Tet 2027 starts on Saturday 6 February, and it is a wonderful time to be in Vietnam and a hard time to move around it. Arrive in one city before the holiday week, stay put for the first days of the new year, and travel again once the peak has passed. Do that and you get the flower markets, the fireworks and the quiet, festive streets without fighting for a train seat.
How we built this guide: on 2 October 2026 we checked the 2027 lunar calendar, Vietnamese press reports on the 2027 holiday proposal, Vietnam Railways' and Vietnam Airlines' Tet sale announcements, the tourism board's Tet guide, Grab's 2026 surcharge notice, and reports on what opened and closed during Tet 2026. Where 2027 details are not yet published, we use 2026 as a guide and say so. Prices convert at about 26,000 VND to US$1, between Vietcombank's US dollar buying and selling rates on 2 October 2026.
When is Tet 2027?
The first day of Tet is Saturday 6 February 2027, which opens the Year of the Goat (Dinh Mui in Vietnamese). The Hong Kong Observatory's lunar calendar marks 6 February as the first day of the first lunar month, and the last month of the old year has 29 days, so New Year's Eve is the night of Friday 5 February. The same calendar puts the 23rd day of the twelfth month, when families honor the Kitchen Gods ahead of Tet (Wikipedia), on Saturday 30 January.
The tourism board says celebrations begin about three days before the new year and last a few days after, though the busy season around them runs for weeks (vietnam.travel). Our best time to visit guide covers February weather, which is dry in much of the country.
What are the official holiday days for 2027?
They were not final when we checked on 2 October 2026. The Ministry of Home Affairs sent the government a plan on 11 September 2026 for civil servants to have seven days off in a row, from Thursday 4 February to Wednesday 10 February 2027: five statutory Tet days plus two days in lieu of weekends (Tien Phong). An earlier draft also floated ten days, from 5 to 14 February (Bao Lao Cai), and the tourism ministry backed the seven-day option (Tuoi Tre News).
Private employers set their own five days under the proposal, either one day before the new year and four after, or two before and three after, and must tell staff at least 30 days ahead. For travelers the practical upshot is the same either way: if the plan is approved, government offices close from 4 to 10 February 2027, and many small businesses close for at least the first few days of Tet. For comparison, the Prime Minister's approval of the Tet 2024 holiday was reported on 3 November 2023 (VnEconomy).
What closes, and what stays open?
The first few days of the new year are the quietest. The tourism board says that with staff gone home, businesses and restaurants typically shut for at least the first few days of Tet, so cities are calm and dining and shopping are limited (vietnam.travel). Wikipedia describes the first three days as visits to close family, then friends, then teachers, so family-run shops often stay shut while their owners make those visits.
Tet 2026, which fell on 17 February 2026, shows the pattern:
| What | Tet 2026 example | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heritage tickets | Hoi An paused Old Town ticket sales and guided tours from 16 to 19 February; private and communal relics stayed open for New Year rituals | Bao Van Hoa |
| Chains | Several Ho Chi Minh City restaurant and coffee chains opened through Tet, many with a 5% to 10% surcharge | Znews |
| Festivals | Hanoi's Temple of Literature ran a spring calligraphy festival from 11 February to 1 March, with booths open 8am to 10pm | VOV |
| Ride-hailing | Grab added a Tet surcharge from 16 to 20 February | Grab |
If you are staying in a hotel with a restaurant, ask ahead whether it opens on the first day. Carry enough cash for a few days too, since many of the small stalls you would normally pay in cash are shut; our money guide explains cards and ATMs.
How busy do trains, flights and buses get?
As busy as they get all year. Lonely Planet flags Tet as a price spike for domestic flights and says it can feel like the whole country is on the move. The operators' own numbers show the scale:
- Trains. Vietnam Railways opened sales on 5 September 2026 for about 300,000 Tet tickets on a special timetable from 23 January to 25 February 2027, and plans extra trains on some routes from 5 to 8 February as demand requires (Vietnam Railways).
- Train refunds. Changing or returning a ticket costs 30% of the fare on even-numbered trains from 29 January to 8 February 2027 and on odd-numbered trains from 9 to 17 February, and individual tickets must be changed at least 24 hours before departure (Railway Transport JSC). Check your train number before you book.
- Flights. Vietnam Airlines Group opened nearly 3.7 million Tet seats on 25 August 2026, 11% more than for Tet 2026, for a peak period from 22 January to 20 February 2027, with more late-night flights between 9pm and 5am (Bao Van Hoa).
- Tours. Tet tour prices for 2026 ran about 5% to 15% above normal, driven by airfares, restaurants and hotels, according to Nguoi Lao Dong.
We did not price buses for Tet 2027, so book sleeper buses early as well. On long legs like Hanoi to Hue, book the train or flight as soon as you know your dates. Our getting around guide compares the modes.
Will prices and surcharges go up?
Yes, by small amounts on most things. Grab's 2026 surcharge, applied from 6:00 to 21:59 on 16 to 20 February 2026, was 5,000 VND (about US$0.20) per GrabBike trip, 15,000 VND (about US$0.60) per GrabCar trip and 5,000 VND per GrabFood order (Grab). Restaurants that stay open may add a percentage, as the Ho Chi Minh City chains did. The bigger increases are in airfares and hotels, which tour operators quoted by Nguoi Lao Dong named as the main reasons Tet tours cost more, so book those first.
Where should I be, and what is worth seeing?
In Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City for most visitors, because the big cities keep public celebrations, hotels and chain restaurants going. These are yearly events, but the 2027 dates and sites were not announced when we checked, so the details below are from Tet 2026.
| Place | What to see | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Hanoi | Hang Luoc flower market in the Old Quarter, Quang Ba flower market near West Lake, calligraphy at the Temple of Literature, midnight fireworks | Peach blossoms are the northern Tet flower |
| Ho Chi Minh City | Nguyen Hue flower street, fireworks at the Saigon River Tunnel entrance and other sites | Yellow ochna (hoa mai) is the southern Tet flower |
| Hoi An | New Year rituals at the old town's temples and family halls | Ticket sales and guided tours may pause for several days |
Hanoi. The Hang Luoc market appears from the 15th day of the twelfth lunar month and disappears before New Year's Eve, selling peach branches, kumquat trees and narcissus, with miniature kumquats from 500,000 VND to over 1 million VND (about US$19 to US$38) in 2026 (Viet Nam News). On the 2027 calendar, the 15th day of the twelfth month is Friday 22 January. Hanoi staged 34 fireworks displays at 33 sites from midnight to 00:15 on 17 February 2026, including two in Hoan Kiem by the Hanoi Moi newspaper building and the Hanoi Post Office (Tuoi Tre News). The tourism board also points visitors to the Quang Ba flower market near West Lake (vietnam.travel).
Ho Chi Minh City. The 23rd Nguyen Hue flower street ran from 15 to 22 February 2026 along Nguyen Hue between Le Loi and Ton Duc Thang, closed to traffic (Tuoi Tre News). The city set off fireworks at 17 sites on Lunar New Year's Eve 2026 (VietnamNet).
Watch out: Crowds come with petty crime. The UK government says petty crime typically rises in the Christmas and Tet seasons (FCDO), so keep your phone and bag close at flower markets and fireworks. Our safety guide has more.
How should I behave during Tet?
Warmly, and with a little restraint around homes. The tourism board's advice is simple: never drop in on a Vietnamese home uninvited during Tet, because the first guests of the year are chosen to bring luck; if you are invited, it is a real honor; and greet people with "Chuc mung nam moi", Happy New Year (vietnam.travel). A few more customs, from Wikipedia:
- Lucky money. Elders give red envelopes, li xi in the south and mung tuoi in the north, to children and younger relatives.
- No sweeping, no arguing. Sweeping during Tet is thought to sweep away good luck, and quarrels are avoided because they may bring a bad year.
- Mourning. People who have recently lost a relative do not visit others during the holiday.
- Food. Square banh chung and cylindrical banh tet, both sticky rice cakes, are made days ahead, and the tourism board lists fried spring rolls and boiled chicken among the northern essentials.
Ask your host what is expected if you are invited, and follow their lead at the ancestral altar.
What is the planning timeline?
Book transport now and keep the first week of February flexible. Dates below are for 2027 unless marked.
| When | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Since 25 August and 5 September 2026 | Tet flights and train tickets on sale | Bao Van Hoa; Vietnam Railways |
| Late 2026 | Government decision on the holiday days expected | Tien Phong; VnEconomy |
| 22 January | Airline peak period begins; Hang Luoc flower market opens | Bao Van Hoa; Viet Nam News, Hong Kong Observatory |
| 23 January | Tet train timetable begins | Vietnam Railways |
| 29 January | 30% change and refund charge starts on even-numbered trains | Railway Transport JSC |
| 30 January | Kitchen Gods day, the 23rd of the twelfth month | Hong Kong Observatory |
| 4 February | Proposed first day of the public-sector holiday | Tien Phong |
| 5 February | New Year's Eve; extra trains run on some routes from 5 to 8 February | Hong Kong Observatory; Vietnam Railways |
| 6 February | Tet, first day of the Year of the Goat | Hong Kong Observatory |
| 9 to 17 February | 30% charge on odd-numbered trains | Railway Transport JSC |
| 10 February | Proposed last day of the public-sector holiday | Tien Phong |
| 20 February | Airline peak period ends | Bao Van Hoa |
| 25 February | Tet train timetable ends | Vietnam Railways |
To stay connected while you rebook, see our guide to SIM cards and eSIMs in Vietnam.
Key facts at a glance
- Tet 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February, with New Year's Eve on the night of 5 February (Hong Kong Observatory).
- The proposed public-sector holiday runs from 4 to 10 February 2027 and was awaiting approval on 2 October 2026 (Tien Phong).
- Vietnam Railways' Tet timetable runs from 23 January to 25 February 2027, with about 300,000 tickets on sale since 5 September 2026 (Vietnam Railways).
- Vietnam Airlines Group's Tet peak runs from 22 January to 20 February 2027, with nearly 3.7 million seats (Bao Van Hoa).
- Grab's Tet 2026 surcharge was 15,000 VND per GrabCar trip and 5,000 VND per GrabBike trip (Grab).
Limitations
The 2027 holiday days were a proposal, not a decision, when we checked, and the final schedule may differ. Our closure, festival, fireworks and surcharge examples come from Tet 2026, and organizers set new dates and sites each year. The lunar dates come from the Hong Kong Observatory, which matched the dates in Vietnamese reports for 2027. Train timetables, extra services and refund rules can change, and airline and bus fares can change daily around Tet. Confirm opening hours directly with any museum, restaurant or tour you plan to visit during the first week of February.
