Tet shuts Vietnam down — here's how to plan around it

Vietnam's biggest travel wrinkle is Tet — the Lunar New Year — when the country largely shuts down for a few days, so most visitors either plan around it or build in extra flexibility rather than expecting normal service. Outside Tet, public holidays are short and mostly manageable with a bit of advance booking.

What are the main public holidays?

Vietnam observes 11 official public holidays a year: New Year's Day (1 day), Lunar New Year/Tet (5 days), Hung Kings' Temple Festival (1 day), the April 30–May 1 Victory Day/Labor Day holidays (2 days), and National Day (2 days). November 24 has also been designated Vietnam Culture Day, an annual public holiday with paid leave for employees.

For 2026 specifically, civil servants get Tet from Monday, February 16 to Friday, February 20. National Day runs August 29–September 2 (with Monday, August 31 swapped in as a day off and Saturday, August 22 made a compensatory working day). There's no plan to extend the April 30/May 1/Hung Kings period into a longer break in 2026. Private companies can set their own Tet and National Day schedules but must give employees 30 days' notice, so exact closures vary by business.

What actually closes?

Public institutions — schools, notary offices, banks, and government offices — close on all official holidays. ATMs keep working throughout, but in-person banking isn't possible. Private businesses like restaurants and hotels generally stay open through most holidays, but many close during Tet, at least on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day itself — so don't assume your usual dining or service options will be running during that window.

Should you plan around the holidays or toward them?

Mostly plan around them, especially Tet. With government offices, notaries, and banks closed, anything requiring paperwork should be sorted well in advance — passports and visa approval letters included. Applying for a visa right before or after a public holiday can also mean delays from higher processing volumes. Roads get heavy on the first and last day of holidays, particularly Tet, so build in extra travel time. Popular attractions, especially beaches, fill up with domestic visitors during holiday periods, and hotels, flights, and tours can sell out — book ahead if your trip overlaps with any of these dates.

FAQ

Will I be able to eat out during Tet? Many restaurants and cafes close, at least on New Year's Eve and New Year's Day, though private businesses overall tend to stay open for most other holidays.

Do foreign workers get extra time off? Foreign employees in Vietnam are entitled to additional days off for their home country's traditional festivals and National Day, on top of Vietnam's official holidays.

Are 2026 dates fixed for future years? No — the 2026 dates given here (like the February Tet dates and August National Day dates) are specific to that year and change annually, so check official sources closer to your travel dates.

Tet shuts Vietnam down — here's how to plan around it

What are the main public holidays?

What actually closes?

Should you plan around the holidays or toward them?

FAQ

Sources

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