susiesan

I am looking to visit Vietnam in early 2017. Vietnamese New Year and Tet will be from Jan. 27 to Feb. 1, 2017. I will use AA miles for this trip and I have to get something booked by March 22 to get the lower mileage rates. The last day I can travel is Feb. 15, 2017 for my return home.

I'd like to stay in Vietnam for 2 weeks. If I plan the trip for early January, do I need to be leaving the country by Jan. 27? Is that when things will shut down and prices go up? Or will the Tet related travel problems start earlier than Jan. 27? How soon after Feb. 1 will things return to normal? Would it be safe to arrive Feb. 2 or will services still be all booked up and things closed?

crellston

We were in Vietnam over Tet a few years ago ( I think 2008) and found it difficult to book transport. I think places tend to start shutting down in the week before the holidays and for a few days afterwards as people make their way to and from their family homes. I think the days of the Tet holidays lasting for an entire month are long gone.

Not everything shuts down but the main cities, Saigon, Hanoi, Da Nang, Hue etc. were quieter than normal. Hanoi, especially, was very quiet and we didn't find too many restaurants open over the actual holiday. Saigon seemed much less affected.

As I recall, hotel prices were unaffected but it airfares were much higher than normal and we did struggle to get flights out of the country.

I don't think I would be too concerned about arriving on 2 Feb, as long as you have your accommodation and particularly transport, lined up asap.

quintvietnam

Most public transportations still work. It is just hard to book for transportation during Tet holidays. Even the locals find it hard to find.

flyingboxx

According to a few recent years, things and price often ascend during the Tet holiday ( regularly higher than normal ).If you intend to use a public service or transportation, you should book first and beware of scamming.
Have a nice trip to Vietnam

susiesan

I'm thinking I'll try to arrive Vietnam Jan. 4-6, 2017 and leave Jan. 18-20. That will give us 2 full weeks and have us out of Vietnam a week before VNY and Tet start. Weatherize, January is not an ideal month for the north so I may stick to the center and south on this visit. Will depend on which cities I can get award seats into and out of.

susiesan

I am rethinking my plan to arrive Feb. 3-4 into HCM. I'd gradually travel north over 2 weeks ending in and leaving Hanoi Feb. 14-15. I'll probably need 1 or 2 domestic flights, SGN-Danang, Hue-Hanoi. I'd use a car to travel between some of the central cities or maybe the train.

Will I run into problems with higher prices and lack of transportation 4-5 days after Tet ends Feb. 1?

Kathie

Probably not.

crellston

I would book any trains as soon as they become available because they do get booked up even at normal times these days. There will probably be some issues as people return home after Tet but I doubt hotel prices will rise at that time - flights may be a bit more expensive. Depends how efficient their dynamic pricing systems are.

chuanvy

So early plan. Before Tet, Vietnamese local who work in City back their hometown for Tet festival, so it's hard to book flight from Ho Chi Minh to other provinces, but easy and cheap price for booking from other province to Ho Chi Minh, after Tet, they back Ho Chi Minh, it's easy to book from Ho Chi Minh to other cities. So, you schedule your trip. Tet in Vietnam is nice and traditional view, In Ho Chi City have flower street during before and after Tet 2 days. Restaurants often close around Tet's week. But in Ho Chi Minh City often off the first new year day only. Visit Vietnam, I think Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Hoi An acient town, Ho Chi Minh is nice place to go, good service than others cities. If you like beach, Nhatrang is a good choice.

adrianlopez

All things before and during Tet holiday will be raised up 1.5-2 time. If you afraid that you can move earlier, so Tet holiday in Vietnam is very special, a lot of people who want to Vietnam to enjoy the holiday

susiesan

I have flights on hold for the following days:
arrive Hanoi Jan. 11, 2017 @10:55pm
depart Hanoi Jan. 25, 2017 @12:25am

I would be making my way back to Hanoi just before the start of VNY on Jan. 27, at the time when everyone is leaving hanoi. So I should be able to get a flight to Hanoi easily at that time, right? Most likely I will be in either Dong Hoi or Hoi An at the last part of my trip before departing the country and would be flying back to Hanoi on Jan. 24 to catch the midnight flight Jan. 25.

susiesan

I got ticketed for the dates above and am now in the process of changing the dates to push the trip into Feb./March.

I have the arrival date changed to feb. 16, 2017. This should be enough time passed after Tet ends to start my trip.

psyklik

I am curious as how all your plans are proceeding for your trips to VN after the first of the year.

I wish to be there for Tet (to visit friends in VungTau). Hoping to arrive no later than Monday, January 30th. This will be my first return since 1969.
As I am flying via US Military Space-A via Seattle > Yokota > Singapore, then commercial to SGN. Since it is Space-A, it is difficult to zero in on an exact date of arrival.

Planning on month minimum in country, then maybe Hanoi to Manila>Japan and work my way back to the US.

susiesan

I ended up with tickets arriving hanoi Feb. 21 and departing Hanoi March 7. While in Vietnam we will visit Hanoi 2 nights, Hoi An 3 nights, Hue 1 night, Phong Nha 2 nights, Mai Chau/Ninh Binh area 4 nights, Hanoi 1 night.

I put together a private tour with Custom Vietnam Tours and am extremely pleased with the final itinerary and hotels being used. The price for the 2 weeks is just a few hundred more than a private tour for 2 weeks was in 2004 during my first visit to Vietnam.