Skip to content

Top Navigation

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Trip Inspiration
  • Plan Your Trip
  • World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises
  • Travel Tips
  • News
  • Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Subscribe
Pin FB

Explore Travel + Leisure

Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure
  • Explore

    Explore

    • World's Best

      The greatest islands, cities, hotels, cruise lines, airports, and more — as voted by you. Read More Next
    • The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2020

      Whether you're traveling solo or planning a family vacation, here are the 50 best places to visit in 2020. Read More Next
    • Let's Go Together Podcast

      Start listening to T+L's brand new podcast, Let's Go Together! Hosted by Kellee Edwards. Read More Next
  • Trip Inspiration

    Trip Inspiration

    • Trip Ideas
    • Weekend Getaways
    • Spring Travel
    • Summer Travel
    • Fall Travel
    • Winter Travel
    • Solo Travel
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Luxury Travel
    • Beach Vacations
    • Adventure Travel
    • Road Trips
    • Family Travel
    • National Parks
    • Holiday Travel
    • Travel Photography
    • Photo of the Day
    • Culture and Design
  • Plan Your Trip

    Plan Your Trip

    • Travel Guides
    • Flight Deals
    • Travel Deals
    • Ways to Save
    • Hotels + Resorts
    • Attractions
    • Amusement Parks
    • Disney Vacations
    • Festivals + Events
    • Airlines + Airports
    • Buses + Trains
    • Ground Transportation
  • World's Best

    World's Best

    • Top Hotels
    • Top Cities
    • Top Islands
    • Domestic Airlines
    • International Airlines
    • Tours
    • Safaris
    • All World's Best
  • Destination of the Year
  • A-List Travel Advisors
  • Cruises

    Cruises

    • Find A Cruise
    • Caribbean Cruises
    • River Cruises
    • European Cruises
    • All-Inclusive Cruises
    • Family Cruises
    • Alaskan Cruises
    • Disney Cruises
    • See All Cruise Vacations
  • Travel Tips

    Travel Tips

    • Travel Trends
    • Packing Tips
    • Points + Miles
    • Budgeting + Currency
    • Customs + Immigration
    • Responsible Travel
    • Travel Etiquette
    • Travel Warnings
    • Weather
    • Mobile Apps
    • See All Travel Tips
  • News

    News

    • Wellness
    • Celebrity Travel
    • Animals
    • Jobs
    • Offbeat
    • See All News
  • Food + Drink

    Food + Drink

    • Restaurants
    • Wine
    • Beer
    • Cocktails + Spirits
    • Bars + Clubs
    • Celebrity Chefs
    • Cooking + Entertaining
    • Food Fairs + Festivals
    • World's Best Restaurants
    • See All Food + Drink
  • Travel Accessories

    Travel Accessories

    • Travel Bags
    • Shoes
    • Travel Tech
    • Shopping
    • Style
    • Gift Guides
    • See All Travel Accessories
  • Check-In

Profile Menu

Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
Your Profile

Your Profile

  • Join Now
  • Newsletters
  • Manage Your Subscription this link opens in a new tab
  • Give a Gift Subscription
  • Help
  • Logout
Login
Sweepstakes

Follow Us

  1. Home
  2. Style
  3. Shopping
  4. World's Top Night Markets

World's Top Night Markets

By Laura Kiniry
June 17, 2011
Skip gallery slides
Save Pin
Credit: Yeung Hei Lam, Jerry
When the sun sets over Marrakesh, the market on cobblestoned Djemaa el-Fna square is just heating up. Smells of cumin and sizzling sausage mingle with plumes of smoke above stalls strung with white lights, while fortune-tellers and musicians amuse the crowds.

At this Moroccan market and others around the world, people come together to browse, socialize, and unwind. Sure, there are daytime markets, but under the cover of darkness, night markets feel exhilarating, drawing locals relieved to be off from work. They're entertainment venues pulsating with life; there's plenty to see and do, and dinner's cooking.

Night markets originally took root mostly in Asian cities, where the advent of electricity freed locals to bargain over goods without the pressure of daylight and its oppressive heat. Countries as varied as Canada, Peru, and France eventually put their own spins on the night market concept. But it's only in the past few years that major U.S. cities are seeing the potential.  

"It all comes down to a need for community," says Nick Spano, manager of Yamashiro's summer farmers' market in Los Angeles, which launched in 2010. "There's plenty of nightlife in L.A., but little of it appeals to young families and those tired of the club scene. Evening markets fill the void by providing a casual place where people can mingle with a glass of wine, some live music, and lots of amazing food."

San Francisco and Philadelphia have established their own night markets, and Brooklyn, where daytime options like the Brooklyn Flea have flourished, hopes to follow suit.

Some night markets gradually go beyond serving the local community to become sprawling tourist attractions in their own right. After a day out at Laotian temples and monasteries, many visitors stroll Luang Prabang's night market, where more than 300 vendors sell everything from traditional textiles embroidered by the Hmong minority to teas and rare spices such as pandan, used as a fragrance for desserts.

Even at markets where the quality can be questionable or downright kitschy, it's an experience just to be a part of the after-dark hubbub—and you're guaranteed to head home with colorful stories.
Start Slideshow

1 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

San Francisco Underground Market, CA

Credit: Daryl Dellera

Forager and founder Iso Rabins created San Francisco's hugely popular underground market in 2009 to give fledgling entrepreneurs a place to sell to the public without jumping through regulatory hoops. Two years later, it hosts more than 35 of the Bay Area's finest home chefs. A simple online registration is required for attendees of the monthly event to maintain its "underground" status. Once inside, people gather around rows of cart tables for bacon-caramel popcorn and orange marmalade sandwiches.

Market Find: French fries deep-fried in duck fat, and loads of free samples.

1 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement

2 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Ratchada Night Bazaar, Bangkok

Credit: Andrea Gagliardi La Gala

Every Saturday night, the parking lot outside the Ratchadapisek MTR (metro) station swarms with Thais and a handful of tourists who sift through piles of secondhand jeans and leather handbags, vintage cameras, furnishings, and auto accessories for that one perfect purchase. The market began as a swap meet for used scooters and classic car parts, but has since expanded to showcase all kinds of vintage vehicles and fashions. Besides being a great place to bargain hunt, it's also a window onto Thai culture.

Market Find: Vintage cameras, classic advertisement posters, and vinyl Thai records.

2 of 12

3 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

The Summer Night Market, Richmond, BC

Credit: Courtesy of Tourism Richmond and the Richmond Summer Night Market

Richmond's summer market celebrates the city's immigrant population—Canada's largest—through performances by Latin salsa groups and Asian singers and, most significantly, food. On weekend evenings, more than 200 vendors set up shop on a 10-acre site in the Vancouver suburb and get to work on Chinese, Thai, and Italian dishes. They come prepared for lighthearted haggling with shoppers, who can also pick up bargain gadgets and accessories.

Market Find: Some of North America's best Chinese food; dim sum is the way to go.

3 of 12

Advertisement

4 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, Thailand

Credit: Marc Liberts

One of northern Thailand's biggest draws, Chiang Mai's nightly market transforms a three-block stretch of Chang Klan Road into a lively shopping and food concourse. Stalls stand shoulder-to-shoulder in front of covered arcades, Internet cafés, and restaurants, but most of the fun occurs street-side, where it's as easy to find bargain Rolex knockoffs and Hangover DVDs as it is painted silk and paper lanterns. For true artisan treasures, swing by one of the city's weekend nighttime "walking markets," which are closed off to traffic, particularly the Sunday Market along Ratchadamnoen Road.

Market Find: Skilled Thai artisans render paintings of your favorite photographs on-site, making the ultimate souvenir.

4 of 12

5 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Marrakech Night Market, Morocco

Credit: John Isted

With each sunset, the orange juice stands and snake charmers populating Old City's main square give way to open-air food stalls cooking up sensory treats. Locals and tourists alike line up for helpings of couscous and lamb-stuffed sandwiches then hunker down at communal tables to feast. Gnawa drummers, skilled orators, and fortune-tellers provide the evening's entertainment and a taste of local culture.

Market Find: Grilled chicken or lamb brochettes, and henna tattoos on your hands and feet that last a week.

5 of 12

6 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Suzuki Night Market, Melbourne

Credit: Tor Saralamba

Held Wednesdays from November through February at the 19th-century Queen Victoria Marketplace, Melbourne's open-air night market showcases local artisans and designers as well as culinary vendors highlighting the city's ethnic diversity. Choose among Indian, Ethiopian, Dutch, Spanish, and Vietnamese along with Aussie barbecue and ‘roo burgers. Locals come here to cool down, sip local Victoria wines, and score handmade aprons. Others don't make it past the food booths.

Market Find: A foot reflexology massage in the market's health and harmony area, and a one-of-a-kind (if not particularly Australian) watch hand-carved from a coconut shell.

6 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

7 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Ningxia Night Market, Taipei

Ningxia Night Market got its start more than 60 years ago as a shopping place for clothing and accessories. Today it's strictly a food affair—a rare specialization in a country that's arguably the world's night market capital (there are at least 30 in Taiwan's northern half alone). Among more than 200 vendors, the specialty here is snacks from across the country. This is also one of Taipei's greenest markets: encouraging the use of eco-friendly chopsticks and utilizing an inceptor that keeps grease from entering sewage systems.

Market Find: Snacks like bawan, a dumpling stuffed with meat, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, and tan shui, or fish balls.

7 of 12

8 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Barranco Night Market, Lima, Peru

Credit: R.J. Zimmerman

Small night markets thrive in Lima's neighborhoods, from beachside Miraflores to the bohemian district of Barranco. Just a dozen or so handicraft vendors gather around Barranco's main square, hoping to catch the late-night revelers who pour out of the neighborhood's clubs, bars, and peñas, or music venues. It's an ideal place to pick up traditional Peruvian handicrafts, including alpaca shawls and seed jewelry.

Market Find: An etched and colorfully painted piece of gourd art, one of Peru's oldest handicrafts.

8 of 12

9 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Luang Prabang Night Market, Laos

Credit: Stanislas Fradelizi

More than 300 handicraft vendors sell artisan wares, textiles, teas, and paintings that hew to local traditions. This roughly half-mile-long nightly event is one of the country's best spots to find one-of-a-kind items at bargain prices. While food is available on-site, duck into the nearby alley between Sisavangvong Road and Mekong River for the best dishes.

Market Find: Traditional embroideries handmade by the Hmong ethnic group, and rare spices such as pandan, often used as a fragrance for desserts.

9 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

10 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Yamashiro Farmers' Market, Los Angeles

Credit: A. Rios~R.E. Photography

Now in its second year, this brainchild of the nonprofit LA City Farm takes place Thursday evenings all summer in the lower parking lot of Yamashiro Japanese restaurant in the Hollywood Hills. Not only are there views of the city spread out below, but the market offers free off-site parking and round-trip shuttle service—two perks virtually unheard of in L.A. Friends and young families line up for gourmet street food like shrimp toasties and pulled-pork sliders before chowing down at scattered tables and chairs.

Market Find: Duck confit or chicken satay tacos prepared by Yamashiro's own Chef Brock are worth the wait.

10 of 12

11 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Audrix Night Market, France

Credit: Anna Bauer

Food cultivated in the greater Périgord Noir region of southwest France is the draw at this market, open mid-June through late September. Most of the dozen or so purveyors gathered in the tiny village's main square likely spent their afternoon selling at nearby farmers' markets. Locals know to arrive early to stake out their seats, then choose their favorite culinary offerings from the variety of made-to-order cuisine.

Market Find: Anything with walnuts—prevalent in the region—including fresh greens dressed in walnut oil vinaigrette, and plenty of local wine.

11 of 12

12 of 12

Save Pin
Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message

Temple Street Night Market, Hong Kong

Credit: Yeung Hei Lam, Jerry

Bargain wares like dress suits, watches, electronics, even condoms, earned Temple Street the nickname "Men's Street." Many of the 100 stalls open around 4 p.m., but the market doesn't pick up until evenings, when residents browse the array of goods, including some women's fashions and Chinese memorabilia, and haggle over prices. Others hit up the dai pai dong (street food stalls) or the fortune-tellers at the end of Yau Ma Tei Street.

Market Find: Knockoff menswear labels like Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.

12 of 12

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Replay gallery

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook

Up Next

By Laura Kiniry

Share the Gallery

Pinterest Facebook
Trending Videos
Advertisement
Skip slide summaries

Everything in This Slideshow

Advertisement

View All

1 of 12 San Francisco Underground Market, CA
2 of 12 Ratchada Night Bazaar, Bangkok
3 of 12 The Summer Night Market, Richmond, BC
4 of 12 Chiang Mai Night Bazaar, Thailand
5 of 12 Marrakech Night Market, Morocco
6 of 12 Suzuki Night Market, Melbourne
7 of 12 Ningxia Night Market, Taipei
8 of 12 Barranco Night Market, Lima, Peru
9 of 12 Luang Prabang Night Market, Laos
10 of 12 Yamashiro Farmers' Market, Los Angeles
11 of 12 Audrix Night Market, France
12 of 12 Temple Street Night Market, Hong Kong

Share options

Facebook Tweet Mail Email iphone Send Text Message
Travel + Leisure Travel + Leisure

Magazines & More

Learn More

  • Subscribe this link opens in a new tab
  • Contact Us
  • Advertise
  • Content Licensing this link opens in a new tab
  • Sitemap
  • Travel Guide Sitemap

Connect

Follow Us
Subscribe to Our Newsletters
Other Meredith Sites

Other Meredith Sites

  • 4 Your Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Allrecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • All People Quilt this link opens in a new tab
  • Better Homes & Gardens this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Insights this link opens in a new tab
  • Bizrate Surveys this link opens in a new tab
  • Cooking Light this link opens in a new tab
  • Daily Paws this link opens in a new tab
  • EatingWell this link opens in a new tab
  • Eat This, Not That this link opens in a new tab
  • Entertainment Weekly this link opens in a new tab
  • Food & Wine this link opens in a new tab
  • Health this link opens in a new tab
  • Hello Giggles this link opens in a new tab
  • Instyle this link opens in a new tab
  • Martha Stewart this link opens in a new tab
  • Midwest Living this link opens in a new tab
  • More this link opens in a new tab
  • MyRecipes this link opens in a new tab
  • MyWedding this link opens in a new tab
  • My Food and Family this link opens in a new tab
  • MyLife this link opens in a new tab
  • Parenting this link opens in a new tab
  • Parents this link opens in a new tab
  • People this link opens in a new tab
  • People en Español this link opens in a new tab
  • Rachael Ray Magazine this link opens in a new tab
  • Real Simple this link opens in a new tab
  • Ser Padres this link opens in a new tab
  • Shape this link opens in a new tab
  • Siempre Mujer this link opens in a new tab
  • Southern Living this link opens in a new tab
  • SwearBy this link opens in a new tab
Travel + Leisure is part of the Travel + Leisure Group. Copyright 2021 Meredith Corporation. Travel + Leisure is a registered trademark of Meredith Corporation Travel + Leisure Group All Rights Reserved, registered in the United States and other countries. Travel + Leisure may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice. Privacy Policythis link opens in a new tab Terms of Servicethis link opens in a new tab Ad Choicesthis link opens in a new tab California Do Not Sellthis link opens a modal window Web Accessibilitythis link opens in a new tab
© Copyright . All rights reserved. Printed from https://www.travelandleisure.com

View image

World's Top Night Markets
this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines.