Is TET a good time to Visit Vietnam? - What About Vietnam S6-E2

Is TẾT a Good Time to Visit Vietnam?

What travellers should know before deciding to visit Vietnam during the TET holiday.

Tết, Vietnam’s Lunar New Year, is the most important cultural period of the year — but is it actually a good time to visit?

Just to be clear from the outset - Tết dates relate to the Lunar New Year Calender and are usually between Late January and February. You should check the dates for the year you are travelling as each year is different. Tết New Year's eve usually marks the beginning of the holiday but it can be a day or two before.

In this episode, I focus on what Tết means for travellers and how it affects transport, accommodation, tours, and daily life across Vietnam. Rather than diving into history or ritual, I share the real-world impact on your trip, along with practical travel tips to help manage expectations — especially if this is your first time visiting Vietnam.

This isn’t a simple yes or no. Whether Tết works for you depends on how you travel, what you expect, and how flexible you’re willing to be.

I cover what really happens during Tết, when the slowdown starts, which places cope best, what commonly closes, and when travelling during the middle of Tết can work. I also explain why I usually recommend travelling well before Tết or about a week after for a smoother, more enjoyable experience.

My honest take:
Tết isn’t a bad time to visit Vietnam — but it’s not an easy one. Timing your trip matters just as much as choosing your destination.

Tết is one of those moments where thoughtful planning makes all the difference — and it’s something I regularly help travellers get right in trip plans through my Travel services offering. Please reach out if I can be of assistance - https://www.whataboutvietnam.com/trip-plan-request-form

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Transcript

So here we are, folks, getting to the heart of things in Vietnam, one question at a time. And today's question is going to be about a subject I know I have talked about many times over the last five years, because it's a celebration and it's a very important time of the year in Vietnam for Vietnamese and it's Tet. So, our question for today is, is Tet a good time to visit Vietnam? And when I'm saying this, I'm talking to people like you and me, foreigners. So, people coming into Vietnam possibly for the first time. What is my answer to that one? Well, it's a bit tricky because I have to give you more information before I can really kind of back things up with you to say, you know, why is it a good time? Yes. Why it's not a good time? 

So look, from the outset, I'm going to say it's probably not the best time for travelers to come for the actual period that is Tet. Now, you know, especially if you've got a lot of things you want to do, you've got a bucket list of places you want to go. So you really have some some time limits around things and you are expecting things to be open and kind of fall into a quite a rigid plan. If you're a bit more flexible and curious and, you know, a bit more into a chilled experience, then it can be quite memorable. But let's talk about what Tet is to start with. So Tet is Vietnam's lunar new year. It's not just a holiday. It's what the country kind of bases kind of before and after about, really. It's quite emotional. So it's about family, it's about ancestors, it's about luck, it's fresh starts. It's Christmas, New Year and Thanksgiving all wrapped up in one. And, you know, over the years when I've kind of, you know, been talking to people about Tert, making some decisions about things. They literally will say in a conversation, they'll say, look, we'll make that decision before Tet or we'll make it after Tet But nothing happens during Ted. So Tet for a lot of people also is the biggest holiday of the year. 

Now, when you think about Vietnamese, you're thinking, you know, about the people that you're going to first interact with, which are going to be your, you know, your hotel staff, your airport staff, your guides, your, you know, your people greeting you at restaurants and things like that. These people often work six, seven days a week. So for Tet, this is the time of year they get to go home to their families and they get time off. So it's a really big deal. I can remember meeting up with some friends and they were working with their tailor to get some dresses finished, etc. And these people were literally sleeping at the tailors overnight to get everything done for the travelers because they had to tell the travelers that beyond this date they couldn't help them. So there was no further alterations or anything else they could do. It had to be right on that date because Tet was starting. 

I'm prefacing everything I'm saying to you hopefully in a way that you can appreciate and respect and give some reverence to what Tet means to Vietnamese because it is the biggest people movement time of the year also. People coming into the country, so that's Vietnamese living abroad, coming home to visit, You know, that's expanded families, et cetera, that are living overseas. They're coming in as well. So my first tip around you deciding whether or not you do want to include TET as part of your stay is to book early. Number one, if you want reasonable prices, you want the hotel that you want, you want the room that you want, you want at a price, because prices really do spike at this time and so does availability. So in thinking about TET, you probably need to book at least six months out. at least. So if you're getting down to the last minute, you're going to have some struggles around what is available. And as I said, be prepared for maybe over 60 million people that are going to be traveling around the country to various cities, rural communities, et cetera, et cetera. Now I want to talk about still coming to Vietnam and still getting some feeling of the aspect of Vietnam and why I would recommend if you wanted that to come to Vietnam before Tet, maybe two weeks before Tet. Now, when I say TET, remember, I'm not saying a definitive real day, although TET kind of starts New Year's Eve, a New Year's Day, they're kind of the TET days. But TET can take, you know, nine to 10 days and it will vary amongst employer and establishment. So, If you wanted to come and get that buzz, and in particular, you will see people preparing for Tet all around the country. There will be blossoms, there will be kumquat trees, there will be fish tanks, there will be flowers everywhere, and every single city across the country will be in bloom. You'll see people preparing their restaurants, throwing out things, cleaning up things, because it's all about welcoming in spring and it's all about a fresh start. So being mindful of that, if you want to be part of that buzz and there is a buzz with it, there's a real excitement about it that the Vietnamese have. I can remember one year I stayed in Hoi An and I just loved walking the streets because there was just flowers everywhere, everybody was very chatty, very friendly, because it was all coming up to something that was really special for them. And I really hate to say this again, but Tet is not about you and me. It's really not. While you will have staff that will stay back, and I'm going to talk about that a little bit more, that don't go away and still, you know, stick in their jobs and perform their roles as best they can in hotels, in restaurants, et cetera, their heart is with their family. Their heart is with the people that mean the most to them, and they're doing the best they can, but they can't get back for whatever reasons. So getting back to what actually happens during this nine, ten day period is like it was for me in Hoi An. It was deathly quiet. I couldn't believe it. It was like, where did everybody go? And I mean, with that came a kind of ancestral, mystical kind of beauty, especially when, you know, you're very early in the morning and you're walking the streets of a 16th century old town. You know, it was quite mystical. It was it was it was soulful. I'm not going to lie. And even though I knew everyone was back in their homes and they were having time with their their family, I kind of wanted that. And I was really glad for them. I had some Vietnamese friends that I knew were expecting family to come and visit them. It was going to be a big event. You know everyone had been cooking and preparing and getting their house ready. So it was really It was really a special time. But for me as a traveler it was a daunting in the respect that there wasn't much open. And this is where I learned a few tricks that I was able to use after that trip, not particularly on that trip, but, you know, things like banks. So the banks close. And so if you haven't got enough money and you are relying on ATMs, for example, you'll go to the ATMs and they will be empty because they haven't had time to replenish and everybody has been, you know, cashing them out. So, you know tips like number one book early, number two make sure that you've got enough cash if you need cash to get around. Number three, maybe have a look and check what is open and check with your hotel what services they're going to provide. Because if you are planning a day out and there's no drivers, there's no taxis or there's limited, you're going to be waiting around for a long time. And then if you get there and it's not open, you're going to be cheesed off. So in saying, is it a good time to come to Vietnam during Tet? These are some of the practical everyday things you're going to come up against every day during Tet. Now, if you're prepared to kind of go along with that and lean into it, then fine. But if if you're not, you're going to kind of be feeling a fair bit of angst, I guess. The other thing I want you to be mindful about with TET is, you know, where or what city or what location would be good for you to stay at. Now, if I'm booking for people and I'm looking after some travelers who do want to have an element of TET, I'm probably going to I and they have a lot of shows in the main streets, et cetera, so that you'll be able to enjoy that kind of excitement, et cetera. Cafes will be open earlier than elsewhere, so there'll be a little bit more accessibility. If you're looking for deeply traditional quiet, reflective, kind of a bit poetic, I guess, around Hoan Kiem Lake, then Hanoi would be your pick. But once again, slow start when it comes back. So during Tet, very quiet, very few places open. You'll see people walking, taking, you know, with their family around the lake, but very, very quiet. Hoi An, you'll see obviously the beauty of the lanterns, and the temples, kind of a soft celebration. Many businesses close. But once again, as I said, that's kind of part of the magic. And then as Tet closes and comes back to normality, it's kind of a warm embrace back. 

Now, you know, people kind of ask me, has TET changed over the years? I think generationally it has. You know, I think there's always been an element that some people stick to the traditions quite strictly. And, you know, there is a kind of a code within families that you know, they will go and visit the husband's family first before they'll visit the wives and, you know, should you wear white or should you wear not, you know, other colors, etc. All of these things, you know, deserve a bit of research, but it'll be hard to pin down because Each region is different, and as I said, each family decides their own celebration for Tet these days. But it's still very much a pilgrimage to home. You know, I've got a beautiful Vietnamese friend and one of the years I was there, I was actually invited to their family, to their family home for Tet. And that's a real privilege. That's a real honor. You can really feel that you have been accepted by and feel that love of a family if they invite you into their home. So if that occasion ever happens to you, please make sure you go and you really enjoy that festive moment. I think what you need to be mindful of is more about if you have a list of things that you want to do. So if you want to go to Ba na Hills or if you want to go to a particular show or if there's actually set things, I think this is where it gets very fragmented for people to know. Is it a good time to come? Because they're not going to be able to do a lot of those things. There will be skeleton staff and these skeleton staff really do a great job. They've decided, you know, that they will stay and work to service the hotel or the restaurant or whatever because they've made arrangements, etc. But For you, you know, you're in luck. So once again, planning is essential and planning well ahead is essential. So if I can leave you with, is Tet a good time to travel to Vietnam? Yes and no. Is it a good idea to visit Vietnam prior in the lead up to Tet? I would say a resounding yes. Or if you wish to come in as as the country is slowly waking up again and coming back into full throttle, than maybe after Tet. But be mindful for that nine to 10 days, it's going to be all about them. It's going to be all about their families, their priorities, their ancestors and their pilgrimage to Tet and the Lunar New Year and welcoming in spring. So if you can take that on board, I hope that helps you in your planning. I know when I talk to my travellers, when I'm you know, sorting out the best times for them to come and working with their own calendars. Sometimes it's hard. You do have that I guess, situation that does fall into the fact that, you know, you are going to be there. So you've got to make the best of it. And there is ways around it. I know one year I was in Hoi An another time and I really wanted a massage. I'd kind of done my back in on the plane over. And, you know, I looked on Facebook, as I said many times in my in my podcast, the country almost runs totally on Facebook. And I looked up a place called Citrus. in Hoi An, a massage place, which I've been many times, and they were open during Tet, but they alerted me that it would be difficult for me to get a taxi or even to get a grab because not many people are working. So they offered, if I was happy to, they'd bring a helmet, they would pick me up at the hotel and they would take me on a bike back to their establishment so I could have the massage and bring me back. So there's still those kinds of things that happen. But once again, you've got to dig a bit deeper, be a bit flexible, be fluid with your plans, not expect too much. But then when those little delights happen, be truly grateful. I hope this has been helpful to you. I am truly trying hard to stick to my aim of short and sharp and giving you as much information as possible. I hope those tips are helpful as well. Please reach out to me directly if I can be or offer more detail too. Thank you for listening.