Tet (Vietnamese New Year)

When: Late January to February - dates move each year with the lunar calendar, with the main celebrations clustered around Lunar New Year.

Where: Nationwide across Vietnam, with the biggest public events and parades in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Cost: Most public rituals and street events are free, though private banquets, temple offerings and peak-season travel and hotels can be expensive.

Don’t miss: Family altar rites, bustling pre-Tet flower markets, traditional foods such as banh chung, and lion dances or street parades in major cities.

Tet in Vietnam marks the lunar new year and remains the country’s most important holiday; its roots lie in an agrarian lunar calendar and centuries of ancestor veneration. Families focus on cleansing, offering thanks, and inviting good fortune for the year ahead.

In the week before Tet the atmosphere shifts: markets brim with flowers, sticky rice and festive goods; homes are cleaned and decorated; and temples and communal shrines receive heavy visits. On the key days you will see intimate family rituals at home alongside public lion dances, street parades and community gatherings in town squares and main boulevards.

Tet falls between late January and February; the exact date is set by the lunar calendar so it moves each year. The turning point is New Year’s Eve (Giao Thua), when families mark the end of the old year and welcome the new.

The busiest rhythm is the last week before New Year, when markets and transport are at peak demand, followed by a core three-day celebration around Lunar New Year; many businesses shut for several days and some people travel home for a week or longer.

Fly into Hanoi via Noi Bai International Airport or Ho Chi Minh City via Tan Son Nhat International Airport for the best international connections; domestic flights and trains link to regional towns. Book flights, trains and accommodation well in advance and aim to arrive several days before New Year’s Eve to see markets and preparations.

• In Vietnam bring cash for markets and small vendors: many businesses and banks close around Tet and ATMs can run low in smaller towns.
• If invited to a home, remove shoes, bring a small gift (fruit, sweets or tea) and expect to be offered food; red envelopes (li xi) for children are customary.
• Dress smart-casual and modestly for temple visits; avoid loud or disrespectful behaviour around ancestral altars.
• Expect crowds and heavy traffic in city centres and busy markets - watch your belongings and allow extra time between destinations.
• Book accommodation and intercity transport weeks (or even a month) ahead for major routes; consider staying in the city where you plan to spend New Year’s Eve to avoid blocked travel.