New Year in Vietnam 2027: where to go, prices and fireworks

Below: the New Year dates and how they differ, which cities to see it in, real 2026 prices and the weather. Plus a separate note on Tet and the full calendar of public holidays for the year.

How Vietnam celebrates the western New Year

The 1 January New Year in Vietnam is called Tết Dương lịch — the "solar-calendar festival." Officially it is a single day off, but for 2026 the government approved a four-day break. The countdown runs at midnight local time; Vietnam is on GMT+7, so if you are tracking a European or American New Year, do the math and you can toast twice.

For the Vietnamese themselves, 1 January is more a reason to go out than a family occasion. Young people gather on the squares, couples pose by mall Christmas trees, and clubs and bars run parties until dawn. The family dinners, red envelopes and big feast — that is Tet, not the western New Year.

Foreign travellers get the best of it. Resort hotels put on gala dinners with lobster and live music. Pop-up dance floors appear on the beaches of Nha Trang and Phu Quoc. And in Ho Chi Minh City the Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street fills with tens of thousands of people, each with a phone out to catch the fireworks at the Saigon River tunnel.

At 11:45 PM on December 31, 2025, fireworks displays across Hanoi began simultaneously, 15 minutes earlier than in previous years. In Ho Chi Minh City, the high-altitude display at the entrance to the Saigon River tunnel attracted tens of thousands of locals and tourists who gathered at Bach Dang wharf.VTC News report, vietnam.vn, 31.12.2025

For 2026, Ho Chi Minh City fired from four sites: high-altitude shows at the Saigon River tunnel entrance, the New City centre in Binh Duong and Tam Thang Square in Vung Tau, plus a low-altitude show at Dam Sen park. The countdown was on the Nguyen Hue pedestrian street (per VietnamPlus).

So, do the Vietnamese do New Year on a big scale? Yes, but in their own way. There is no snow and no midnight movie on TV. Instead you get +30°C, dragon dances and a cocktail with a sea view.

New Year traditions in Vietnam

Vietnamese New Year traditions are really about Tet, not 1 January. But the two holidays have blended so much that the trappings of the lunar New Year show up on the streets weeks before either date.

Red envelopes (lì xì). People give money in red envelopes — to children, staff, friends. Red wards off bad spirits, and the amount inside is a wish for prosperity. Travellers sometimes get one at their hotel too — a nice touch.

Bánh chưng — the square cake. Sticky rice, minced pork and mung beans wrapped in dong leaves and boiled for 12 hours. The square shape stands for the earth. From early January you'll spot bánh chưng in markets and supermarkets — worth trying at least once.

Flower markets. Two or three weeks before Tet the streets turn into blooming avenues. In the south it is yellow apricot (mai), in the north pink peach trees (đào). Whole trees are sold, and people haul them home strapped to a motorbike — it looks absurd and it works.

Dragon and lion dances. Drumming, bright costumes, acrobats inside a giant dragon head. The shows happen outside malls, temples and restaurants — the dragon is said to bring luck to a business for the year ahead.

Cleaning and a clean slate. Before the New Year people scrub their homes, clear debts and make peace with anyone they fell out with. The idea is simple: start the year fresh.

Watermelon. The redder the flesh, the more luck the year brings. Whole watermelons go on the festive table — the way a bottle of something bubbly might elsewhere.

Tet — Vietnam's real New Year

Tết Nguyên Đán is the lunar New Year. In 2027 it lands on 6 February. It is the most important holiday in the country — bigger than New Year, Christmas and every birthday combined.

For Tet, Vietnam pauses: in 2026 the government set a nine-day break (14–22 February). Shops, cafés and markets — almost everything shuts. Locals head to their home villages, cities empty out, hotel rates jump 100–200%, and public transport runs patchily. All of that is Tet, not 1 January, when normal life resumes a day or two after the countdown.

VietnamSpot on InstagramTips, lifehacks and news for living in VietnamFollow@vietnamspot

Where to celebrate New Year in Vietnam

Which resort to pick depends on what you're after: a loud beach party, a five-star gala dinner, or a quiet evening under the palms.

Nha Trang — the lively, walkable choice

Nha Trang is a compact beach city where the main square, the nightlife and the sand are within walking distance. On New Year this is one of the busiest spots on the coast, and everything you need for the night is close together.

2/4 Square is the epicentre. On 31 December there is an art show with well-known performers and international DJs, and a 15-minute fireworks display at midnight. Entry is free — come an hour or two early to get a spot.

Skylight, on the roof of the Havana hotel, has the best view over the bay and the fireworks. Cocktails, a DJ; as a guide, New Year's entry runs from 500,000 VND (~$20), so check with the bar for this year.

Sailing Club is a beach bar right on the sand. The party starts at 20:00, entry from around 300,000 VND (~$12), check on the spot. You dance barefoot, the music is loud, the fireworks go off overhead.

More on the resort in the full Nha Trang guide.

Phu Quoc — the upmarket island New Year

Phu Quoc is another level. Five-star resorts on the shore, private beaches, dinners with lobster and sparkling wine. If the budget allows, there is no better place in the country to see in the New Year.

Sunset Town Countdown is the island's main event — more than 50 acts over the evening and a big fireworks show.

Premier Village runs a New Year's dinner party. As a guide, 4,500,000 VND (~$180) per adult and 2,250,000 VND (~$90) for children 6–11; check this year's programme and prices with the hotel. It includes the buffet, live music and a beach countdown.

Phu Quoc in December–January sits at +30–32°C, sea +27°C, almost no rain — the most reliable weather of any resort in the country at this time.

Full overview in the Phu Quoc guide.

Mui Ne and Phan Thiet — a low-key night

If you don't want a crowd, Mui Ne and Phan Thiet fit the bill: hotel parties, quiet beaches, no crush. The 4–5-star hotels run gala dinners on their own grounds. Prices are gentler than Phu Quoc — a 4-star from $30/night, a 5-star from $90. It is +29–31°C by day, dry, sea +26°C.

Ho Chi Minh City — the big-city New Year

The city's main countdown is on the Nguyễn Huệ pedestrian street. Tens of thousands of people, giant screens, live performances — and at midnight, fireworks at the Saigon River tunnel.

For 2026 Ho Chi Minh City used four firing sites — three high-altitude and one low, at Dam Sen park. The show lasted 15 minutes. It is +30–33°C and dry. There is no beach, but the nightlife makes up for it: rooftop bars, street food on every corner, clubs until dawn.

The Ho Chi Minh City guide is here.

Da Nang and Hanoi — for the culture

Da Nang. Fireworks by the Dragon Bridge and celebrations on 29/3 Square. The weather is a gamble: +22–25°C, rain possible. But the ancient town of Hội An is nearby, where the atmosphere is magical — lanterns, the river, old temples. See the Da Nang guide.

Hanoi. Five firing sites and a countdown by Hoàn Kiếm lake from 19:00 to midnight. It is cool (+15–20°C), so bring a jacket. But if you want to feel the Vietnamese capital, this is the best time to do it.

Map and weather over New Year: where to chase the sun

Vietnam stretches 1,600 km north to south, and the climate changes completely along the way. The south is summer all year; the north can drop to +10°C in January.

Green pins are where sun is all but guaranteed over New Year week, the amber one is good but the sea can turn choppy, red ones are the wrong season. Tap a pin for air and sea temperature and the rain outlook.

• Phu Quoc (Phú Quốc): 30–32°C, sea 27°C — Almost no rain — Best beach choice
• Mui Ne / Phan Thiet (Mũi Né / Phan Thiết): 29–31°C, sea 26°C — Dry — Great, but windy
• Ho Chi Minh City (TP. Hồ Chí Minh): 30–33°C — Dry — Ideal for a city break
• Nha Trang (Nha Trang): 26–28°C, sea 25°C — Brief showers — Good, some surf
• Da Nang (Đà Nẵng): 22–25°C, sea 23°C — Rain likely — Not the best season
• Hanoi (Hà Nội): 15–20°C — Cool, drizzle — Culture trips only

How much New Year in Vietnam costs

New Year is peak season. Prices run 1.5–2x higher than in November, so the sooner you book, the more you save.

Hotels: normal rate vs New Year

Budget for a week (per person, no flights)

Prices current as of July 2026. Cross-check on the booking sites and the venues' own pages before you commit.

Countdowns and fireworks: how 2026 went

We do not have the 2027 programmes yet. The table shows how the 2026 countdown went, as a guide to places and times.

Vietnam public holidays 2026

In practice, 1 January, 30 April and 1 May are often stitched into longer weekends. Tet is the only holiday when the country really stops. All bridge days and the 2027 dates are in our Vietnam public holidays calendar.

Tips for anyone coming for New Year

Book early. Three to four months out is the minimum. A month before, finding a decent room in Phu Quoc or Nha Trang at a sane price is close to impossible.

See in two New Years. Vietnam on GMT+7 is ahead of Europe and the Americas, so the Vietnamese New Year comes first, at local midnight. Europe's midnight follows between 04:00 and 07:00 local time, the next morning. Two for the price of one.

Carry cash for the small stuff. Cards work in hotels and larger restaurants. Street food and small shops — dong only. Carry a card and some cash.

What to pack. In the south, shorts and a T-shirt. In Da Nang and Hanoi in December–January you'll want a light jacket — Hanoi can hit +10°C at night, no joke.

FAQ