Vietnam · events
The country resets on lunar time
Tet is not a tourist product. It is the year starting in someone else’s kitchen. If you land in the middle of it, you will find closed doors and open family tables you were not invited to — plan around that with respect.
Tet (Lunar New Year — date moves)
Flights and trains vanish. Cities empty toward hometowns. Some tourist services keep a pulse; many do not. Book earlier than you think, or come two weeks to either side.
North vs south weather (the real event)
The north can be grey and cool in winter; summers wet and hot. The south is warmer, with rains that arrive like a curtain then leave. “Best month” depends which end you chose — see the corridor guide.
Hoi An’s lantern look is famous. Dawn and late night still belong to the town. Midday belongs to the tour.
Other notes
- Hung Kings, Reunification Day, National Day — expect crowds at monuments, some closures.
- Full-moon lantern nights in Hoi An are pretty and packed. Choose a shoulder night if you like walking.
- Typhoon season can bother the center and north in autumn. Flexibility is the souvenir.