When traveling to Ho Chi Minh City during Vietnam's Tet holiday, can I find places to eat near Ben Thanh Market or Bui Vien Walking Street?

Yes, according to the article, restaurants near Ben Thanh Market and Bui Vien Walking Street were open even during Vietnam's Tet holiday. The author mentioned eating pho at a place called PHO VHIN and said the taste was good.

If Ha Tam is closed for currency exchange during a trip to Ho Chi Minh City during Vietnam's Tet holiday, what are efficient alternatives?

According to the article, Ha Tam might be firmly closed during Tet. The alternative place visited had worse exchange rates than the airport. The author actively used a travel wallet and advised that exchanging money at the airport beforehand isn't a bad option.

During Vietnam's Tet holiday in Ho Chi Minh City, if I use Grab Bike, how does the base fare change compared to usual?

According to the article, during Tet in Ho Chi Minh City, the base fare for Grab Bike increased from the original 14,000 VND (~$0) to 20,000 VND (~$1). This was speculated to be due to rising prices, driver scarcity, or the special circumstances of the Tet holiday.

What special atmosphere can be experienced on Nguyen Hue Walking Street in Ho Chi Minh City during Vietnam's Tet holiday?

According to the article, during Tet in Ho Chi Minh City, Nguyen Hue Walking Street hosts various events and decorations, offering a unique charm different from its usual state. The author mentioned that the street was more beautifully decorated than expected.

Ho Chi Minh Tet Travel 2026: Weather, Currency & Hidden…

The common advice about traveling to Vietnam during Tet (Lunar New Year) is that most shops close, and those that remain open often charge higher prices. I'd only ever heard stories, never experienced it myself, until my recent trip.

It wasn't really a full Ho Chi Minh City vacation, more of a stopover where I decided to spend a night. Upon arrival, I headed straight to check into my accommodation...

And guess what? Everything was closed! Haha.

Wow, it's true. Everything really does shut down.

A quick search online revealed all sorts of horror stories: people who only found convenience stores open, some even going hungry because they couldn't find anything.

But here's the thing...

There was plenty to eat!

And restaurants near tourist hotspots like Ben Thanh Market and Bui Vien Walking Street were all open, surprisingly!

Frankly, I had such a great time that I highly recommend it. However, there's one exception: first-time visitors to Vietnam. My enjoyment came from experiencing a different charm than the city's usual hustle and bustle. The city was adorned with decorations everywhere, and there were various events happening as I wandered around.

For first-timers, you wouldn't know the 'original' vibe anyway, so you wouldn't get that same sense of discovery. There's no need to intentionally make your first trip more challenging. Plus, during this period, most blog recommendations become pretty useless.

While I found more places open than those horror stories of only convenience stores, it's true that many places were still closed. (And the Ho Chi Minh weather during this time is hot! The evenings can be breezy, but you'll feel the heat quickly after just a short walk.) We're talking temperatures often in the high 80s to low 90s Fahrenheit.

For instance, Ha Tam, a popular money exchange spot in Ho Chi Minh, was firmly shut, as was Pho Hung, a famous pho restaurant often on travelers' must-try lists.

When I first stepped outside, I thought it felt surprisingly cool, but I had severely underestimated Ho Chi Minh's weather! Haha. Deciding it was best to eat first, I immediately ducked into a nearby spot called PHO VHIN. I had pho there, and it was delicious.

For currency exchange in Ho Chi Minh, I primarily used my Travel Wallet card. Just to compare rates, I exchanged ~$100 at another place near where Ha Tam would typically be, and well... haha.

It was more expensive than the airport! The image on the left shows the airport's rate, while the one on the right is from the alternative spot I found. If you're traveling to Ho Chi Minh during Tet, it might be just as good to exchange currency at the airport. Finding an open exchange office is a hassle, and the difference in rates isn't significant enough to warrant the effort.

Instead of planning your entire trip around the Tet period, it might be better to structure it as a short stopover, or have it overlap for just a few days.

While I didn't visit *all* establishments, the restaurants, pubs, and bars I went to didn't seem to have inflated prices.

However, the base price for a Grab bike did increase from 14,000 VND (~$1) to 20,000 VND (~$1). There could be a few reasons for this: perhaps the general cost of living has risen, or there were fewer drivers available during Tet, leading to surge pricing, or it simply increased because of the holiday. I'll have to check if it's still 20,000 VND on my next visit to know for sure.

After finishing my pho, I returned to the event area I'd spotted earlier, and it was a food paradise! There was so much to choose from, I was spoiled for choice.

They even had some Korean food, though it didn't look particularly appetizing, haha.

Armed with a refreshing lychee tea to combat the Ho Chi Minh heat, I continued exploring.

I have a favorite spot in Ho Chi Minh, a spacious open area, and I had a hunch something might be happening there. So, after checking out this event, I planned to head over. Turns out, as I followed the event booths, I realized they actually connected to that very spot! Haha.

Well, it makes sense; there aren't *that* many large open spaces in Ho Chi Minh City.

One of my absolute favorite places is Nguyen Hue Walking Street. It's just a personal preference, nothing particularly special, but I'll write a separate post about it later.

It seemed like there were even events being broadcast live. I've noticed this before, but the Vietnamese officials participating in these events always look so stoic! Haha. No expression changes, no tapping to the rhythm, just consistently poker-faced throughout.

It was decorated even more beautifully than I expected! I often come here for various events and enjoyable walks, but visiting during Tet offered a completely different and refreshing experience.

The main takeaway is that you don't need to be overly afraid or avoid traveling during Tet. I've seen questions in travel forums like, "Is it okay to go with my parents?" and the comments always strongly advise against it. Perhaps those who actually go don't even bother asking! Haha. This time, the most common group of Koreans I saw traveling in Ho Chi Minh were those with their parents.

My trip to Vietnam during Tet this year (2026) was quite enjoyable, so I'm already thinking it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit again next year, perhaps overlapping slightly after visiting my parents for the holiday. All in all, exploring Ho Chi Minh's weather, currency exchange, and general atmosphere during Tet revealed a city with a unique charm, different from its usual self!