Top 8 Vietnamese traditional festivals

After implementing the “open doors” policy and deepening international integration, Vietnam has changed quickly in the last few decades. Modern life, new infrastructure and global brands are now part of everyday scenes. Yet, despite all of this, traditional festivals are still at the heart of Vietnamese culture and family life.

For many visitors, joining a local festival is one of the best ways to understand the country beyond famous landmarks. You can combine these celebrations with tailor-made Vietnam tours, planning your trip around key dates to see how Vietnamese people welcome a new year, thank their ancestors or pray for good harvests.

Key Vietnamese traditional festivals you should not miss when visiting Vietnam in 2026

Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán)

The Lunar New Year, or Tết, is the most important holiday in Vietnam. It is when almost everyone tries to return to their hometown, clean and decorate the family house, visit pagodas and spend time with loved ones. Streets are filled with flowers, markets stay open late at night and cities feel completely different from normal days.

Many traditional customs are still practiced during the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, including:

• Sending off the Kitchen Gods (Ông Công, Ông Táo) on the 23rd day of the last lunar month.
• New Year’s Eve worship at midnight, marking the transition from the old year to the new one.
• Visiting elders to wish them health and longevity.
• Giving “lucky money” in red envelopes to children, with wishes for growth and good studies.

In 2026, the first day of the Lunar New Year (mùng 1 Tết) falls on Tuesday, February 17, 2026. Official government plans currently set the public Tết holiday for most state employees from February 16 to February 20, 2026 (from the 29th day of the last lunar month to the 4th day of the new year). Exact dates for private companies can vary, but most people will have several days off around this period.

If you travel to Vietnam during Tết, expect busier transport before and after the holiday, higher prices on some routes and many shops or restaurants closing for a few days. In return, you will see special markets, flower streets, family altars full of fruits and offerings, and fireworks or community events in big cities like Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City.

Lim Festival

Vietnam has many regional folk music traditions such as chèo, tuồng, cải lương and quan họ. Lim Festival is the most famous celebration of quan họ, a style of antiphonal singing from Bac Ninh Province.

Lim festival

The festival takes place in Lim Town, Tien Du District, Bac Ninh (about 30 km from Hanoi), on the 13th day of the first lunar month each year. In 2026, this will fall around mid-February; the exact Gregorian date depends on the lunar calendar and will be confirmed closer to the time.

During Lim Festival, local men and women in traditional costumes sing quan họ on boats, in pagoda courtyards and on small hills around the village. You can also see folk games, local markets and family rituals. For visitors staying in Hanoi, a day trip to Lim is an easy way to experience a very “Northern” kind of culture.

Perfume Pagoda Festival

Buddhism has a strong influence on Vietnamese culture, even among people who do not consider themselves Buddhist. Perfume Pagoda (Chùa Hương) is one of the country’s most important pilgrimage sites, combining a complex of pagodas, temples and shrines scattered in limestone mountains and caves.

The main Perfume Pagoda Festival opens on the 6th day of the first lunar month and traditionally lasts for about three months. The center of the complex is located in Huong Son Commune, My Duc District, Hanoi, about 60 km from the city center.

From late January to April 2026 (solar calendar), thousands of pilgrims travel by small boats along the Yen Stream, then walk or take a cable car up to Huong Tich Cave. Outside the peak weeks, you can still visit at a quieter time and enjoy the river, karst scenery and local food stalls along the way.

Gióng Festival

Gióng Festival honors Saint Gióng, a legendary child hero who grew rapidly, rode an iron horse and helped defeat foreign invaders. His story is one of the earliest national myths taught to Vietnamese children.

Giong festival

There are several Gióng festivals in different locations, but two in Hanoi are especially well known:

• Sóc Temple Gióng Festival (Soc Son District, Hanoi): Held from the 6th to the 8th day of the first lunar month. In 2026 this will be in early February. Local villagers stage mock battles, processions and offerings to honor the saint.
• Phù Đổng Gióng Festival (Gia Lam District, Hanoi): Recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. It takes place on the 8th and 9th day of the fourth lunar month (around late May in 2026). Rituals, dramas and re-enactments celebrate Saint Gióng’s courage.

If you are in Hanoi around these times, joining a Gióng festival gives you a different view of local history, with strong community participation and village pride.

Hung Kings Temple Festival – one of the most important Vietnamese traditional festivals

The Hung Kings are widely regarded as the founding rulers of Vietnam. The Hung Kings Temple complex on Nghia Linh Mountain (Viet Tri, Phu Tho Province, about 90 km from Hanoi) is the main site where people honor these early kings and their royal families.

The festival is held every year on the 10th day of the third lunar month</strong. In 2012, the worship of the Hung Kings in Phu Tho was inscribed by UNESCO on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

In 2026, the 10th day of the third lunar month corresponds to Sunday, April 26, 2026, according to the official Vietnamese lunar–solar calendar. Some older or unofficial sources (including earlier drafts of this content) mentioned a different converted date such as April 18, 2026, but that was incorrect. If you are planning around the festival, always check updated government announcements to confirm dates for ceremonies and public holidays.

Ancestor’s Anniversary (Giỗ Tổ Hùng Vương) is also an official public holiday in Vietnam. Around the main day, Phu Tho hosts processions, incense-offering ceremonies, folk games, Xoan singing and regional food fairs. For many Vietnamese, visiting Hung Temple at least once is considered a way to “return to the roots”.

Central Highlands Gong Festival

The gong culture of Vietnam’s Central Highlands was recognized by UNESCO in 2005 as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. Gongs are deeply linked to rituals for harvest, new rice, community houses, funerals and many other life events of ethnic minorities such as the Ba Na, Ede, Gia Rai and M’Nong.

In many villages across provinces like Dak Lak, Gia Lai, Kon Tum, Dak Nong and Lam Dong, gong teams still perform during community gatherings and special ceremonies. There is no single fixed “Central Highlands Gong Festival” date; instead, you may encounter gong performances at:

• Local new rice festivals.
• Buffalo sacrifice ceremonies (in some communities).
• Tourism-focused cultural nights organized in Buon Ma Thuot, Pleiku or smaller villages.

If you plan to visit the Central Highlands in 2026, ask your tour operator or local guide about current community events. Responsible travel is important here: choose programs that support local groups instead of treating them as a “show”.

Elephant Racing Festival

Elephants are strongly associated with the Central Highlands and with the history of Buon Don in Dak Lak Province. The Elephant Racing Festival traditionally takes place in the third lunar month in Ban Don area, Krong Na Commune, Buon Don District.

Elephant racing festival

In recent years, elephant tourism and racing have been under greater scrutiny because of animal welfare concerns. Some local authorities are gradually moving from elephant riding and racing to more ethical observation-based tourism, where visitors watch elephants in more natural settings without heavy loads.

If you are interested in this festival in 2026, check the latest local policies and try to choose experiences that prioritize the health and long-term protection of the elephants.

Festival of Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain

Ba Chua Xu Festival takes place each year at Ba Chua Xu Temple on Sam Mountain (Núi Sam Ward, Chau Doc City, An Giang Province, near the Cambodian border). It is one of southern Vietnam’s biggest spiritual events, drawing millions of pilgrims.

The main festival is held from the night of the 23rd to the 27th day of the fourth lunar month. The exact solar dates change every year; in 2026, this period will likely fall around late May to early June. Pilgrims climb the mountain, offer incense and fruits, and pray for protection, good business and health.

Ba Chua Xu Temple is both a religious and cultural landmark in the Mekong Delta. If you visit during the festival, expect crowded streets, many vendors and a strong mix of local beliefs, including Buddhism, ancestor worship and folk religion.

Traditional festivals remain one of the clearest windows into Vietnamese values: respect for ancestors, community solidarity and a close connection with nature and the agricultural calendar. When planning your trip in 2026, checking the lunar calendar and aligning your route with 1–2 major festivals can turn a good itinerary into a much deeper cultural experience.

Whether you are in Vietnam for Tết, a spring pilgrimage to Perfume Pagoda or a day at Hung Kings Temple, try to travel with patience and curiosity. Ask questions, taste local food from festival stalls, and give yourself time to simply observe how people celebrate. These moments are often the ones travelers remember most.