Tet in Vietnam: Dates, Closures and Whether You Should Go

The one thing to know first: Tet has no fixed date

Most travel planning starts with a date. Tet does not give you one. It is the lunar new year, so it follows the moon rather than the Gregorian calendar, and it lands on a different day every year. The only safe statement is that it falls between late January and mid-February. Never trust a blog post, a tour page or a friend who says “it is always in February” or “it is always at the end of January”. Both are wrong in some years.

The practical consequence is simple. Before you buy a flight, find the exact dates of the holiday for your year from a reliable calendar, then build the trip around them, or around avoiding them. Everything in this guide assumes you have done that.

Tet, short for Tet Nguyen Dan, is not a tourist event that happens to be inconvenient. It is the most important family holiday in Vietnam, the equivalent of Christmas, New Year and a national homecoming rolled into one. People travel hundreds of kilometres to be with their parents, settle debts, clean the house, visit ancestral altars and spend several days with relatives. Visitors are welcome to watch, but the country is not organised around them for that week. That mismatch is the whole story of this page.

What actually closes, and for how long

The official public holiday lasts about a week. The effective shutdown is longer and uneven, which is what catches travellers out.

• Family businesses and markets. Small restaurants, street food stalls, tailors, souvenir shops and market traders very often close for several days, and some stay closed well after the official holiday ends. Many owners return to their home village, so a shutdown can stretch beyond what the calendar suggests.
• Banks, offices and government services. Closed for the public holiday days.
• Hotels. Most stay open, especially in the main cities and resort areas, but they may run a reduced restaurant, reduced housekeeping or a set festive menu.
• Tours and transport operators. Some operate normally, many run reduced timetables, and a few suspend altogether. Do not assume a service you read about is running.
• Attractions. Temples and pagodas are busy and open, since this is a time for prayer. Museums and some historic sites may close or shorten hours for a few days.

The first day or two of the new year is the quietest. Many Vietnamese families stay home, and the busiest streets of the big cities can feel almost empty. The days just before the holiday are the opposite: frantic shopping, traffic and crowded markets.

A useful rule is to carry cash in small notes, keep a stock of water and snacks, and assume that your usual lunch spot is shut. Convenience stores and hotel restaurants are the fallback. For more on paying in a country where cash still matters, see our guide to money in Vietnam.

Transport: the hardest part of Tet

This is where the holiday really hurts visitors, and it is the reason to book early.

Millions of people move at the same time. Factory workers and students in the big cities go home, and a flow in the opposite direction follows when the holiday ends. The result is that domestic flights, sleeper trains and long-distance buses are sold out well ahead of the holiday, fares rise, and last-minute plans become very hard.

• Flights. The country is long, so the hops between Hanoi, the centre and Ho Chi Minh City are the ones most in demand. Our guide to domestic flights in Vietnam explains how the airlines work; for Tet, book as soon as you know your dates.
• Trains. The Reunification Express and the night trains fill up early, and the better sleeper berths go first. See train travel in Vietnam for how the system works.
• Buses. Sleeper buses and limousine minibuses run, but demand is heavy and some operators cut or change services. Read the notes in our sleeper bus guide.
• Ride-hailing and taxis. Available in the big cities, but with fewer drivers, longer waits and surge pricing around the busiest days.

If you can, reduce the number of long journeys. A trip built around two bases, with one internal flight booked early, will survive Tet far better than a seven-stop itinerary.

Prices: expect to pay more

Prices rise in a predictable way. Transport is the main one, as above. Hotels in popular destinations raise their rates and may impose a minimum stay or a compulsory festive meal. Flowers, fruit and gifts cost more, which is a sign of how seriously the country takes the season. Some restaurants that do stay open add a holiday surcharge.

None of this is a scam, it is simply supply and demand, but it does change the budget. If you are working out the cost of a trip, add a margin on top of the ordinary figures in our Vietnam travel budget guide, and always quote prices with the year in mind, because the dong drifts and holiday rates differ from the rest of the season.

Why people go anyway: the atmosphere

If Tet were only closures and higher prices, nobody would choose it. People choose it because it is the one time of the year when the country shows its private face.

The cities empty, then bloom. Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City lose a large part of their population to the villages. The roads, normally a river of motorbikes, calm down. In the weeks before the holiday, flower markets take over whole streets. In the north the symbol is the peach blossom, pink branches and potted trees carried home on motorbikes. In the centre and south the symbol is the yellow apricot blossom and the kumquat tree, loaded with small orange fruit. Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City dress their streets, and a flower street along Nguyen Hue in Ho Chi Minh City is a highlight of the season. Around Hoan Kiem Lake in Hanoi, the mood is similar.

Food has its own calendar. The holiday table is built around dishes that are rarely served at other times. In the north that means banh chung, the square sticky rice cake wrapped in leaves, and in the south banh tet, its cylindrical cousin. Candied fruit, pickled shallots and braised pork with eggs fill the family trays. For the everyday dishes and how they change from region to region, our Vietnamese food guide is the place to start, and the Old Quarter guide shows where to look when most stalls are open again.

Rituals worth watching, respectfully. Families make offerings to ancestors, children receive red envelopes with lucky money, and the first visitor of the year is thought to set the family’s luck, so people choose carefully who crosses their threshold first. Pagodas fill up with worshippers at the turn of the year. If you are invited to a home, which happens more often than you might expect, bring a modest gift such as fruit or sweets, accept tea and sweets, and read our notes on etiquette and customs in Vietnam before you go.

A slower pace. For a traveller who likes to watch rather than tick off sights, the days after the holiday starts are some of the most pleasant of the year. The big monuments are quieter and the light in the cities is gentle. It is a different kind of trip, and a good one if you accept its terms.

Weather during Tet: three regions, three feelings

The weather is the one part of Tet you can partly plan, because it depends on where you are, not on the exact date.

• The north (Hanoi, Ha Long, Ninh Binh, Sapa) is cool and often grey and damp. Bring layers and a light waterproof. Mountain areas such as Sapa can be much colder than the city.
• The centre (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An) sits between the two and can be changeable: cool and cloudy on some days, bright on others. Pack for both.
• The south (Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc) is in its dry season. It is warm and sunny, which makes it the natural choice for anyone who wants beach weather during the holiday.

That contrast is why many visitors who come for Tet head south for the sun and keep the north for a short, layered city break. For a broader look at the seasons, see our guide to the best time to visit Vietnam, and for the surrounding months, the notes on Vietnam in January and Vietnam in February.

Where to spend Tet

Pick a base you can rely on, and then pick activities that still make sense when half the city is closed.

Hanoi. The capital is the most atmospheric place for the lead-up: flower markets, peach blossom, offerings at temples and a very quiet Old Quarter during the first days. Hotels stay open, and the where to stay in Hanoi guide helps you choose a base. A temple visit outside the city, such as a half-day guided visit to the Bac Giang Kham Lang pagoda, can fit the festival mood, but confirm that the operator is running.

Hoi An and Da Nang. Hoi An’s lantern-lit old town is lovely during the holiday, with decorations and offerings, even if many shops close. Evenings are the best time, and an evening heritage experience from Da Nang to Hoi An suits the mood. The Hoi An accommodation guide lists the main areas to stay.

Ho Chi Minh City and the south. The best choice for warm weather, and the city itself is much quieter than usual. Its practical details are in our Ho Chi Minh City destination page.

Ninh Binh. The landscape does not close, which is a real advantage on a holiday. A day trip from Hanoi to Ninh Binh works well if you book it in advance and confirm the departure.

A sensible plan if you decide to go

1. Find the exact dates for your year, then plan outward from them.
2. Book flights, trains and hotels as early as you can, ideally months ahead.
3. Pick one or two bases and do fewer long transfers.
4. Confirm tours, restaurants and venues in writing the week before, and keep a backup plan.
5. Carry cash in small notes, and accept that some places will be closed.
6. Plan for the mood, not the checklist. Walk the flower markets, visit a temple, eat the seasonal food and watch.
7. Be a polite guest. Greet people, accept offered food and drinks, and do not photograph worshippers or families without asking.

Check the official sources for entry requirements for your nationality before you book, because the rules depend on your passport and change. The festival adds nothing to that, but it does mean that consular and processing services may be slower around the holiday.

Should you travel for Tet, or avoid it?

Here is the honest verdict.

Go for Tet if you are curious about culture more than sights, you are flexible, you book everything early, and you are happy with a slower, quieter trip. You will see a side of Vietnam that most visitors never do, and you will be treated with warmth by people who are in a good mood. It suits repeat visitors and travellers who prefer atmosphere to activity.

Avoid the holiday days if this is your first visit, your time is short, you want a packed schedule of tours and street food, or you are travelling with someone who needs predictability, such as young children or older relatives. In that case, move your trip to the weeks around the holiday rather than into it, and you will enjoy cheaper transport and a fully open country.

Neither choice is wrong. The mistake is arriving without knowing which one you made.

Tet in Vietnam: common questions

What date is Tet in Vietnam?

There is no fixed date. Tet follows the lunar calendar, so it lands somewhere between late January and mid-February, on a different day each year. Look up the exact dates for your travel year before you book anything, and remember that the disruption starts several days before the holiday itself.

How long does Tet last?

The public holiday lasts about a week, but the real effect on travel is longer. Transport fills up in the days before as people travel home, and many small businesses stay shut well after the official days end. Plan for roughly ten days of disruption around the holiday.

Is it a bad idea to visit Vietnam during Tet?

It depends on what you want. It is a poor choice if you want a packed list of tours, markets and restaurants. It is a good choice if you want to see a country celebrate its biggest family festival, with flower markets, empty streets and a quiet, warm mood.

Will restaurants, shops and tours be open during Tet?

Many will not. Markets, small family restaurants and local shops often close for several days. Hotels, larger hotel restaurants, some cafes and tourist-oriented venues in the big cities usually stay open, and some tour operators run reduced schedules. Confirm every activity in writing before you rely on it.

How far ahead should I book flights, trains and hotels for Tet?

As early as your plans allow. Domestic flights, sleeper trains and long-distance buses sell out well ahead of the holiday, and hotels in the most visited places fill up and raise their rates. Booking months before is sensible, not excessive.

What is the weather like during Tet?

It differs by region. The north is usually cool and grey, so bring layers. The south is in its dry season and is warm and sunny. The centre sits in between and can still be changeable. There is no single weather for the whole country.

Is Tet a good time for a first trip to Vietnam?

Usually not. A first trip is easier and more rewarding when everything is open and transport is flexible. If Tet is the only time you can travel, keep the itinerary short, book everything early and treat the festival itself as the main experience.