As others have said, it’s not a great place to shop compared to other markets throughout the world. We enjoyed a Friday night out on the town just to see the Vietnamese enjoying themselves at local pubs and restaurants.
The market was just bustling and literally up our street! The smells are amazing ( some are not) and the variety of food, clothes, bags, trainers and sunglasses will keep you absorbed for hours. Some stalls are more open to haggling then others, we tried some of the liquid nitrogen sweets, they were odd but refreshing, definatly a new experience.
The night market is a must in Hanoi - it is vast and at times we felt we didn't know where it was going to end!
Fr-Su: 17:00-23:00
Fr-Su: 19:00-23:30