Tet in Hoi An

When is Tet 2027?

Saturday 6 February 2027, the first day of the Year of the Goat. The official holiday runs from Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February 2027.

Tuoi Tre News reported on 8 August 2026 that the 2027 Lunar New Year begins on 6 February. VietNamNet reported on 2 October 2026 that Deputy Prime Minister Pham Thi Thanh Tra approved the seven-day break, from the 28th day of the 12th lunar month to the 5th day of the first lunar month, in Government Office document No. 10065/VPCP-KGVX. That schedule is for public-sector workers, per VietNamNet.

For a traveler the useful part is the shape of the week. The days before Tet are for cleaning the house and settling debts, per VNAT; New Year's Eve and the first three days belong to families.

What do Vietnamese eat at Tet?

Banh chung above all: a square cake of sticky rice, mung bean and pork, with banh tet as its cylindrical cousin. Candied fruit, pickles and red sticky rice fill the rest of the tray.

VNAT's list of Tet foods adds mut (candied ginger, coconut and pumpkin), cu kieu (pickled scallion heads), xoi gac (red sticky rice, red for luck) and hat dua, the red watermelon seeds. In the south, families slow-cook thit kho, pork in coconut juice and fish sauce.

Hoi An has its own sweets. The Da Nang Department of Tourism names kumquat preserves, banh in, banh to, banh chung and banh thuan as the town's Tet treats, and the everyday dishes keep going too: mi Quang, cao lau, chicken rice, white rose dumplings and banh xeo. The cooking class menus on the listings are those everyday dishes, not Tet cakes. More in our Hoi An food guide.

What happens in Hoi An at Tet?

Kumquat trees and apricot blossoms, bamboo neu poles at the temples, a blessing procession and fireworks on New Year's Eve, and lanterns on the Hoai River at the first full moon.

For Tet 2026 the Da Nang Department of Tourism described a festival season from the middle of the last lunar month to the end of the first: a kumquat festival in Cam Ha, a spring flower festival, a neu pole competition at heritage sites and temples, and a Traditional Tet programme at the Hoi An Museum with cake making, calligraphy and lantern making. On the 25th day of the last lunar month, it says, more than 50 communal houses, temples, shrines, restaurants and hotels raise their neu poles.

The craft villages celebrate too: in 2026 the Tra Que Cau Bong festival fell on the 7th day of the first lunar month. Tet Nguyen Tieu, the full moon of the first lunar month, brings prayers, incense and lanterns released on the Hoai River. The 2027 programme had not been published when we checked on 12 November 2026; for Tet 2026 the Da Nang Department of Tourism posted it on 27 January.

What closes in Hoi An over Tet?

Some things pause. VNAT warns that many businesses close for the week as people return to their hometowns, and in 2026 Hoi An paused Ancient Town ticket sales and guided tours from 16 to 19 February.

Viet Nam News reported on 15 February 2026 that ticket sales and guided tours stopped from the 29th day of the last lunar month to the 3rd day of Tet, and the pedestrian and night-street programmes paused from 14 to 19 February. Temples, pagodas and assembly halls stayed open to residents and visitors. The aim, the report said, was to leave room for family rituals and gatherings. The Da Nang Department of Tourism adds that some shops keep special holiday hours.

For 2027 the same lunar days would be 5 to 8 February, if Hoi An repeats the 2026 pattern. That is our reading of the calendar, not an announcement, so check the Hoi An Center for Cultural Heritage Management's notices closer to the date. The ticket rules for the rest of the year are in our 2026 ticket post.

Can you take a cooking class in Hoi An during Tet?

Check with the operator for the exact days. None of the listings here names Tet closures, and one adds a public-holiday surcharge in cash.

That surcharge is on the Tra Que herb village class, payable in cash on public holidays, per its listing. The family class lists day classes at 10:15 and 16:15 in Cam Thanh and an evening class at 18:00 in the Tra Que herb garden, and the operator reconfirms the meeting point on WhatsApp. Lola (Nov 2026): “Really enjoyed our cooking class with Han! He was a great teacher and the food was very yummy!”

Our advice: book early for the weeks around 6 February, then ask the operator by message whether your date runs. Every class here cancels free up to 24 hours before, so an early booking costs you nothing if plans change. On the market, boat and class the from-price is for the lowest-priced option; the full day costs more, so check the options on the listing.

Cook with a local family in Cam Thanh village: welcome tea, all the ingredients, an English-speaking chef and lunch or dinner around one table.

★ 4.9 · 2.5 to 3.5 hours · from $24

Explore the family cooking class → Tour details

What is the weather like in Hoi An at Tet?

Cooler than summer. VNAT says Hoi An is coldest in January and warms up just before the Vietnamese new year, with February the start of the warm, sunny months.

VNAT describes February to August as warm to hot with sunny, clear skies, and January as the end of the rainy, cool and cloudy season. Nobody can promise sunshine for one particular day, so bring a light layer for the evening and the basket boat.

If your trip starts earlier, in December or January, read our rainy season post for the classes that stay under a roof. And if you are still choosing a class, our guide to choosing compares them all.

Frequently asked questions