What to buy and bring from Vietnam

Vietnam is a great place for shopping, and it will especially appeal to those tourists who do not have "the point" about the originality and branding of things. You can bring from here not only the most ordinary souvenirs, but also original gifts and even works of art that cannot be found in other countries. If you have bought enough souvenirs, you can look for counterfeit items made under the brands of world manufacturers, but at very low prices. You can also bring coffee, glutinous or ordinary rice of excellent quality, fish sauces and seasonings, jewelry, pearls, snake and crocodile skin products from Vietnam. Counterfeit sportswear and shoes, hiking and trekking equipment of the North Face brand, manufactured in Vietnam, will be a useful and very profitable purchase. In general, about everything in order:

Where to buy

Trade in Vietnam is carried out at every turn, you will not have to go far. In the city center, all the streets along the roads are occupied by shops, shops, markets, and sometimes it seems that the Vietnamese are not engaged in anything but trade. There are a lot of large shopping centers and hypermarkets in Vietnam, where prices are sometimes even lower than in the markets.

Prices in stores and markets differ, although not very much. In shops and shops it is profitable to look for fakes for branded clothing and footwear brands, equipment, gold and precious stone products. Markets and bazaars are aimed at a wider range of buyers (including local ones), where you can buy everything from clothes, shoes and ending with food. The quality of market goods may not always please, however, the fact that everything is very cheap here, and bargaining is appropriate.

As for the original fashion branded clothing, there may be problems with this. If you can find something like this, then only in serious boutique stores, of which there are not so many here.

Souvenirs are sold everywhere, including in supermarkets, but prices for all sorts of little things like magnets, plates, etc. vary greatly depending on the location. But in fact, you can buy them almost everywhere at the same price if you bargain. Two neighboring shops or sellers in the market can sell the same souvenir at a price with a difference of several times, so if there is a desire to fundamentally save several tens of thousands of DONG, then go and compare prices, bargain.

In general, as for bargaining, you can bargain anywhere, even in shops and boutiques. You can not bargain only in supermarkets with price tags and with the cashier, in other places you can always ask for a "discount", especially if you purchase several things. In the markets, the price of small goods, such as souvenirs, can generally be reduced several times, because in most cases it is immediately called overpriced for tourists.

What to buy

It is most profitable to pay for purchases with local cash, although in exceptional cases they are ready to accept dollars at markets or in private shops. But keep an eye on the rate at which you are offered to pay, as it is usually less profitable than paying immediately in dong.

Bank cards in Vietnam are also widely accepted, but as for tourist purchases, they can not be paid everywhere. They will not accept the card at the market, in most souvenir shops, in street clothing stores. Without any problems, you can pay with a card for purchases in supermarkets and stores of large shopping centers, in branded souvenir shops and tea and coffee shops. See all about Vietnam money, exchange rate and bank cards here...

Market exchange rate (Vietnamese dong) for today (02/06/2026)

• 100 000 донг (VND) = 273,53 rubles (RUB)
• 1 US dollar (USD) = 26 322,70 VND
• 100 rubles (RUB) = 36 559,00 VND
• 1 euro (EUR) = 30 617,40 VND

Real currency exchange rate *

• 1 US dollar (USD) ≈ 25 796,25 - 26 270,05 VND
• 1 euro (EUR) ≈ 30 005,05 - 30 556,17 VND

* - The real exchange rate is calculated taking into account the fees charged by exchange offices and banks for the exchange. It can also be higher than the calculated one, but if you are offered an exchange rate lower than this, it's a reason to think about finding another place to exchange.

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What to buy in Vietnam and bring home

• Souvenirs and handicrafts from Vietnam

  Probably the most traditional souvenirs are flip-flops (the very name of what is it worth?!) and a "hat" of banana leaves. Hats, apparently to please tourists, are sold in different sizes, shapes and even with embroidery. Vietnamese people wear the simplest conical hats in their everyday life, and you will see this if you drive through rice fields: here and there there are some kind of "fungi" - workers – a very colorful panorama. Are there traditional conical caps of the order of 15-20 thousand VND (approximately 0.57 USD), special tourist or ordinary, but sold in souvenir shops - more expensive at times.

  The abundance of various souvenir products in the markets and shops is breathtaking, and the works of folk craftsmen deserve respect. Practically for a penny you can buy tourist consumer goods like magnets, the mentioned cone caps, wooden cutlery and combs, coconut cups, etc. But besides them there are really worthwhile souvenirs.

  

  For example, you can purchase wood products. These are amazing paintings with local landscapes from a single piece of wood; wooden plates inlaid with mother-of-pearl for $ 10 for a set of 3 pcs.; figurines; coasters for hot food; vases with a bright pattern; caskets; trays; bowls with a carved pattern. The original gift can be utensils made of coconut shell (bowls, spoons, forks), hair clips, beads for $ 3. Bamboo is used to make chopsticks, beautiful wall panels, etc. Ivory products are of interest: pendants, beads, elephant figurines, figurines, but this is not a cheap pleasure. In some regions, for example, in Da Nang, near the Marmora Mountains there is a whole village of stone carvers where you can buy a small souvenir-a handmade stone figurine, or a full-length statue that you can buy immediately with delivery by a transport company to your home.

  Traditional lacquered souvenirs are very beautiful. The simplest wooden souvenirs are covered with a single layer of varnish and do not look as impressive as a multi-layer coating with polishing. However, multi-layered lacquered souvenirs are much more expensive.

  

  In some regions of Vietnam, you can find original souvenirs unique to this place. Especially interesting in this regard is the north of the country and its mountainous regions and towns of Sapa, Bak Ha and others. In them you can find handicrafts made by hand by the inhabitants of the mountain tribes, mainly embroidery, soft toys, silverware. But be careful, because sometimes consumer goods from China are sold under the guise of "handmade". It is quite simple to distinguish a factory fake from hand-made souvenirs: the quality of hand-made things is worse, the same souvenirs differ in shape and weight. If it is a factory thing, then they will all be the same as from the assembly line.

  

• Food and drinks

  The original souvenir will be a bottle with a snake in alcohol tincture. Bottles of different sizes, shapes and fillings (snake, scorpion, ginseng roots) will certainly make you stop at the counter. Local whiskey or rice moonshine is poured into such bottles as alcohol. In fact, the taste is very nasty and gives off fish and some other animals, but it looks very impressive. In addition, if you uncorked the bottle and drank its liquid contents, you can pour whiskey or cognac into it again and make the tincture again. Is such a souvenir worth 40,000 VND per bottle (approximately 1.52 USD), but in tourist places the price for it is many times higher. By the way, you can find bottles with different centipedes, frogs, birds and even cats. The Vietnamese believe that it is good for health and increases masculine strength. There are no problems with the export of such souvenirs.

  

  You may be surprised, but in Vietnam they also make wine, and quite good for the price at which it is sold here. The main region where wine is produced is the high plateau and the city Dalat. The local firm "Vang Dalat" (Vang Dalat) produces many brands of wine, which costs from 90,000 VND (approximately 3.42 USD) for a bottle of standard volume. In addition to wine from alcoholic beverages, you can buy local rice vodka, but it tastes like an amateur: it's better to try it before buying it as a gift home.

  

  One of the things that you definitely need to bring from Vietnam is a wonderful Vietnamese coffee. For the majority of Russians and citizens of other countries of the former USSR, Vietnamese coffee is still unknown, but Vietnam is the world's second exporter of beans after Brazil, supplying more than 18% of the world's total production to foreign markets, and this figure is growing. You can buy it both for your own use and as a gift for family and friends, especially since there are gift packages on sale complete with a special Vietnamese brewing cup. There are no restrictions on its export from the country and import into the Russian Federation, as long as it is not a commodity lot, otherwise customs may have a question at the entrance, and its weight did not exceed the limits for carrying luggage on the plane. See learn more all about coffee from Vietnam

  There is tea in Vietnam. Tea plantations are located mainly in the northern provinces and in the south, and are famous for such varieties of green tea as Thai Nguyen and Blao. In most cases, the tea sold is green, but you can also find black, as well as with various additives and fillers (with jasmine, lotus, ginger tea, etc.). Moreover, lotus tea is considered the most exquisite. The price of tea in Vietnam is high, even in supermarkets.

  

  Well, it's just impossible not to bring different exotic fruits: mango, lychee, dragon's eye, mangosteen, rambutan, longkon, sala, noina, pomelo, fresh coconut and others. Prices for exotic fruits are several times lower than at home. For example, 1 kg of mango costs 20,000 VND (approximately 0.76 USD). But for tourists, sellers traditionally call an extremely high price, sometimes even higher than you can buy in Russia, so be sure to bargain when buying. To meet all the exotic fruits at one time will not work, because each corresponds to its own ripening season. But those that you will meet, it is quite possible to please your loved ones. Some even manage to make so-called "chips", for example, from bananas, mangoes, ginger. You can buy both in stores and in markets.

  Another recognized delicacy is sweets with lotus seeds. They have a calming effect and a somewhat unusual taste.

  

  Among other things, many tourists, having got acquainted with Vietnamese cuisine, bring a variety of spices, seasonings, sauces, syrups, rice noodles, rice paper and other culinary delights. Just be sure to buy home at least a small bottle of the famous Nuoc Mam fish sauce, which is made by fermenting fish, i.e. actually rotting and fermenting it. It is best to buy sauces and other products in large supermarkets or grocery markets.

  Well, there is also a special kind of rice widely sold here – glutinous rice or sticky rice, it is also gluten rice. At home, you can buy it only at fabulous prices in online stores, but here it costs the same as the usual one. There is a very inexpensive glutinous rice produced locally, and there is a more expensive Thai. It is sold in all supermarkets, you just need to learn how to distinguish it among all the variety, and read more all about sticky rice here...

• Pearls and jewelry

  Vietnam pearl lovers will be pleased with pleasant prices. You can buy magnificent pearls and products with them all over the country, however, it is recommended to do this in Mui Ne, Phan Thiet (at the markets), Nha Trang and Phu Quoc Island. It is believed that in these places there are fewer chances to run into a fake and the prices are lower, because there are farms for its cultivation. On average, a string of pearls costs about $ 10-20 depending on the length, pearl earrings – $ 1-2, bracelet – $ 8-10. Pearls are white, black and pink. See more details, how to choose Pearls in Vietnam...

  Among other jewelry, take a closer look at silver. Chains, earrings, rings, pendants are presented in huge quantities, interesting traditional design, and at low prices. In the north of Vietnam, in Sapa, Bac Ha village and other towns, you can buy hand-made silverware in the traditional style of mountain tribes. And in the major cities of Vietnam there are entire streets of jewelers, where for many generations Vietnamese and Chinese have been making and selling unique jewelry made of silver and gold in private shops. The largest such street is located in Hanoi - this is Hang Bac Street; in Da Nang, this is the area next to Han Market; in Ho Chi Minh City, several streets are located in District 5; in Nha Trang, Thap Ba street.

  Sapphires, zircons, opals, rubies, and quartz are mined from precious stones in Vietnam. But it is worth recalling that it is better to buy jewelry in specialized stores, where you will be given a certificate of product quality for each item.

  

• Balms and cosmetics

  Be sure to bring yourself and your loved ones an ointment called Cobratoxan or Cobratox, which contains cobra venom. It is produced only in Vietnam and is used as an analgesic and anti-inflammatory agent for sciatica, injuries and inflammation of joints, ligaments, muscles, and it can also be used for colds, as an ordinary ointment "asterisk". It is sold in supermarkets and pharmacies, and costs about 30,000 VND (1.14 USD) for a tube, which is 3 times cheaper than in Russia. By the way, the same balm "Golden Star" can be bought for only 2000 DONG (0.08 USD). There is also an analogue of the famous Thai Tiger Balm locally produced on sale.

  

  Relatively recently, tourists got acquainted with Vietnamese organic cosmetics, and appreciated it. Of course, objectively there is no such choice of local cosmetics here, as in Thailand, for example, but what there is is no worse in quality, and at a much cheaper price. You can buy Vietnamese products in supermarkets and large stores, and it is better not to buy all kinds of folk remedies in the markets, because it is not known how their use will end. There are also branded stores of Thai, Korean and Japanese cosmetics, but the prices are higher than in their homeland, so you should buy only local here.

• Fabrics and clothing

  Vietnam is rightfully considered one of the world's best silk producers, which is distinguished here by high quality and traditional manufacturing method without the use of modern machines. A wide variety of silk fabrics and clothes can be found everywhere: scarves, scarves, bags, bed linen, shirts and blouses, souvenirs. A traditional silk robe will cost no more than $ 10. The interior of the house will be well decorated with a picture embroidered by hand with silk threads, however, it is expensive: embroidery size 60 * 40 cm. it will cost about $ 1,000!!! There are many ateliers where you can order a blouse or suit, here you will be offered a huge selection of fabrics and catalogs with models.

  Among the accessories, crocodile and snake skin products are popular (wallets, purses, housekeepers, cell phone cases, bags, etc.). For example, a crocodile leather belt will cost about $ 70-100, a purse – $ 100-120, a bag – $ 1000-1500.

  And finally, as for really useful purchases from Vietnam for tourists. All over the country, in small shops under the Made in Vietnam banner and in the markets, good fakes of sportswear under the North Face brand are sold, and sometimes just without a label. Basically, their assortment includes trekking boots, multi–layered jackets with Gore-Tex membrane and windbreakers, hiking pants, thermal underwear, synthetic T-shirts. Sometimes you can also find camping equipment, such as bags, trekking poles, etc. All this is really produced in Vietnam and supplied to stores around the world under various well-known brands, including they are sold in popular chain stores in Russia. But here the prices are much lower, and besides, you can bargain. There are especially many such shops in Hanoi on the streets of Hang Thung, Hang Manh and in the mountain town of Sapa, but if you wish, you will find them in other places.