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Typical Souvenirs from Haiphong (2026)
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3 Days in Haiphong: Itinerary 2026
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3 Days in Haiphong: Itinerary 2026
This 3-day itinerary groups attractions by neighborhood to minimize transit time. Haiphong's compact city center and reliable taxi network make it easy to explore. Plan for 10-1… 🗺️ Overview & Tips
This 3-day itinerary groups attractions by neighborhood to minimize transit time. Haiphong's compact city center and reliable taxi network make it easy to explore. Plan for 10-15 minute rides between districts, and budget around 50,000-100,000 VND per trip.
🏛️ Day 1: City Center
Start at the iconic Haiphong Opera House (1 Phan Dinh Phung) at 9 AM, then walk to the nearby Queen of the Rosary Cathedral (45 Nguyen Cong Tru). For lunch, try Banh Da Cua at Quan Ba Tam (27 Luong Khanh Thien) for around 40,000 VND. Spend the afternoon at the Haiphong Museum (66 Dien Bien Phu, open 8 AM-5 PM, 30,000 VND).
🍜 Day 1 Evening: Local Eats
Head to the night market on Tam Bac Street (6 PM-10 PM) for street food like banh mi and nem cua be. For a sit-down dinner, visit Com Nieu Cua Bien (12 Tran Phu) for seafood hotpot, averaging 200,000 VND per person. End the night with a stroll around the illuminated Tam Bac Lake.
🌿 Day 2: Cat Ba Island
Take the 7 AM hydrofoil from Ben Binh Ferry Terminal (1 hour, 250,000 VND one way) to Cat Ba Island. Rent a motorbike (150,000 VND/day) and explore Cat Ba National Park (entry 80,000 VND). Hike to Ngu Lam Peak for panoramic views. Have lunch at a local seafood restaurant near Cat Ba Town center.
🏖️ Day 2 Afternoon: Beaches
After lunch, drive to Cat Co 1 Beach (free entry) for swimming and sunbathing. Alternatively, visit Lan Ha Bay by kayak (book a 2-hour tour for 300,000 VND). Return to Haiphong by the 5 PM hydrofoil. For dinner, try Bun Ca at Quan Bun Ca Cay Da (16 Minh Khai) for 35,000 VND.
🏯 Day 3: Du Hang Pagoda
Start at Du Hang Pagoda (121 Du Hang, free entry, open 7 AM-5 PM), a 300-year-old Buddhist temple with beautiful gardens. Then visit the nearby Hang Kenh Communal House (144 Hang Kenh) to see intricate wood carvings. Both are within walking distance of each other.
🛍️ Day 3 Afternoon: Shopping
Spend the afternoon at the Cho Sat (Iron Market) at 1 Hoang Van Thu, open daily 6 AM-6 PM. Buy local specialties like banh da (rice crackers) and seafood. For souvenirs, visit the Lac Long Bookstore (24 Dien Bien Phu) for postcards and maps. End with a coffee at Cong Caphe (50 Dien Bien Phu) for 45,000 VND.
🚌 Getting Around
Taxis from Mai Linh or Vinasun are reliable and metered. For budget travel, use local buses (7,000 VND per ride) or rent a motorbike (150,000 VND/day). The city is bike-friendly, but watch for traffic. Download Grab for convenient ride-hailing.
honestly this is a well thought out plan, you nailed the pacing. one thing i'd tweak is day 1 evening - instead of the night market on tam bac, try the little alley behind the opera house on luong van can around 7pm. there's a lady who sells banh my que (grilled skewers with bread) for like 15k each and they're way better than the touristy stuff. the night market is fine but gets packed with groups and the food stalls are hit or miss. also for day 3, cong caphe is solid but if you want a quieter spot, head to the rooftop at the hanoi pho place on 2 tran quoc toan, they do a mean egg coffee for 35k and the view over the old quarter is nice. your cat ba day is spot on, the hydrofoil tip from the other reply is key - buy that ticket early or you'll be stuck.
Really solid itinerary, you covered the highlights well. I'd suggest swapping the Cat Ba afternoon for a kayak trip through Lan Ha Bay instead of just lounging on Cat Co beach, the limestone karsts are way more impressive from the water and you'll see way fewer tourists.
This is a solid plan, especially the Cat Ba day. One thing I would add is that the hydrofoil can sell out on weekends, so buy your ticket a day in advance from the Ben Binh ticket counter. I made that mistake last summer and had to wait two hours for the next one. For the Du Hang Pagoda morning on Day 3, if you are there around 10 AM, the incense and quiet gardens are a nice break before the chaos of Cho Sat. The market is worth the trip, but watch your pockets in the crowded aisles near the seafood stalls.
Typical Souvenirs from Haiphong (2026)
Haiphong's coastal location makes dried squid, shrimp, and fish a beloved souvenir. Locals often buy these at the Cho Sat market (Sat Market) on Tran Phu Street, where… 🦑 Dried Seafood Specialties
Haiphong's coastal location makes dried squid, shrimp, and fish a beloved souvenir. Locals often buy these at the Cho Sat market (Sat Market) on Tran Phu Street, where vendors sell vacuum-packed packs starting at 100,000 VND. The tradition of drying seafood dates back centuries, as it was a way to preserve the catch for long sea voyages and inland trade.
🍬 Ga Gia Cake
Ga Gia cake is a chewy, sweet confection made from malt and ginger, a specialty of Haiphong's old quarter. You can find it at the family-run shop on 52 Dien Bien Phu Street, with boxes priced from 50,000 to 150,000 VND. This treat has been made for over a century, originally as a warming snack for dock workers during the cold winter months.
🏺 Ceramic Fish Sauce Jars
Small ceramic jars, often shaped like fish or decorated with coastal motifs, are a charming souvenir that reflects Haiphong's fishing heritage. Pick them up at the craft stalls in Cho Hang Duong (Hang Duong Market) on Tran Phu Street, where prices range from 30,000 to 80,000 VND. These jars echo the traditional earthenware used to store nuoc mam, the fermented fish sauce that is a cornerstone of Vietnamese cuisine.
🧵 Handwoven Lan Ha Textiles
From the nearby Cat Ba archipelago, handwoven cotton textiles in indigo and natural dyes are a meaningful buy. Look for them at the Cat Ba Market or at small cooperatives in the island's villages, with scarves and table runners costing 100,000 to 250,000 VND. Weaving is a centuries-old craft of the local fisherfolk, and each pattern tells a story of the sea and island life.
🖼️ Do Son Sea Paintings
Local artists often paint the iconic Do Son beach and its pine-covered hills, capturing Haiphong's seaside charm. You can buy original works at the Haiphong Fine Arts Gallery on 15 Le Hong Phong Street, with prints from 200,000 VND and originals from 1,000,000 VND. These paintings are a modern take on the landscape that has inspired poets and painters since the French colonial era.
🍯 Wild Honey from Cat Ba
Cat Ba National Park produces a distinct wild honey, harvested from the island's native flowers. You can purchase it at the park's visitor center or at local shops in Cat Ba town, with jars priced from 150,000 to 300,000 VND. This honey is prized for its medicinal properties and is a sweet reminder of the island's pristine nature.
📿 Buddhist Prayer Beads
At the Du Hang Pagoda, one of Haiphong's oldest Buddhist sites, you can find wooden prayer beads carved from local fruit pits. The pagoda's souvenir stall sells them for 50,000 to 100,000 VND, with proceeds supporting the temple. These beads are a tangible piece of the city's spiritual life, blessed by monks and used for meditation.
🎁 Where to Shop
For a one-stop souvenir run, head to Cho Sat (Sat Market) or the night market on Quang Trung Street, open from 5 PM to 10 PM. Bargaining is expected, so start at 70% of the asking price. For higher-end crafts, visit the Haiphong Museum gift shop, which supports local artisans.
solid list, the dried squid at Cho Sat is legit but honestly most locals grab it at the alley stalls off Tran Phu near the cathedral, cheaper and you can pick your own pieces. if you're getting ga gia cake, skip the fancy boxes and ask for the loose ones wrapped in paper, the family at 52 Dien Bien Phu will give u a taste first.
one thing missing: the little brass ship models sold near the port, around Cau Rao bridge. they're tiny but detailed, like 80k for a small one, and they actually look good on a shelf. also the honey from Cat Ba is way overpriced at the visitor center, buy it from the old lady selling fruit near the ferry dock in Cat Ba town, same stuff for half the price.
for the paintings, the gallery on Le Hong Phong is fine but i'd check the weekend art market at the opera house plaza instead, younger artists selling smaller pieces for like 150k, more fun to browse. bargaining at Cho Sat is expected but don't lowball too hard on seafood, they'll just laugh and walk away.
honestly the dried seafood list is pretty spot on but i'd add one thing locals actually bring back for family, the salted dried anchovies they sell loose at the morning market near the Cau Dat wharf, not the tourist spots. it's like 50k a kilo and way more flavorful than the packaged stuff, goes perfect with plain rice. my grandma always stocks up when she visits.
for the ga gia cake, the loose ones are the move but if u want something that actually survives the flight home, grab the ones with a bit more ginger, they keep better and taste less cloying after a day or two. also the night market on Quang Trung is good but it gets packed with tourists, if u want a chill vibe go on a weekday around 6 PM, the vendors are more patient and u can actually browse without elbowing anyone.
the ceramic fish sauce jars are cute but honestly most tourists miss the real deal, the big stone mortars and pestles they sell at hang duong market on the ground floor. my aunt uses one daily for her shrimp paste and it lasts forever, like 150k for a solid one. also if ur into the dried squid, skip the vacuum packs and ask for the grilled ones at the night market, they'll char it right there and u can eat it on the spot with some chili salt, way better than bringing it home tbh.
the prayer beads at du hang pagoda are a nice pick but i'd add that the pagoda itself is worth a wander, the gardens are quiet and the monks are used to foreigners asking questions. for the honey, yeah the visitor center rip-off is real, but if u happen to be on cat ba during the lychee season in june, some families sell lychee flower honey that's even more fragrant, ask around at the homestays near the national park entrance.