Tết 2027: Dates for Vietnamese New Year and What Visitors Should Know

In the last week before Tết, Hanoi's motorbikes start carrying strange cargo: whole peach trees in bloom strapped upright behind the rider, kumquat trees in pots wobbling between someone's knees, crates of beer and boxes of biscuits stacked on the footrest. Then, almost overnight, the traffic disappears. Tết is the one holiday that empties the cities, and if your trip overlaps with it, you need to plan for both halves: the rush and the silence.

When is Tết 2027?

The first day of the Lunar New Year (*mùng 1 Tết*) in 2027 falls on Saturday, February 6. New Year's Eve (*Giao thừa*) is the night of Friday, February 5. 2027 is the Year of the Goat (*Mùi*) in the Vietnamese zodiac.

The holiday is already set. Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs announced in October 2026 that government employees get seven days off in a row, from Thursday, February 4 to Wednesday, February 10, 2027. Most private companies follow a similar schedule, though some give a day more or less. In practice, the whole country slows down for that week and the days around it.

The weeks before: markets, flowers, traffic

The two or three weeks before the holiday are when cities feel most alive:

• Flower markets pop up on pavements and empty lots. In Hanoi, the peach growers of Nhật Tân, near West Lake, sell branches and whole trees straight from their gardens.
• Shops sell red envelopes, candied fruit, and *bánh chưng*, the square sticky rice cakes wrapped in leaves.
• Offices hold year-end parties, and traffic gets heavier as everyone shops and travels.

Prices start to rise in this period, especially for flowers, taxis and anything sold as a gift.

Tết itself: quiet streets, closed shops

Big cities usually hold fireworks at midnight on New Year's Eve; in Hanoi, the area around Hoàn Kiếm Lake has traditionally been a main spot, though locations are confirmed by the city each year. After midnight, families go home, and the first morning of the year is very quiet.

For roughly the first three to five days of the new year:

• Many small restaurants, street food stalls and local shops close. Their owners are back in their home villages.
• Hotels and convenience stores stay open. Many malls, supermarkets and chain cafés reopen from the second or third day, some earlier, often with shorter hours. The first day is the most likely to find things shut.
• Museums and sights may have special opening hours.
• Grab and taxis run, but with fewer drivers and higher prices.

Main roads in Hanoi are far emptier than usual, though streets near pagodas get busy as families go to pray. If you have ever wanted to cross the road near Hoàn Kiếm without dodging a single motorbike, this is your week.

Transport: book early or not at all

Trains, buses and domestic flights around Tết sell out weeks in advance, and fares rise sharply. If you plan to travel between cities in the week before or after Tết, book as early as possible. The days right after the holiday are just as busy as everyone returns to work.

How to enjoy Tết as a visitor

• Visit a pagoda on the first days of the year, when locals go to pray for luck. Dress modestly and keep your voice down.
• If someone invites you to their home, bring a small gift such as fruit, sweets or tea, and expect a lot of food.
• Learn *Chúc mừng năm mới* (Happy New Year). Shopkeepers reopening after the break hear it all day; hearing it from a visitor usually gets a laugh and a smile.
• Carry some cash. Some places that are open may not take cards, and ATMs in tourist areas can run low.

Our honest advice

Arrive one or two weeks before February 4, enjoy the markets and the chaos, then stay put in one city for the holiday week itself in a hotel near places that stay open. Don't plan long journeys between February 3 and 12 unless your tickets are already booked.

Updated October 2026, after the official 2027 holiday schedule was announced. Opening hours of individual shops and sights vary; check closer to the date.