Vietnam New Year (Tet) Tour 2025

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Hanoi

  Arriving in Vietnam's captivating capital of Hanoi, you will be met and taken to your hotel. Your guide can give a short introduction to the city en route. The remainder of today is to relax or explore at your own leisure.

  No more traffic jams, Hanoi is back to being a charming little city. You can expect to see streets elaborately decorated with colorful flowers all over and the locals happily smiling in traditional Vietnamese costumes, along with lively music in the air. Just enjoy the festive mood!

  • Hanoi

• Day 2: Hanoi City Sightseeing with Spring Calligraphy

  Kick-off with a brief walkabout tour around Hanoi's central Ba Dinh Square, spotting the historical complex dedicated to the founding father of modern Vietnam - Ho Chi Minh. If you like, step into the Soviet-style Ho Chi Minh Museum for a closer look at his lifetime. Then, admire the "unusual" One Pillar Pagoda rising out of a square-shaped lotus pond.

  Nearby, the annual Spring Calligraphy Festival will take place within the nearly 1,000-year-old Temple of Literature. Calligraphers, wearing ao dai (long robes), use a brush to write auspicious words on red or yellow (Poonah) paper, a long-standing tradition during Tet. The guide will be by your side all the way to assist in communication and explain to you about these calligraphic works. Besides, do not miss other activities, including traditional art performances, demonstrations of local cuisine, and water puppet shows.

  This afternoon goes with a leisure walk around Hanoi's Old Quarter, where the usually bustling streets take on a rarely seen quiet look. Seize the chance to glimpse into Vietnam's traditional ways of life. For the rest of today, you may like to stroll around Tet Market filled with colorful decorations, flowers, and traditional foods, and go for an art exhibition of Tet-themed painting, sculpture, and installation art.

  Note: If you have ample time, a popular option is to add a two-day cruise over the UNESCO-recognized Halong Bay.

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  • Hanoi

• Day 3: Hanoi - Hue

  After a leisurely morning, depart for Hanoi airport and your onward flight to Hue, Vietnam's ancient imperial capital.

  Once you touch down, meet your guide, transfer to the hotel for check-in, and enjoy the remainder of today at leisure.

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  • Hue

• Day 4: Hue, Visit a Vietnamese Family

  Traditionally, Vietnamese people like to invite someone of good morality to visit their homes as a lucky sign for the coming year. After exchanging New Year wishes with the host family, you will be shown around the house adorned with kumquat trees, peach flowers, and other traditional items, chat over tea and Mut (candied fruits), and enjoy traditional folk songs. For lunch, delight in typical Tet food like Banh Chung (sticky rice cake) on a home-hosted meal.

  In the central town of Hue lies the Imperial Citadel, a designated World Heritage Site, glowing with a Hue-styled festival vibe. As you walk through the walled fortress, palaces, and courtyards, gain insight into the luxurious, secretive world of the court and enjoy Tet art programs imbued with traditional Hue culture. Then, board a dragon boat to cruise the fabled Perfume River towards Hue's most recognizable landmark - Thien Mu (Celestial Lady) Pagoda. After disembarkation, be amazed by the seven-story octagonal tower named Phuoc Duyen Tower and follow the custom to worship the Buddha for a peaceful new year.

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  • Hue

• Day 5: Hue - Da Nang - Hoi An

  After breakfast, depart Hue for Hoi An (about a 3-hour car ride) via Hai Van Pass, the most scenic coastal road in Vietnam. As you drive by Da Nang, explore the limestone Marble Mountains, home to natural caves, tunnels, and Buddhist grottoes, and unwind with a leisurely walk on the nearby Non-Nuoc Beach.

  The entire ancient town of Hoi An is UNESCO-protected, with exceptionally-preserved Chinese, Japanese, and French architecture from the 15th-19th century. After checking into your local hotel, get your bearings with an afternoon walking tour to take in an incredibly photogenic townscape and sink into the Tet atmosphere.

  The evening is free for you to do further exploration on your own. Every year, the biggest celebrations of the Hoi An lantern festival will be held during Tet Holiday. Numerous sparkling lanterns of various sizes, shapes, and colors will be hung over the streets and houses, creating a genuinely magical scene. If you like, float the brightly shining flower lanterns on the poetic Hoai River to wish for a happy new year.

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  • Hoi An

• Day 6: Hoi An

  After breakfast, drive out of the town to the nearby Tra Que Village, where celebrations are in full flow and hospitality is at an all-time high. You'll have ample opportunities to watch Tet traditional practices, such as grand offering ritual, boat-racing competition, and outdoor music performance.

  Spend the rest of the afternoon and evening independently. You can choose to relax on the white sand beaches near Hoi An, visit Bai Choi folk song exhibitions, and watch the lantern parade in the evening.

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  • Hoi An

• Day 7: Hoi An - Da Nang - Ho Chi Minh City

  Enjoy this morning at leisure before taking a private transfer to Da Nang Airport for your flight to Ho Chi Minh City, formerly known as Saigon, the country's most cosmopolitan city.

  Upon landing, you will be collected by your local guide and transferred to your downtown hotel for the night.

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  • Ho Chi Minh City

• Day 8: Ho Chi Minh City

  This morning, experience Old Saigon with a half-day city tour of historic landmarks, including Reunification Palace, Old Saigon Post Office, and Dong Khoi Street (formerly Rue Catinat). Then at Nguyen Hue Flower Street, join the throngs and attend the flower festival to celebrate Tet in a very local way. Floral displays, mostly in the two colors of red and yellow that represent Tet, add to the amazing festive atmosphere. There also are folk music, games, and delicious food to try. You will find endless delights for both your stomach and your eyes.

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  • Ho Chi Minh City

• Day 9: Ho Chi Minh City, Departure

  Savor a leisurely morning until your private car arrives to take you to the airport for your flight, either home or to your next destination.

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