Tet 2027 in Vietnam: Dates, What's Open and How to Plan Your Trip

Tet 2027 at a Glance

Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat. The public-sector Tet break runs for seven days, from Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February, combining five statutory Tet holidays and two compensatory days off, but the country slows down several days earlier and takes a little longer to get fully back to normal. Travelling at Tet is rewarding if you want to see Vietnam's biggest celebration and are happy to slow down; it is harder if you plan to cover several cities in a short time.

• New Year's Eve: Friday 5 February 2027. The last lunar month has only 29 days this year, so there is no "30th day" before Tet.
• First day of Tet: Saturday 6 February 2027.
• Public-sector break: Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February 2027 (five statutory Tet days plus two compensatory days off); government offices reopen on Thursday 11 February.
• Private businesses: employers choose whether the five statutory Tet days start on 3, 4 or 5 February. For staff with weekends off, that works out as a break of 3–9, 4–10 or 5–11 February, and shops and family businesses often set their own dates.
• Peak travel: the railway's Tet season runs from 23 January to 25 February 2027, with the heaviest movement just before and just after the holiday.

Last checked: November 2026. Local Tet 2027 events and venue schedules may only be announced in the weeks before the holiday, so recheck each attraction shortly before you visit.

Peach blossom in the north and kumquat trees across the country are classic Tet decorations, sold at pop-up markets in the days before New Year.

Tet 2027 Key Dates, Day by Day

This calendar shows how the holiday is likely to feel on the ground. The dates come from the Ministry of Home Affairs' holiday notice for 2027; what is open on each day is a general pattern and differs between cities and businesses.

Date (2027)	Lunar date	What it means for travellers
Wed 3 Feb	27th day, 12th month	Final shopping rush. Some private companies start their break; roads, stations and airports are very busy.
Thu 4 Feb	28th day, 12th month	Public-sector break begins. Government offices close and markets are packed as people buy flowers, food and gifts before heading home.
Fri 5 Feb	29th day, 12th month	New Year's Eve. Many shops close in the afternoon for family meals; in recent years major cities have held midnight fireworks.
Sat 6 Feb	1st day of Tet	The quietest day of the year. Most family-run businesses are closed and pagodas are busy with people praying for the new year.
Sun 7 Feb	2nd day	Still very quiet. Families visit relatives and friends.
Mon 8 Feb	3rd day	Visits continue. A few cafés and restaurants start to reopen in the cities.
Tue 9 Feb	4th day	More places reopen; the return journey to the cities begins.
Wed 10 Feb	5th day	Last day of the public-sector break. Expect heavy traffic and full flights and trains back to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Thu 11 Feb	6th day	Offices reopen and most services restart, although some small family businesses take a few more days.

Why Tet Moves Every Year

Tet follows the lunar calendar, so the date changes each year and always lands between late January and the third week of February. In 2026 it fell on 17 February; in 2027 it comes 11 days earlier. Celebrations build through the final weeks of the old year and continue informally through the first lunar month.

Banh chung and a five-fruit tray are set on the family altar to welcome ancestors home for the New Year.

What Closes and What Stays Open During Tet

Tet is a family holiday first. Many people who keep Vietnam's cities running travel back to their home provinces, so the first three days in particular feel very different from a normal week. Vietnam's national tourism authority advises visitors to expect many businesses and restaurants to close for at least the first few days.

Restaurants, Street Food and Shops

Street food stalls, small family restaurants, markets and independent shops are the most likely to close, often from New Year's Eve until the third day or longer. Hotel restaurants, international chains, larger cafés in tourist areas and convenience stores are more likely to stay open, sometimes with shorter hours or a reduced menu. Book New Year's Eve dinner in advance if you want to eat out, and keep some snacks in your room for the first morning.

Museums and Major Sights

Opening hours over Tet are set site by site and are usually announced shortly before the holiday, so treat the points below as a guide and check again closer to your trip:

• Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum, Hanoi: in the cool season it opens from 8:00 to 11:00, and to 11:30 at weekends and on holidays. It is normally closed on Mondays and Fridays (in 2027 that would include 5 and 8 February), so confirm the Tet schedule before you go.
• Temple of Literature, Hanoi: in 2026 it stayed open through Tet, closing only on the afternoon of New Year's Eve, and hosted a spring calligraphy festival where locals ask for a written character for luck.
• Hue Imperial City: in 2026 the citadel opened on the first day of Tet with royal New Year performances. Similar events may return in 2027, but the programme and opening hours have not been confirmed yet. Under the current policy, free entry on the first day of Tet applies to Vietnamese citizens only; international visitors need a ticket.
• Hoi An Old Town: the streets stay open and decorated, but in 2026 the town paused ticket sales and its night market over the core Tet days, so services may be reduced.
• Cu Chi Tunnels: the Ben Dinh site opens daily, including public holidays. See our guide to Ben Dinh and Ben Duoc for the details.

Popular day-trip sights get much busier once families start travelling on the third and fourth days of Tet. Queues for the boats at Trang An, for example, can be long at this time, as our Tam Coc vs Trang An guide explains.

Banks, Cash and Everyday Services

Government offices close for the full holiday, and most bank branches and many money-exchange counters close too. ATMs keep working, but some can run low on cash in quieter areas, so withdraw enough for several days before 4 February and carry a card as a back-up. Hospitals keep emergency services running and some pharmacies stay on duty, but non-urgent appointments, tailoring and other personal services may have to wait until after the holiday.

On the first mornings of Tet, many family-run shops stay shut and city streets are unusually calm.

Getting Around During Tet: Flights, Trains and Roads

Tet is the busiest travel period of the year in Vietnam, because millions of people head home before New Year's Eve and return to the cities afterwards. Vietnam's tourism authority warns that transport hubs overflow and tickets can sell out, so the rule is simple: book anything that moves you between cities as early as you can.

• Trains: Vietnam Railways' Tet season runs from 23 January to 25 February 2027, and tickets for the North–South line went on sale in September 2026. Extra regional trains may run from 5 to 8 February, depending on demand, on routes such as Ho Chi Minh City to Da Nang and Nha Trang.
• Flights: Vietnam Airlines and Vietjet have each put millions of seats on sale for the Tet 2027 period, and Vietnam Airlines warns that popular dates may sell out. Fares on the busiest days are typically higher than usual.
• Roads: long-distance buses are crowded and roads are busy before New Year's Eve and again around the fourth and fifth days of Tet. Taxis and ride-hailing apps keep running in the big cities, though cars can be harder to find and fares may be higher.

The easiest approach is to be in your Tet base by 3 February, stay put until at least 8 February, and avoid long journeys on 9 and 10 February, when the return wave peaks.

Trains, flights and buses fill up quickly in the days before New Year's Eve, so book intercity travel early.

Where to Spend Tet 2027

Each region celebrates in its own way, and the weather in February varies a lot from north to south. Choosing one or two bases is easier than trying to tour the whole country during the holiday.

Hanoi and Northern Vietnam

Tet is the start of spring in the north, and Hanoi is one of the most atmospheric places to see it: flower markets full of peach blossom and kumquat trees in the days before New Year, altars set up in Old Quarter homes on New Year's Eve, and, in recent years, fireworks at midnight around Hoan Kiem Lake and across the city. Expect cool, often grey and damp weather, so pack a warm layer. If you plan a day trip to Ninh Binh or Ha Long Bay, go before 3 February or after the holiday to avoid the busiest days, and read our guide to choosing a Ha Long Bay day trip or overnight cruise.

Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang

Central Vietnam can be milder than the north, but February may still bring cool, wet or overcast days. In Hue, the Imperial City staged royal New Year rituals on the first morning of Tet in 2026; check the 2027 programme nearer the time. Hoi An's lantern-lit lanes are decorated for the season and the town holds Tet fairs and markets, while nearby Da Nang kept many of its attractions open throughout the holiday in 2026, making the area a practical base if you want to keep sightseeing.

Hoi An's Old Town is decorated for Tet, although services such as the night market may pause over the core holiday days.

Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta

The south is warm and mostly dry in February. In Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Hue Walking Street is usually turned into a huge flower display that opens a couple of days before New Year and runs for about a week; the exact dates for 2027 are announced nearer the time. Many streets are quieter on the first days of Tet, although festival areas such as Nguyen Hue Walking Street can stay crowded. Day trips to the Mekong Delta are possible once services restart, though markets are quieter during the holiday; our guide on whether to take a Mekong Delta day trip or overnight helps you plan the timing.

Should You Travel to Vietnam During Tet?

There is no single right answer. It depends on what you want from the trip and how flexible your plans are.

Tet is a good fit if you:

• want to see Vietnam's biggest festival: flower markets, decorations, temple visits and New Year's Eve celebrations;
• are happy to stay in one or two places and enjoy quieter city streets;
• are heading south or to the central coast for warm weather;
• can book flights, trains and hotels well ahead.

Think twice if you:

• have a short trip that moves between several cities;
• are counting on street food, local markets or services such as tailoring;
• want to keep costs down, as flights and hotels are in high demand and prices can be higher;
• would need to travel on the busiest days just before or just after the holiday.

If you want an easier trip with fewer closures, aim to arrive about a week after Tet, when most businesses have reopened but the spring festival season is still under way.

Booking Tours and Day Trips Over Tet

Guided tours can be a good way to see sights during Tet without having to work out what is open, but booking needs more care than usual. Prices can vary by tour option, departure date and group size, and availability is subject to confirmation by the local operator, so holiday dates may differ from a normal week. Before you book, check the total price, inclusions and cancellation terms for your exact date; each tour has its own, as our cancellation policy explains. Submitting a booking request does not automatically confirm a tour.

If you want a Tet itinerary built around your dates, you can plan a custom Vietnam tour with us, or contact our team to check availability for specific days.

Tet Customs and Etiquette for Visitors

• Greeting: "Chúc mừng năm mới" means "Happy New Year" and is welcome everywhere during the first days of the year.
• Lucky money: adults give small amounts of money in red envelopes, called lì xì, mainly to children and older relatives. Visitors are not expected to give it, but if you are invited to a family home, a small envelope for the children is a kind gesture.
• The first visitor: many families believe the first person to enter their home in the new year influences their luck, so do not drop in unannounced on the first day of Tet. An invitation to a Tet meal is a real honour.
• At pagodas and temples: they are crowded in the first days of the year. Dress modestly, move slowly and avoid standing in front of people who are praying.

Practical Checklist for Tet 2027

• Book flights, trains and hotels for 3 to 11 February as early as possible.
• Choose one or two bases and avoid long journeys on 3 to 5 February and 9 to 10 February.
• Withdraw enough cash before 4 February.
• Reserve New Year's Eve dinner, or choose a hotel with its own restaurant.
• Check opening hours again shortly before your visit; some Tet schedules are announced late.
• Pack a warm layer for the north and light clothes for the south.
• Confirm tour dates, the total price and cancellation terms before you pay, and wait until your booking shows as confirmed.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Tet 2027 in Vietnam?

The first day of Tet is Saturday 6 February 2027. New Year's Eve is the night of Friday 5 February, and the public-sector holiday break runs from Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February 2027.

What animal year is Tet 2027?

2027 is the Year of the Goat (Đinh Mùi in the Vietnamese zodiac). In Vietnam the animal is the goat, while some other Lunar New Year traditions call it the sheep or ram.

How long is the Tet holiday in 2027?

The public sector has seven days off, from 4 to 10 February 2027: five statutory Tet holidays plus two compensatory days, because the holiday overlaps a weekend. Private employers place the five statutory days on 3–7, 4–8 or 5–9 February; with compensatory days for the weekend, staff who normally have weekends off are typically away 3–9, 4–10 or 5–11 February. Many small businesses close for longer, so expect a slower pace for about ten days.

Is everything closed in Vietnam during Tet?

No. Hotels, many tourist attractions, larger restaurants and convenience stores keep running, and some heritage sites hold special Tet events. Street food, family restaurants, markets, banks and government offices are the most likely to close, especially from New Year's Eve to the third day.

Is Tet a good time to visit Vietnam?

It is a good time if you want to experience the festival and are happy to stay in one or two places. If your trip is short and covers several cities, travelling a week before or after Tet is usually easier and cheaper.

Can foreign visitors enter Hue Imperial City for free on Tet?

No. Under the current policy, free entry on the first day of Tet applies to Vietnamese citizens only, so international visitors need a ticket. In 2026 the citadel opened that morning with New Year ceremonies; the 2027 programme has not been announced yet.

Can I still book tours during Tet?

Yes, but availability is confirmed by the operator for each date. Check the total price, inclusions and cancellation terms for your exact date before you pay; a booking request is not confirmed until you receive confirmation.