Tet Festival in Hanoi: A Wild, Colorful, Delicious Adventure

Hanoi, the capital city of Vietnam is more beautiful in Winters. It’s season for Tet festival in Hanoi  Motorbikes buzzing. Street vendors yelling. And then—bam—Tết hits. Lunar New Year. Vietnamese New Year. The city doesn’t just celebrate; it explodes.

Tet Festival in Hanoi

By the time I reached my hotel, I realized something. Hanoi may sleep during the day. Maybe. But at night, during Tết? Forget it. The city is alive. It’s buzzing. It’s chaotic. It’s beautiful.

Streets That Flip Overnight

The Old Quarter, which you might think you know, suddenly looks like a carnival. Alleys lined with flowers, vendors with carts stacked high. Neon lights flashing at angles that hurt your eyes. Kids screaming, parents dragging them.

 I tried photographing everything. Ended up with a hundred blurry pictures of flowers and motorbike helmets.

The smells. They hit you from every direction. Dried fish, grilled meats, sugarcane juice, incense, and something sweet and spicy I couldn’t identify but made my stomach growl louder. I realized—I was starving before even finding a proper meal.

Flower Markets: Jungles of Color

Flower markets during Tết are a story unto themselves. Hàng Lược, Hàng Đào, Quang Ba—they all transform into riotous jungles of color. Apricot blossoms in brilliant yellow. Peach blossoms in delicate pink. Chrysanthemums of every shade. Orchids that looked like they belonged in a palace.

Locals haggle with precision. Mothers in conical hats sniff, twist, examine, and then give you the look that makes you sweat: “Are you serious about buying, or just messing around?”

I bought a branch of peach blossoms. Overpaid. Absolutely. But it looked so perfect it almost made me cry. I carried it around like a trophy. People stared. I waved. Felt like a hero in a floral battlefield.

Nearby, vendors sold kumquats stacked like tiny orange towers. Lucky trees for Tết. Red envelopes for children. Families carefully chose their plants, negotiating prices, discussing where each tree would go in the living room. I tried bargaining once but failed.

Tết Foods: The Real Reason to Come

If there’s one reason to experience Tết in Hanoi, it’s the food. Street food, home food, snack food, dessert food. You name it.

Sticky Rice and Traditional Delights

One bite and I understood why it’s a staple. Chewy, savory, slightly sweet. You feel like a Tết champion just chewing it.

Then there’s Bánh tét—cylindrical sticky rice, similar filling. Street vendors grill skewers nearby. I tried grilled squid. Sticky rice wrapped in leaves. Fried spring rolls. Pickled vegetables. Coconut candies. I tasted everything. Failed at picking favorites. Ate too much. Stomach protested, I ignored it.

One funny moment: I tried to pronounce the Vietnamese names of desserts to a vendor. She stared. I repeated. She laughed. Gave me an extra portion anyway. I left with sugar all over my fingers and a grin that wouldn’t quit.

Drinks and Sweets

Sugarcane juice. Pressed fresh from giant green stalks. Sweet. Cold. Perfect for Hanoi humidity. I had three cups before realizing I was basically a walking sugar bomb. Worth it. Every sip.

Then there are coconut candies wrapped in colored paper. Durian snacks.

Street food isn’t just food here—it’s performance. The sizzling, the smells, the cooks tossing ingredients like wizards. You watch. You drool. You buy more than you planned. Always.

Traditions: Red Envelopes, Clean Homes, Ancestors

Tết isn’t just about eating. It’s about family, respect, and luck.

Homes are cleaned to perfection. Walls scrubbed. Floors polished. Ancestors honored with altars. New clothes worn.

I was lucky. Invited to a local family. Sat awkwardly. Took tiny bites. Tried to pronounce dish names. Failed spectacularly. They laughed. I laughed. Shared tea. Joined rituals I didn’t fully understand. But I felt part of it. Part of the tradition.

Lucky money. Kids’ faces lighting up. Adults smiling knowingly. Dogs excitedly running around. Everything felt alive, warm, chaotic, and oddly comforting.

Night Markets: Shopping Chaos

Dong Xuan Market, Quang Ba Flower Market, temporary Tết stalls—each is a world of its own. Stalls of kumquats, red envelopes, flowers, candies, snacks, decorations, toys.

Dong Xuan is raw. Wholesale. Crowded. Merchants barely notice tourists. Prices low. Bargain hard. Walk in, look around, maybe buy three times more than you intended. I did.

Weekend Night Market is different. More festive. Tourist-friendly. Pottery you’re scared to touch. Wooden toys that wobble adorably. Art, calligraphy, postcards. You’ll spend a fortune on things you didn’t know you needed.

I tried bargaining in broken Vietnamese. Failed. Laughed. Overpaid. Got offered tea by a stranger. Almost ran over by a motorbike. Typical night market experience.

Entertainment: Music, Fireworks, Chaos

Street performers everywhere.  Fireworks explode. Firecrackers pop. Motorbikes honk. Dogs bark. Music floats through the air.

 Tried to weave through. Failed. Ended up clapping along. Smiling like an idiot. Perfect Tết moment.

Another moment: I saw an old man playing a đàn bầu. That single-string Vietnamese instrument. He coaxed sounds out like magic. People stopped. I stopped. Then realized I was blocking a motorbike lane. Oops.

Personal Chaos & Funny Stories

Lost in the Weekend Night Market, I bought three pairs of socks. Ate grilled squid. Joined a conga line. Drank Bia Hoi with strangers. Ate a dessert I still don’t know the name of. And somehow survived.

I felt like a character in a chaotic, edible, floral carnival. And that’s exactly what Tết in Hanoi is.

Morning Rituals: Streets Before Dawn

I woke at 5 a.m. one day, jet-lagged, curious. Streets almost empty. Flower vendors setting up. Fresh pastries steaming on carts. Early commuters on scooters. The air cold, mist rising, smells different—like a preview of chaos waiting to explode.

I bought a few kumquats from a sleepy old lady. Tried talking. She laughed. I laughed. We didn’t understand a word of each other. Perfect transaction.

Tết mornings are magical in ways you don’t expect.

Tips for Travelers

• Cash only. Cards? Forget it.

• Bargain gently. Smile, laugh, nod.

• Watch your stuff. Crowds = pickpocket heaven.

• Try everything. Don’t stick to safe foods.

• Empty stomach mandatory. You’ll want to eat everything.

• Hydrate. Sugarcane juice is your savior.

• Go early if you hate crowds. Late if you love chaos.

Final Words

Hanoi during Tết is so colorful and it’s more than flowers, red envelopes, and sticky rice.

Crowded? Yes. Sweaty? Absolutely. Overwhelming? Most definitely. But perfect? Without question.

Go with a friend, wander solo, keep cash, bring patience, and curiosity. Step into the markets, taste the food, smell the flowers, join in the chaos.

Because Hanoi at Tết? It’s alive, messy and magic.

Also read: 9 Cultural Etiquette in Hanoi: Do’s and Don’ts for Foreign Visitors