method of cruising through the city, but a very old and popular way of experiencing Saigon .

    Read more

  • Trekking to Son Doong Cave

    Son Doong is the largest natural cave in the world. The majestic and monumental landscape of Son Doong Cave is considered as the great wall of Vietnam. Trekking to Son Doong...

    Read more

  • Discover Hanoi on a Cyclo

    Have you ever had a chance to discover and keep a look at every scene in Hanoi ? There is a wonderful and exciting way offering to you to discover Hanoi that is to sit on...

    Read more

  • Exploring Bac Lieu salt fields

    The salt fields in Bac Lieu have existed for a long time and provide a huge of salt for the Mekong Delta . The salt fields are divided into squares and rows with full...

    Read more

  • Trekking Cuc Phuong National Park

    Cuc Phuong National Park is Vietnam’s largest national park and one of the most important sites for biodiversity in the country. Trekking Cuc Phuong National Park is a...

    Read more

  • Relaxing on Elephant Springs

    Elephant spring is a tourist destination located on the way from Hue to  Da nang , about 53km from Hue city and around 20 km north of Hai Van pass ,...

    Read more

  • The adventure activity - Canyoning in Dalat

    Canyoning in Da lat is a kind of famous adventure activities and it is one of the most things to do when traveling to Dalat. 

    Read more

Destinations

Most popular tours

Business info

  • Vietnam Local Guide

  • Address: 18th Floor, VTC Online Tower, 18 Tam Trinh Str.,Hai Ba Trung Dist., Hanoi, Vietnam
  • Email: info@vietnamguider.com
  • Phone: (+84) 0904989890
  • Hotline: (+84) 0904989890