Travelling in Vietnam During Tet (accidentally)

When I booked my one-way ticket to Hanoi, I didn’t realise that I would be travelling in Vietnam during Tet. That’s Lunar New Year, and it’s one of the most important celebrations in the Vietnamese calendar. 

The whole country celebrates by gathering with loved ones to feast and make offerings to ring in the new year. If you’re on a short holiday, travelling in Vietnam during Tet might not be ideal as the event does affect tourism. But, if you’re travelling long term and aren’t in a rush, celebrating Tet in the country is a great experience!

My experiences travelling in Vietnam during Tet 

I landed in Hanoi about a week before the holiday kicked off. That meant, over the course of the week some stores and restaurants closed. But, in the capital city life didn’t come to a total standstill. The Old Quarter of Hanoi was alive with Vietnamese preparing to ring in the new year with their family. Stocking up on typical Tet foods and plants. And beer – lots of beer. I dodged many motorbikes that were weighed down by a ton of Bia Hà Nội.

Travelling in Vietnam during Tet did impact some plans I’d made (keep scrolling), but in the end, I’m glad they did.

How is Tet in Vietnam celebrated? 

Shortened from Tết Nguyên Đán, Tet in Vietnam stands for ‘Feast of the First Morning of the First Day’. Running simultaneously with the Chinese New Year, it takes place late January / early February. It’s not celebrated in exactly the same way although there are similarities, both being lunar calenders.

Across the country, the Vietnamese take a long break to celebrate the holiday. A typical Tet sees schools, businesses and hotels close for at least a week but in some cases for a fortnight or even a whole month.

Vietnamese travel to their home cities and villages to celebrate with loved ones and family. There, they will enjoy feasts in their homes which have been thoroughly cleaned in advance. Like a spring clean, essentially! Traditionally food specific to Tet is created, such as bánh chưng (sticky rice cake), giò lụa (Vietnamese sausage) and dưa hành (pickled onion). Eating is a major part of the Tet celebration, so foodies will love the festively-foodie atmosphere. 

Meanwhile, homes are prepared with flowers traditionally associated with Tet in Vietnam, such as peach blossoms and yellow chrysanthemums. Many will purchase kumquat trees which flower a small, delicious fruit that looks and tastes like an orange.

My first (of many) traveller’s faux pas

Embarrassing traveller confession; I didn’t know that Vietnam celebrates the Lunar New Year in the same way that China does. My first traveller’s lesson was that I’d be more aware of holidays. The lesson was not learned, and similar things happened again (looking at you, Cambodia).

Travelling during Tet in Vietnam impacted on my plans but in the best possible way. Before leaving London, I’d arranged a work exchange on Cat Ba Island (part of Ha Long Bay). Out of a fear of running out of money before my first month was out, I decided to go straight into my first Workaway. My plan was to spend a month living and working in a hostel. I’d earn myself a bed and food by writing content for the owner’s tour company website. Plus, lending a general hand in the hostel. I was drawn to Cat Ba Island out of my love for islands. 

A couple of days before my flight, my host emailed me and said he was closing the hostel for a while. He’d totally forgotten about Lunar New Year. Now he’d remembered, he apologetically told me he would be celebrating Tet with his family. He’d also decided that given it was low season, he’d keep the hostel closed for a few extra weeks, maybe a month or so. But he wasn’t too sure how long. 

But, who doesn’t love a holiday?

Obviously, I was in great favour of this – I’m always in favour of a taking a break, and the longer the better. But I was a bit worried about my costs. I’m no good with budgets and wasn’t sure how much of a month dent hosteling would take on my modest pot of savings. Actually, not much at all, it turned out. 

For that first month, I’d hoped to do a work exchange whilst I adapted to nomad life and brushed off the residue of London. At this point, I was still trapped in the mentality that any rent/accommodation costs would chew up all my money. I have seven years of renting in London to thank for that fear. 

To cut a long story short – I ended up staying in Hanoi for 10 nights (9 nights longer than planned). Attempts to book other Workaways fell through, with everywhere locked down to celebrate Tet. At the end of the day, travelling is about things changing and plans falling through. I wouldn’t have had it any other way – Hanoi really charmed me.

Celebrating Tet in Vietnam

As you can imagine, being in the Vietnamese capital for Tet ended up being an incredible experience. 

I tagged along with some people in my hostel who were off to a Tet Couchsurfing Meetup. We rocked up at the bar on Hanoi’s Pub Street a few hours early after misreading the meetup time. A few beers later, a mix of around 30 travellers and Hanoians joined us. We all had a chinwag before heading down to Hoàn Kiếm Lake to find a spot to watch the fireworks. 

We managed to do an entire lap of the lake. We’d stop for five minutes in each spot before the Couchsurfing leaders would move us on again, waving their flags for us to follow. Us foreigners all felt baffled and thought our leaders were either indecisive or trying to avoid old school friends. Eventually, someone explained that all this movement would bring us good luck for the New Year.

After a cracking fireworks display over the lake, we headed down to a pagoda. Once there, the Vietnamese members of our group engaged in the customary Tet ‘Lễ Chùa. This means showing respect to Buddha and the Gods of the pagodas by burning incense. It invites good health and happiness for the New Year. 

From there, it was a 3 am dinner of hearty street food. We followed our leaders to a small restaurant down an alleyway which was packed with street eateries.  and a few more beers to round off the Tet celebrations!

I’m so happy that I was able to celebrate Tet in Vietnam. This was a week into my travels, and as much as it sounds like a cliche – it felt like a blessing that I’d timed it in a way to be able to celebrate the New Year.

What you should know about travelling in Vietnam during Tet

If you plan (or like me, didn’t plan) on travelling in Vietnam during Tet you should bear a few things in mind. Over Tet, many businesses do close for around a week, or, in some instances, longer. That includes hotels, hostels, restaurants and tourist attractions. In Hanoi, other major cities and populated tourist areas this shouldn’t cause too much trouble. A few places might be closed for a few days but you can always find food and things to do. 

The one thing I would recommend is that you book your accommodation in advance. Some smaller guesthouses may close which means others can fill up. Similarly, if you plan on travelling around Vietnam during Tet, buses, trains and planes will book up quickly. Usually, in Vietnam, you can book a night bus on the morning of travel. Over the period of Tet in Vietnam, you’re competing with thousands of Vietnamese making an exodus from cities. As with hotels, be sure to book any transport in advance. Particularly if you’re on a short-term trip or a holiday. 

For myself, travelling in Vietnam during Tet was an experience that has stuck with me for all the right reasons. If you’re not too fussed about missing the odd museum and want a different travel experience, find out when the dates for Tet fall and make a date!