When planning a trip, there are plenty of Vietnam souvenirs to look out for on your travels. But if you do not know what to buy in Vietnam, by the time you get to the end of this post, you will have plenty of ideas of what to buy in Vietnam.
This post outlines all of the popular things to buy in Vietnam, from typical souvenirs to unique things to buy during your trip.
When traveling, if you have a type of souvenir you look out for, you are sure to be able to find it in Vietnam. Maybe it is a flag, a piece of jewelry, a hat, a fridge magnet, a small item to put on a shelf back home or something unique from each country you visit. Whatever you may be on the lookout for, the Vietnam souvenirs below will give you plenty of ideas of things to buy while visiting!
Popular Vietnam Souvenirs: What to buy in Vietnam
National dress Ao Dai
The national dress of Vietnam is called Ao Dai and you will see all of the women wearing it as business attire. Whether it is at your hotel check-in, at your flight check-in or during your visit to Vietnam, you will quickly be able to recognize it. Ao Dai is a beautifully fitted garment and can be made to order, or bought off the rack.
Conical hat
You will likely not spend a day in Vietnam without seeing at least someone in a conical hat. These Vietnamese souvenirs can be found just about everywhere and are less than USD2. While bulky to bring home, they make a cheap Vietnam souvenir to bring home and if you have a few friends or kids, you can bring home a few. These are representative of agriculture in Vietnam and can be basic or beautifully painted.
Hand embroidery
Hand embroidery is another popular thing to buy in Vietnam on your trip. Many tourist gift shops have examples of embroidered pictures being made and they sell for as little as a few dollars. More elaborate pictures can go for a lot more. If you are wondering what to buy info Vietnam and want something portable, this is a good option!
Lanterns
Beautiful lanterns decorate Hoi An’s old town and are a popular Vietnam souvenir to bring home. You can even make your own lantern while you are in Hoi An!
Tshirts
From just two dollars or so, tshirts are everywhere in Vietnam. Try your bargaining skills in Ho Chi Minh’s Market or in the Old Town of Hoi An. Whether you are looking for dry-fit Nike’s or a tshirt with Vietnam logos, there are plenty of choices all over Vietnam. These are also one of the popular things to buy in Vietnam that are easily portable to bring back home!
Fish sauce
Used in almost every meal, fish sauce is life when it comes to Vietnamese cooking! Pick one up at the grocery stores or markets to bring home with you fromVietnam.
Rice paper
At just 10000 Vietnamese Dong ( less than .50 USD ) for a package of rice paper, these can be bought in the markets, grocery stores and tourist shops all over Vietnam! If you want to recreate spring rolls at home, these are a lot cheaper in Vietnam than at home! They are also a perfect souvenir from Vietnam for the foodie in your life ( then invite yourself over for dinner, or better yet, show them how to make authentic Vietnamese spring rolls after taking a cooking class in Vietnam )
Dried fruits
Mangos, bananas and more! If you love dried fruits, Vietnam has some of the best! You can buy packaged ones or in bulk at the market!
Tea
Vietnamese tea has a different flavour than other green teas. Grab a box of tea as your Vietnamese souvenirs from your trip.
Green bean cake
A popular treat ( or gift ), green bean cake is one of the things to buy in Vietnam to take home and share. You can buy these at the airport if you do not find them before you depart! They make a great last-minute Vietnamese souvenir!
Pop up paper cards
You will find sellers of beautiful cards outside all of the tourist sites. Wondering what to buy to send to your family, then pick a few favourites and either mail them from the beautiful HCMC post office next to Vietnam’s Notre Dam.
Silk
Silk is a cheap Vietnamese souvenir and is available all over the country. The quality will dictate the price.
Cultured pearls
Cultured pearls grow outside of Ha Long Bay. You can see how they are farmed (it is pretty interesting to see them opening up the oysters and implanting the pearls. They offer varieties of pearls and you can even choose your own to make unique jewelry.
Hats
For just a few USD you can bring home a variety of Vietnamese Hats. Whether a conical hat like I mentioned above, baseball hats, or wide brimmed hats, there is something for everyone! They even have plenty of military-inspired caps as well as international brands and sports teams!
Face Masks
Many Vietnamese on the streets wear face masks. Whether medical ones, or fabic, visitors will fit right in with a face mask. My son picked one out for himself and his brother and has made good use of it while we have been on the streets!
Coasters, Shot Glasses and Fridge Magnets
Whether traveling to Kazakhstan, Switzerland, or Egypt, or Thailand, these types of souvenirs can be found in any country. Vietnam is no exception, and they are very cheap.
Knock off Goods
Plenty of knock offs and “seconds” are available on the streets of Hoi An and the markets of Ho Chi Minh City. Leave plenty of room in your suitcase, or even buy a new suitcase while you are in Vietnam!
What to Buy in Vietnam Conclusion
Hopefully, this post has covered what to buy in Vietnam and given you plenty of ideas for your upcoming trip. Whether your trip takes you to Ha Long Bay, Hoi An, Hanoi or HCMC, make sure you take plenty of photos, those make some of the best souvenirs from Vietnam!
More Vietnam Planning Resources
When planning a trip to Vietnam, you are going to run into different seasonal weather from the North to South. I have a post that is dedicated to just the best time to travel to Ha Long Bay. Give it a read to get an idea of weather, high season and low season and what to expect at different times of the year.
Our trip to Vietnam was organized by Signatures of Asia, who, with just a few emails and Whats App messages, had put together an itinerary and customized it to exactly when I wanted to arrive. They took care of airport transfers, hotels, guides, drivers and put together an itinerary based on my requests! If you are looking for a hassel free experience, reach out to Tommy from Signatures of Asia.
Packing Essentials You Probably Did Not Think Of
A Grayl Water Bottle is something I recommend for every traveler, not just those going to Vietnam. Some people say the water is safe to drink from the tap, others say it is not; it is not something I am going to chance. Vietnam does an amazing job of reducing its plastic waste, we filtered our water into a water bottle each morning, and avoided plastic bottles our whole trip!
With a Grayl, you can filter any tap water (or actually any water source) and have clean drinking water in seconds. Since most people travel with water bottles already, consider one like this with a filter so that you are not just pouring from big water bottles to small. It might sound expensive, but when you compare it to spending a few dollars per day on water while you travel (and do not forget how expensive the water is inside airports), you will pay for this very quickly.
An inexpensive Universal Travel Adapter is another travel essential for Vietnam. You will find mostly 2 pin 220V plugs. With a handy USB input, you do not need to bring your plugs from home.
Lindsay Nieminen hails from Vancouver, Canada and shares her love of travel on this website. She is passionate about showing others that they should not put off traveling the world just because they have young children or are single parents. She aims to encourage them to seek out adventure, whether it is at home or abroad by providing information on how just about everywhere can be a destination to explore as a family.