Vietnam Public Holidays and Your Trip
If your quiet beach week lands on a local holiday, check the calendar first.
Vietnamese public holidays send local families to the beach and the mountains. That raises crowds and prices around beach towns and popular day trips, even when nothing closes. Check the current dates before you book, and avoid the busiest days if you want a quiet week.
Which holidays matter for visitors?
Vietnam’s public holidays include 1 January, Tet, the Hung Kings holiday, 30 April, 1 May, 2 September (National Day) and 24 November (Culture Day)1. The listed dates can change, so confirm them each year.
National Day on 2 September is a 2-day holiday, or 4 days if it falls Friday to Tuesday2. Tet is the longest. Its public holiday is 7 days, or 9 days if the first day of the lunar year falls Monday to Wednesday3.
What does each holiday do to a trip?
- Tet: the biggest change. People return home to be with their families4, so transport fills and family-run places close. Read Tet in Vietnam: what to expect before choosing this week.
- 30 April and 1 May: a long break for locals, which pushes crowds to beach towns such as Da Nang.
- 2 September: a short national break with domestic trips to coast and mountains.
- 1 January: a shorter effect, mostly in city centres.
None of these closes the country, but all raise demand for flights, rooms and day trips.
How do crowds show up in practice?
You will see it in three places. Beach hotels sell out earlier. Trains and domestic flights between big cities fill faster. Popular day trips run at capacity, so queues grow at ticketed attractions.
City sightseeing in Hanoi is less affected than beach towns, since local families head out of town. That makes a city-first plan a calmer choice on a holiday weekend.
How do you check the dates and plan around them?
Follow these steps.
- Write your possible travel dates.
- Check Vietnamese government announcements for the year. They set the schedule, including swapped working days.
- Book flights and rooms first if a holiday overlaps your trip.
- If you want quiet, move your trip by a few days.
- Price both versions on the trip budget builder.
We cannot quote prices, since they change by season, so use live quotes. If you are curious about the cultural side, see Vietnam festivals for travellers and how weather changes by month. More timing advice is under Seasons and who it suits.
Tell us your dates and the cities you want, and we can say whether a Vietnamese holiday is likely to crowd your route.
Common questions
Which Vietnamese holidays affect tourists most?
Tet has the biggest effect, followed by the 30 April and 1 May pair and the 2 September National Day break. These are the dates when local families travel, so beaches, trains and popular day trips are busiest and rooms cost more.
How do I find this year's exact dates?
The government announces holiday schedules each year, including any swapped working days that make a longer break. Check official Vietnamese announcements and your airline before booking. Our table of dates is a guide, not a promise.
Do all places close on public holidays?
No. Outside Tet, most tourist services stay open on public holidays. The difference is crowds and price, not closure. Beach resorts and attractions near big cities are busiest, because local families travel in the same short window.
Can a holiday weekend be a good time to go?
It can, if you book early and choose places away from the busiest beaches. A holiday weekend also means a lively mood in the old towns. If your budget is tight, a normal week costs less, so compare both on the budget builder.
Sources
- Vietnam's public holidays include 1 January, Tet, Hung Kings, 30 April, 1 May, 2 September (National Day) and 24 November (Culture Day). Wikipedia
- National Day on 2 September is a 2-day holiday, or 4 days if it falls Friday to Tuesday. Wikipedia
- The Tet public holiday is 7 days, or 9 days if the first day of the lunar year falls Monday to Wednesday; 2026's schedule was 14 to 22 February. Wikipedia. Exact 2027 schedule is set by government each year; check.
- During Tet people usually return home to be with their families, and students usually get a one-week break. Wikipedia
Keep planning
Tell us your dates and the cities you want, and we can say whether a Vietnamese holiday is likely to crowd your route.