This is the single biggest mistake foreign travelers make in Vietnam: assuming Tet (Lunar New Year) is like Christmas back home — a festive shopping season with extra lights and busier restaurants.
It's the opposite. For roughly 4 to 7 days, urban Vietnam empties out. Locals leave Hanoi and Saigon to return to their home villages, and the shutters come down on streets that normally hum until midnight.
Here's what actually closes, when, and how to plan around it without canceling your trip.
What Tet Actually Looks Like on the Ground
Tet 2025 falls on January 29. Tet 2026 falls on February 17. The official public holiday is usually 5–7 days, but the real shutdown stretches longer — many small businesses close from the 28th day of the lunar 12th month until the 6th day of the 1st lunar month (about 9 days total).
The first 3 days are the deepest freeze. Day 1 (mùng 1) is for immediate family. Day 2 (mùng 2) is for in-laws. Day 3 (mùng 3) is for teachers and friends. Nobody is working a restaurant shift.
What closes (and stays closed)
- Family-run pho, bun cha, and banh mi spots — gone for 5 to 10 days
- Most independent cafes — including the Instagram-famous ones in the Old Quarter
- Local markets — Dong Xuan, Ben Thanh, Han Market all shut or run on skeleton stalls for the first 3 days
- Museums and historical sites — Temple of Literature, Hoa Lo Prison, War Remnants Museum typically close days 1–3
- Tailors in Hoi An — usually closed 7–10 days. Don't fly in expecting a same-day suit
- Most banks and exchange counters — closed during the public holiday; ATMs work but often run dry
- Post offices and admin services — fully shut
What stays open
- International hotel chains — full service, often with Tet buffets
- Highway 5-star restaurants in big hotels (Sofitel Metropole, Park Hyatt Saigon)
- Pagodas and temples — actually more lively, packed with locals praying for luck
- Convenience stores — Circle K, GS25, FamilyMart mostly open with reduced hours
- Grab and Be ride-hailing — operational but with Tet surcharges of 10,000–30,000 VND per ride
- Major tourist attractions in Hanoi/HCMC — Hoan Kiem Lake, Notre Dame Cathedral exterior, Bui Vien street
Pro tip from a local friend in Hanoi: "Mùng 3 Tết, đi chùa Hà cầu duyên" — by day 3 of Tet, single locals flood Ha Pagoda on Chua Ha street to pray for love. It's chaotic, fragrant with incense smoke, and a wild thing to witness as a foreigner.
The Regional Reality Check
Not all of Vietnam shuts down equally. Knowing where to be during the peak days is what separates a salvaged trip from a ruined one.
Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City: Eerie quiet
The big cities feel post-apocalyptic on day 1. The Old Quarter in Hanoi, normally a sensory assault of grilled pork smoke and motorbike horns, goes silent. You can hear your own footsteps on Ta Hien street at 9pm. It's beautiful, photogenic, and useless if you need lunch.
By day 4 or 5, about 40% of businesses reopen. By day 7, around 70%.
Hoi An and Hue: Festive but limited
Hoi An keeps its lantern-lit ancient town glowing — the silk lanterns over Nguyen Thai Hoc street look extra magical against the empty cobblestones. But your favorite cao lau spot? Closed. Tailors? Closed. The Japanese Covered Bridge stays accessible (entry ticket 120,000 VND / ~$5), but most workshops shut.
Beach towns: Your safe bet
Phu Quoc, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, and Da Nang stay largely functional because they cater to domestic tourists taking their Tet holiday. Resorts run full programs. Seafood restaurants on Tran Phu street in Nha Trang stay open with Tet menus (expect 20% surcharges).
If your trip lands on Tet week and you can't reschedule, fly to a beach.
Sapa and the north: A mixed bag
Sapa town stays open for the domestic tourist rush — homestays in Ta Van and Lao Chai villages run normally because ethnic minority Hmong and Dao communities follow different calendars and often work through Tet. But the train from Hanoi to Lao Cai books out months ahead.
Insider Tips
Most first-timers research "things to do in Hanoi" without checking the lunar calendar. Don't be them.
- Check the lunar date before booking flights. Google "Tet 2026" or look up the lunar new year date for your travel year
- Stock up on cash 3 days before Tet. ATMs in tourist areas frequently empty out during the holiday. Withdraw 3,000,000–5,000,000 VND ($120–$200) as a buffer
- Eat at hotels on days 1–2. Even if you're staying at a $25 hostel, walk into a 4-star hotel restaurant. They're open, half-empty, and surprisingly good value with set menus around $15–25 / 380,000–630,000 VND
- Don't try to do Tet in 3 cities. Pick one base. Domestic flights and trains are chaos. Vietnam Airlines and VietJet jack up fares 200–400% the week before Tet
- Visit a pagoda on day 1 or 2. This is when Tet feels magical instead of empty. Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi, Vinh Nghiem Pagoda in Saigon, Linh Ung in Da Nang — all packed, all incredible
- Accept invitations. If a hostel staff member or tour guide invites you home for Tet lunch, say yes. It's the closest thing to a magic key Vietnam offers foreigners
Local secret: Banh chung (sticky rice cake wrapped in dong leaves) is the Tet dish, but the real treat is mut Tet — candied fruits sold in lacquered boxes. Buy a box at Hang Duong street in Hanoi before the 28th lunar day. After that, the good stuff is gone.
The gift-giving trap
If you're invited into a Vietnamese home, never arrive empty-handed. A box of fruit (avoid bananas — bad luck), a bottle of wine, or imported chocolates from a supermarket like Winmart works. Budget 150,000–300,000 VND ($6–12).
And never give anything in sets of 4. Four (tứ) sounds like death (tử) in Vietnamese.
Practical Info
Tet closure timeline (typical year)
| Days before/after Tet | What's happening | Traveler impact |
|---|---|---|
| 7 days before | Pre-Tet shopping frenzy | Markets packed, prices rising |
| 3 days before | Migration begins | Trains/buses fully booked |
| Day 1–3 of Tet | Deep freeze | 80% of small businesses closed |
| Day 4–6 | Slow reopening | ~50% back in service |
| Day 7+ | Near-normal | Tourist sites mostly reopen |
Budget snapshot for Tet week
| Item | Normal price | Tet week price |
|---|---|---|
| Grab ride (3km) | 40,000 VND | 55,000–70,000 VND |
| Hotel mid-range | $40 / 1,000,000 VND | $60–90 / 1,500,000–2,300,000 VND |
| Domestic flight HAN-SGN | $50 / 1,250,000 VND | $150–300 / 3,750,000–7,500,000 VND |
| Restaurant meal | 80,000 VND | 100,000–150,000 VND (surcharge) |
Best timing strategies
- Arrive 5+ days after Tet day 1 for a near-normal experience with leftover festive atmosphere
- Arrive 10+ days before Tet to catch the buildup — flower markets, kumquat trees on motorbikes, the energy peaks beautifully
- Avoid the 3 days before and 3 days after Tet day 1 for any inter-city travel
Vietnam during Tet isn't broken — it's just doing something more important than serving you breakfast.