Vietnam Travel Guide

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Shopping

Vietnam is a bargain hunter's paradise and the streets are awash with little shops selling all manner of items. Hanoi's Old Quarter is particularly excellent for visitors, with shops selling clothes, gold, embroidered tablecloths and handbags. Markets are always great places to enjoy the local flavor and buy souvenirs. Silk goods are particularly prominent, however the quality can differ vastly.

Ben Thanh market in Ho Chi Minh City and Dong Xuan market in Hanoi are worth a visit. Local specialties include lacquer painting, reed mats, embroidery, tailor-made ao dais (female national costume) and mother-of-pearl inlay on ornaments and furniture, not to mention the ubiquitous conical hat. Water puppets are also popular and great cheap souvenir.

The hill tribes of the Central Highlands and the north of the country now sell colorful woven bags and clothing, often from cooperatives of women workers. Good souvenirs are marble figurines and vases, ceramics from Bat Trang village, silk paintings and hand-painted greetings cards. VAT is included on most items sold, but at the moment there is no system for foreign visitors to be able to claim this back. Bargaining is expected in markets and many souvenir shops.

Shopping hours: Daily 0800-2100.

Currency

Dông (VND; symbol ₫). Notes are in denominations of ₫500,000, 200,000, 100,000, 50,000, 20,000, 10,000, 5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500. Coins are in denominations of ₫5,000, 2,000, 1,000 and 500.

Currency Exchange

The US Dollar is the most favored foreign currency. Australian, British, Japanese, Singaporean and Thai currency, as well as the Euro, can usually be changed in the larger cities; great difficulty may be encountered in trying to exchange any other currencies.

There is a commission charge for changing money in banks. The US dollar exchange rate is worse the further you are from popular tourist spots, so take plenty of cash if traveling to rural areas.

Credit Cards, Debit Cards, and ATMs

An increasing number of outlets accept MasterCard and Visa. However, outside main towns and cities, it is wise to carry cash. There are plenty of ATMs in major towns, but they can be scarce in rural areas. ATMs issue Dông, and the single withdrawal limit is typically ₫2,000,000, although some banks do allow multiple withdrawals until the account limit is reached.

Travelers Checks

These are widely accepted in hotels and banks. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travelers are advised to take traveler's checks in US Dollars.

Currency Restrictions

Import and export of local currency is limited to ₫15,000,000. Import and export of foreign currency over US$7,000 should be declared at customs.

Banking Hours

Mon-Fri 0830-1600. Many banks are also open on Saturday; all banks are closed on Sunday.

Exchange Rate