Skip to content What happened in 2008
Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, shares its dates with Chinese New Year and is the main family festival. Millions of people who work in the cities go home, so buses, planes and trains fill up. In November 2008 the Thanh Nien newspaper reported long queues at Ho Chi Minh City railway station despite a new SMS ordering system, with the station expecting to meet only 30 per cent of demand for the week before Tet. Trains were preferred because air fares were high and long bus journeys were unpopular.
Travelling during Tet in 2026 to 2027
Book early. Tet 2027 falls on 6 February, and tickets went on sale at the end of August and early September 2026. Popular dates sell out in days, and fares and bus prices often rise around the holiday. Many shops, restaurants and attractions close for several days, and city roads empty out while roads between towns jam up. Plan transport and hotels well ahead, and allow extra time on every journey. For how to buy, see train timetables and tickets, and for options on the ground, getting around Vietnam.