The Lunar New Year offers cultural immersion opportunities that are not available at other times. This is when centuries-old traditions come alive and when Vietnamese hospitality reaches its warmest embrace.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore three exceptional tours designed for deep cultural exploration during Tet 2026, each offering a distinct journey into Vietnam's heart and soul.

Understanding Tet - Vietnam's Lunar New Year Celebration

The Cultural Significance of Tet in Vietnamese Life

Tet, or Tết Nguyên Đán, embodies the spiritual renewal of an entire nation. The holiday marks the first day of the Lunar New Year and the beginning of spring in Northern Vietnam.

The celebration revolves around three core principles: family reunions, ancestral worship, and spiritual renewal. Vietnamese culture places immense importance on a lucky fresh start, believing that how you spend Tet determines your fortune for the entire year ahead. This explains why families undertake extensive preparations, like cleaning homes to sweep away bad luck, and settling debts to start fresh.

Most Vietnamese people believe the spirits of their ancestors live alongside the living. This connection creates a profound spiritual atmosphere during the festival, one that visitors find both moving and enlightening.

When is Tet and What to Expect

The Vietnamese New Year in 2026 will be on February 17, the year of the horse. However, understanding Tet requires recognizing it as more than a single day but an extended celebration with three phases.

• Before Tet (approximately one week prior): Cities transform into vibrant gardens as flower markets burst with color. Streets fill with scooters carrying mini kumquat trees in fancy pots, and markets become busy as food is bought for family reunions. 
• During Tet (February 17-19): Major cities may become quieter as residents return to ancestral homes, while designated celebration areas overflow with festivities. Fireworks light up night skies, temples fill with worshippers, and families gather for reunion feasts. 
• After Tet (following days): Cities gradually reopen, but the festive spirit lingers. This post-Tet period offers unique opportunities as locals return to urban centers refreshed and welcoming, with reduced crowds at many attractions.

Why Travel in Vietnam in the Lunar New Year Offers Unique Advantages

Traveling in Vietnam during the Lunar New Year presents remarkable advantages for culturally curious explorers.

• Major cities experience fewer visitors during Tet, which creates peaceful moments at iconic sites and allows for more intimate interactions with locals who remain in tourist areas.
• You'll witness centuries-old traditions firsthand, from the wrapping of bánh chưng (traditional sticky rice cakes) to ancestral worship ceremonies and ethnic minority celebrations that occur only during this season.
• Vietnamese hospitality reaches its warmest during Tet. Despite being busy with preparations, locals often invite visitors to join celebrations, share traditional foods, and explain customs.

Experiencing Tet Traditions Throughout Your Journey

Pre-Tet Traditions Coming to Life

• Flower markets explode with pink peach blossoms in the north and yellow ochna flowers in the south.
• Streets transform into galleries of red and gold decorations, auspicious symbols shaped like fish, coins, and firecrackers.
• Families gather for the beloved tradition of wrapping banh chung (sticky rice cakes), the process takes many hours, creating time for sharing stories across generations.

Tet Eve and New Year's Day Celebrations

• Fireworks illuminate the night sky above the Saigon River Tunnel and Hanoi's Hoan Kiem Lake as massive crowds gather for countdown celebrations.
• The first-foot tradition sees families carefully selecting their first visitor after midnight, believing this person determines the household's fortune for the entire year.
• Pagodas overflow with worshippers offering incense and flowers, filling the air with sandalwood smoke and chanting that reveals Vietnam's deep spiritual heritage.
• Multi-generational families gather for feasts featuring symbolic dishes like boiled chicken representing wholeness and special soups served during hours-long reunion meals.

Traditional Tet Foods Across Regions

• Bánh Chưng features rice, mung beans, and pork wrapped in banana leaves, placed on family altars to honor ancestors in northern Vietnam.
• Bánh Tét is a must-have during Tet in Central and Southern Vietnam. The cake represents fullness and completeness.
• Colorful Mứt (candied fruits) like golden lotus seeds fill decorative boxes in every home, symbolizing life's sweetness

Preparing for Your Tet Journey: Essential Planning Tips

Booking Considerations

Understanding service closures and availability

• Fewer dining and shopping options, with some places closed for family celebrations.
• Holiday surcharges at restaurants and hotels.
• Limited transport options during peak travel days (2-3 days before/after Tet).
• Some attractions are operating on modified schedules.

Travel Tips

• Booking accommodation, flights, and transportation, or an extensive tour in advance.

What Makes Guided Tours Perfect for Explorers

• Private vehicle arrangements: Bypass crowded public transport, maintain flexible schedules, and access remote locations unavailable via standard transportation
• Expert local guides: Cultural specialists who facilitate authentic interactions, translate conversations with ethnic minorities, and explain ceremony symbolism
• Guaranteed accommodations: Secure rooms in fully-staffed hotels despite holiday rush through established operator relationships
• Curated authentic experiences: Attend actual village ceremonies, and connect with communities beyond tourist performances

Three Transformative Cultural Tours for Your Tet Journey

19-Day North to South - A Journey of Culture and Adventure

Tour Overview

This comprehensive journey takes you from Hanoi through northern highlands and ethnic minority regions before sweeping south to Ho Chi Minh City, covering Vietnam's most dramatic landscapes and culturally significant regions.

Lunar New Year Highlights

• White Thai families in Mai Chau and Tu Le gather to wrap their own sticky rice cakes and decorate stilt houses with forest flowers.
• The Ha Giang loop takes you through Flower H'Mong, Lo Lo, and Tay villages, where each group celebrates with distinct fire ceremonies and communal feasts.
• M'Nong people around Buon Me Thuot perform mesmerizing gong ceremonies around bonfires, with hypnotic rhythms believed to communicate with spirits.
• Experience the full spectrum of Vietnam's diversity from cool mountain ceremonies in the north to tropical coastal celebrations in Ho Chi Minh City.

Learn more: 19-Day North to South - A Journey of Culture and Adventure

Discover Vietnam's Timeless Charm North To South in 11 Days

Tour Overview

This streamlined 11-day journey balances misty mountain landscapes with tropical shores, perfect for travelers seeking cultural depth within a shorter timeframe.

Lunar New Year Highlights

• Ha Giang offers ceremonies from the Hmong, Dao, and Tay communities, giving you a clear view of highland culture.
• At Ban Gioc Waterfall, the Nung and Tay people welcome the New Year with customs that take place beside the strong flow of the falls.
• Saigon shows its festive spirit when Nguyễn Huệ Street fills with flowers and the city steps into its lively days after Tet.
• The trip lets you compare quiet mountain traditions with warm coastal gatherings.

Learn more: Discover Vietnam's Timeless Charm North To South

The Journey of Vietnam History in 15 Days

Tour Overview

This historical expedition layers Vietnam's imperial legacies and wartime echoes with present-day Tet celebrations, revealing national resilience through cultural continuity.

Lunar New Year Highlights

• In Imperial Hue, you can observe how local families prepare their detailed five fruit trays.
• Tet in Halong Bay brings fireworks that rise over the limestone karsts as traditional boats move across the calm water.
• Hoi An turns into a lantern-filled town where paper lights glow above the streets, and traditional music fills the old quarter.
• In the Mekong Delta, floating markets reach their peak as traders offer tropical fruits and Tet foods from boat to boat.
• The holiday also shows a strong reunification spirit.

Learn more: The Journey of Vietnam History in 15 Days

Why FTrip Vietnam is Your Ideal Tet Journey Partner

Expertise in Cultural Tourism

FTrip Vietnam brings years of specialized experience with Lunar New Year tours, understanding the complex logistics and unique opportunities that Tet presents.

This expertise manifests in knowing which villages welcome visitors during their celebrations, which ceremonies remain too sacred for outsiders, and how to approach ethnic minority communities with appropriate respect and cultural sensitivity.

Seamless Logistics Despite Holiday Complexities

• Guaranteed service continuity during Tet comes from meticulous planning and systems. FTrip Vietnam maintains service by scheduling guide rotations, partnering with multiple driver networks, and planning itineraries that accommodate regional timing differences.
• Direct hotel relationships ensure you stay in properties that remain fully operational during Tet.
• Support during Tet closures takes multiple forms. FTrip Vietnam's operations team remains accessible throughout the holiday, providing contact for unexpected issues.

Flexible Itineraries Designed Around You

• Customize your Tet timing and celebration preferences according to your interests. 
• Select specific ethnic minority New Year traditions based on your cultural interests.
• Adjust pace between vibrant festivities and peaceful moments to match your energy levels and travel style. 
• Extend stays in regions that captivate you most without complicated replanning.

“Explore Vietnam’s culture in Tet with Ftrip Vietnam’s customizable tour.” 

Your Once-in-a-Lifetime Tet Adventure Awaits

Travel in Vietnam during the Lunar New Year offers a rare window into the soul of a nation at its most authentic and welcoming. These carefully curated tours go beyond standard sightseeing, immersing you in living traditions that have survived centuries, from ethnic minority ceremonies in remote mountain villages to vibrant urban celebrations in modern metropolises.

Whether you're drawn to ethnic diversity in northern highlands, historical depth in former imperial capitals, or the contrast between mountain and coastal celebrations, there's a Tet journey designed for your interests. The Vietnamese believe that how you begin the year shapes your fortune ahead, so perhaps starting your Vietnam adventure during this auspicious season will create the transformative travel experience you've been seeking.

“Plan your special journey to dive into the culture and history of Vietnam in the Lunar New Year with Ftrip Vietnam today.”