If you had to pick one holiday of the year as the most important to Vietnamese, the Tet Nguyen Dan would be the one. The festival falls on the same day as Chinese New Years celebrations and is celebrated in Vietnamese communities all over the world. The Tet Festival is a great time to visit as the days building up to the Festival are abuzz with activity. Houses are cleaned or even repainted and decorated with traditional yellow blossoms (hoa mai) in the South and red blossoms (hoa dao)in the North.

However, this festival comes with a catch. The week leading up to Tet and the week after can be as hectic as holiday travel and takes some serious planning to get to any destination. Local airlines such as Vietnam Airlines will add hundreds of flights due to the increased traffic but we still recommend booking as early as possible. Busses and trains will be packed to the hilt as workers head home for the holiday. Keeping with the model of supply and demand, prices will rise as much as 30 percent for transportation.

Luckily, if you are able to make to your destination, you will most likely find a room as most Vietnamese will stay with family. However, you might pay a higher rate as hotels have to pay their staff a bit more for the holiday. Also, some tourist attractions will close down during the Festival so be prepared to make alternate plans for your visit. Your dining options will also be limited as most local restaurants will be closed during the holiday. Restaurants catering to foreigners and tourists will most likely stay open but it’s best to call ahead to make sure.

Banks will be closed for the holiday and if you are in need of some currency changed, most hotels do this but will offer a less than favourable rate.

Source: VNAT Vietnam