Vietnam Festival Calendar 2026: Tet, Mid-Autumn and Hoi An Lantern Festival Dates

Vietnam’s three festivals worth planning a trip around in 2026: Tet starts February 17, Hoi An’s Lantern Festival runs 13 monthly nights with the biggest on March 2, and Mid-Autumn lands on September 25. These three events set the rhythm for when flights cost double, when accommodation needs booking six months out, and when the streets turn into something most tourists never see. Every date below is sourced from Vietnam’s Ministry of Home Affairs and verified tourism sources for 2026.

I’ve guided tours in Vietnam from Da Nang for three years, and every season I watch the same two mistakes: travelers skip Tet entirely because they assume everything shuts down (it doesn’t, and the atmosphere is extraordinary), or they plan an April trip around the public holiday weekend and discover hotels tripled in price last November.

Vietnam Public Holidays and Festival Dates 2026: Full Table

The table below covers every date a tourist needs in 2026. “Visa offices closed” applies to immigration branches — online e-visa processing at evisa.gov.vn stays live year-round.

When Is Tet 2026 in Vietnam — and What Actually Closes?

Tet 2026 falls on February 17, 2026 — the first day of the Year of the Horse (Fire Horse, Bính Ngọ). The official working-day holiday runs February 16–20, and with surrounding weekends the full block stretches February 14–22, nine days total. The closures are more nuanced than most travel sites suggest.

What definitely closes during Tet: government offices, bank branches (ATMs keep running 24/7), visa application offices, post offices, local family-run restaurants, and small shops in residential neighborhoods. What stays open: major supermarkets (Aeon, Co.opmart), convenience chains (7-Eleven, Circle K, Family Mart), international hotel restaurants, and major tourist attractions including Hoi An Ancient Town and Ha Long Bay cruise operators.

The price reality for Tet 2026: domestic flights increase 30–50%, hotel rates surge 50–80% during the peak February 16–18 window, organized tours and cruises add 40–60%, and tourist-area restaurants charge 20–30% more. Book international flights before November 2025; book domestic accommodation and tours by November–December 2025 to avoid last-minute premiums of 50–100%.

Hoi An Lantern Festival 2026 — All 13 Dates and Which Night to Pick

The Hoi An Full Moon Festival runs on the 14th day of every lunar month — 13 nights in 2026. From approximately 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM the Ancient Town’s electric street lights switch off, vehicles leave the Old Quarter, and 300-year-old streets run on silk lanterns alone. For a detailed breakdown of crowd timing and how to pick the right night, see the Hoi An Lantern Festival timing guide .

The 13 dates for 2026: January 2, February 1, March 2 (Nguyen Tieu — biggest night of the year), April 1, April 30, May 30, June 28, July 27, August 26, September 24 (second-biggest, the eve of Mid-Autumn Festival), October 23, November 22, December 22.

Any of the 13 nights delivers the blackout, the lanterns, and the riverfront. March 2 (Nguyen Tieu — first full moon of the lunar year) draws 30,000–50,000 visitors into a space under one square kilometer. September 24 brings 20,000–30,000 for a slightly calmer night centered on children’s star-lantern traditions. The other 11 monthly nights run the same program with a fraction of the crowd.

Costs: a river boat on the Thu Bon runs 150,000–220,000 VND per boat, seating up to five passengers (not per person). Paper floating lanterns cost 5,000–40,000 VND at riverfront vendors and are not included in the boat price. The Old Quarter entrance ticket costs 120,000 VND, valid 24 hours. Sky lanterns with open flames are banned in Vietnam since 2010 — fines start at around 800,000 VND.

When Is the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam 2026?

Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung Thu) 2026 falls on September 25, 2026 — the 15th day of the 8th lunar month. It is not a public holiday, so shops, restaurants, and visa offices stay open, but the evening transforms Hoi An, Hanoi’s Old Quarter, and Ho Chi Minh City into something worth being present for.

The best places to experience Mid-Autumn 2026: Hoi An Ancient Town (the evening before, September 24, coincides with the monthly Lantern Festival — two events stack into one night, making it Hoi An’s biggest evening of the year); Hanoi’s Old Quarter (Hang Ma Street fills with mooncake sellers and lantern stalls weeks ahead, lion dances run through the evening); Ho Chi Minh City’s Ben Thanh area (large street celebrations, star-lantern parades). Activities include mooncake tasting (banh trung thu in baked and snow-skin varieties), lion dance parades, and children’s lantern processions.

For planning: hotel rates around September 24–25 in Hoi An jump — book two to three months out if that window is in your itinerary. Mid-Autumn is not a public holiday, so no logistics or banking issues arise from the date itself.

Hue Festival 2026 — Dates and What’s On

Hue Festival 2026 runs March 25–April 7, 2026, organized by Vietnam’s Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The venue is the Hue Imperial Citadel and surrounding historic sites — the same UNESCO-listed complex that holds the royal tombs. The festival features Nhã Nhạc (Vietnamese royal court music, listed by UNESCO in 2003), re-created Nguyen dynasty ceremonies, international performances, and nighttime Citadel events.

The timing creates a practical central Vietnam sequence: Hue Festival opens March 25, just over three weeks after the biggest Hoi An Lantern Night on March 2. A two-week trip can catch both. Da Nang sits 100 kilometers from Hue via the Hai Van Pass route , roughly two hours by road.

Should You Visit Vietnam During Tet — and Is It Worth the Price?

Most travel advice says either “avoid Tet” or “go for the magic.” The real answer depends on your itinerary. Here is how I frame it for guests.

Tet works well if your route centers on tourist sites (Hoi An Ancient Town, Ha Long Bay, Hue Citadel, Cu Chi Tunnels — all open), and if you want to see a Vietnam that visitors normally don’t encounter. Tet Eve on February 16 in a residential neighborhood is unlike anything else on the Vietnam travel calendar .

Tet is difficult if you need banks, visa services, or flexible logistics during February 14–22. Small local restaurants often close. Local buses run on reduced holiday schedules. Plan administrative tasks — e-visa applications, accommodation check-ins requiring local transactions — for before February 14 or after February 22.

The practical approach: book flights and major accommodation before November 2025. Center your Tet route around Hoi An and central Vietnam, where tourist infrastructure operates fully through the holiday. If the trip needs flexibility, shift dates two weeks in either direction of February 17 to land in normal pricing windows. When you’re ready to plan a route that threads around price spikes and still hits the best of central Vietnam, message me on Telegram with your travel window and I’ll tell you whether your dates fall in a clear window or a price surge.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Tet 2026 in Vietnam? Tet 2026 starts on February 17, 2026 — Day 1 of the Year of the Horse (Fire Horse). The official public holiday runs February 16–20. Including surrounding weekends, the full block stretches February 14–22, nine days total.

What is closed in Vietnam during Tet 2026? During Tet 2026 (February 14–22): government offices, bank branches, visa application offices, post offices, and most small local shops and family restaurants close. ATMs stay operational 24/7. Major supermarkets, convenience stores (7-Eleven, Circle K, Family Mart), international hotel restaurants, and tourist attractions including Hoi An Ancient Town and Ha Long Bay cruise operators remain open.

When is the Hoi An Lantern Festival in 2026? The Hoi An Full Moon Lantern Festival happens 13 times in 2026, on the 14th day of every lunar month. Key dates: March 2 (biggest night — Nguyen Tieu), April 30, September 24 (second-biggest, eve of Mid-Autumn). Electric lights go off from 6 PM to 10 PM on each date; vehicles leave the Old Quarter for the same window.

When is the Mid-Autumn Festival in Vietnam 2026? Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung Thu) 2026 falls on September 25, 2026 (15th day of the 8th lunar month). It is not a public holiday. Best experienced in Hoi An (combine with the Lantern Festival on September 24), Hanoi Old Quarter, and Ho Chi Minh City.

Should I visit Vietnam during Tet? Yes, if you want cultural atmosphere and your route focuses on tourist sites, which stay open. No, if you need banks, visa services, or administrative flexibility — all of which close from February 14–22. Book flights and accommodation before November 2025 to avoid domestic flight premiums of 30–50% and hotel surges of 50–80%.

What is the best festival to see in Vietnam? For atmosphere: Tet (February 17, 2026) in a residential neighborhood or Hoi An’s Old Town. For visual impact: Hoi An Lantern Festival on March 2 (Nguyen Tieu — 30,000–50,000 visitors). For a less-crowded version of the same experience: any other monthly Lantern Festival night runs the identical blackout-and-lanterns program with a fraction of the crowd.