Saigon Shopping Malls: Where to Go by Area and Need

Featured image: williamcho, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Flickr.

Saigon Shopping Malls at a Glance: Quick Picks by Traveler

Entry to every mall below is free. Your real costs are food, parking and ride time. Saigon Centre lists more than 400 brands, and Vincom Center Dong Khoi houses over 250 stores. Use the table to shortlist, then read the area sections. Time estimates are editorial suggestions for a relaxed visit.

Malls vs Markets: When to Choose Which

Malls win on heat, rain and fixed prices. Markets win on bargaining, souvenirs and cheap street food. For a cool break between sights, Saigon Centre or Vincom Center Dong Khoi works well. For haggling and local goods, head to the central District 1 market, which opens 6:00 to 24:00 daily. Wholesale shoppers should try Cholon's wholesale market, open 8:00 to 17:00. Fabric and tailoring belong at the Tan Dinh fabric stalls, open 8:00 to 17:00. Our guide to markets across the city compares them side by side.

• Pick a mall for fixed price tags, air-conditioning, clean toilets, cinemas and brand-name goods.
• Pick a market for haggling, handicrafts, fabric, cheap bags and snacks.
• Skip malls for souvenirs: Vietnamese coffee and tea are easier to buy in the market or the B2 food hall at Saigon Centre.
• Skip markets in the midday heat if you only want to browse.

District 1 Malls You Can Combine on Foot

Three malls sit within District 1. Saigon Centre has entrances on Le Loi, Nam Ky Khoi Nghia and Pasteur streets. Hours run 9:30 to 21:30 Monday to Thursday and 9:30 to 22:30 Friday to Sunday. Japanese-run Takashimaya anchors it, with fashion on the middle floors. Food courts fill the B2 level, and meals there cost less than at the L5 and L6 restaurants. Families will find children's stores and a nursery room on L3.

Vincom Center Dong Khoi has two buildings, one French colonial and one glass tower. Listed hours differ by source, with 8:00 to 22:00 the most common. Diamond Plaza opens 9:30 to 22:00 and adds a cinema and bowling alley. It stands near Notre-Dame Cathedral and the Central Post Office. Saigon Centre's neighbors include Vincom Center and Diamond Plaza, so a half day is realistic.

• 9:30: start at Saigon Centre and allow about 90 minutes, including lunch on B2.
• 11:30: continue to Vincom Center Dong Khoi for about an hour.
• 14:00: finish at Diamond Plaza with a film or bowling, then walk to the cathedral.
• In midday heat, take a short ride between malls instead of walking.

Landmark Malls Worth a Detour

Vincom Landmark 81 fills the lower six floors of an 81-story tower in Binh Thanh District. It offers over 50,000 square meters of retail and more than 100 premium brands. Highlights include a full-sized ice rink, an IMAX cinema and children's play zones. A direct route leads to the SkyView Observatory on floors 79 to 81. Allow two to three hours if you plan to ride up. Bitexco Financial Tower is a tower with a few fashion and watch shops, not a mall. Its SkyDeck sits on the 49th floor, so treat it as a sightseeing stop.

Phu My Hung and District 7: Crescent Mall and SC VivoCity

Crescent Mall covers over 112,000 square meters across six floors and three basements. It houses more than 200 local and international brands, plus an 8-screen CGV cinema. Outdoor Crescent Plaza overlooks Crescent Lake and the Starlight Bridge, which suits an evening stroll. SC VivoCity on Nguyen Van Linh Boulevard has about 62,000 square meters of retail over five floors. Rooftop water-play zones and over 100 dining options make it a strong family pick. Both malls sit in District 7, so you can see them in one trip. Go by taxi or ride-hailing from District 1, and avoid peak weekend afternoons when families fill the terraces.

Suburban and Local-Life Malls Worth the Ride

Most visitors can skip the outer malls. Go only if you want to see how residents spend a weekend. AEON Mall Tan Phu opened in January 2014 with about 200 outlets, a Japanese-style hypermarket, a CGV cinema and arcades. AEON Mall Binh Tan has about 160 shops and lists free parking for 1,500 cars and 4,000 motorbikes. Vincom Mega Mall Grand Park in Thu Duc opened in 2024 with over 250 stores and a park-in-mall design. Vincom Mega Mall Thao Dien has five levels and a BHD cineplex in an expatriate neighborhood. Gigamall on Pham Van Dong Street and Van Hanh Mall in District 10, with eight levels and over 200 shops, serve mostly local families.

What to Buy (and What to Skip) in a Mall

Malls suit brand-name clothing, cosmetics, electronics, children's toys and groceries. Saigon Centre stocks Vietnamese labels such as PNJ jewelry alongside international brands. Hypermarkets at AEON, SC VivoCity and Gigamall handle pharmacy and snack shopping. Skip malls for handicrafts, tailored clothes and cheap bags. Those cost less in the markets, where bargaining is expected.

• Buy in malls: skincare, sportswear, Japanese snacks, branded gifts, tea and coffee in the B2 food hall at Saigon Centre.
• Buy in markets: lacquerware, embroidery, fabric, conical hats and ao dai fabric.
• Skip: rooftop restaurant meals if you want cheap food.

Practical Logistics: Hours, Heat, Payments, Tax Refund, Getting Around

Most malls open around 9:30 and close between 21:30 and 22:30, but opening hours change, so check each mall's own site. Individual shops may open later than the doors. Midday heat makes mall hopping easier by ride than on foot. Plan outdoor terraces at Crescent Mall for the evening. For tourist tax-refund rules, card acceptance and metro status, no confirmed detail applies across all malls. Start with the Ho Chi Minh City tourism portal for city transport updates. Then read the national Vietnam tourism authority site for visitor guidance. Carry some cash for parking and small food stalls.

• Mistake: assuming every shop opens with the mall doors.
• Mistake: arriving at suburban malls on peak weekend afternoons.
• Mistake: ordering rooftop meals when the B2 food hall costs less.
• Mistake: expecting bargaining in fixed-price stores.

Sample Half-Day and Rainy-Day Plans

Keep each plan to one or two malls. Plans below match the traveler types in the quick-pick table.

• Half day in District 1: Saigon Centre from 9:30, lunch on B2, Vincom Center Dong Khoi, then Diamond Plaza.
• Rainy day: Diamond Plaza for a film or bowling, then a short walk to Notre-Dame Cathedral when the rain stops.
• Family day: ride to Crescent Mall, then SC VivoCity for rooftop water play and an early dinner.
• Local-life afternoon: AEON Mall Tan Phu for the hypermarket and arcades.