"Bargaining at Ben Than" Ben Thanh Market Tip by liemel225

Ben Than Market is smacked in the middle of District 1, its a walking distance from a lot of hotels. Also since its a touristy place, almost everybody you ask can easily point you to the right directions. it occupies a whole city block and you can enter the market from 4 sides. the clock on the southern gate is the main entrance for the market.

the souvenirs you can get here are quite cute. but be very aware of the prices. you never know, that they might have over-priced certain goods. also they prefer you paying in USD. for westerners they dont mind paying in this currency but for others who has to convert their money to USD and then later convert it to VNDong, i suggest that before leaving check the exchange rate for that day. since it usually fluctuates. your 1USD might be worth more that the VNDong amount on the said item. if you have time and in a tight budget but want to buy some stuff, try looking around first, different stores have different starting "bids" for the same item. usually stalls near the entrance and exit gates tend to be more expensive.

Vietnam food is also available at the wet market area. But i suggest that you be careful with regards to trying on such food. it was obvious that the sanitation is extremely poor.

after 6:00PM the market closes but they have a street behind the market that starts to open. This is also know as their version of the Night Market.

Directions: opposite Quach Thi Trang Square
at the end of le Loi Street
and surrounded by Le Thanh Ton, Phan Chu Trinh, Phan Boi Chau streets.