Vietnam in February 2027: weather, Tet and where to go

February in Vietnam is really two months. The first half belongs to Tet, the Lunar New Year, which falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. Cities fill with peach blossom and kumquat trees, then empty as everyone goes home. The second half is festival season, the weather improves by the week, and prices drop back. Plan around that split and February is one of the most rewarding months to come.

Is February a good time to visit Vietnam?

Yes, as long as you plan around Tet. The weather is good or improving everywhere, and you see the country at its most colourful. The catch is a few days, roughly 6 to 9 February 2027, when much of Vietnam stops working and travel around those dates is crowded and expensive. Arrive a week early for the build-up, or come after the 12th, and February is excellent.

If you want every museum, market and cooking class open every day, and you can only travel in the first two weeks of the month, January or March is the easier choice.

February 2027 at a glance

These are typical averages, and any single year can run warmer or colder. Our best time to visit Vietnam guide shows how February fits into the rest of the year.

Tet 2027: the dates that shape February

Tet Day is Saturday 6 February 2027, the first day of the Year of the Goat. In October 2026 the government approved a seven-day public holiday for state employees from Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February. Private companies set their own days off, but most follow a similar pattern. In practice, the month splits into four phases:

One trick most visitors miss: fly on 6 or 7 February. Almost everyone is at home, so planes and roads are often emptier than at any other time of year. For the full picture, including what closes and the etiquette of the first days, read our Tet 2027 guide.

Before Tet: the best week of the year to be here

If you can choose one part of February, choose 1 to 4 February. Every city is dressed up, shops and restaurants are open as normal, and the mood is generous.

• Hanoi: the Hang Luoc flower market in the Old Quarter, the all-night Quang Ba market by West Lake, and red lanterns for sale along Hang Ma street. Our Old Quarter guide will get you oriented.
• Saigon: the Nguyen Hue flower street, a whole boulevard in the centre turned into a garden. It usually opens a few days before New Year's Eve and runs until around the sixth day of the new year, roughly 3 to 11 February 2027.
• Everywhere: motorbikes carrying whole kumquat trees through the traffic. You'll see it a hundred times and still reach for your camera.

If you want clothes made in Hoi An, order them in this window. Tailors close for several days over Tet.

During Tet: what's open and what isn't

From 6 to about 9 February, expect small, family-run businesses to close and big, tourist-facing ones to stay open. Hotels, airports, hospitals, convenience stores and many restaurants in Hanoi's Old Quarter, Saigon's District 1 and Hoi An's old town keep going. Street food stalls, local cafes, tailors, spas, banks and most museums take three to five days off. Pagodas are busier than on any other day of the year.

Some restaurants that do open add a Tet surcharge of 10 to 20 percent, usually printed on the menu. It's standard practice, not a scam. Take out cash before 5 February, because ATMs in busy areas can run empty; our guide to money in Vietnam explains which machines to use.

The north in February: cool, misty and blossoming

Hanoi is cool and grey in February, usually 14 to 20°C, with a fine drizzle the locals call mưa phùn. Late in the month the air turns damp and heavy as spring humidity arrives. It's a good month for walking, coffee and long lunches, less so for photographs of blue sky. Houses and many cafes have no heating, so 15°C feels colder indoors than you'd expect.

Up in the mountains, February is blossom season. Wild peach and plum trees flower around Sapa, Moc Chau and the Ha Giang loop, and the villages decorate for their own New Year celebrations. Nights drop to around 5°C, so pack properly. Our guide to things to do in Sapa covers the treks, and Ha Long Bay vs the Ha Giang Loop helps you choose between sea and mountains.

Ha Long Bay cruises run all month, but the sea is cool and mist often softens the limestone islands. It's moody rather than postcard-clear. Our Ha Long Bay cruise guide explains how to choose a boat, and our Hanoi, Ninh Binh and Ha Long trip works especially well in the week before Tet.

The central coast in February: the dry season begins

Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An spend February drying out after the winter rains, and by the second half of the month they're pleasant: 19 to 25°C, mostly dry, with fewer crowds than in March. Hue is the wettest of the three and can stay drizzly into mid-February. The sea at Da Nang and An Bang is still cool and sometimes rough, so think of it as walking-on-the-beach season rather than swimming season.

Hoi An is the gentlest place in the country to spend Tet, because tourism is the town's business and more stays open there than almost anywhere else. The monthly lantern night falls on Friday 19 February 2027, the night before the first full moon of the lunar year, when the old town switches off its electric lights. If you're deciding where to stay, read Hoi An or Da Nang, and our guide to whether Hue is worth visiting before you add it.

The south in February: hot, dry and at its best

February is peak season in the south: Saigon, the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc are dry, sunny and around 30 to 33°C. Humidity is lower than at any other time of year, and the afternoon storms of the wet season are months away.

Saigon over Tet is a strange and lovely experience. Millions of people who work in the city go home to the provinces, the traffic thins out, and you can cross the road without a second thought. The flower street is at its best, and District 1 keeps plenty open. After Tet, the Mekong Delta is green and busy with fruit, and Phu Quoc has calm water on the west coast. Expect higher hotel prices on the island during the holiday week.

After Tet: the festival season

The weeks after Tet are when northern Vietnam holds its spring festivals. They're crowded, cheerful and very local, and most foreign visitors don't know about them.

• Perfume Pagoda, from Thursday 11 February: a rowing-boat ride up a limestone valley south-west of Hanoi, then a climb or cable car to a cave pagoda. Packed at weekends in the first weeks, so go midweek. The season runs until about the end of the third lunar month.
• Yen Tu, from mid-February: pilgrims climb to the pagodas on Yen Tu mountain near Ha Long, the spiritual home of Vietnamese Zen Buddhism.
• Lim Festival, around 17 to 18 February: quan ho folk duets sung on boats and hillsides in Bac Ninh, about an hour from Hanoi.
• The first full moon, Saturday 20 February: one of the busiest days of the year at pagodas across the country.

Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and can shift by a day locally, so check the week before you go.

Prices, crowds and booking

Book domestic flights and trains for early February by November 2026. Around the last Tet, flights, trains and sleeper buses sold out four to six weeks ahead at two to three times the normal fare. Avoid travelling between cities from about 1 to 4 February and 9 to 12 February, when the whole country is on the move. Our comparison of domestic flights vs trains helps you choose.

Many resorts add a peak surcharge for the Tet week, and some restaurants add a holiday surcharge. From about 15 February, prices fall back and stay reasonable until the European spring holidays in late March.

Playing pickleball in February

Pickleball in Vietnam doesn't take Tet off. Most clubs stay open through the holiday. The morning of 6 February is quiet, because people are at home or at the pagoda, but from the second day of the new year the courts are busier than usual: everyone is off work, and a game with friends has become part of Tet in the cities. After the holiday, many clubs hold friendly "spring opening" tournaments, and visitors are usually welcome to join.

• Hanoi: cool, damp mornings. Indoor and covered courts are the comfortable choice. See where to play in Hanoi.
• Da Nang and Hoi An: mild and improving, with outdoor play easy by the second half of the month. See Da Nang and Hoi An.
• Saigon: warm and dry. Play from 6 to 8am before the sun gets strong. See Saigon's clubs.

Smaller clubs sometimes close for a day or two, so send a quick Zalo message before you go. A hotel with its own court never closes; our list of resorts with pickleball courts includes them.

Two 10-day routes for February 2027

The rule for February: be where you'll spend Tet by 4 February, don't change cities between 5 and 9 February unless you fly on the 6th or 7th, and do your long journeys before or after.

Route 1: arrive for the build-up (1 to 10 February)

Route 2: come after Tet (15 to 24 February)

Both follow the same north-to-south shape as our twelve-day Top to Bottom trip. Landing in Hanoi? We can meet you at Noi Bai, which matters more than usual in Tet week, when taxis are scarce and prices jump.

What to pack for February

• Two wardrobes: a warm layer, long trousers and closed shoes for the north; summer clothes for the south.
• A proper jacket for Sapa, Ha Giang or an early-morning cruise on Ha Long Bay.
• A light rain jacket for Hanoi's drizzle and Hue.
• Something red or yellow to wear around Tet. They're the lucky colours.
• Cash in small, new notes for red envelopes. Avoid amounts with a 4 in them.
• Indoor court shoes for Hanoi, and your paddle.

Our full Vietnam packing list has the rest, and what to wear for pickleball covers the court kit.

Vietnam in February: FAQ

Is February a good time to visit Vietnam?

Yes, if you plan around Tet. The south is dry and sunny, the centre is drying out and the north is cool with blossom in the mountains. The week before Tet is festive and easy; the first three days of the new year (6 to 8 February 2027) are quiet, with many small businesses closed.

When is Tet 2027, and how long is the holiday?

Tet, the Lunar New Year, falls on Saturday 6 February 2027. New Year's Eve is Friday 5 February. The government has approved a seven-day public holiday from Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February 2027. Our Tet 2027 guide has the day-by-day detail.

What is the weather like in Vietnam in February?

Hanoi is cool and often misty, around 14 to 20°C. Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An are mild, around 19 to 25°C, with the last showers of the wet season. Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc are dry and hot, around 30 to 33°C by day.

Is everything closed in Vietnam during Tet?

No. Hotels, airports, hospitals, convenience stores, pagodas and many restaurants in tourist areas stay open. Small family restaurants, street stalls, tailors, spas, banks and museums usually close for three to five days from 6 February. Most places are open again by about 12 February.

Is February a good month for Ha Long Bay?

It's fine but not the best. Days are cool, around 15 to 20°C, and mist is common, which looks atmospheric but cuts the views. Cruises run as normal, though the sea is too cold for most people to swim. March and April are clearer.

Can you play pickleball in Vietnam in February?

Yes. Most clubs stay open through Tet. The morning of 6 February is quiet, but from the second day of the new year courts are busier than usual, and many clubs hold friendly spring tournaments in the second half of the month. See where to play pickleball in Vietnam.

The bottom line

Vietnam in February 2027 is a month of two halves: Tet on 6 February, then festival season and better weather. Arrive by 1 February to see the build-up, spend the quiet days of 6 to 9 February somewhere that stays open, like Hoi An or Saigon's District 1, and book every flight and train by November. Or come after the 15th, when prices drop and the festivals begin. If February doesn't work, January is cooler and calmer, and March is the best month of the year for a trip from north to south.