Vietnam does not close during Tết, but it pauses. Hotels, major attractions and international restaurants stay open; small shops, street stalls and local restaurants shut for three to five days. Transport books out and prices rise for roughly a week either side. In Ho Chi Minh City the streets empty and the city becomes unusually calm.
Tết 2027 dates and the phases around them
Tết Nguyên Đán follows the lunar calendar, so the dates move every year. Tết Đinh Mùi 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027 — the first day of the lunar year, mùng 1 — with New Year’s Eve, giao thừa, on the night of Friday 5 February. The three main days run 6 to 8 February. It is the year of the Goat. The full table of Tết dates confirms 6 February 2027.
The official public holiday is longer than those three days and is set separately: the government announces the exact arrangement, including any make-up working days, in late 2026. Plan around the lunar dates, then check the official period once it is published. The 2026 schedule ran nine days for Tết, announced by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The holiday has four distinct phases, and knowing which one you are arriving in matters more than the dates themselves.
| Phase | Roughly | What it’s like | What to expect |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-Tết rush | 5–7 days before | Frantic. Markets heaving, everyone shopping and traveling home | Transport booked out, cities emptying, flower markets in full swing |
| Tết eve and Day 1 | 2 days | The quietest days of the year | Almost everything local closed. Streets nearly empty |
| The quiet days | Days 2–5 | Calm, gradual reopening | Hotels and tourist sites open, most local business still shut |
| The return wave | 5–7 days after | Chaotic in reverse | Transport booked out again as people travel back |
The effective disruption window is roughly a week either side of New Year’s Day, not the two official days.
What stays open
More than most guides suggest. This is the single question the article exists to answer, so here it is directly.
| Category | Open? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hotels | Yes | Fully staffed. Priced as peak season |
| Hotel restaurants | Yes | Often the most reliable meal available on Days 1–2 |
| International chains and Western restaurants | Mostly | Reduced hours on Day 1 |
| Convenience stores | Mostly | Circle K, GS25, VinMart+ largely trade through |
| Major attractions and museums | Partly | Many close 2–4 days. Check individually |
| Pagodas and temples | Yes, and busy | Locals visit to pray for the year ahead |
| ATMs | Yes | Banks close; ATMs and internet banking continue |
| Grab | Yes | Fewer drivers, longer waits, surge pricing |
| Pharmacies | Partly | Larger chains stay open; small ones close |
| Spas and massage | Varies | Tourist-facing venues in District 1 more likely to trade |
| Street food stalls | Mostly closed | The biggest practical gap for travelers |
What closes
Street food carts, family-run restaurants, small independent shops, wet markets, banks, tailors and most local services. Museums frequently close for two to four days.
The variance is wide and worth expecting: some businesses close for two days, others for three weeks. There is no rule, and the sign on the door is often the only notice you get.
The practical consequence is food. If your plan for Vietnam involved eating at pavement stalls, Days 1 and 2 will not deliver that.
Ho Chi Minh City during Tết specifically
Most Tết guides are written nationally or lean toward Hanoi. Ho Chi Minh City behaves differently, and in ways that make it arguably the better place to be.
The traffic vanishes. Millions of residents leave for hometowns elsewhere in the country, and a city normally defined by its motorbike density becomes genuinely quiet. Streets you could not cross in December are walkable in silence. It is disorienting and it is remarkable.
Nguyễn Huệ flower street is the main public spectacle — the pedestrian boulevard is transformed into an elaborate floral installation for the holiday week, and it draws enormous evening crowds. It is free, it is the single best photography opportunity of the Vietnamese year, and it is genuinely worth planning around. Canada’s travel advice notes petty crime rises around Tết. The installation typically opens a day or two before New Year’s Eve and runs to about the fifth day; the exact 2027 dates are announced a few weeks ahead.
District 1 stays more open than anywhere else. The district serves visitors year-round, so hotels, tourist-facing restaurants and a proportion of spas trade through when residential wards have gone dark.
Bùi Viện keeps going. The backpacker street is among the last things in the city to close and the first to reopen.
The photography is extraordinary. Empty colonial boulevards at dawn, red and gold decoration on every building, kumquat trees on the back of motorbikes. You will not see the city like this at any other time.
Should you visit during Tết?
An honest answer needs both sides, and almost nobody writes the second one.
Yes, if you want atmosphere over itinerary. The flower streets, the decoration, the emptied city, the sense of being present for something that matters enormously to the people around you — none of that is available in March. If you like photography, or you have been to Vietnam before and want a different version of it, Tết is the best week of the year.
No, if your trip is tightly scheduled. If you have six days and a list of museums, a two-to-four-day closure window wrecks it. If street food is why you came, you will spend the key days in hotel restaurants. If you plan to move between cities mid-holiday, transport is booked out and expensive.
The people who enjoy Tết are the ones who arrive knowing it is a family holiday they are observing rather than a festival staged for them.
Booking and prices
Transport books out weeks ahead. Domestic flights, trains and long-distance buses fill and prices spike. Book anything time-critical as early as you can.
Hotels are available but priced as peak. Contrary to the common worry, accommodation is rarely the constraint — Tết is not a leisure travel period for most Vietnamese people, so rooms exist. They cost more.
Holiday surcharges at open restaurants are normal. Staff working through Tết are away from their families to do it. A modest surcharge is not a scam and is not aimed at you.
Book any treatment or activity several days ahead. The venues that stay open run reduced staff, and their slots go quickly. This applies to massage therapies in District 1 and to spa retreat combos in District 1 in particular — the longer multi-treatment sessions need more staff hours than a single treatment does.
Etiquette in three lines
Chúc Mừng Năm Mới — Happy New Year. Pronounced roughly “chook mung nam moy”. It opens doors.
Wear bright colors. Red and yellow are auspicious; black and white are associated with funerals.
If you are invited into a home, bring something small — fruit, tea, or lì xì (small amounts in red envelopes) for children.
Do not argue, do not break things, and do not sweep on New Year’s Day. Our guide to Vietnamese spa etiquette covers the broader cultural customs.
The other Vietnamese holidays worth knowing
Tết is the one that disrupts travel. Three others are worth planning around.
30 April – 1 May (Reunification Day and Labour Day). A long weekend that turns into a domestic travel surge. Beaches and Đà Lạt fill; Ho Chi Minh City itself stays busy and fully open. Book transport and hotels ahead.
2 September (National Day). A public holiday with a domestic travel bump. Most businesses in District 1 trade normally. Expect crowds at attractions rather than closures.
Hùng Kings’ Festival (10th day of the 3rd lunar month). A single public holiday, largely felt in the north. Minimal impact on a Ho Chi Minh City trip.
None of these three cause the closures Tết does. They cause crowds and higher prices.
Practical checklist
- Cash before the banks close. ATMs keep running but queues grow and some run empty
- Any medication you need, before pharmacies close
- Top up phone credit ahead of Day 1
- Book transport early — weeks, not days
- Screenshot opening hours for anywhere you are relying on
- Ask your hotel which restaurants nearby are trading; they will know
- Check your spa or restaurant’s holiday hours directly rather than trusting Google Maps, which is frequently wrong during Tết
Frequently asked questions
When is Tết 2027?
Tết Đinh Mùi 2027 falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, with New Year’s Eve on Friday 5 February and the three main days running 6 to 8 February. It is the year of the Goat. The official public holiday period is longer and is announced by the government in late 2026. The practical disruption window runs roughly a week either side of New Year’s Day, not just the official public holidays.
Is everything closed in Vietnam during Tết?
No. Hotels, hotel restaurants, convenience stores, ATMs, Grab, pagodas and most international restaurants keep trading. Street food stalls, family-run restaurants, small shops, wet markets and banks close for three to five days, and museums often close for two to four.
Is it a good idea to visit Vietnam during Tết?
It depends on what you want. For atmosphere, flower streets, an emptied city and remarkable photography, it is the best week of the year. For a tightly scheduled trip built around museums, street food and moving between cities, it is the worst. Arrive knowing which one you are.
Are restaurants open during Tết?
Hotel restaurants and international chains largely stay open, often on reduced hours. Local and family-run restaurants close for three to five days, and street food stalls mostly disappear on Days 1 and 2. Ask your hotel which places nearby are trading — they track it closely.
Do spas and massage places stay open during Tết?
It varies by venue. Tourist-facing spas in District 1 are more likely to trade through than those serving residential neighborhoods, but many close for several days and those that open run reduced staff. Confirm directly with the venue rather than relying on listed hours, and book ahead.
Do prices go up during Tết?
Yes, across the board. Hotels price as peak season, domestic transport spikes, and open restaurants often add a modest holiday surcharge. Accommodation is generally available despite the price — the harder constraint is transport, which books out weeks in advance.
Chạm Spa is in District 1 near Mạc Đĩnh Chi, and offers an exceptional massage in Ho Chi Minh City for a written price confirmed before you arrive. Our traditional therapy add-ons in District 1 — including cạo gió, the ginger scraping many Vietnamese families use around the new year — can be added to any treatment. Our opening days over Tết are confirmed closer to the holiday rather than set months ahead, so message us to check before you travel. Book online. We are normally closed on Tuesdays.
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