Vietnam Souvenirs Worth Buying, Region by Region

Buy what the place actually makes

I have come home from Vietnam with the wrong things more than once. A plastic conical hat that cracked in the suitcase, a lacquer-look box from a stall that sold the same box in three cities, a “silk” scarf that turned out to be something else entirely. What I still use years later is always something tied to a place and to someone’s hands.

That is the whole argument of this page. Vietnam is a long, narrow country, roughly 1,650 km from the Chinese border to the Mekong Delta, and its crafts are regional. There is no single souvenir shop for the country, and the best things are bought where they are made. The kind of souvenir to avoid is the one with no link to the town selling it: a sandalwood Buddha in a beach resort, a fridge magnet printed somewhere else.

So here is how I would shop, region by region, from north to south.

The north: villages around Hanoi and the mountains

Start in Hanoi. The Old Quarter has streets traditionally organised by trade, and it is a fine place to browse, but the best objects come from the craft villages around the city. Bat Trang is the ceramics village: bowls, teapots, vases and tiles, many of which you can watch being thrown and then paint yourself. Van Phuc is the silk village, where you can see looms working and buy scarves or fabric by the metre. Both are an easy half-day out of the city, and our guide to Hanoi craft villages and workshops covers how to visit.

Two practical tips. Ceramics are heavy and fragile, so buy a few small pieces rather than one large vase, and ask the workshop to pack them properly. And at a silk village, ask the seller whether a piece is pure silk or a blend; a reputable maker will tell you plainly.

For something more in the spirit of the mountains, look at textiles from the hill communities around Sapa: indigo-dyed cloth, hand embroidery, small woven bags and purses. These are made by ethnic minority women, and prices should reflect hours of stitching. Buy from the person who made the piece when you can, and expect the best work to be quieter and less colourful than the machine-made imitations stacked in the town market. If you want the background first, read about the ethnic minorities of northern Vietnam.

If you would rather be guided to good makers than hunt for them, a private street food tour in Hanoi can also double as a walk through the neighbourhoods where the trades sit.

The centre: Hoi An’s tailors and lanterns

Hoi An is where most visitors do their serious shopping, and it is a fair reputation. The Ancient Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site (1999), and it is lined with tailors, shoemakers, leather workers and lantern makers. Shopping here is easy to enjoy and easy to get wrong.

Tailoring is the big draw. A fitted shirt, a dress, a coat or an ao dai can be made to measure, but good work needs time. Bring photos of what you want, choose the fabric yourself, and book at least one fitting. I wrote a longer piece on getting a suit made in Hoi An, and the tailors and ao dai guide goes into the shops and the photoshoots that often come with them. The simple rule: the cheapest quote is rarely the best, and a tailor who offers to finish everything in a few hours is selling speed, not quality.

Lanterns are the second classic. Silk on a bamboo frame, they fold flat and weigh almost nothing, which makes them the most suitcase-friendly gift in the country. You can buy one ready-made, or make your own: the lantern-making workshops teach you how, and a cooking class combined with a lantern-making workshop is a relaxed way to leave with one you built yourself. For a wider look at textiles, temples and coffee in a single outing, a cultural tour around Hoi An is a good introduction before you start spending.

The south: Saigon’s markets and the coffee question

In Ho Chi Minh City, the obvious stop is Ben Thanh Market in District 1. It is a theatre of a market: lacquerware, coffee, dried fruit, bags, T-shirts, a lot of things made far from here. It is worth a visit for the atmosphere, and for coffee and dried goods it is perfectly serviceable, but be selective. Cholon, the old Chinatown, is where I find more interesting objects: tea, ceramics, incense, and the trade goods that locals actually buy. For hands-on shopping with a local angle, see our guide to craft workshops in Ho Chi Minh City.

Then there is coffee, which is the souvenir I buy every single time. The Central Highlands, around Buon Ma Thuot, are the country’s coffee capital, and Vietnam is among the world’s biggest producers. You will see beans, ground coffee in a small aluminium phin filter, and the filters themselves. A phin is cheap, light, and genuinely used every day by the people who sell it. Buy whole beans if you can, from a roaster or a shop that names the farm or the district, and read our guide to Vietnamese coffee to know what you are looking at. Be careful with “weasel” coffee in tourist shops; it is a sector where fakes are common, and I would skip it.

Prices, cash and bargaining without a fight

Prices are quoted in dong, in large numbers, and the rate in 2026 is roughly 28,000 VND to 1 EUR and 26,000 VND to 1 USD, drifting down slowly. I will not hand you a list of prices, because a figure for a scarf or a bag of beans goes out of date quickly and varies enormously by town. What I would do instead: always look at the price in dong, divide by the current rate on your phone, and note the year on anything you read online.

Cash still matters. Markets, village workshops and small stalls prefer notes; tailors, galleries and bigger shops often take cards, sometimes with a fee. Carry small denominations so you are not stuck without change. Our guides to money in Vietnam and to whether you need cash go further.

Bargaining is normal at markets and tourist stalls, and it works best when it is calm. Ask the price, smile, offer a bit less, and walk away politely if it is not right. You are not in a contest. The same stall that gave a patient customer a good price will often still be there if you come back.

The honest warning is that in the busiest tourist hubs, counterfeit branded clothing and inflated prices do exist, and the first price is often well above the final one. Our page on scams to avoid lists the usual patterns. The best defence is simple: buy from an identified maker or a shop that explains where the piece is from, and compare at least two places.

One last practical note. Rules on what you can take home depend on your country and on the product, particularly for food, plants and antiques, so check the official customs information for Vietnam and for your own country before packing.

Questions about buying souvenirs in Vietnam

What is the best single souvenir to bring back from Vietnam?

Coffee is the easiest: robusta and arabica from the Central Highlands around Buon Ma Thuot and Da Lat travel well, weigh little and are properly local. A hand-made ceramic or a piece of silk is the best choice if you want something to keep for years.

Should I bargain in Vietnamese markets?

Yes, at markets and tourist stalls, but calmly and with a smile. Ask the price, offer a little less, and stop when you reach a figure you are happy with. Fixed-price shops, cafés and supermarkets are not for bargaining.

Do I need cash to buy souvenirs?

Cash still matters at markets, village workshops and small stalls, while larger shops, tailors and galleries usually take cards. Carry dong in small notes, and remember the US dollar is not legal tender.

How can I avoid fake or overpriced goods?

Be wary of branded clothing, bags and watches in tourist hubs, and of any price that drops by half the moment you hesitate. Buy from a named workshop or maker, compare two or three stalls, and ask how and where the piece was made.

Can I take coffee, silk or ceramics through customs?

Most everyday craft goods are fine, but rules differ by country and by product, especially for food, plants and antiques. Check the official customs rules of your own country and of Vietnam before you pack.

How long does a tailor in Hoi An need?

Plan on a few days for a fitted piece, with at least one fitting. Rushing a suit or dress into a single day is where most disappointments come from, so order early in your stay.