Can you do the Ha Giang Loop during Tet? Yes. Our tours run straight through the Lunar New Year, and in 2027 Tet falls on Saturday 6 February. Expect a +15% surcharge on the tour service, cold mornings, the first pink blossoms of spring and highland markets at their busiest just before the holiday. The catch is that buses and homestays fill up fast, and many shops close for the first days of the new year, so you need to book early and plan around the holiday.
We are Ha Giang Ali Travel, a licensed local operator and hostel in Ha Giang city (now part of Tuyen Quang province). Most of our team grew up here and spends Tet in these mountains. This guide to the Ha Giang Loop during Tet covers what is open, what it costs, what the weather does and how to time your trip.
When is Tet 2027, and how long does the holiday last?
Tet (Tết Nguyên Đán) is the Lunar New Year and the biggest holiday of the Vietnamese year. Here are the key dates for 2027:
- Tet Eve: Friday 5 February 2027. Families gather for the last meal of the old year.
- Lunar New Year’s Day: Saturday 6 February 2027, the start of the Year of the Goat.
- The holiday week: the official break usually lasts about a week around these dates. The government confirms the exact days each year, so check before you fix flights.
In practice, “Tet season” is longer than the official break. The week before is a rush of shopping and travel home. The first three days are quiet family time. The weeks after are spring festivals and domestic trips. Each phase feels different on the Ha Giang Loop during Tet, so the exact days you pick matter.
How much does the Ha Giang Loop during Tet cost?
When you book the Ha Giang Loop during Tet, the only change on our side is a +15% Tet surcharge on the tour service. It never applies to the border permit or to motorbike rental, and 8% VAT is already inside every listed price. On our 3-day Dong Van & Ma Pi Leng tour with an Easy Rider (4,250,000 VND), that works out to a little under 600,000 VND, about $23, extra per person. For the full budget picture, see our Ha Giang Loop cost breakdown.
What stays the same at Tet:
- Deposit: 500,000 VND per guest confirms your place. The rest is paid before the tour starts.
- Border permit: included in the price, with no surcharge on top.
- Free extras: you sleep free at Ali Hostel the night before departure and leave your big luggage with us at no cost.
- Private room upgrade: +350,000 VND per room per night on Essential tours, the same as any other month.
Tell us your dates and we will quote the exact price before you pay anything.
What is open on the Ha Giang Loop during Tet?
The mountains, the passes and the viewpoints never close. What changes is daily life in the towns. Here is what we see each year:
- The week before Tet: everything is open and lively. Markets are packed with families buying food, new clothes and decorations. This is the best time to see a highland market in full swing.
- Tet Eve and the first three days: many small shops, cafés and local restaurants close so owners can be with family. Your tour meals are arranged ahead with our homestay hosts, so you are not hunting for food.
- From about the fourth day: towns reopen step by step, and domestic travellers start arriving for the spring holidays.
- ATMs: villages have none at any time of year, and town machines can run dry over the holiday, so cash matters even more on the Ha Giang Loop during Tet. Bring enough cash in VND from Ha Giang city.
Homestay openings vary family by family during the first days of the year. We confirm every night of your route before departure, which is one big advantage of a tour over riding the Ha Giang Loop during Tet on your own.
Is Tet a good time to see local culture?
It is one of the best reasons to ride the Ha Giang Loop during Tet. The Hmong, Lo Lo, Tay, Dao and other groups on the plateau all mark the new year, each in their own way. Families wear new traditional clothes, houses are cleaned and decorated, and the smell of sticky rice cakes and smoked meat drifts out of kitchens. Remember that Tet is a family occasion, though: you are a guest, not an audience.
- Pre-Tet markets: the final market days before the new year are the most colourful of the calendar. If your dates allow, plan a Sunday at the Dong Van market.
- Spring festivals: in the weeks after Tet, villages hold festivals with music, dancing and traditional games. Read more in our guide to ethnic festivals in Ha Giang.
- Tet food: square sticky rice cakes, smoked pork and corn wine appear on every table. Our Ha Giang food guide explains what you will be offered.
A few habits will make you a welcome guest. Ask before photographing people, and never inside a home without permission. Accept a small cup of corn wine if offered (a sip is polite enough). Avoid arguments and talk of bad luck in the first days of the year, because Vietnamese people believe how you start the year shapes the rest of it.
What is the weather like on the Ha Giang Loop during Tet?
On the Ha Giang Loop during Tet, early February is still winter on the plateau. Days can be sunny and crisp, but nights in Dong Van and Meo Vac are cold, and a cold surge from the north can bring two or three days of drizzle and fog. It is drier than summer, and landslides, the main rainy-season hazard, are rarely a concern.
- Mornings: fog on Ma Pi Leng and the passes above Quan Ba often lifts by mid-morning. Our riders slow down and wait for it.
- Afternoons: often the clearest part of the day for views and photos.
- Evenings: cold enough for a down jacket, gloves and a warm hat. Homestays give you heavy duvets.
The official forecast comes from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, and we check it daily in winter. Our Ha Giang Loop in December guide explains winter riding in more detail, and the packing list shows what to bring.
Will I see blossoms on the Ha Giang Loop during Tet?
Very likely, and this is the best reason to go. February and March are peach and plum blossom season in the highlands. The pink and white flowers open around Tet and peak in the weeks after. Because Tet 2027 falls in early February, you may catch the first blossoms on the way up and fuller bloom on later days.
Blossom timing changes with altitude and with each year’s weather. Lower valleys bloom first and the high plateau later, so a short cold spell can delay it. Do not book only for one specific tree. Instead, think of the blossoms as a bonus on top of a great ride on the Ha Giang Loop during Tet. If flowers are your main goal, our Ha Giang Loop in March guide covers the later part of the season.
Is the Ha Giang Loop during Tet busy?
It depends on the exact days. Over Tet Eve and the first two or three days, the roads are among the quietest of the year because people are at home. The pressure comes before and after:
- Buses: coaches across Vietnam sell out in the days before and after Tet as people travel home. Book your Hanoi to Ha Giang seat as soon as your dates are fixed. We sell bus tickets at the operator fare and can book it together with your tour.
- After the holiday: the blossom weeks bring many Vietnamese travellers, and homestays on popular routes fill up quickly, especially at weekends.
- Our tours: Tet is one of our peak periods, so places on the Ha Giang Loop during Tet go early. Booking a month or more ahead is wise.
How to plan the Ha Giang Loop during Tet
Here is how we would plan the Ha Giang Loop during Tet ourselves:
- Pick your phase. For markets and buzz, go in the week before Tet. For empty roads and quiet villages, ride over the first days. For blossoms and festivals, go in the two weeks after.
- Book early. Lock in the tour and the bus at the same time. Book 30 days or more ahead and you get one free date change, and the full deposit back (less bank fees) if you cancel.
- Choose how you ride. In cold, foggy mornings an Easy Rider is the safer choice for most people. If you would rather stay warm, a private car on the same route works well. See Easy Rider vs self-drive to compare.
- Bring cash and layers. Take enough VND for the whole route and pack proper winter clothes.
- Keep a buffer day. On the Ha Giang Loop during Tet, leave a spare day before an international flight in case a cold surge or a full bus slows you down.
Safety rules do not change for the holiday. If a pass is closed for safety, you choose a free date change or a 100% refund. Our guide to whether the Ha Giang Loop is safe covers the rest.
FAQ: Ha Giang Loop during Tet
Do Ha Giang Loop tours run during Tet?
Yes. Our tours run through the Lunar New Year with a +15% surcharge on the tour service. The permit and bike rental are not surcharged.
When is Tet in 2027?
Lunar New Year’s Day is Saturday 6 February 2027, and Tet Eve is Friday 5 February. The official holiday usually lasts about a week around these dates.
Will restaurants and shops be closed?
Many small shops and local restaurants close for the first two or three days of the new year. On a tour, your meals are arranged in advance with homestay hosts, so this rarely affects you.
Is it too cold to ride the Ha Giang Loop during Tet?
Not if you dress for it. Days are often pleasant, but mornings and nights on the plateau are cold, and fog is common early on. Pack a warm jacket, gloves and a hat, and consider an Easy Rider or a private car.
How far ahead should I book for Tet?
For the Ha Giang Loop during Tet, book at least a month ahead for the tour, and as early as possible for the bus. Booking 30 days or more ahead also gives you the most flexible cancellation terms.
Plan your Ha Giang Loop during Tet with Ali
Send us your dates and we will tell you which phase of Tet you are in, what will be open and the exact price including the surcharge. Our 3-day Dong Van & Ma Pi Leng tour is the classic choice, and the White Cliff & Sky Path tour by private car keeps you warm on cold days. Either way, you sleep free at Ali Hostel the night before you leave.
WhatsApp / Zalo: (+84) 787 652 333 · Email: info@hagiangalitravel.com · Web: hagiangalitravel.com
See more: Ha Giang weather by month · How many days for the Ha Giang Loop · Ha Giang Loop FAQ
