--- title: "Markets & Bazaars, 10 worth a whole morning | Wimup" description: "Ten markets ranked by age, size and how much still serves locals, from the Grand Bazaar and Fes el-Bali to La Boqueria." url: https://wimup.com/markets type: Themed list updated: 2026-10-26 publisher: Wimup (https://wimup.com) --- # Markets & bazaars, ten worth a whole morning. By Wimup desk · 10 picks · 9 films · ≈ 3 min read The 10 markets we would build a morning around, from the Ottoman lanes of the Grand Bazaar to the fish counters of Kyoto, and the city guide that gets you there. We ranked these ten as places to spend a morning: by age, by size, and by how much of each still serves the people who live there. That last test is why the oldest working souks sit at the top and the most photographed food hall sits at the foot. ## Markets & bazaars, ten worth a whole morning. ### 1. Grand Bazaar, Turkey Istanbul · Turkey The Ottoman original: its stone bedesten went up under Mehmed II between 1455 and 1461, and some 60 covered streets grew around it. Closed on Sundays, so come on a weekday morning and leave through the hans behind it, where the workshops are. - **Since:** 1461 - **Sells:** Gold, carpets, lamps - **Best time:** Weekday morning Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/istanbul.md) · [Watch the Istanbul film](https://wimup.com/watch/istanbul.md) ### 2. Fes el-Bali, Morocco Fes · Morocco A 9th-century medina on the UNESCO list since 1981, where goods still move by mule because no car fits the lanes. Each souk keeps to its trade, from the dyers to the Chouara tannery; hire a licensed guide for the first morning. - **Since:** 9th century - **Sells:** Leather, brass, spices - **Best time:** Morning, with a guide Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/fes.md) ### 3. Chandni Chowk, India Old Delhi · India Laid out in 1650 by Jahanara, Shah Jahan's daughter, and still one of India's largest wholesale markets. Most of it shuts on Sundays; take the Metro to Chandni Chowk and walk west to Khari Baoli, the spice market. - **Since:** 1650 - **Sells:** Spices, silver, fabric - **Best time:** Weekday morning Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/new-delhi.md) · [Watch the New Delhi film](https://wimup.com/watch/new-delhi.md) ### 4. Khan el-Khalili, Egypt Cairo · Egypt Named for the emir Jaharkas al-Khalili, who built a caravanserai here in 1382, and rebuilt by Sultan al-Ghuri in 1511. The lanes by the square sell souvenirs; the gold market of el-Sagha and the spice shops behind them still serve Cairo. - **Since:** 1382 - **Sells:** Copper, gold, spices - **Best time:** Evening Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/cairo.md) · [Watch the Cairo film](https://wimup.com/watch/cairo.md) ### 5. Jemaa el-Fnaa, Morocco Marrakech · Morocco One of the first places UNESCO proclaimed a Masterpiece of oral heritage, in 2001, for its storytellers, musicians and healers. Walk the souks to its north by morning and come back at dusk, when the food stalls go up. - **Since:** Medieval - **Sells:** Food, music, crafts - **Best time:** Dusk Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/marrakech.md) · [Watch the Marrakech film](https://wimup.com/watch/marrakech.md) ### 6. Mercado de la Merced, Mexico Mexico City · Mexico Mexico City's largest traditional market, its Nave Mayor hall opened in 1957 and still stocked for the city's kitchens, not its visitors. Go early with a plan for the chile and mole stalls, and keep valuables out of sight. - **Since:** 1957 hall - **Sells:** Produce, chiles, mole - **Best time:** Early morning Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/mexico-city.md) · [Watch the Mexico City film](https://wimup.com/watch/mexico-city.md) ### 7. Borough Market, United Kingdom London · United Kingdom On its present site beside London Bridge since 1756, after Parliament closed the older street market in 1754. It feeds visitors as much as cooks now, so come on a weekday morning, before the lunch queues. - **Since:** 1756 site - **Sells:** Produce, cheese, bread - **Best time:** Weekday morning Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/london.md) · [Watch the London film](https://wimup.com/watch/london.md) ### 8. Nishiki Market, Japan Kyoto · Japan About 130 shops along one narrow arcade, many run by the same families for generations; its official record starts in 1615, when the shogunate licensed three fish wholesalers here. Eat at the stall where you buy, as the street asks. - **Since:** 1615 - **Sells:** Pickles, fish, knives - **Best time:** Mid-morning Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/kyoto.md) · [Watch the Kyoto film](https://wimup.com/watch/kyoto.md) ### 9. Chatuchak, Thailand Bangkok · Thailand Bangkok's weekend market, on this site since its move from Sanam Luang in 1982, with thousands of stalls in numbered sections. Go at opening on Saturday or Sunday and note your section number; by noon the aisles are hot and full. - **Since:** 1982 site - **Sells:** Plants, clothes, ceramics - **Best time:** Weekend opening Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/bangkok.md) · [Watch the Bangkok film](https://wimup.com/watch/bangkok.md) ### 10. La Boqueria, Spain Barcelona · Spain Recorded since 1217, when meat tables stood at the city gate, and under its iron roof since 1914. The front stalls on La Rambla sell to visitors; walk to the back for the fish counters and a stool at a bar. Closed on Sundays. - **Since:** 1217 - **Sells:** Fish, ham, produce - **Best time:** Weekday morning Links: [View the Top 10](https://wimup.com/city/barcelona.md) · [Watch the Barcelona film](https://wimup.com/watch/barcelona.md) ## FAQs ### What is the oldest market on this list? The souks of Fes el-Bali, in a medina founded in the 9th century. La Boqueria in Barcelona has records from 1217, and the Grand Bazaar's stone core in Istanbul was finished in 1461. ### Which markets are closed on Sundays? The Grand Bazaar and La Boqueria close on Sundays, and most of Chandni Chowk does too. Chatuchak works the other way: its main market runs on Saturday and Sunday. ### What time of day is best for a market? Morning, for most of them: the produce is fresh, the heat is lower and the tour groups have not arrived. Jemaa el-Fnaa is the exception, at its best from dusk when the food stalls set up. ### Should I haggle? In the souks and bazaars of Istanbul, Fes, Cairo and Marrakech, yes, for crafts and carpets, and with good humour. Food is usually sold at the posted price, and the market halls of London, Kyoto and Barcelona do not bargain. ### Do I need a guide? Only in Fes el-Bali, where the lanes number in the thousands and a licensed guide saves the first morning. Elsewhere a map and the city guide are enough, and the markets are free to enter. ## Sources - Rankings are Wimup editorial picks. Prices, durations and budgets are editorial estimates, not live quotes; check the official site before you go.