1. General introduction to Hai Phong seafood market
Hai Phong Seafood Market gathers many fresh items. (Source: Collected)
Hai Phong Seafood Market is a place that gathers fresh and delicious products from the sea, connecting fishermen with consumers. When visiting these markets, visitors can not only choose fresh seafood but also immerse themselves in the vibrant atmosphere, full of the salty rhythm characteristic of the Northern coastal region.
Entering 2025, the Hai Phong Seafood Market continues to maintain strong appeal thanks to its abundant seafood supply, continuously updated as soon as boats dock. Many direct processing stalls have been upgraded, allowing visitors to enjoy fresh and hot dishes right at the market. Reasonable prices, combined with guaranteed quality, make this an unmissable destination on a culinary exploration journey in Hai Phong.
The trading atmosphere at seafood markets is always bustling and friendly. The calls, the exchange stories of sellers and buyers blend with the salty taste of the sea, creating a vivid picture of commercial life in the port city. Visitors also have the opportunity to chat with fishermen, learn how to choose fresh seafood, and learn about the unique coastal life of the local people.
2. Outstanding features of Hai Phong seafood markets
Hai Phong seafood markets clearly reflect the city's maritime culture. (Source: Collected)
The Hai Phong seafood markets are not just bustling trading places but also destinations that clearly reflect the city's maritime culture. Each market has its own outstanding characteristics — from the freshness of seafood, seasonal diversity, to convenient services and reasonable prices, all contributing to an irresistible charm for visitors from near and far.
2.1. Freshness and Diversity of Hai Phong Seafood
The most distinctive feature of Hai Phong seafood markets is the consistently fresh seafood, continuously arriving from fishing trips. Visitors can easily choose from silver pomfret, green lobster, firm green crab, or fresh squid. Rare delicacies such as geoduck, abalone, and sea cucumber also frequently appear at the stalls, ensuring quality comparable to other famous coastal areas.
The diversity of Hai Phong seafood is also evident through each season of the year. In spring, mackerel and egg crabs are abundant and appealing. Summer is when fresh lobster and green crab are dominant, while autumn and winter feature fresh squid, clams, and scallops. Each sea season brings its own flavors, helping visitors experience richer and more complete cuisine on their culinary journey in Hai Phong.
2.2. Convenient Services
The appeal of Hai Phong seafood markets is further enhanced by increasingly professional on-site processing services. Many stalls allow steaming, boiling, and grilling seafood according to customer requests, helping visitors both choose fresh seafood and enjoy it immediately in the market's dining area. Simply choose your favorite dish, and you will have a complete culinary experience without a long wait.
Furthermore, vendors at Hai Phong seafood markets also pay more attention to packaging and preservation. Visitors can request styrofoam boxes with ice packs, ensuring the seafood remains fresh when taken home. Many markets have also developed local delivery services, helping tourists easily transport fresh products back to their hotels or homes while preserving the distinctive taste of the sea.
2.3. Reasonable Prices
The buying and selling culture at Hai Phong seafood markets is characterized by the friendly, open nature typical of coastal areas. Customers can comfortably negotiate prices, especially when buying in large quantities, while vendors are always ready to adjust prices and provide thorough advice for selecting fresh, seasonal seafood. This creates a satisfying and enjoyable shopping experience for visitors.
Prices at Hai Phong seafood markets are usually stable and reasonable, 20–30% lower than in restaurants. Thanks to the abundant, fresh seafood and competitive prices, visitors can enjoy delicious fresh seafood at a reasonable cost. This is also why seafood markets in Hai Phong always attract a large number of locals and distant visitors, becoming unmissable destinations on a culinary journey of seafood exploration.
3. Review of Top 6 Famous Seafood Markets in Hai Phong
If you are a fan of fresh seafood, Hai Phong will surely enchant you with a series of famous markets, where the flavors of the sea converge and the vibrant life of the people of the Port City. Below are the top 6 most famous Hai Phong seafood markets in 2025 — ideal destinations for you to shop, enjoy, and fully experience the unique maritime culinary culture here.
3.1. Cat Ba Market
Cat Ba Market is a large and famous seafood purchasing spot in Northern Vietnam. (Source: Collected)
Cat Ba Seafood Market is located right in the center of Cat Ba Island, just about 300m along April 1st Street. This is one of the largest and most famous seafood purchasing spots in Northern Vietnam. The market boasts a spacious scale with diverse goods, always ensuring fresh and delicious seafood thanks to fishing boats docking continuously every day. Visitors can easily find fresh shrimp, crab, squid, along with rare specialties like razor clams, abalone, and sea cucumber with stable quality.
Cat Ba Market is not just a shopping place but also reflects the island's culture, where visitors can chat and learn seafood selection tips from local fishermen. With its convenient location, you can easily combine island sightseeing with a visit to the market, making your sea exploration journey complete.
To choose the freshest and most delicious seafood, visitors should come to the market early in the morning, around 5 to 7 AM, when the stalls have just been restocked. It's advisable to compare prices at several counters and prioritize live seafood. If you plan to take it home, ask for professional packaging with ice to preserve its freshness and retain the distinctive flavor of Cat Ba Island.
3.2. Co Dao Market
Co Dao Market, located on Co Dao Street, is one of the famous Hai Phong seafood market centers with affordable prices and a variety of goods. Thanks to its convenient location right in the heart of the port city, the market is always bustling, attracting a large number of locals and tourists, while ensuring fresh and delicious seafood every day.
A distinctive feature of Co Dao Market is the row of small eateries around it, which prepare seafood immediately after customers make their selections. Visitors can buy live crab, shrimp, squid, and fish and take them to nearby eateries to enjoy steamed, stir-fried, grilled, or other attractive dishes. Besides, this area is also nổi bật with traditional Hai Phong specialties such as fish noodle soup and crab spring rolls, prepared according to age-old recipes, offering a rich and complete culinary experience for visitors.
3.3. Cat Bi Market
Cat Bi Market, located on Cat Bi Street, stands out due to its proximity to Cat Bi Airport, making it convenient for tourists to travel. This is one of the famous Hai Phong seafood market spots with diverse on-site processing services, from steaming and grilling to hot pot, fully satisfying every diner's palate.
The seafood at the market is very abundant, from common types like fish, shrimp, squid, and crab to high-end specialties such as razor clams, abalone, and sea cucumber, all guaranteed fresh and delicious daily. Cat Bi Market not only serves retail needs but is also convenient for traders and restaurants looking for quality seafood sources.
Thanks to its location near prominent tourist attractions and the airport, Cat Bi Market becomes an ideal choice for enjoying fresh seafood on-site or buying it as gifts when leaving the city, while also experiencing the characteristic bustling atmosphere of a Hai Phong seafood market.
3.4. Ngoc Hai Fish Market - Do Son
Ngoc Hai seafood market bustles from early morning. (Source: Collected)
Ngoc Hai seafood market is a famous destination in Hai Phong, bustling from early morning, usually starting from 3 AM to 6 AM when fishing boats dock. The market specializes in providing characteristic fresh seafood from the Do Son sea area at very reasonable wholesale prices.
Visiting the market in the early morning, tourists can not only buy fresh seafood such as fish, squid, shrimp, crab, scallops but also experience the authentic life of local fishermen. All seafood has just docked, retaining its freshness and ensuring quality. Compared to the city center areas, seafood prices at Ngoc Hai market are usually cheaper, making it an ideal choice for those who want to buy fresh, high-quality seafood while saving costs.
3.5. Hai Phong Nam Hai Wholesale Seafood Market
Nam Hai wholesale market (located on Ngo Gia Tu street) is one of the largest seafood markets in Hai Phong, specializing in supplying seafood to restaurants, traders, and individual customers in the city and neighboring provinces. The market operates bustlingly from around 1 AM, with continuously updated goods, ensuring freshness and high quality.
Visiting Nam Hai market, tourists have the opportunity to buy seafood at wholesale prices due to its role as a distribution hub. With its spacious scale and diverse varieties from shrimp, crab, squid to premium seafood like abalone, geoduck, Nam Hai market becomes an ideal stop for those who want to buy in large quantities or learn deeply about the Hai Phong seafood market. This is also a must-visit destination for those who want to experience the bustling trading atmosphere and choose fresh seafood right at the source.
3.6. Nui Deo Seafood Market
Nui Deo Seafood Market has many types of fresh and delicious seafood. (Source: Collected)
Nui Deo Seafood Market (Nui Deo, Thuy Nguyen) is highly rated by many local people for its quality and freshness. The market stands out with seafood such as snails, squid, and fresh sea fish, most of which are caught from nearshore waters, ensuring their natural flavor and optimal freshness are preserved.
The atmosphere at the market carries strong local characteristics, with lively bargaining sessions between sellers and customers, creating an authentic and interesting shopping experience. Nui Deo Market is often crowded in the late afternoon and evening, which is an ideal time for visitors to both choose fresh seafood and enjoy the unique local cuisine in the surrounding area, fully experiencing the distinctive maritime culture of Hai Phong.
4. Tips for choosing and buying fresh seafood at Hai Phong markets
Choose fresh and delicious seafood at Hai Phong seafood markets. (Source: Collected)
To get the freshest and most delicious seafood when visiting the Port City, choosing the right time and mastering shopping experience is extremely important. Here are some tips to help you easily select, bargain, and preserve fresh seafood at Hai Phong's famous markets.
The ideal time to visit Hai Phong seafood markets is from 4 AM to 7 AM, when seafood has just arrived by boat, retaining maximum freshness. During this time, you not only have a rich selection but also more reasonable prices compared to other times of the day. Starting the day early helps visitors have a complete experience and buy high-quality seafood.
When buying, observe the signs of freshness carefully: fish eyes should be clear and bright, not cloudy; crab and squid bodies should be firm and glossy; shrimp and mantis shrimp should still be moving actively. Additionally, ask vendors about the seasonality of each type of seafood, for example, summer lobster or spring mackerel are usually at their best quality.
Bargaining skills are essential when shopping at Hai Phong seafood markets . Visitors should check prices at multiple stalls before negotiating skillfully, maintaining a respectful attitude towards sellers. Prices can often be reduced by 10–20% from the initial offer, especially when buying in large quantities.
Regarding preservation, you should request styrofoam boxes, add ice, and choose sealed containers for long-distance travel. If you cannot take them home immediately, many vendors are willing to store them in cold storage for you to pick up later. Additionally, on-site processing services are very convenient, allowing you to enjoy fresh and hot seafood right at the market.
5. Suggested Hai Phong Travel Itinerary
To fully enjoy the beauty and cuisine of the Port City, visitors should plan a reasonable day trip to explore Hai Phong. The itinerary below will suggest attractive destinations, from sightseeing and seafood shopping to enjoying local specialties, making your trip more complete and memorable.
In the morning, you can start your journey by experiencing the Sun World cable car to Cat Ba Island, enjoying the panoramic view of the sea and mountains from above. After visiting caves, swimming, and playing on the beach, visit the Hai Phong seafood market on Cat Ba to select fresh seafood. Visitors can ask vendors to process it on-site or pack it to take back to the hotel to fully enjoy the flavor.
In the afternoon, upon returning to the city center, you can visit Cat Bi Market or Co Dao Market to continue exploring and buying more diverse seafood. These two markets are conveniently located, close to the airport and city center, suitable for buying final seafood items before ending the trip. On-site processing services allow visitors to enjoy fresh seafood immediately after purchase, which is extremely convenient.
The evening is the ideal time to stroll around and enjoy Hai Phong's characteristic night cuisine. Don't miss the chance to try banh da cua, nem cua be, and other local specialties around the major markets. The bustling night atmosphere combined with the unique flavors of the Port City's cuisine will make your trip more vibrant and memorable.
With the richest and freshest seafood source in the North, Hai Phong seafood markets are always a favorite stop for tourists visiting the red flamboyant city. It's not just a place to shop, but also an opportunity to experience the vibrant life and unique trading culture of the coastal people. Hopefully, the top 6 fresh Hai Phong seafood markets for tourists will help you easily choose an ideal destination to both enjoy and bring back quality seafood – imbued with the sea flavor of the Port City.
