Last January, I showed up to Vietnam around two weeks before the start of the Vietnamese New Year (Tet), having done basically no research beforehand, with the hope that I would figure out the best way to go about spending the holiday from locals during the days leading up.
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Spoiler alert: I definitely did, but of course there did end up being logistical factors that I wish that I knew before hand. Not only is it important to understand the traditions and cultural norms practiced during the most important holiday in Vietnam, but also how it will impact your travels, because it will.
Now, I am back in Vietnam again as everyone is getting ready for the Lunar New Year coming up in about a week. This is a topic that seems to come up a good amount, so I figured that I would write about it.
TET OVERVIEW
Next year, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (or Tết Nguyên Đán) falls on February 17th 2026, with the holiday lasting seven days. Tet is the celebration of the beginning of spring on the Vietnamese calendar, symbolizing a time of reuniting with loved ones for a fresh start and new beginnings at the start of another year of life.
The obstacles that you might run into while visiting Vietnam during the holiday all really stem back to the traditions of going back home to be with loved ones as businesses close down, and the demand for public transport increases, impacting availability and flights.
At all other times, Southeast Asia is easy to play your travels day by day while going with the flow, but during Lunar New Year, you should try your very best to book sleeper buses and accommodation somewhat in advance.
Although these obstacles might seem a bit inconvenient and off putting, I can’t recommend visiting during the Lunar New Year enough. Like genuinely…what an unbelievable thing to have experienced in your lifetime! All that you have to do is be a bit prepared and you will be completely fine.
IMPORTANT SIDE TIP: Apply for a visa well before the week of Tet and the few days after as even government officials take the week (+) off of work.
Tet celebrations last over one week, and even if you do not make it for the holiday itself, you can also experience celebrations and parades during Tết Nguyên Tiêu, 15 days into the Lunar New Year, like I stumbled upon in Saigon.
TET’S IMPACT ON BUDGET & SPENDING IN VIETNAM
During my time in Vietnam this year during Tet, I didn’t find that the prices of everyday things like food or accommodation went up during the holiday, but transportation prices doubled, dare I even say tripled, especially if you wait until the last minute like I did. Again, I experienced the holiday period in Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Hoi An, impacts on prices might be different in places like Nha Trang and the islands.
TET’S IMPACT ON TRANSPORTATION IN VIETNAM
Along with sleeper buses, etc, being much more expensive like I just touched on, they sell out very fast as everyone’s trying to get back home to all different areas of the country. I figured that this was the perfect picture to include, of a man outside of my bed on the floor as the whole isle was lined with people because the bus was full. Again, at all other times Southeast Asia is easy to go with the flow, but during the holiday time, try your very best to book sleeper buses in advance.
ARE THINGS OPEN DURING TET IN VIETNAM?
I did run into some places being closed for the holiday, but basically only little food spots and the occasional little shop. I found this was only during the day before the New Year and the day after, and you can always find something that will be open. Except for New Years Day of course.
WHERE TO SPEND TET IN VIETNAM
Again because most people head home to the villages, all of what I had read online prior had said to head away from the large cities while everything is closed. I did not find that to be particularly true as I was in Hanoi before heading south during the first few days of the holiday week, and it was extremely lively with the flower markets, decorations, and some festivities already beginning.
Hoi An
I did not know where I was going to be for the holiday until about 10 days before, when some of the young Vietnamese guys that drove us around the Ha Giang Loop told me that “every place in Vietnam is fun during Tet, especially Hoi An”.
On the eve of Lunar New Year in Hoi An, you can party all night, celebrate with the locals, release paper lanterns down the river, and more. There is something for you however you would like to spend the holiday.
Hoi An was extremely lively and busy-and most hostels were sold out or super expensive last minute, which lead to my stay at Cucumber Hostel, and I am so glad that it did. Small and owned by a sweet family, Cucumber Hostel was more laid back before and after the New Year’s parties, with such a lovely group of people staying there.
I met some great friends and would not have changed the way it turned out at all!
HANOI
Again, at the start of the holiday Hanoi was the opposite of quiet and shut down. The flower markets and decorated streets were so lovely! Apparently it stayed lively until the morning of Tet – I had met 3 different people while traveling in Asia that ended up being in Hanoi during the entirety of the holiday, and they said that they had a great time! Both during celebrations and while wandering the empty streets of the city.
HO CHI MINH CITY
Similar to Hanoi, HCMC will also be eventful and awesome to see during the lead up to the holiday, and then the streets will be quiet and cleared out on the day of – which again is a sight to see as well in a city like Saigon. You can also see a big firework show in HCMC when the clock hits midnight on the holiday.
THE ISLANDS
I have not yet been to Vietnam’s islands, but I hope to go soon, and it might even end up landing on the holiday week next year(…), so I have been doing some research about what Tet is like – on both Phu Quoc Island and Con Dao Island.
PHU QUOC is the more touristic island between the two, and (apparently) it reigns in just about 70,000 visitors during the holiday as the weather is great, and things seem to all stay open. But with this, it will definitely be more expensive, and things will be booked up quickly.
CON DAO is the more secluded and untouched island between the two, but I am still surprised that everything I have read says that the island is pretty dead, because the island looks so beautiful and perfect during the holiday! But who knows how true that is because again, I’ve never been. So I’ll stop speaking on it.
I’ll say it again, overall, visiting Vietnam during Tet is absolutely worth it, and none of the inconveniences should put you off of making it happen. I will remember these memories of my first Lunar New Year during my first time in Vietnam and Asia as a whole until the day that I die.
Madigan Murphy 