Traveling during Tet: how to plan a flexible Vietnam trip
Understand Tet as a family-focused holiday and prepare bookings, meals and transport without assuming annual holiday dates or business hours stay the same.
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Traveling During Tet: How to Plan a Flexible Vietnam Trip
Tet, or Vietnamese Lunar New Year, is one of the most interesting times to visit Vietnam.
Flower markets fill the streets, families prepare for the new year and cities change completely for a few days.
It can also be one of the most difficult times to travel around the country.
Flights, trains and buses become busy before Tet, while many restaurants and small businesses close during the first days of the holiday.
The best strategy is simple:
Book the important things early, but keep the rest of your trip flexible.
Tet 2027: Lunar New Year’s Day falls on February 6, 2027.
What happens during Tet?
Tet is Vietnam’s biggest traditional holiday.
Millions of people travel back to their hometowns to spend time with family.
That means the country has two very different moods around Tet.
Before Tet
Expect:
- busy airports and train stations
- heavy domestic travel
- crowded markets
- flower markets
- people buying gifts and food
- streets filled with red and yellow decorations
This is actually one of the most interesting times to explore Vietnamese cities.
The first days of Tet
Things become much quieter.
Many family-run restaurants, shops and businesses close so employees can celebrate with their families.
Large cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City can feel surprisingly calm compared with normal days.
Not everything closes, but you should expect fewer choices.
When is Tet 2027?
Lunar New Year’s Day is February 6, 2027.
The busiest travel period usually begins several days before Tet as people return home.
For 2027, Vietnam Airlines is already treating the period around late January through February as the Tet travel season.
If your trip falls roughly between:
February 1 and February 15
it is sensible to plan transport more carefully than usual.
The exact official public holiday schedule can change, so check again shortly before your trip.
Book long-distance transport first
This is the most important part of planning a Tet trip.
Domestic flights, trains and long-distance buses can become very busy.
If you already know that you need to travel between cities, book those journeys before planning small activities.
For example:
Hanoi
↓
Da Nang
↓
Ho Chi Minh CitySources & verification
Last verified:
Official source
Vietnam Tourism: Tet traditionsOfficial source
Vietnam Tourism: Transport within Vietnam
