Ben Thanh Market Opening Hours — When It Opens and When It Closes (2026)

Ben Thanh Market opens early and its hall is busiest through the middle of the day. The market's own rulebook sets a longer, later day than most travel pages still quote, so the numbers you read online can differ depending on who is doing the writing. Below, every window is labelled with where it comes from, so you can tell the market's own rule from a visitor's description.

Ben Thanh Market opening hours today

Ben Thanh Market opens at about 06:00 and closes around 18:00 on an ordinary day, seven days a week. The market's own management board publishes a longer, regulated window in its rulebook: 07:00–22:00, with the fresh-produce and cooked-food sectors allowed to open from 04:00. The two figures are not a contradiction — they describe different things, and the table below shows both.

* The two columns describe different things. “Hall (day to day)” is how travel guides and visitors describe the market's ordinary trading day. “Rulebook (regulated)” is the window the market's own management board permits in its rulebook (Nội quy chợ, Điều 1); it is a longer day than traders usually work. There is no centrally published per-stall timetable.

Day market hours: what opens when

The market day has a clear rhythm, and the earliest trade is in food.

• From 04:00 — fresh-produce and food-and-drink stalls may open. This is the earliest trading in the building, aimed at the morning market crowd.
• By 07:30 — the rulebook requires every stall to have its goods arranged and on display before half past seven.
• About 06:00 to 18:00 — the hall's ordinary day. Souvenir, textile and handicraft aisles are all open by mid-morning.
• Late afternoon — trade winds down. The market's management board describes activity as “almost entirely by day”, usually running to about 19–20h (Tuoi Tre, 31 December 2025).

Do all the stalls keep the same hours?

No. There is no single closing time shared by every stall, and no published per-stall timetable. Three tiers are worth holding in mind:

• The hall — open roughly 06:00 to 18:00 day to day.
• Fresh produce and food — may start as early as 04:00.
• Individual stalls — vary with the goods. Stalls selling dry goods and fresh food often close earlier in the day, while eateries and souvenir shops may stay open later into the evening (Vietnam Airlines travel guide, read October 2026).

The building has four entrance frontages. The two streets that flank it — Phan Bội Châu to the east and Phan Chu Trinh to the west — are the ones that carry any evening stalls (Báo Tin tức, 4 August 2022; Tuoi Tre, 31 December 2025).

Is there a night market at Ben Thanh, and what time does it close?

There is no fixed, published closing time for Ben Thanh's evening stalls, and the market's management board and the city's tourism authority do not currently agree on whether the managed outdoor night market is operating at all.

• The operator's side: the market's management board says the managed outdoor night area has been suspended since after COVID-19, and that trade now runs almost entirely by day (Tuoi Tre, 31 December 2025).
• The authority's side: the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Tourism's field survey still lists “chợ đêm Bến Thành” among the city's night-tourism clusters (Thời báo Ngân hàng, 5 March 2026).

Because the two positions have not been reconciled, treat any evening-stall times you see quoted online as unconfirmed and check on the ground when you arrive. Evening stalls, when they are there, sit on the two flanking streets named above. The site's night market guide and Ho Chi Minh City nightlife guide cover the wider evening picture.

Holidays and Tết

Ben Thanh Market trades daily, including weekends. Public holidays, Tết and other days off are handled by a separate announcement from the market rather than a fixed yearly timetable, so there is no reliable published holiday schedule to quote. Tết is the one period when many vendors close for several days. For what is on around the city, see the site's events calendar and the Tết shopping guide.

Best times to visit

• Morning (about 06:00–09:00), for fresh produce, flowers and the local market crowd, in the coolest part of the day.
• Late morning to early afternoon (about 09:00–15:00), when every stall is open — the safest window if you want the widest choice.
• Late afternoon (about 15:00–18:00), for quieter aisles and, often, softer prices as traders wind down.
• Evening, for the surrounding streets rather than the hall — with the night-market caveat above.

Eating is covered in the site's dining guide, and what to expect to pay in the price guide.

Getting there

The market sits in the heart of District 1, and Ben Thanh station on Metro Line 1 is right beside it — the line opened on 22 December 2024. Full route, fares and airport options are on the getting here page and the map page.

Is entry free?

Yes. There is no ticket to enter Ben Thanh Market. The rulebook states plainly that people who come to look around or to buy goods and services pay no entry fee (Nội quy chợ, Điều 4.3).

Opening hours in other languages

• Vietnamese: Chợ Bến Thành mở cửa khoảng 6 giờ sáng và đóng cửa khoảng 6 giờ chiều; nội quy chợ ghi 7:00–22:00, gian hàng tươi sống và ăn uống từ 4:00. Vào cửa miễn phí.
• German: Der Ben-Thanh-Markt öffnet gegen 6:00 Uhr und schließt gegen 18:00 Uhr; die Marktordnung erlaubt 7:00–22:00 Uhr, frische Waren und Gastronomie ab 4:00 Uhr. Eintritt frei.
• Italian: Il mercato Ben Thanh apre verso le 6:00 e chiude verso le 18:00; il regolamento prevede 7:00–22:00, con cibo e prodotti freschi dalle 4:00. Ingresso gratuito.
• Polish: Targ Ben Thanh jest otwarty od około 6:00 do 18:00; regulamin przewiduje godziny 7:00–22:00, a świeże produkty i jedzenie od 4:00. Wstęp wolny.

Frequently asked questions about Ben Thanh Market hours

What time does Ben Thanh Market open?

About 06:00. The market's own rulebook sets a 07:00 opening, and fresh-produce and food stalls may open as early as 04:00.

What time does Ben Thanh Market close?

The hall winds down at about 18:00. The rulebook allows trading until 22:00, but most traders finish by the late afternoon — the market board puts it at about 19–20h.

Is Ben Thanh Market open at night?

The market hall is not. Evening stalls, when they are present, are on the two flanking streets, Phan Bội Châu and Phan Chu Trinh. The managed outdoor night market's status is disputed between the operator and the city, so confirm locally.

Is Ben Thanh Market open today, or on Sundays?

Yes — the market trades daily, including weekends.

Is Ben Thanh Market open on holidays and at Tết?

Holidays, Tết and other days off are announced separately by the market, so there is no fixed published schedule. Many vendors close for several days around Tết.

Is Ben Thanh Market free to enter?

Yes. There is no entry fee.

Chợ Bến Thành mấy giờ mở cửa và đóng cửa?

Chợ mở cửa khoảng 6 giờ sáng và đóng cửa khoảng 6 giờ chiều; nội quy chợ ghi thời gian 7:00–22:00, gian hàng tươi sống và ăn uống từ 4:00. Vào cửa miễn phí. Không có giờ đóng cửa cố định cho khu chợ đêm — nên kiểm tra tại chỗ.