Tet in Vietnam: the dates, the closures, the etiquette

Tet: travelling in Vietnam around the lunar new year

Short answer

Tet is the Vietnamese lunar new year, and the country stops for it. It falls between late January and 20 February: 17 February in 2026 and 6 February in 2027. The public holiday runs from the first day to at least the third, and businesses close while families travel home.

Last checked: September 21, 2026

VietSIM sells prepaid Vietnam eSIMs. This guide mentions our store where it is relevant; the facts come from the sources listed at the end.

The dates

Year	Date
2025	29 January
2026	17 February
2027	6 February
Window	Between late January and 20 February
Official holiday	First day of the lunar year to at least the third
Run-up	About two weeks of preparation

Disclosure: VietSIM sells prepaid eSIMs for Vietnam. Our plans work through Tet, and so does everyone else’s, which is why this page is about tickets and closures instead.

What Tet actually is

Tet is the lunar new year and the arrival of spring, and it is the point in the calendar around which Vietnamese family life is organised. People travel home, sometimes the length of the country, and the return is the whole event.

Understanding that explains everything practical about it. The country does not shut because of a public holiday. It shuts because everybody is somewhere else, with their families, doing the most important thing they do all year.

The travel problem

The week before Tet is the hardest time of the year to buy a seat on anything. Trains, coaches and flights fill with people going home, and they fill early. The railway sells through its own site and the coach platforms list the operators, and both are worth booking weeks ahead rather than days.

The holiday itself is quieter on the roads, and the days after refill as everybody travels back. Plan around the two ends rather than the middle. The transport basics are in the Reunification Express and sleeper buses in Vietnam.

What to expect on the ground

Closures of small businesses, family restaurants and many shops for several days.
Flowers everywhere. Peach in the north, yellow Ochna in the centre and south, kumquat trees in doorways.
Red envelopes. Li xi in the south, mung tuoi in the north, given by elders to children.
No sweeping. Cleaning is done before the new year, because sweeping during it is taboo.
Invitations. Vietnamese hospitality at Tet is not a performance, and accepting graciously is the right answer.

Going anyway

If your dates land on Tet, go with the season rather than against it. The north is cool and dry from December to February, which is the pleasant half of the country at that point, covered in when to go to Vietnam.

Book transport early, keep some cash for the days when banks are shut, as set out in Vietnamese money, and have a working connection for the rebooking you will probably need to do. The sizing is in how much mobile data for Vietnam and the plans are in the Vietnam eSIM store.

Questions

When is Tet?

It follows the lunisolar calendar and lands between late January and 20 February. Recent and coming dates: 29 January 2025, 17 February 2026 and 6 February 2027. The official holiday runs from the first day of the first lunar month until at least the third, with preparation filling the two weeks before.

Should I avoid travelling then?

Avoid the days either side of it, not the country. Trains and coaches sell out well in advance because the whole country is going home at the same time, and prices rise with demand. If you are already there, the holiday itself is extraordinary to witness.

What actually closes?

Family businesses, most small restaurants, many shops and a lot of offices, for several days. Hotels, larger restaurants and transport keep running. Street food thins out noticeably, which matters more than people expect when it is the thing you were planning to eat.

What should I not do?

Do not sweep or take out rubbish during the holiday itself: sweeping at Tet is taboo because it symbolises sweeping away good fortune. Cleaning happens before, not during. Beyond that, be gracious about being invited in, because you probably will be.

What are the flowers and the red envelopes?

Peach blossom in the north, yellow Ochna blossom in the centre and south, and kumquat trees whose many fruits stand for fruitfulness. Children get red envelopes of money from their elders, called li xi in the south and mung tuoi in the north.