Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a souvenir paradise, bustling with affordable and charming goods, as well as delicious and cost-effective local food. However, many travelers face challenges when it comes to shopping, such as ‘feeling anxious about bargaining in markets,’ ‘not knowing where to find souvenirs suitable for colleagues,’ or ‘being unable to distinguish shops with good taste.’
This article carefully selects ‘absolutely unmissable’ souvenir spots in Ho Chi Minh City that will satisfy everyone, from short-term tourists to long-term residents. We provide a thorough explanation, infused with the local atmosphere and practical insights, covering everything from cool, comfortable Japanese department store branches to vibrant, deep-dive local markets.
STAR KITCHEN Takashimaya Direct Store
📍 Address: B2 Floor, Takashimaya Vietnam, 92-94 Nam Kỳ Khởi Nghĩa, Sài Gòn, Hồ Chí Minh 700000 Vietnam
If you’re lost looking for souvenirs in Ho Chi Minh City, head to the B2 floor of ‘Takashimaya (Saigon Centre)’ in the city center. ‘STAR KITCHEN’ located here is a Vietnamese souvenir sweets brand founded by a Japanese individual in 2013. Its charm lies in a meticulously designed product lineup that solves all common traveler concerns: ‘items requiring refrigeration cannot be taken home,’ ‘want to avoid heavy souvenirs,’ and ‘prefer individually wrapped items for colleagues.’
Among its offerings, the most popular is the ‘Banh Mi Rusk,’ inspired by Vietnam’s national dish. It comes in six flavors, ranging from classic sweet options like mango, coconut, and coffee, to unique ones like pho, cilantro, and black pepper. A delightful aspect is that they offer courteous service and tastings at the store, allowing you to purchase only after ensuring you like the taste.
The packaging features illustrations of Ho Chi Minh City’s French colonial architecture and local men napping on motorbikes, combining ‘Vietnamese charm’ with ‘good taste.’ The L-size contains 16-18 pieces, making it perfect for gifts to share. They sometimes run delightful campaigns where you can receive a small tea and rusk set for posting a review on Google Maps, so be sure to check it out.
Cửa Hàng Hòa Hoa – Saigon Kitsch
📍 Address: 43 Đ. Tôn Thất Thiệp, Sài Gòn, Hồ Chí Minh, Vietnam
‘Saigon Kitsch’ is a pop and colorful general store run by a French-Vietnamese owner. Located on Ton That Thiep Street, just a short walk from Takashimaya, it enjoys immense popularity among Japanese and Western travelers.
The most distinctive feature of this store is its incorporation of ‘propaganda art’ used for government promotion during the Vietnam War into sophisticated, modern designs. Its somewhat ‘kitsch’ (deliberately cheap and flashy) designs on items like notebooks, magnets, and coasters are incredibly stylish. Lightweight eco-bags and pouches depicting tropical fruits and Vietnamese street scenes are also huge bestsellers.
The store spans three floors, packed with a wide range of items from T-shirts and daily necessities to traditional Vietnamese pottery ‘Bat Trang ceramics.’ While the prices might seem a bit bold considering Vietnamese living costs, the quality and design are undeniable. Please note, to protect its originality, there’s a strict ‘no photography inside the store’ rule. Staff will caution you if you wander around with your smartphone, so refrain from taking photos and simply enjoy a treasure hunt-like shopping experience.
Ben Thanh Market
📍 Address: Ben Thanh, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Completed in 1914, ‘Ben Thanh Market’ can be called a symbol of Ho Chi Minh City. Its exterior already exudes a local vibe, and inside, a maze of clothes, bags, general goods, coffee, and dried foods are tightly packed. This is a place where you can directly experience the ‘Southeast Asian vibrancy,’ for better or worse.
As it’s highly geared towards tourists, merely walking through the aisles will lead to intense Japanese calls like ‘Brother, cheap!’ or ‘T-shirts, coffee!’ There are no fixed prices, and it’s common to be quoted several times the market rate initially. Therefore, ‘bargaining’ is essential. While it might seem troublesome, for those who can enjoy the negotiation as entertainment, including tactics like ‘too expensive’ or ‘I’ll go elsewhere,’ it’s a fantastic spot.
Inside the market, various scents mingle, and the lack of air conditioning, especially during the hot dry season, can be quite draining. If you get tired from shopping, stop by the food stalls inside. A fresh ‘mango smoothie’ for about 25,000VND (approx. 150 JPY) is a superb treat to cool down your flushed body. Be very careful of pickpockets and snatchers; it’s recommended to wear your backpack on your front.
TROPIC SOUVENIR STORE
📍 Address: 87 Đồng Khởi, Sài Gòn, Hồ Chí Minh 71006 Vietnam
Facing ‘Dong Khoi Street,’ one of Ho Chi Minh City’s premier luxury brand avenues, ‘TROPIC’ is a high-quality general store frequented even by JAL cabin attendants. As a long-established shop, it serves as an oasis for travelers weary of market crowds and price negotiations.
Intricately delicate ’embroidered pouches’ and colorful ‘initial-embroidered drawstring bags,’ rarely seen in markets, are extremely popular here. From artisanal Bat Trang ceramic small plates to stylishly packaged Vietnamese coffee and chocolates, a wide range of highly appealing items are beautifully displayed. With ‘transparent pricing’ where all products have price tags, there’s absolutely no worry about being overcharged.
The store has friendly staff who speak Japanese and are happy to assist with souvenir selection. Some reviews mention that the Google Maps pin location might be slightly off from the actual store, so when visiting, try to look for it ‘along Dong Khoi Street.’ It’s an enchanting shop with a tasteful atmosphere where you might just end up buying too many items for yourself.
A MUốI
📍 Address: QMQR+X4M, Tan Dinh, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
If you’re looking to buy ‘affordable and delicious nuts & dried fruits’ in Ho Chi Minh City, no store can surpass ‘A MUốI’ located inside ‘Tan Dinh Market,’ famous for its pink church. It’s a hidden gem frequented by expats and repeat travelers alike.
Vietnam is a global producer of cashews, but buying them at supermarkets can be surprisingly expensive, and they sometimes have an old oil smell. However, at A MUốI, which has an overwhelmingly high turnover, you can find large, fresh, and perfectly lightly salted ‘cashews with skin’ at astonishingly low prices. Their ‘seaweed snacks’ with nuts and pumpkin seeds, and local dried fruits, are also exquisite.
Despite being a market stall, the staff are fluent in Japanese. They generously offer one tasting after another, saying, ‘Try this!’ What’s even better is their service of ‘vacuum packing’ small quantities, starting from 200g, upon request. This prevents bulk in your suitcase for the return trip and preserves quality for longer. Their transparent accounting, where they write down the price, quantity, and item name on the back of a card (receipt) during purchase, is another reason for their immense trustworthiness.
【Tips】Rules for Enjoying Your Ho Chi Minh City Shopping to the Fullest
In Ho Chi Minh City, it’s wise to adjust your shopping strategy according to the type of store. At local markets like Ben Thanh Market, the general rule is to start negotiations aiming for ‘half to one-third’ of the initial asking price. The secret to getting a good deal is to enjoy the communication with a smile, without getting angry.
On the other hand, department stores like Takashimaya and sophisticated general stores around Dong Khoi Street (such as TROPIC) generally operate on fixed prices. Travelers with limited time, or those who ‘wish to avoid the stress of bargaining’ and ‘want to buy reliably high-quality items,’ should wisely use their time by visiting direct stores and supermarkets.
Additionally, the inside of the markets can get very hot during the day. The local way to navigate is to bring wet wipes or sweat sheets and hydrate frequently (with mango smoothies or coconut juice, for example). Bringing an eco-bag is also convenient for consolidating various souvenirs that might otherwise scatter.
