20 Best souvenirs from Hanoi
Non La Conical Hat Vietnam
Where to buy: Souvenir shops throughout the Old Quarter; Dong Xuan Market
If there is one object that immediately conjures Vietnam in the mind of anyone who has visited, it is the conical hat. Lightweight, elegantly constructed from palm leaves and bamboo, and deeply embedded in Vietnamese daily life and visual culture, a non la is one of those rare souvenirs that works both as a functional object and as a genuine piece of cultural heritage. Look for well-made examples with fine, even stitching and a comfortable interior band.
Vietnamese Silk Hanoi
Where to buy:
- Royal Silk: 64 Hang Trong Street
- Arashi Silk: 38 Hang Trong Street
- Khai Silk: 26 Nguyen Thai Hoc Street
Hanoi has been a center of silk production and trade for centuries, and the range of silk products available in the city reflects that depth of tradition. Scarves, clothing, cushion covers, table runners, and raw fabric by the meter are all widely available across quality levels and price points. The shops along Hang Trong Street offer some of the most reliable quality, and the staff at most established silk boutiques are knowledgeable enough to help you distinguish grades and weaves.
O Mai Preserved Fruit Hanoi
Where to buy:
- O Mai Gia Loi: 8 Hang Duong Street
- O Mai Gia Thinh: 13 Hang Duong Street
- O Mai Thuy Khe: 10 Hang Cot Street
Among all the edible Hanoi souvenirs, o mai stands in its own category. These preserved fruits, typically apricots, plums, or kumquats, are treated with salt, sugar, ginger, licorice, or chili in combinations that produce flavors simultaneously sweet, sour, salty, and warming. They are deeply Hanoian in character, the kind of snack that residents reach for without thinking and that visitors find genuinely addictive. Hang Duong Street is the traditional address for o mai, with several family-run shops that have been producing and selling their own recipes for generations.
Ao Dai Souvenir Hanoi (Traditional Vietnamese Dress)
Where to buy:
- Ao Dai Minh Duc: 41 Dang Tien Dong Street
- Ao Dai Thanh Mai: 428 Bach Mai Street
Vietnam’s national dress combines a form-fitting silk tunic with wide-leg trousers in a silhouette that has remained essentially unchanged for centuries while somehow continuing to feel contemporary. Having an ao dai made to measure in Hanoi is a genuinely worthwhile experience, and the finished garment makes one of the most personal and memorable Hanoi souvenirs for friends and family that the city has to offer. Allow a few days for fitting and alterations.
To He (Traditional Dough Figurines)
Where to buy: Xuan La Village; Dong Xuan Market
To he are small, vividly colored figurines shaped by hand from glutinous rice dough into animals, flowers, fruit, and characters from Vietnamese folklore. Watching a skilled to he maker work is a performance in itself. As a souvenir, they are lightweight, inexpensive, and genuinely charming, particularly for younger recipients. The craft originates from Xuan La Village on Hanoi’s outskirts, where you can watch the production process firsthand.
Do Paper Products
Where to buy: Old Quarter souvenir shops; stores around Hoan Kiem Lake and the Temple of Literature
Traditional Vietnamese do paper, made from the bark of the do tree using techniques that have remained largely unchanged for centuries, is used to create notebooks, lampshades, greeting cards, wall art, and decorative objects of considerable beauty. The material has a distinctive texture and warmth that sets it entirely apart from mass-produced paper goods. For travelers interested in craftsmanship and design, do paper products are among the most meaningful Hanoi souvenirs available.
Lacquerware Hanoi
Where to buy:
- Thu Huong Lacquer Arts: 118 Nguyen Khanh Toan Street
- Lacquer Studio: 26 Luong Ngoc Quyen Street
- Kima Lacquer Art Gallery: 11 Thi Sach Street
Vietnamese lacquerware involves applying layer upon layer of natural resin to wooden objects, with each coat dried and polished before the next is applied. The result is a surface of extraordinary depth and luminosity, often incorporating eggshell, gold leaf, or mother-of-pearl inlay. Bowls, trays, boxes, and wall panels are all commonly available, and the quality ceiling is genuinely high at Hanoi’s better lacquer studios. These are the Hanoi souvenirs that people display rather than store.
Bat Trang Ceramics Hanoi
Where to buy:
- Bat Trang Ceramic Village (a short trip from central Hanoi)
- Calendar Ceramic Shop: 11A Trang Thi Street
- Authentic Bat Trang: 115 Hang Gai Street
The village of Bat Trang, situated on the Red River about 13 kilometers from central Hanoi, has been producing ceramics for over 500 years. The range available encompasses everything from simple everyday cups and bowls to hand-painted decorative vases of considerable artistic ambition. Visiting the village itself is a worthwhile half-day trip from the city. For those short on time, several reputable Bat Trang retailers operate shops in central Hanoi with a well-curated selection.
Ethnic Minority Handicrafts
Where to buy: Craft Link: 51 Van Mieu Street
Vietnam is home to 54 officially recognized ethnic groups, many of which maintain distinctive textile, weaving, and craft traditions that have been passed down through generations. Craft Link is a non-profit organization that works directly with artisan communities across northern Vietnam to bring their products to market at fair prices. Shopping here supports producers directly while giving you access to scarves, textiles, clothing, ceramics, and paintings that genuinely reflect the diversity of Vietnamese cultural heritage.
Vietnamese Coffee Souvenirs
Where to buy:
- Dream Beans Coffee: 79 Ly Nam De and 11A Nguyen Sieu
- Hidden Gem Coffee: 3B Hang Tre Street
- Giang Coffee: 39 Nguyen Huu Huan Street
Vietnamese coffee culture is unlike any other in the world. The robusta-heavy beans, the drip-filter phin brewing method, the sweetened condensed milk, the egg coffee variation invented in Hanoi itself: all of it adds up to a coffee tradition that genuinely rewards exploration. Bringing home a bag of quality Vietnamese beans and a phin filter set allows you to recreate the experience at home and share it with others, making this one of the most universally appreciated Hanoi souvenirs for friends and family.
Propaganda Posters
Where to buy: Hang Bac Street; Trang Tien Street; art galleries and antique shops
Vietnam’s graphic design tradition from the revolutionary period produced some of the most striking political imagery of the 20th century. Bold colors, dynamic compositions, and slogans rendered in elegant Vietnamese typography combine to create posters that work as genuinely compelling art objects regardless of their political context. Both original vintage examples and high-quality reproductions are available in Hanoi’s art and antique shops. These are conversation-starting Hanoi souvenirs that look exceptional framed.
Magnet Dolls
Where to buy: Dong Xuan Market; Ma May Market
Small, brightly dressed dolls in traditional Vietnamese regional costumes, mounted on magnets for refrigerator or whiteboard display. They are inexpensive, easy to pack, and represent the kind of charming, tactile souvenir that children and adults alike respond to warmly. An easy solution for anyone navigating the perennial problem of Hanoi souvenirs for friends and family with varying tastes.
Bamboo Products
Where to buy:
- Bamboo Village Shop: 108 Xuan Dieu Street
- Bamboo Shop: 25 To Ngoc Van Street
Tailored Clothing Hanoi
Where to buy:
- Minh Quang Bespoke Tailor: 175 Phung Hung Street
- Anh Village Silk: 70 Nguyen Huu Huan Street
- Tanmy Design: 61 Hang Gai Street
Hanoi’s tailoring tradition is one of the city’s best-kept practical secrets. Skilled tailors can produce custom-fitted suits, dresses, shirts, and traditional Vietnamese garments at prices that bear no relationship to what comparable bespoke clothing costs in most Western cities. The experience of being measured, selecting fabric, and returning for fittings is enjoyable in its own right. Allow at least three to four days in the city to accommodate the process comfortably.
Elephant Print Pants
Where to buy: Markets throughout Hanoi
Lightweight, loose-fitting, and patterned with elephant motifs drawn from Southeast Asian textile traditions, these pants have become a firmly established part of the regional traveler’s wardrobe. They are genuinely practical in Vietnam’s climate, affordable at most markets, and make the kind of casual, cheerful souvenir that recipients actually wear rather than store in a drawer.
Hanoi-Themed T-Shirts
Where to buy: Markets throughout Hanoi
Hanoi produces some of the more witty and well-designed souvenir T-shirts in Southeast Asia, with graphics ranging from vintage travel poster aesthetics to genuinely funny local references. At the price points available in Hanoi’s markets, buying several for different people back home is entirely reasonable. They are also the kind of Hanoi souvenir that opens conversations.
Lotus Tea West Lake Hanoi
Where to buy: Supermarkets and specialty grocery stores across Hanoi
West Lake lotus tea is one of Hanoi’s most celebrated culinary specialties and one of its most quietly luxurious souvenirs. Producing it is extraordinarily labor-intensive: tea leaves are placed inside lotus flowers at dusk to absorb their fragrance overnight, then removed and dried before the process is repeated multiple times. The result is a tea of exceptional delicacy with a floral, slightly vanilla-adjacent quality that is entirely unlike anything produced elsewhere. A tin or two travels well and makes a genuinely refined gift.
Hand Embroidery Hanoi
Where to buy:
- Tan My Designs: 61 Hang Gai Street
- May Store: 27/43 Chua Boc Street
Vietnamese hand embroidery involves a level of technical skill and patience that becomes immediately apparent when you examine the finished work closely. Table linens, wall hangings, cushion covers, and clothing pieces are all available, with the quality and detail of the finest examples genuinely rivaling decorative textiles produced anywhere in the world. Tan My Designs on Hang Gai Street has been producing and selling hand embroidery for decades and maintains consistently high standards across its range.
Banh Dau Xanh (Green Bean Cake)
Where to buy:
- Nep Huong: 42 Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street
- Nguyen Huong: 42 Hang Bong Street
These small, dense cakes made from sweetened mung bean paste are one of northern Vietnam’s most beloved traditional confections. Their flavor is gentle and subtly sweet, their texture smooth and satisfying, and their compact form makes them ideal for packing and sharing. They keep well enough to survive the journey home without refrigeration, making them one of the more practical edible Hanoi souvenirs on this list.
Maison Marou Chocolate Hanoi
Where to buy: Maison Marou Hanoi (check current location)
Vietnam is one of the world’s finest cacao-producing countries, and Maison Marou has built an international reputation for turning that raw material into single-origin chocolate bars of exceptional quality. The Hanoi boutique offers the full range of bars alongside more elaborate confections, all beautifully packaged in designs that are worth keeping long after the chocolate is gone. For the food-conscious traveler looking for a premium and genuinely distinctive Hanoi souvenir, this is the answer.
Where to Buy Hanoi Souvenirs – Traditional Vietnamese Gifts
Old Quarter Night Market Hanoi
- Location: Hang Dao Street, Hanoi Old Quarter
- Hours: 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM, Friday to Sunday
The Old Quarter’s weekend night market transforms Hang Dao Street and its surrounding lanes into one of the most atmospheric shopping environments in northern Vietnam. Clothing, handicrafts, food, accessories, and novelty items spread across stalls that extend well into the evening. Bargaining is standard practice and expected. Come with a clear idea of what you want, a willingness to negotiate, and comfortable shoes.
Dong Xuan Market Hanoi (Indoor)
- Location: 15 Cau Dong Street
- Hours: 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM Monday to Thursday; 6:00 AM to 10:30 PM Friday to Sunday
Hanoi’s largest and oldest covered market, operating on multiple levels with fresh produce occupying the ground floor and clothing, textiles, souvenirs, and household goods on the floors above. Prices here are generally lower than retail shops, and the range is genuinely comprehensive. It rewards methodical browsing rather than a targeted approach.
Notable Souvenir Shops
For travelers who prefer curated selections and reliable quality over market hunting:
- Tan My Design: 61 Hang Gai Street
- Craft Link: 51 Van Mieu Street
- Hanoia: 38 Hang Dao Street
Drop Your Bags and Settle In: Hanoi La Siesta Classic Hang Thung
A full day of shopping traditional Vietnamese gifts in Hanoi Old Quarter, browsing Dong Xuan, and tracking down the perfect gifts fills an evening with satisfaction. What completes it is returning to somewhere genuinely comfortable.
Hanoi La Siesta Classic Hang Thung sits right in the heart of the Old Quarter, placing guests within comfortable walking distance of every market, boutique, and shopping street mentioned in this guide. Named one of the Top 10 Hotels in Asia in 2025 by TripAdvisor, it has built a lasting reputation as one of the best boutique hotels in Hanoi through a combination of beautifully appointed interiors, warm and attentive service, and a four-season pool that becomes particularly appealing after hours of exploring the city on foot.
For travelers who want their Hanoi base to match the quality of the city they are discovering, Hanoi La Siesta Classic Hang Thung consistently earns its place among the best hotels in Hanoi. Central, considered, and genuinely welcoming, it is the kind of place that makes the whole trip feel properly looked after.
See also: After Dark in Hanoi: The Night Tours That Reveal the City’s Hidden Soul | First-Timer’s Guide to Sapa, Vietnam | Quan Lan Island: Vietnam’s Quiet Corner of Bai Tu Long Bay
