Some places look more vibrant as the night comes. The bustling streets of Asia or exotic souks of Northern Africa turn twice as lively due to night markets. The intoxicating scent of street food, colorful miscellaneous souvenirs, and twinkling lights are what you can find in night markets worldwide. Ready for a cultural immersion and satisfy your inner night owl? These 7 amazing night markets in the world are worthy checking out!
Amazing Night Markets in the World – Summary
- Chatuchak Weekend Market, Thailand
- Marrakech Night Market, Morocco
- Zanzibar Night Market, Tanzania
- Huaxi Street Night Market, Taiwan
- Temple Street Night Market, Hong Kong
- Richmond Night Market, Canada
- Saturday Night Bazaar, India
Chatuchak Weekend Market, Thailand
When we talk about night markets, Thailand comes at the top of the list. The country is home to spectacular night markets selling incredible street food and calling for a shopping spree. Thus, Thailand houses the largest night market in the world, which is the Chatuchak Weekend Market. This night market comprises 15,000 stalls and welcomes 200,000 visitors every weekend.
Chatuchak Weekend Market deserves a shout-out for its enormous area and interesting vendors. You can find popular street food like fruit skewers, fried chicken, satay, or even the dancing shrimp salad. Moreover, you can shop different items like clothes, souvenirs, handicrafts, and electronics at a reasonable price.
Marrakech Night Market, Morocco
Want to know what it’s like to be on the set of Indiana Jones? Well, step right into the Marrakech Night Market, and you’ll feel like you’re in an Indiana Jones movie. Furthermore, you’ll find snakes being charmed, monkeys jumping around, various salesmen, and the list continues. The best part? If you love food, you can expect over 100 food stalls serving only the most delicious Moroccan cuisines.
However, if you aren’t sure what to try, our recommendation is to try a traditional pastry called ‘Pastilla,’ which is often filled with chicken, almonds, and some cinnamon and sugar sprinkled on top. The perfect mixture of sweet and salty!
Zanzibar Night Market, Tanzania
Tanzania excels for safari, but do you know it has one of the world’s best night markets? After sunset, the park ‘Forodhani Gardens’ in Zanzibar city, which looks like just an ordinary park, turns into a lively night market full of only the best culinary experience. Completely transforming the area, you once knew. If you were to come back the next morning, you most likely wouldn’t recognize that you were even here last night.
You can find many famous dishes in Tanzania, such as coconut bread, falafel, and some good ol’ samosas to indulge in. The Zanzibar Night Market is popular to be a culinary playground of all sorts of dishes, so be sure to spend an evening here.
Huaxi Street Night Market, Taiwan
Which country has the best night markets in the world? – You might ask. Taiwan’s night markets deserve a shout out as they are highly diverse and extravagant. World-class street food scene, bustling vendors, and blinding neons are what you can find in the night market. Talking about the best – it has to be Huaxi Street Night Market in Taipei. It is one of the more internationally popular markets and has been around for more than 50 years. Moreover, you will stumble upon snake venoms, deer genitals, and all sorts of weird things to try if you dare.
If eating snakes and deer isn’t quite up to your alley, don’t fret. They serve other dishes that will satisfy your normal taste buds too. Furthermore, one of the signature gourmet restaurants in Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market is the ‘Tainan Danzai Noodle’ house. They serve amazing traditional noodle soup, which originates from Tainan. So, if there is one thing you should eat in Huaxi Street Tourist Night Market, it’s the Tainan Danzai noodles. This is truly an incredible night market to experience.
Temple Street Night Market, Hong Kong
As we all know, Asia is the go-to destination for night markets, it’s integrated into their culture, and It’s only natural that the majority of the world’s most incredible night markets are found here. The next one on the list is no other than the Temple Street Night Market in the popular tourist hot spot of Hong Kong.
This night market was once famous as an entertainment district in Hong Kong, showcasing opera performances. Now, the tourism board of Hong Kong promotes the street as a culinary and shopping destination. Walk along the line of dai pai dong – open air stalls – and buy yourself some dim sum or skewers. Moreover, come get your palm read and find out your future.
Richmond Night Market, Canada
Being the largest night market in North America, it’s no surprise why Richmond has made it in the list of the world’s most incredible night markets. Moreover, the market attracts over a million visitors every year to this venue which spans over 18 acres!
You can find the market near the Bridgeport Canada Line Station, where you’ll come across various stalls and entertainment. However, what makes this so special from the rest? Richmond Night Market creates a new theme every year! For 2024 summer, they create a dragon-themed multicultural galore aligned to the Mooncake Festival. You can find over 110 food stalls and dive into a spectacular shopping spree.
Saturday Night Bazaar, India
This one is for all our laidback friends who might be getting a little wild tonight! You can find the Saturday Night Bazaar in Goa, India. In addition, as you might have guessed by the name already, it only happens on Saturdays. This night market has been around since 1999, and you can find all sorts of handicrafts, jewelry, footwear, clothing, accessories, carpets, souvenirs, etc.
Moreover, for those feeling a little bit more daring that night, you can also find a lot of tattoo and piercing artists around. Not only is it a great place to go shopping, but it is also a great place for partying for whoever is looking for a good time!
We hope you check out one of these night markets if you are ever in the area. However, if you don’t have any trips planned yet, check out JoinMyTrip to kick-start your incredible adventure!
We have a collection of culinary and cultural trips that will allow you to immerse yourself in various cultures. From the exploring the vibrant metropolitan of Tokyo to learning flamenco in Seville, JoinMyTrip ensures unique experiences. Every trip is crafted by experienced or local TripLeaders so you are going only to the best and most amazing places!