Quang Ba Flower Market
Hanoi’s wholesale flower market, where roses, lilies and lotus arrive by the truckload between midnight and dawn.
- Hanoi
- Included in 1 tour
- Tours from $51
- Updated October 2026
About Quang Ba Flower Market
While most of Hanoi sleeps, the area around Au Co street on the north-east side of West Lake fills with motorbikes piled impossibly high with flowers. Quang Ba flower market (cho hoa Quang Ba) is the city’s biggest wholesale flower market, and it works almost entirely at night. Florists, street sellers and shop owners come here before dawn to buy the flowers they will sell around Hanoi that day.
What happens at the market
From around midnight, trucks and motorbikes arrive from the flower villages around Hanoi, such as Me Linh and Tay Tuu, and from as far away as Da Lat. Bundles of roses, chrysanthemums, lilies, gerberas, orchids and seasonal flowers are unloaded onto the pavement and into the market sheds. Prices are agreed quickly, flowers are tied onto bikes and sellers ride off into the dark. By around 6:00 or 7:00 the market is winding down.
Flowers in Hanoi follow the seasons. Lotus appears in early summer, chrysanthemums in autumn, and in the weeks before Tet, the Lunar New Year, the market overflows with branches of peach blossom from Nhat Tan and kumquat trees from Tu Lien — the two plants every Hanoi family wants at home for the new year.
Visiting Quang Ba flower market
This is a working market, not a tourist attraction, which is exactly why it is so interesting. There are no tickets and no guides, and traders are busy, so stay out of the way of loading bikes and buy a bunch of flowers if you take many photos. Prices are wholesale and very low by Western standards, often sold in bundles of 10 to 50 stems. Hanoi’s tourism department has even proposed night tours here to show visitors this side of the city.
Our Sunrise electric scooter tour starts at 5:00 and walks through Quang Ba flower market as the last flowers arrive, then rides on to watch the sun rise over West Lake.
Tips for visiting Quang Ba flower market
This is a working wholesale market, busiest from about 2:00 to 5:00 in the morning and winding down by 6:00 to 7:00. There are no tickets or guides, so stay out of the way of the loading bikes, and if you take a lot of photos, buy a bunch of flowers – prices are wholesale and very low, often sold in bundles of 10 to 50 stems. The week before Tet, when peach blossom and kumquat trees flood in, is the most spectacular time.
Worth it?
Why visit Quang Ba Flower Market?
- A market that works at nightHanoi’s main wholesale flower trade happens between midnight and dawn.
- Mountains of flowersRoses, lilies, chrysanthemums and orchids by the bundle, from local villages and Da Lat.
- Overloaded motorbikesSellers ride away with towers of flowers — the classic Quang Ba photo.
- Tet seasonPeach blossom branches and kumquat trees fill the street before Lunar New Year.
- Cheap, beautiful flowersWholesale prices, often a fraction of what you would pay in a shop.
Make the most of it
7 best things to do in Quang Ba Flower Market
Walk the market before dawn
Arrive around 3:00–5:00 to see the trading at its busiest. 30–45 minutes is enough to walk the sheds and pavements.
Watch the flower-laden motorbikes
Stand on the pavement edge and watch sellers stack flowers on bikes and ride off — but keep out of the road.
Buy a bunch for your hotel room
Prices change with the season; a bundle of roses can be well under 100,000 VND. Small notes help.
Visit before Tet
In the one to two weeks before Lunar New Year (Tet 2027 falls on 6 February), peach blossom and kumquat trees take over and the market runs day and night.
Combine with West Lake at sunrise
The lake is a few minutes away. Watch the sun rise from Thanh Nien Road or the Quang Ba shore, then have pho for breakfast.
Add Long Bien market
Hanoi’s wholesale fruit and vegetable market, under Long Bien Bridge, works on the same night-time schedule (roughly 22:00–6:00).
Join our sunrise tour
Our Sunrise scooter tour leaves at 5:00, rides through the empty Old Quarter, walks through Quang Ba flower market and finishes with a pho breakfast.
Good to know
Flower calendar: what you’ll see at Quang Ba by season
| All year | Roses, gerberas, carnations, lilies, orchids |
|---|---|
| March–April | White lilies (hoa loa ken), a Hanoi spring favourite |
| May–July | Lotus, sold in tight buds early in the morning |
| Autumn | Chrysanthemums, including the small yellow cuc hoa mi |
| Before Tet | Peach blossom, kumquat trees, marigolds and other Tet flowers |
| Special dates | Very busy before Valentine’s Day, 8 March and 20 October (Vietnamese Women’s Day) |
Seasons depend on the weather each year, and many flowers from Da Lat are available most of the year.
Timing
Best time to visit Quang Ba Flower Market
The first trucks arrive and stalls set up; quieter.
Peak trading — the busiest and most photogenic time.
Things slow down; easier to walk around and the sky starts to lighten for photos.
Huge crowds and the most colour; also the most traffic.
Map & directions
How to get to Quang Ba Flower Market
- From the Old QuarterAbout 5 km; 15 minutes by Grab or taxi at night (roughly 60,000–100,000 VND by car). Ask for cho hoa Quang Ba, Au Co.
- By motorbikePark in the paid parking areas nearby; streets are crowded with traders’ bikes.
- By busDay buses run along Au Co, but not at the hours the market is busy.
- With usOur Sunrise scooter tour includes hotel pickup at 5:00 and a walk through the market.
Eat like a local
Where to eat near Quang Ba Flower Market
- Pho for breakfastPho stalls open early around Au Co and Tay Ho road; our sunrise tour ends with beef, chicken or vegetarian pho.
- Night snacks for tradersSmall stalls sell sticky rice, bread and hot drinks to the market workers.
- Banh tom by West LakeLater in the day, the famous shrimp fritters at Banh Tom Ho Tay, 1 Thanh Nien.
For your camera
Best photo spots at Quang Ba Flower Market
- Motorbikes loaded with flowersThe signature Quang Ba shot — use a fast shutter in the low light.
- Rows of buckets and bundlesColour everywhere under bare light bulbs.
- Peach blossom before TetPink branches stacked along the street.
- Blue hour at 5:30–6:00The sky lightens behind the stalls.
Local advice
Tips for visiting Quang Ba Flower Market
Do
- Wear closed shoes — the ground is wet and full of stems
- Bring small notes if you want to buy flowers
- Buy something if you take a lot of photos
- Keep to the pavement edge and watch for moving bikes
- Combine with sunrise at West Lake
Don’t
- Block traders or loading bikes for a photo
- Use flash in people’s faces
- Haggle hard over a few thousand dong
- Arrive after 7:00 and expect much to be happening
Visit with a local
Tours that visit Quang Ba Flower Market
Hanoi · Electric Scooter
Hanoi Sunrise & Sunset Electric Scooter Tour
678+ booked
From $60
$51
per adult
Good to know
Quang Ba Flower Market: questions & answers
What time does Quang Ba flower market open?
It runs roughly from 23:00 to 6:00–7:00 every night. The busiest time is about 2:00–5:00.
Where is Quang Ba flower market?
On Au Co street, on the dike north-east of West Lake in the Quang Ba area of Tay Ho, about 5 km from the Old Quarter.
Is Quang Ba flower market worth visiting?
Yes, if you can get up early. It is a real working market with no tourist set-up, full of colour and energy, and one of the most authentic sights in Hanoi.
What is the best time to visit Quang Ba flower market?
Between about 3:00 and 5:30 for the trading, or the week before Tet for peach blossom and kumquat trees.
Can tourists buy flowers at Quang Ba flower market?
Yes. Prices are wholesale and bundles are large, but most sellers are happy to sell to visitors. Carry small notes.
Is Quang Ba flower market open during Tet?
It is at its busiest in the days before Tet. Over the Tet holiday itself, many traders take time off, so the market is much quieter.
Is there an entrance fee?
No, the market is free. You only pay for flowers or parking.
Is Quang Ba flower market good for photography?
Yes – the pre-dawn scene of motorbikes piled high with flowers is one of Hanoi's most atmospheric sights. Go between about 2:00 and 5:00, keep out of the way of traders loading up, and buy a bunch of flowers if you are taking a lot of photos.
How do I get to Quang Ba flower market?
It runs along Au Co street on the dike north-east of West Lake, in the Tay Ho area. Most visitors arrive by taxi or Grab in the small hours; our sunrise electric scooter tour starts at 5:00 and walks through the market as the last flowers arrive, before riding on for the sunrise over West Lake.
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