You can travel in Vietnam during Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, but a slower itinerary works better than a tightly packed sightseeing trip. Book the journeys you depend on, choose accommodation with dependable meal options and check the holiday schedule of any attraction you particularly want to visit.
The days before Tet are especially rewarding for flower markets and preparations. Lunar New Year’s Day is more focused on family, with some local businesses closed and a quieter feel in certain city neighborhoods. Festivals, temples and holiday resorts can still be busy, so quieter streets do not mean the whole country has stopped traveling.
Plan around the right part of Tet
Tet follows the Vietnamese lunar calendar and falls in January or February. Its Gregorian dates change each year. Check the date of Lunar New Year’s Day for your travel year, then distinguish it from the official public holiday and each business’s own closure period.
- Before Tet: flower and decoration markets are active, families prepare for the holiday and demand builds for journeys home. This is a useful window for seeing the preparations.
- New Year’s Eve, or giao thừa: families gather and some cities organize public celebrations. Event areas may have road closures and limited vehicle access.
- The first days of the new year: expect a mix of family visits, temple-going, open tourist services and closed independent shops or restaurants.
- Toward the end of the holiday: return journeys can be busy. A café reopening does not mean transport demand has returned to normal.
If your main goal is to visit a long list of museums, eat at specific family-run restaurants or make several intercity journeys, place those activities outside the core holiday where possible. If you want seasonal markets, decorations and a different rhythm of city life, include a few days before Tet and leave room to adjust afterward.
Book transport before filling your sightseeing calendar
Start with flights, trains or buses on routes that determine the rest of your trip. Reserve through the operator or an established ticket seller, and keep the confirmed departure, boarding location and passenger details accessible offline. A booking inquiry or payment request is not the same as a confirmed seat.
Book essential local connections too: an airport arrival transfer, a journey to a cruise harbor or a car between destinations. A vehicle being normally available on that route does not establish availability on a particular Tet date.
For northern itineraries, compare the Hai Phong Tours transfer routes when choosing connections between destinations such as Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Mai Chau and Sapa. Ask for confirmation of the exact direction, pickup and drop-off, luggage capacity, holiday availability and total fare before fixing the rest of the day.
- Price: request the total including any holiday surcharge, tolls and other applicable charges.
- Pickup: give the hotel address and confirm an alternative meeting point if streets are closed to vehicles.
- Return journey: arrange it separately unless your booking explicitly includes it.
- Connections: allow more time for busy roads and airport queues; avoid a tight cruise-to-flight or bus-to-train connection.
- Changes: check cancellation and rescheduling terms before paying.
For flights, follow your airline’s holiday guidance and check in online where available. Online check-in does not remove baggage-drop, document-check or security requirements. Check the correct airport terminal and leave a road buffer in addition to the airline’s recommended airport arrival time.
Choose a hotel that can support a quiet holiday day
Location and practical services matter more than an ambitious hotel list during Tet. A central hotel near several dining options can reduce the need for short taxi trips. A resort or cruise may simplify meals and activities, provided the actual holiday services are confirmed.
Before booking, ask whether reception, breakfast and any restaurant you expect to use will operate on your dates. Confirm late arrival arrangements and any required holiday meal or gala-dinner charge. For a small homestay, ask who will be present and how meals and transport will work while the host family celebrates.
Have a first-night dinner plan, especially if arriving late. Families with young children or travelers with dietary requirements should also identify a dependable breakfast and lunch option. Keep some drinking water and simple snacks available so a closed café does not disrupt the entire day.
Check opening times by place, not by city
Vietnam does not have one visitor-attraction schedule for Tet. A temple, museum, shopping center and independent restaurant can follow different arrangements within the same neighborhood. Confirm the opening day, last admission and available services with each place that is essential to your plan.
Holiday opening may also differ from the regular hours shown on a map listing. A restaurant can reopen with a shorter menu; a tour can operate with an adjusted route. For an organized trip, check the exact departure, included stops, meals and holiday supplement rather than relying on a standard itinerary alone.
Keep enough cash in smaller notes for places that do not accept your card, and arrange any banking or currency exchange you need before the holiday closure. Carry essential medication for your stay instead of depending on a particular neighborhood pharmacy being open.
Enjoy the celebrations without depending on one event
Flower markets and seasonal displays
In Hanoi, the flower-market areas around Quang Ba and Hang Luoc are associated with the lead-up to Tet. Go for the shopping preparations and seasonal plants, and check the current event period. Do not expect a pre-Tet market to continue unchanged after New Year’s Eve.
In Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Hue Flower Street and the spring flower festival at Tao Dan Park are established Tet attractions. Their opening dates, access arrangements and any admission charges depend on the year’s program. Decide which display fits your location and schedule rather than trying to see every celebration.
New Year’s Eve
If watching fireworks matters to you, use the city’s announced program for your year. Displays are not guaranteed in every province, and previous locations or times may change. Arrange a meeting point with your group and a way back to your hotel that accounts for closed streets and busy pickup areas.
Temples and pagodas
New Year visits can be an opportunity to observe local traditions, but religious sites may attract large crowds. Dress respectfully, follow signs about shoes and photography, and allow worshippers space around altars. Ask before photographing people at prayer; follow the site’s rules on incense and offerings.
Tet food to recognize
Family meals are central to Tet, but dishes vary by region and household. A restaurant’s holiday menu can provide a practical introduction when you are not joining a family celebration.
- Bánh chưng: a square glutinous-rice cake, commonly filled with mung beans and pork.
- Bánh tét: a cylindrical glutinous-rice cake associated especially with central and southern Vietnam. Fillings vary, so ask whether the version is savory, sweet or vegetarian.
- Thịt kho hột vịt: braised pork with duck eggs, a familiar southern holiday dish.
- Mứt Tết: candied treats, including varieties made from coconut or ginger, often offered to guests with tea.
Ask about pork, fish sauce, eggs and nuts if they affect what you can eat. A rice-based cake is not necessarily vegetarian. For safer eating, choose thoroughly cooked food served hot and cold foods kept chilled; avoid raw meat or seafood and food left lukewarm for long periods. Wash your hands before eating and use a reliable source of drinking water.
If you are invited to a Vietnamese home
Wait for an invitation and agree on the time. The first visitor of the lunar year, known as xông đất, can carry special meaning to a household, so a spontaneous doorstep visit on New Year’s morning may be unwelcome even when the family is normally very hospitable.
“Chúc mừng năm mới” means “Happy New Year” and is an appropriate greeting. If bringing a gift or lucky-money envelopes, ask your host or a local friend what suits the family. There is no universal amount a foreign visitor needs to give.
Follow the household’s lead on shoes, seating and food, and ask before photographing family rituals. You can politely decline alcohol. If you drink, arrange a car with a sober driver instead of driving a rented car or motorbike yourself.
A manageable plan across the holiday
- Two or three days before New Year’s Day: visit a flower market, complete essential shopping and see the attractions whose holiday opening is uncertain.
- New Year’s Eve: keep the afternoon light, have dinner arranged and join an announced celebration only if the location and return route work for you.
- New Year’s Day: stay in the same base, take a neighborhood walk and use a confirmed meal or activity booking.
- The following days: add a prebooked excursion or onward journey, keeping enough time for queues and changes.
Tet suits travelers who enjoy the preparations and can leave some space in their plans. Secure transport, accommodation and a few dependable meals first; let the remaining time follow the holiday rather than expecting an ordinary sightseeing day.