Visiting Ninh Binh during Tet? Discover what closes, how to find food, and why this quiet, offbeat side of Vietnam is actually worth the travel disruptions. (CLICK HERE)
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Visiting Ninh Binh during Tet changed my trip in ways I never expected.
I planned to stay 4 or 5 days. I ended up staying 11. Not by choice. But because Tet shut down transport, closed most restaurants, and turned the entire region into something completely different from what I’d planned for.
Was it frustrating? Sometimes. Was it one of the most memorable parts of my 50-day Vietnam trip? Absolutely.
This guide covers everything you need to know about Ninh Binh during Tet. The closures. The empty roads. The food situation. And why this holiday period might actually be the most interesting time to visit if you approach it with the right mindset.
Ninh Binh During Tet: Quick Summary
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| When Tet Happens | Late January or February (changes annually, follows lunar calendar) |
| Duration | Official 7-day holiday, but effects last 10–14 days |
| What Closes | Most restaurants, cafes, shops, tourist services, boat tours |
| What Stays Open | Some small local restaurants, convenience stores, temples |
| Transport | Limited buses and trains. Book well in advance |
| Prices | Accommodation and food slightly higher during Tet week |
| Best For | Slow travelers, remote workers, people who enjoy quiet |
| Avoid If | You need activities, varied food options, or easy transport |
What Exactly Is Tet? (And How Long Does It Last?)
Tet is Vietnam’s Lunar New Year. The most important holiday in the country. Think of it as Christmas, New Year, and a national family reunion all happening at once.
The entire country shifts when Tet arrives. People travel home to their families. Cities empty out. Streets that are normally packed with scooters and street vendors go quiet almost overnight. Businesses close. Transport reduces. And the Vietnam you arrived expecting is suddenly unrecognizable.
Officially, Tet lasts 7 days. But that’s the simplified version. In reality, the effects on travel start about a week before the holiday begins and continue for a week after. If you’re traveling Vietnam during Tet, plan for roughly 2 to 3 weeks where the country operates very differently from normal.
The date changes every year because Tet follows the lunar calendar. It usually falls somewhere between late January and mid-February. Check the exact dates before planning your trip. Arriving a week before Tet without realizing it starts soon is exactly how you end up stuck like I did.
For travelers, Tet means two things. One, the usual Vietnam you’ve read about changes completely. Two, you get to see a side of Vietnam that most tourists never experience. Which of those feels more appealing to you will determine whether Tet is the best or worst time to visit Ninh Binh.
Is Visiting Ninh Binh During the Lunar New Year a Good Idea?
Honest answer: it depends entirely on what kind of traveler you are.
The pros are real. Ninh Binh during Tet is genuinely quiet. The countryside roads are almost empty. The main tourist areas lose their crowds completely. The whole region slows down in a way that’s actually beautiful if you can embrace it rather than fight it.
You also get a cultural experience that feels authentic. Tet decorations cover every door and shop front. Red and gold lanterns hang across streets. Locals celebrate with their families in ways that have nothing to do with tourism. Firecrackers go off in the evenings. Temples fill with people making offerings and praying. It’s Vietnam at its most real.
The cons are equally serious. Most restaurants close. Cafes shut down. Tourist services stop running. The famous boat tours at Tam Coc and Trang An go quiet. Transport becomes a genuine headache. And the few places that stay open raise their prices slightly because they know they’re the only option around.
If you’re a slow traveler who can work remotely, carry your own snacks, and finds beauty in quiet countryside roads, Tet in Ninh Binh is actually a gift. If you need a packed itinerary, varied food options, and easy transport between cities, this is the wrong time to come.
What Opens and Closes During the Holiday
Restaurants and Cafes
This is the hardest part of being in Ninh Binh during Tet. And it’s the thing most travel guides don’t warn you about clearly enough.
Most local restaurants close for at least 5 to 7 days. The family-run spots that make up almost all of Ninh Binh’s food scene go dark. Owners lock up and go home to their families. The streets that usually smell like phở and grilled meat go silent.
Some small restaurants run by families who choose to stay open do exist. But you’ll have to search for them. Walk several streets before finding one that’s open. The ones that are open are busy. Expect to wait. Prices go up slightly, maybe 10,000 to 20,000 VND more per dish. Not dramatic. But noticeable.
Cafes follow a similar pattern. Most close for the first 3 to 5 days. Some reopen after that, especially ones run by younger owners who want the business and know travelers need WiFi. These become your remote work spots during the slower days.
Convenience stores like Family Mart and Circle K stay open throughout. Limited stock. But enough to get through on instant noodles, packaged snacks, and pre-made sandwiches. Stock up before Tet starts. Having supplies ready saves you from scrambling on day two when most things are still shut.
Tourist Services (Tam Coc and Trang An)
Boat tours at Tam Coc and Trang An stop running during Tet. This is the main tourist activity in Ninh Binh and it simply disappears for the holiday period. Tour operators close. Organized activities stop. If the boat ride is the main reason you’re visiting Ninh Binh, Tet is the wrong time.
When tours reopen after Tet ends, the demand is massive. When I went to the Tam Coc boat dock after Tet ended, the queue was almost 2 hours long. I skipped it entirely. If you’re visiting right after Tet, expect larger crowds than usual for the first week as everyone catches up on the activities they missed during the holiday.
Transport and Getting Around
This is where Tet hurts travelers most practically. Buses run on heavily reduced schedules. Trains book out weeks in advance. Getting out of Ninh Binh during Tet without pre-booked transport is genuinely difficult. I tried to leave for Hue after a few days in Ninh Binh and everything was fully booked for the next 8 days. That’s how I ended up staying 11 days instead of 5.
If you need to arrive in or depart from Ninh Binh around Tet, book your tickets weeks ahead. Not days. Weeks. ATMs can also run low or empty during Tet due to high demand. Withdraw enough cash to cover at least a week before the holiday starts.
Temples and Countryside
Here’s the thing nobody tells you: the countryside never closes. The rice fields don’t take a holiday. The limestone karsts don’t go anywhere. The backroads of Tam Coc are empty, beautiful, and completely free to explore every single day of Tet.
Temples stay open and are actually busier than usual during Tet. Locals visit Bai Dinh Temple, Bich Dong Pagoda, and Chua Vang Temple for prayers and offerings throughout the holiday. If you want to experience temples with Vietnamese families rather than tour groups, this is genuinely the best time.
Top Survival Tips for Traveling Vietnam During Tet
Book transport weeks in advance. If you plan to arrive or leave Ninh Binh around Tet, book your bus or train ticket weeks ahead. Travelers who leave it late end up stranded for days.
Stock up on food before Tet begins. A day or two before the holiday starts, buy instant noodles, snacks, fruit, and anything shelf-stable from a convenience store. You’ll be grateful on day three when most restaurants are still closed.
Carry cash. Withdraw more than you think you need before Tet begins. ATMs run dry during peak demand. Having enough cash for a week means you don’t have to panic about finding one that works.
Lower your activity expectations. Don’t plan boat tours or organized activities during this period. Assume things will be closed or delayed. Then be pleasantly surprised when something is actually open.
Stay flexible above everything else. The Tet holiday in Vietnam rewards flexibility more than any other travel period. If you can adjust plans without stress, you’ll have a far better time than if you’re rigidly attached to what you originally planned. Tet will change your plans. Accept that before you arrive.
Where to Stay: Tam Coc, Trang An, or the City?
Tam Coc is my recommendation even during Tet. The countryside and temples around Tam Coc are accessible by scooter all day. You can ride backroads through rice fields without seeing another tourist. Small restaurants in the Tam Coc area reopen relatively quickly after the first few days of the holiday. And the scenery is exactly what you came to Ninh Binh for. Being based here means you’re never far from something beautiful even when everything commercial is shut.
Trang An is quieter than Tam Coc at the best of times. During Tet it’s extremely peaceful. Good option if you want maximum quiet and you’re prepared to be more self-sufficient with food. Just know that finding an open restaurant near Trang An during Tet is harder than in Tam Coc.
Ninh Binh city is the most practical option if food access and connectivity are your priority. Less scenic than Tam Coc or Trang An. But closer to convenience stores, ATMs, and the handful of restaurants that stay open throughout the holiday. If you’re stuck during Tet and need to function day to day without stressing about food, the city edges out Tam Coc on sheer practicality.
One important note for all three areas: book accommodation before Tet starts. Places fill up because travelers who get stuck need somewhere to stay. Expect to pay 20,000 to 50,000 VND more per night than normal.
My 11-Day Experience Getting “Stuck” in Ninh Binh
I arrived in Ninh Binh a few days before Tet started. The plan was simple. Stay 4 or 5 days. Do the boat tour. Visit a few temples. Then catch a bus to Hue and keep moving south.
Then Tet hit.
Within 24 hours of the holiday beginning, most of the restaurants I’d been eating at closed. The cafes I was using to work remotely shut their doors. And the bus I planned to take to Hue was fully booked for the next 8 days. Every service I tried to book was either closed or unavailable.
I was stuck. Not in danger. Not in a bad situation. Just stuck in a place I’d planned to leave days earlier, with limited food options and nowhere to go.
When I Realized Everything Was Shutting Down
The shift happened fast. Day 2 of Tet. I went to my regular lunch spot. Closed. Walked to the next street. Two more restaurants had their shutters down. A third one I’d never noticed before had its lights on. I went in. Ate a bowl of phở. Paid slightly more than usual. And smiled at the owner who seemed genuinely happy to have a customer sitting at her table.
The roads were quiet in a way that felt wrong at first. Ninh Binh isn’t loud on a normal day. But during Tet it was almost completely silent. I rode my scooter down the main road through Tam Coc and didn’t pass another vehicle for 15 minutes straight.
That’s when it stopped feeling wrong and started feeling interesting.
Finding a New Daily Rhythm
Once I accepted that I wasn’t going anywhere for a while, a new routine emerged almost naturally.
Mornings: Wake up. Hostel breakfast if it was available. Or instant noodles from the bag I’d bought before Tet started. Step outside into cool, quiet air and empty streets.
Afternoons: Ride the scooter through countryside roads that felt like they belonged entirely to me. Stop at temples filled with local families making offerings instead of tour groups following a guide. Sit by rice fields with no one else around. Work from whatever cafe happened to have its lights on that day.
Evenings: The daily challenge of finding dinner. Walk around until something was open. Eat whatever was available without being too particular about it. Go back to the hostel early because there wasn’t much else open.
The slower rhythm wasn’t bad. It was just different from everything I’d planned. My expectations shifted completely. I stopped trying to plan ahead and started responding to whatever each day offered. That’s harder than it sounds. But once it clicked, the days started to feel genuinely good.
The Unexpected Magic of Empty Roads
Being stuck during Tet forced slow travel in a way that no amount of intention could have achieved on its own.
I couldn’t move forward to the next destination. So I stayed. And staying forced me to notice things I would have completely missed if I’d been rushing south on schedule.
The way morning light hit the rice fields at 7 a.m. when there was nobody else around. The sound of firecrackers somewhere in the distance at midnight while the village around me was dark and still. The empty temple courtyards where local families came quietly to pray before anyone else arrived for the day.
I worked. I read. I rode around on my scooter for hours with nowhere specific to go and no reason to be anywhere. And those 11 days in Ninh Binh ended up being one of the most grounding stretches of my entire Vietnam trip. Not because anything spectacular happened. But because nothing did. And that turned out to be exactly what I needed.
Final Verdict: Who Should (and Shouldn’t) Go?
Visit Ninh Binh during Tet if you work remotely and can genuinely handle slow, unplanned days. If you find beauty in quiet countryside and empty roads rather than packed itineraries. If you’re flexible with food and can adapt when your usual options disappear. If you want a version of Vietnam that most travelers never experience because it only exists during this specific window.
Avoid Ninh Binh during Tet if you need variety and quality in your food options every day. If the boat tours at Tam Coc or Trang An are the main reason you’re visiting and you can’t come back later. If you need to leave on a specific date and haven’t pre-booked transport. If you get restless or stressed without activities and things to fill your days.
The right mindset going in: come expecting very little. Bring enough snacks to survive the first few days comfortably. Have work or books to fill the quiet hours. And treat the whole experience as forced slow travel rather than a normal Vietnam sightseeing trip.
Tet changes everything about traveling Vietnam. Ninh Binh during Tet is no exception. But if you let go of what you planned and accept what’s actually there, you might find it’s better than what you expected. I didn’t plan to spend 11 days there. But I’m glad I did. Some of the best travel experiences aren’t the ones you planned. They’re the ones that happened when your plans fell apart.
Planning the Rest of Your Vietnam Itinerary?
If you’re building a bigger Vietnam trip, here’s what else I’ve written:
Ninh Binh Budget Travel Guide 2026: How I Spent 11 Days on $12 a Day
How to Spend One Day in Tam Coc, Vietnam (2026): A Relaxed Travel Itinerary
Vietnam Itinerary for Slow Travel: My 50-Day Route Through the Real Vietnam
Frequently Asked Questions About Ninh Binh During Tet
Are the Tam Coc and Trang An boat tours open during Tet?
No. They shut down completely. This is the main tourist draw in the region, and it simply stops running for the holiday. If the boat ride is the only reason you are visiting Ninh Binh, do not come during Tet. Also, be warned: when they reopen, the queues are massive as everyone tries to catch up on what they missed.
Will I be able to find food, or do I need to pack my own meals?
You won’t starve, but it gets tricky. Most family-run restaurants close for 5 to 7 days. You’ll be relying on convenience stores like Family Mart and the handful of local places that choose to stay open. Do yourself a favor and stock up on instant noodles, fruit, and snacks a day or two before the holiday actually begins.
How early do I really need to book my bus or train?
Weeks in advance. Seriously. Do not leave this to the last minute. I planned to stay 5 days and ended up stuck for 11 because every bus south was fully booked for over a week. If you need to move cities during the Tet window, lock your transport in before you even arrive in Vietnam.
Are the temples closed too?
No, and this is actually the hidden upside to Tet. The temples stay open and are much busier than usual, but with local Vietnamese families rather than tour groups. Places like Bai Dinh Temple and Bich Dong Pagoda fill with people making offerings and praying for the new year. It’s a genuinely authentic experience.
I’m already booked to be there during Tet. What’s the best way to handle it?
Lower your expectations, withdraw plenty of cash, and lean into the quiet. Don’t try to force a packed itinerary because the infrastructure just isn’t there to support it. Wake up early, rent a scooter, ride the empty countryside backroads, and treat the whole thing as an experiment in forced slow travel.
Where is the best area to base myself?
I highly recommend Tam Coc. Even with businesses closed, the scenery is right outside your door and you can explore the rice fields freely. Trang An is even quieter but food access is harder. If sheer survival and food access are your only priorities, stay in Ninh Binh city, but you’ll sacrifice the beautiful countryside views.
