Tet: Vietnam's Lunar New Year and What It Means for Travellers
Tet is the most important celebration in Vietnam — a full week of family reunions, temple visits, and spectacular fireworks. It is also a period that catches unprepared travellers completely off guard.
Tet Nguyen Dan — the Vietnamese Lunar New Year — is not a two-day holiday. It is a national migration, a week of closures, a spiritual reset, and the most emotionally significant event in the Vietnamese calendar, all compressed into a 7–10 day period in late January or early February. For travellers, it can be profoundly beautiful or deeply inconvenient, depending on preparation.
What Happens
In the two weeks before Tet, Vietnam transforms. Markets fill with Tet-specific items — red envelopes (li xi) for gifting money, peach blossom branches for the north, yellow apricot blossoms for the south, kumquat trees, and stacks of bánh chưng (sticky rice cakes). The week before Tet Eve sees Vietnamese cities descend into gridlock as millions travel home. On Tet Eve itself (giao thua), cities launch spectacular fireworks displays and families gather for the ancestral ceremony.
The Closures
This is where unprepared travellers get caught. During the first 3–5 days of Tet, most independent restaurants, local shops, and markets close entirely. Staff return to their home provinces. Even larger hotels see skeleton crews — service quality at non-resort hotels often suffers noticeably. Resort hotels that are open for Tet maintain full staffing and activities — and they generally put on exceptional Tet celebrations — but book months in advance.
The Benefits of Timing Your Trip Around Tet
The week before Tet (January) and the week after (early-to-mid February) are outstanding times to visit. Prices return to normal, weather in central Vietnam is often perfect, and the decorations — peach blossoms, red lanterns — remain up for weeks. Hoi An's lantern festival on the 15th day of the lunar new year is one of the most beautiful nights in Southeast Asia.
Should You Visit During Tet?
Yes, if you are staying at a resort that actively celebrates it. No, if you are trying to navigate city restaurants and independent tourism in the first three days. The Tet fireworks in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City at midnight are extraordinary — worth experiencing once. But plan your logistics carefully: transport is either jammed or non-existent.
