A dated calendar of Southeast Asia travel experiences
Calendar · First quarter
January to March: Tet, cool mornings and rising smoke
The first quarter is the busiest dry season across Cambodia, southern Vietnam and Laos, and the coldest in northern Vietnam. It also holds the lunar new year, which moves between late January and mid-February, and the weeks when field burning fills the northern valleys of Thailand and Laos with smoke.
The quarter at a glance
| Month | What is on | What to watch |
|---|---|---|
| January | Dry, clear mornings at Angkor; Hoi An lantern night on 21 January 2027 | Hanoi lows around 10 °C; Sa Pa can see snow |
| February | Tet: 6 February 2027 (holiday 4–10 February); lantern night 19 February 2027 | Domestic travel peak in Vietnam; smoke builds in northern Thailand |
| March | Lantern night 21 March 2027; Angkor still dry but warming | Chiang Mai air often at its worst; heat rising in Cambodia |
The lantern night dates are the 14th day of each lunar month, calculated by us and checked against published calendars. The Tet holiday dates are those set for public employees by Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs.
Sources: Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library; Ha Tinh provincial portal — Tet 2027 holiday (Ministry of Home Affairs notice); Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — weather and climate · last checked .
Tet: the week that reshapes Vietnam
Tet Nguyen Dan, the lunar new year, falls on 6 February 2027. The 2026 Tet was on 17 February. Vietnam's Ministry of Home Affairs has fixed the 2027 holiday for public employees as seven consecutive days, from Thursday 4 February to Wednesday 10 February 2027, under notice 11483/TB-BNV of 9 October 2026. Earlier in the year a ten-day option had also been proposed. Many private employers follow a similar pattern, so for that week a large part of the country is travelling home or on holiday.
For a visitor this has two faces. The days before Tet are some of the liveliest of the year: flower markets, kumquat and peach trees carried on motorbikes, streets hung with red. The first days of the new year are the quietest. Many family restaurants, market stalls and small shops close for several days, and the cities feel empty while the roads and trains out of them are full.
- Book any train, domestic flight or long-distance bus that falls in the week either side of Tet as early as you can; this is when Vietnamese families travel.
- Expect higher room prices in beach and mountain towns that are popular with domestic travellers, and lower activity in big-city business districts.
- Plan meals for the first three days of the year around hotels and larger restaurants, which are more likely to stay open.
Sources: Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library; Ha Tinh provincial portal — Tet 2027 holiday (Ministry of Home Affairs notice); Lawyers of Vietnam — Tet 2027 holiday proposals · last checked .
Angkor and the south in the driest weeks
January and February are the driest months in Siem Reap, with average rainfall of about 4 mm and 5 mm, and the mornings are the coolest of the year. This is the main sunrise season at Angkor Wat, and the crowds at the western reflecting pools match it. Sunrise is around 06:30 in mid-January and 06:12 by mid-March.
Southern Vietnam is in its dry season from December to April. Phu Quoc is clear and sunny from October to June. These months are reliable for beaches and river trips, and correspondingly in demand.
The Angkor sunrise page explains which temples open at 05:00 and how to avoid the busiest viewpoints.
Sources: Wikipedia — Siem Reap climate table; Tourist Bucket lunar and sun calculations (PyEphem, UTC+7), cross-checked with a Chinese-calendar library; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — weather and climate · last checked .
Cold and mist in northern Vietnam
The national tourism authority describes late December to March in Hanoi as cool, with winter lows around 10 °C, and Sa Pa as chilly and misty with occasional snow in January. Ha Long Bay is misty and cloudy over the same months. This is not the season for terrace views or clear mountain photographs; it is the season for warm soup, quiet trails and the run-up to Tet in the old quarter.
The mountain provinces have new names since July 2025: Ha Giang is now part of Tuyen Quang province, and Yen Bai, with the Mu Cang Chai terraces, is part of Lao Cai. Signs, bus timetables and booking sites are still catching up, so expect both the old and the new names.
Sources: Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — weather and climate; Vietnam National Authority of Tourism — the 34 new provincial names; Tuoi Tre — Vietnam now has 34 provincial-level units · last checked .
The smoke season begins
From December, and most heavily from about February to March, agricultural and forest burning produces smoke haze over northern Thailand. Chiang Mai's pollution is concentrated between December and April, with March often described as the worst month; fine-particle readings have reached several times the WHO guideline. The UK Foreign Office notes the seasonal smoke in Chiang Mai and advises checking the World Air Quality Index before and during a visit.
Northern Laos lies in the same region, and the Foreign Office notes that regional air pollution can aggravate heart and lung conditions there. If you have asthma or a heart condition, February and March are months to plan carefully in the north of either country; the when-not-to-go page has more.
Sources: Wikipedia — Chiang Mai (climate and festivals); Wikipedia — Air pollution in Thailand; UK Foreign Office — Thailand health; UK Foreign Office — Laos health · last checked .
Who should skip this quarter
- Travellers who want warm weather in Hanoi, Sa Pa or Ha Long: the north is cold and grey until April.
- Anyone with breathing problems heading to Chiang Mai or northern Laos from late January to March.
- People on tight budgets who need to cross Vietnam by rail or air in Tet week.
- Those who dislike crowds at sunrise: Angkor Wat is at its busiest in these months.
Common questions
Questions readers ask
When is Tet in 2027?
The first day of the lunar new year is Saturday 6 February 2027. The official holiday for public employees runs from 4 to 10 February 2027.
Is it worth visiting Vietnam during Tet?
It can be, if you plan for it. The days before Tet are colourful; the first days of the year are quiet, with many small businesses closed and transport full. Book trains and flights early.
Is January a good month for Angkor?
It is one of the driest and coolest months in Siem Reap, which is why it is also one of the busiest.
When does the smoke season start in Chiang Mai?
Pollution is concentrated between December and April, heaviest from about February to March.
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Buckwheat blossom, Loi Krathong and Yi Peng, Bon Om Touk, Angkor's new dry season and the central coast floods.
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Festivals
Festival calendar
Dates for 2026 and 2027 with a label for each: official, announced or calculated, and how the lunar calendars work.
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Seasons · Cambodia
Angkor sunrise season
Sunrise times by month at Angkor Wat, the official pass prices and hours, the sunrise temples and the Bakheng cap.
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Planning
When not to go
Smoke season, typhoons, central Vietnam floods, extreme heat, holiday closures and advisories, with months.
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Planning
Planning around a date
How to plan around an official, announced or calculated date: booking windows, price spikes and spare days.
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