Use the Philippine holiday calendar to find the days you can travel, then check whether those dates overlap with a major Vietnamese holiday. That second check matters because domestic travel demand in Vietnam can change transport availability, hotel prices and opening hours even when your leave dates look convenient from the Philippines.
Why compare Philippine and Vietnamese holidays?
A long weekend in the Philippines does not always line up with a quiet travel period in Vietnam. Your dates may fall during a normal working week, or they may overlap with Tet, the April 30–May 1 holiday period or National Day, when domestic demand can be much higher.
Start with the leave dates you actually have. Then check whether Vietnam has a public holiday on the same dates and decide whether you need to book transport earlier, keep the route simpler or choose another region.
This page owns the calendar decision. For weather, route choice or a specific Holy Week or Christmas trip, use the dedicated guides linked below rather than trying to solve every planning question from one holiday table.
Which Vietnamese holidays can affect your trip?
Some Vietnamese holidays are fixed by the solar calendar and others follow the lunar calendar. The important question for a traveller is not whether the holiday is culturally important, but whether it changes transport demand, opening hours or crowd levels on your route.
New Year’s Day
January 1 is a public holiday in Vietnam. City centres can be lively around New Year, and accommodation or flights around the wider year-end period may be busier than on an ordinary week.
Tet / Lunar New Year
Tet is the holiday that needs the most planning. The official break changes by year, many Vietnamese travel home, and some family-run businesses close or operate reduced hours. If you are visiting during Tet, confirm transport and the places that matter to you instead of assuming normal schedules.
Hung Kings Commemoration Day
This public holiday falls on the 10th day of the third lunar month, so its Gregorian date changes each year. Domestic travel can increase around the holiday, especially when it creates a longer break.
Reunification Day and International Labour Day
April 30 and May 1 sit next to each other and often create a busy domestic travel window. Beach destinations, intercity transport and popular attractions can be noticeably busier, so book the parts of the trip that are difficult to replace earlier than you would for a normal week.
National Day
Vietnam’s National Day is September 2, with the official holiday arrangement varying by year. Expect stronger domestic travel demand around the break and check current transport schedules if your route includes popular leisure destinations.
How to use Philippine long weekends for a Vietnam trip
A three- or four-day break is usually easiest when you stay in one city or one compact region. Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi and Da Nang–Hoi An can all work, but the better choice depends on flight times and the weather during your actual dates.
Do not assume a Philippine public holiday automatically means Vietnam will be quiet. Check whether the same dates overlap with a Vietnamese holiday, then keep the route compact enough that a delayed flight or busy transfer does not consume most of the trip.
For route ideas by trip length, use How to Plan a Vietnam Trip Around Philippine Long Weekends. This calendar page should help you choose the date window, while the long-weekend guide handles the itinerary.
What about Holy Week?
Holy Week can give some Filipino travellers a longer fixed travel window, but the exact dates move each year. Vietnam does not observe Philippine Holy Week as a national holiday, so normal local schedules generally continue unless the dates overlap with a Vietnamese public holiday.
Do not assume one Vietnam region will have ideal weather every Holy Week. Compare the exact dates with North, Central and South conditions before deciding the route.
If Holy Week is the reason your dates are fixed, use the dedicated Vietnam During Holy Week for Filipinos guide for route, Mass and weather decisions.
Christmas and New Year: check the date, then choose the region
Christmas Day is not a nationwide public holiday in Vietnam, so December 25 does not create the same countrywide closure pattern that Filipino travellers may expect at home. Individual restaurants, hotels, churches and attractions can still change their schedules, especially around Christmas Eve.
Christmas Eve
Major city centres can be busy on December 24, particularly around decorated streets, malls and churches. If dinner or Mass matters to you, confirm the current schedule before filling the evening with sightseeing.
Christmas Day
Many normal travel services continue, but do not assume every business will keep regular hours. Check anything that is essential to the day.
New Year
December 31 and January 1 can bring stronger demand around popular city centres and resorts. When your leave dates are fixed, compare flight and hotel availability early rather than relying on a generic “peak season” rule.
For Christmas-specific weather, Mass and route planning, use Christmas in Vietnam for Filipinos.
Which holiday periods are usually busier in Vietnam?
Tet, the April 30–May 1 holiday period and National Day are the main dates to check when you want simpler transport and more accommodation choice. How busy a place feels still depends on the destination, weekday and year, so avoid fixed crowd claims.
If your Philippine leave overlaps with one of these periods, you do not automatically need to cancel the trip. Book the difficult-to-replace parts earlier and keep the route compact enough that one crowded transfer does not disrupt the whole holiday.
Can travelling just after a holiday be cheaper?
Sometimes, but there is no guaranteed “value window”. Airfare and hotel prices depend on route, demand and the exact dates. A period just after a major Vietnamese holiday may have more availability, while another destination can still be busy because of local weather or events.
Compare your actual flight and hotel options instead of assuming that March, October or a post-holiday week will always be cheaper. Weather should also be checked by region rather than using one national low-season label.
How the holiday window changes the route
The calendar should narrow your options, not dictate one “best” itinerary. Use the number of days and any Vietnamese holiday overlap first, then choose the region by weather and flight timing.
| Travel window | Useful starting point | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| 3–4 day long weekend | One city or one compact region | Direct flight times and airport transfers |
| Holy Week | One region, or a simple two-base route | Exact-year dates and regional weather |
| Christmas | Choose North, Central or South first | Christmas Eve plans, weather and year-end demand |
| Tet overlap | Keep transport and opening hours central to the plan | Official holiday dates and current business schedules |
| April 30–May 1 or National Day overlap | Book the difficult-to-replace parts earlier | Domestic transport and accommodation availability |
What to confirm before booking a holiday-period trip
- Philippine leave dates: confirm the days you can actually travel before comparing routes.
- Vietnamese public holidays: check whether your dates overlap with Tet, April 30–May 1, National Day or another official break.
- Entry rules: use the current Vietnam Visa for Filipinos guide rather than relying on an old eVisa timeline.
- Transport: confirm international and domestic flight schedules, baggage rules and any long-distance transfer that is difficult to replace.
- Weather-sensitive plans: check the region, not just a national forecast.
Final holiday check for Filipino travellers
If your Philippine holiday gives you fixed dates, keep those dates and change the Vietnam route when necessary. The calendar is most useful for spotting periods when domestic travel demand or opening hours may be different from normal.
For a short break, one compact region is usually easier than trying to cross Vietnam. For Holy Week or Christmas, move to the dedicated guide once the dates are fixed. For weather, use the regional planning pages rather than turning this calendar into another “best time” article.
If you are still comparing trip lengths after choosing your dates, the Vietnam tour packages from the Philippines page can help you compare routes without changing the role of this calendar guide.
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