Ben Thanh Market: opening hours, the night market and is it worth it?

Ben Thanh Market is worth an hour, for the 1914 building, the food stalls inside and a quick round of coffee, cashews and souvenirs. It is not a bargain market any more, and prices for visitors start high. Go between 8 and 10am or late in the afternoon, eat at the stalls in the middle, bargain with a smile, and don't expect the night market outside to be what older guides describe.

Where is Ben Thanh Market?

Ben Thanh Market stands on the big roundabout where Le Loi, Ham Nghi, Tran Hung Dao and Le Lai streets meet, in the heart of what everyone still calls District 1. Since the July 2025 reorganisation, the area is officially Ben Thanh ward. Most central hotels are a 5 to 15-minute walk away.

The market opened in this building in 1914, and the clock tower over the south gate is one of the symbols of the city. There are four main gates; the clock tower gate faces the roundabout, and it is the easiest place to meet people. Under the square in front is Ben Thanh station, the start of Metro Line 1, which opened in December 2024 and runs out to Thao Dien and Suoi Tien. Single tickets cost about 7,000 to 20,000 dong.

What are Ben Thanh Market's opening hours?

The market's own rules list 7am to 10pm, with fresh food and eating stalls allowed from 4am. In practice, most clothing and souvenir stalls inside start closing from about 6pm, and the night market outside takes over from about 6pm to 10 or 11pm.

Around Tet, the Lunar New Year (6 February 2027), the market is packed in the week before and many stalls close for the first days of the holiday. See Tet 2027 in Vietnam.

Is Ben Thanh Market worth visiting?

Yes, as a landmark and a place to eat, for about an hour. No, if you want a local market or a bargain: it is the most touristy market in the country, and prices reflect that.

The good: the building, the noise and colour of the aisles, food stalls that let you try five southern dishes in one sitting, and coffee, cashews and simple gifts in one place. The less good: some stallholders grab arms and call out, first prices for visitors can be three times the real price, and the aisles get hot and crowded by late morning. If you want to see how Saigon actually shops, go to Binh Tay or Tan Dinh market as well; there is a comparison below.

What should you eat at Ben Thanh Market?

Eat at the food stalls in the middle of the market, where you sit on a stool at a counter and point. Expect roughly 50,000 to 120,000 dong a dish, more than in a neighbourhood market but still cheap.

• Banh xeo: a crisp rice-flour pancake with shrimp and bean sprouts, wrapped in lettuce and herbs.
• Bun bo Hue: a spicy beef noodle soup from central Vietnam.
• Com tam: broken rice with grilled pork, Saigon's everyday lunch.
• Che: sweet soups and puddings of beans, coconut and jelly, good on a hot afternoon.
• Fresh fruit and juices: mango, jackfruit, sugar cane juice and fruit shakes.

Ask the price before you order at stalls without a menu. For a full guide to the dishes, read what to eat in Vietnam; if you have allergies or eat vegetarian, see our special diets guide.

What should you buy, and what should you skip?

Buy food gifts and simple crafts: coffee, cashews, dried fruit, pepper, lacquerware and conical hats. Skip branded clothes, bags and so-called weasel coffee.

These are rough guides from what we see in 2026, not fixed prices. Branded sportswear, bags and watches here are copies. "Weasel coffee", ca phe chon, sold in markets is almost never what the label claims. Our Vietnamese coffee guide explains what to buy instead, and souvenirs worth carrying home lists the best gifts by region. Looking for a pickleball paddle? Ben Thanh is not the place; see buying a paddle in Vietnam.

How do you bargain at Ben Thanh Market?

Ask the price, offer about half, and expect to meet somewhere around 60 to 70 percent of the first price for souvenirs and clothes. Keep it friendly; a smile and a polite walk away work better than arguing.

• Carry small notes. Paying 100,000 dong with a 500,000 note makes "no change" a problem.
• Check the note. 20,000 and 500,000 dong notes are both blue. Count your change; our money in Vietnam guide shows the notes.
• Don't start bargaining if you don't want to buy. Agreeing a price and walking away is rude.
• Prices on food are firmer. Coffee, nuts and dried fruit move less than clothes.
• Buy several items from one stall and ask for one price for the lot.

Is there still a night market at Ben Thanh?

Yes, but it is smaller than older guides suggest. From about 6pm, stalls and food carts set up on Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh streets, on either side of the market, until about 10 or 11pm. You will find clothes, souvenirs, grilled seafood and fruit, at prices a little higher than in the day. Recent visitors describe it as anything from lively to half-empty, depending on the night, so go before 9pm and treat it as a stroll rather than a destination.

For a better food night, take a Grab to Ho Thi Ky, a market alley about 10 minutes away where the stalls cook late into the evening. Our things to do in Ho Chi Minh City guide lists more night food streets.

Is Ben Thanh Market safe?

Yes. The risks are small and familiar: bag and phone snatching on the street outside, overcharging, and pushy selling. Keep your phone in a front pocket or zipped bag when you are on the pavement, as thieves on motorbikes target phones held at the kerb. Agree the price before you eat or buy. Use Grab or Xanh SM rather than the cyclo and motorbike drivers who wait outside; see our Green SM guide. More in is Vietnam safe?

Which markets in Saigon are better than Ben Thanh?

For a local market, go to Binh Tay in Cholon or Tan Dinh near the pink church; for clothes at steadier prices, Saigon Square; for an evening of street food, Ho Thi Ky.

Where can you play pickleball near Ben Thanh Market?

Court One Club, on the courts of the New World Saigon Hotel on Le Lai Street, is a few minutes' walk from the market and runs socials grouped by level every day at 6am and 6pm. Pickleball PickUp, on the western edge of District 1, is about 10 minutes by Grab.

That makes an easy morning: the 6am social, a shower, breakfast, and Ben Thanh at 8:30 before the heat and the tour groups. Court One sells a day pass to visitors, and its socials fill up, so book a spot the day before. The big clubs are across the river in Thao Dien, which Metro Line 1 reaches from Ben Thanh station. Every court, price and how to get a game is in our pickleball in Ho Chi Minh City guide.

How do you fit Ben Thanh into a day in Saigon?

Pair it with the sights within walking distance: the market at 8:30, then the Independence Palace, the Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office, with lunch back at the food stalls or a nearby restaurant. Spend the afternoon at the War Remnants Museum, rest through the heat, and finish with a rooftop drink. For days out, the Cu Chi tunnels and the Mekong Delta are the two best trips from the city. Arriving by air? We can meet you at Tan Son Nhat and take you straight to District 1.

Ben Thanh Market: FAQ

Is Ben Thanh Market worth visiting?

Yes, for an hour. The 1914 building is a Saigon landmark, the food stalls inside are an easy introduction to southern dishes, and it is a quick place to buy coffee, cashews and simple souvenirs. It is not cheap and it is very touristy, so don't expect bargains or a local market.

What are Ben Thanh Market's opening hours?

The market's own rules give 7am to 10pm, with fresh food and eating stalls from 4am. In practice most clothing and souvenir stalls inside start closing from about 6pm. The night market on the streets outside runs from about 6pm to 10 or 11pm and is smaller than it used to be.

Is there still a night market at Ben Thanh?

Yes, but it is smaller than older guides suggest. From about 6pm, stalls and food carts set up on Phan Boi Chau and Phan Chu Trinh streets beside the market, selling clothes, souvenirs and seafood. Go before 9pm; for a livelier food night, Ho Thi Ky alley is better.

How do you bargain at Ben Thanh Market?

Smile, ask the price, offer about half, and settle somewhere around 60 to 70 percent of the first price for souvenirs and clothes. Walking away politely is part of it. Prices on coffee and dried food are firmer. Pay in cash, in dong, with small notes.

What should you buy at Ben Thanh Market?

Good buys are Vietnamese coffee and a phin filter, cashews, dried fruit, pepper, lacquerware, conical hats and simple silk items. Skip branded sportswear and bags, which are copies, and so-called weasel coffee, which is almost never what the label claims.

How do you get to Ben Thanh Market?

It sits on the big roundabout where Le Loi, Ham Nghi, Tran Hung Dao and Le Lai streets meet, in Ben Thanh ward, the old District 1. Most central hotels are a 5 to 15-minute walk away, and Metro Line 1 starts at Ben Thanh station right outside.

The bottom line

Ben Thanh Market is worth an hour for the building, the food stalls and a bag of good coffee, but it is a landmark, not a bargain. Go at 8:30am, eat in the middle, bargain with a smile, and see Binh Tay or Tan Dinh if you want a local market. Then plan the rest of your stay with things to do in Ho Chi Minh City, and book a morning game with pickleball in Ho Chi Minh City.