It’s great to hear that you’ve decided to spend your Christmas and New Year holiday in Vietnam. In this article, I will help you to look at the best places to spend your Christmas in Vietnam, and recommend some nice places to stay in each city during your visit.
Does Vietnam celebrate Christmas?
No, Christmas is not an official public holiday in Vietnam but commercial places such as shopping malls, offices, and shops are nicely decorated with Christmas trees and lights. This attracts more people to go shopping and take photos.
Just be mindful that the traffic is usually crowded and busy on Christmas Eve in big cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This is because young people like to hangout in the city center to chat, eat, and drink during this time.
Overviews of Best Places to Spend in Vietnam for Christmas
Some of the best cities to visit in Vietnam during Christmas and New year are Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Sapa, Da Nang, Hoi An, and Nha Trang.
If you travel to Vietnam during the Christmas season, you can find some good deals for accommodations, food, and drink. Many hotels, restaurants, and shops offer some special promotions during this period.
Vietnam has different zones of weather at the end of December during Christmas time and New Year. South Vietnam (Phu Quoc, Ho Chi Minh City) is in the dry season and has the country’s best weather conditions with lots of sunny days and little rain.
North Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa, Halong Bay) is in the cold and dry season. Central Vietnam (Da Nang, Hoi An) is still in the wet season but the rainfall decreased from the previous month.
If you are planning to travel around Vietnam from North to South, be sure to bring both summer clothes, swimsuits, and jackets to keep you warm.
Where to stay in Vietnam for Christmas?
1. Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh city is a major city in Vietnam that has a modern and westernized atmosphere. It is home to a busy international airport and is the transport hub of the southern region of the country, making it a popular first stop for your holiday in Vietnam.
The city is also very well decorated with lots of Christmas decorations. You can enjoy the atmosphere at many shopping centers, shops, offices, and Catholic churches.
This is a great time to go shopping. You can find some great deals at shopping malls such as Saigon Centre, Takashimaya, Aeon Mall Binh Tan, Diamond Plaza, and Vincom Dong Khoi.
Additionally, you can enjoy the lively nightlife in the area around Bui Vien Walking Street and Nguyen Hue Walking Street. Young people like to gather in the downtown area to hangout and chit chat on Christmas Eve.
You can visit cultural attractions such as Independence Palace, War Museum, and Ben Thanh Market. From Saigon, you can take day trips to Cu Chi Tunnels and the Mekong Delta.
You can take a cooking class, the jeep city tour, or the street food tour on motorbike. You can consider taking the dinner cruise along Saigon River to see the city from the water.
Ho Chi Minh City has many luxury hotels with rooftop terraces where you can enjoy the drinks and admire views of the city and the river. The best area to book your hotel is district 1. I recommend checking out The Reverie Saigon, Intercontinental, and Hotel Des Arts for the best Christmas experience.
2. Hanoi
While Ho Chi Minh City is one of the best places to celebrate Christmas in warm weather, Hanoi is one of the best places to go during Christmas for cold weather. This ancient city is the cultural capital city of Vietnam and has plenty to offer during christmas time.
Similar to Saigon, Hanoi is also decorated with many Christmas trees and lights. Hanoi Old Quarter, especially around St. Joseph Cathedral becomes more crowded during Christmas Eve as many people gather here to celebrate.
You can wander around Hoan Kiem Lake, check out Hang Ma Street for Christmas decorations, head to Ta Hien Beer street for some fresh beer and people watch. You can explore the old town on foot or consider taking cyclo tours for more leisure sightseeing.
In addition to the lively christmas atmosphere, you can visit some cultural and historical attractions such as Hoa Lo Prison, Ho Chi Minh mausoleum, Tran Quoc pagoda, and Thang Long Imperial Palace. You can try local authentic food, drink egg coffee, and do some shopping for silk and Vietnamese handicrafts.
From Hanoi, you can take trips to other parts of North Vietnam easily. Famous places to visit are Sapa, Ha Giang, Ninh Binh, and Ha Long Bay.
You can celebrate Christmas staying in a nice hotel in the old quarter. The Old Quarter is indeed the most popular area to stay in Hanoi for new visitors. I recommend checking out Sofitel Legend Metropole and the Rex Hotel.
3. Phu Quoc
Phu Quoc is the top destination to visit in Vietnam for beaches during your Christmas holiday. This tropical island is known for its pristine beaches, luxury beach resorts, and warm weather.
You can choose to stay in nice beachfront hotels, swim and sunbathe at the hotel’s private beach and swimming pool, and enjoy the delicious Christmas buffet. Many resorts have special special spa deals and festive-themed activities. You can just relax at your resort’s facilities.
Phu Quoc has a beautiful sunset and sunrise. The best places to see sunset are the beaches on the west coast such as Long Beach, and Sunset Town. You can find beautiful beaches on the east coast such as Sao Beach. The beach has white fine sand and is ideal for swimming and water sport activities.
In addition to the beach activities, Phu Quoc has a range of activities for all interests. You can visit some historical and cultural sights such as Coconut Prison and Ho Quoc pagoda. You can explore Pearl Farm, Pepper Farm, and Fish Sauce Factory.
A visit to Phu Quoc is not complete if not taking a cable car ride through the ocean. This is the world‘s longest 3 wired cable car taking you to Hon Thom island.
You can choose at many resorts that are scattered around the island. The central west coast, particularly Duong Dong Town and Long Beach are the most popular areas to stay in Phu Quoc. I stayed at Dusit Princess Moonrise Beach Resort and highly recommend it.
4. Da Lat
Da Lat, the Little Paris of Vietnam, is a popular city in the highland center of the country and is a perfect city for Christmas. The city has chilly, dry weather with fresh air and little rain during this time, making it ideal for festive atmosphere, outdoor activities, and sightseeing.
You can explore Xuan Huong Lake, flower garden, Crazy House, and Linh Phuoc pagoda. You can take a cable car ride to Truc Lam monastery and Tuyen Lam Lake.
This city is known for its impressive waterfalls. Don’t miss Datanla waterfall, Pongour waterfall, and Elephant waterfall. You can check out Me Linh coffee plantation if you are a fan of coffee.
If you are an active traveler, you can enjoy various outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, Zipline, and white water rafting.
For the best Christmas experience, I recommend staying in the city center near Xuan Huong Lake and the night market. Dalat Palace Heritage Hotel, in my opinion, is the best place to stay in Da Lat for Christmas, especially if you have a good budget.
5. Sapa
Sapa is a beautiful mountainous area in North Vietnam, 6 hours drive from Hanoi. It is a great place to visit during your Christmas holiday in Vietnam, especially if you love cold weather and stunning natural landscapes.
You can enjoy the realign atmosphere, the views of rice terraces, and go trekking to explore many ethnic minority villages in this mountain town. Cat Cat village, Ta Phin village, and Lao Chai village are popular places to check out.
You can take a cable car ride to the top of Mt Fansipan. The weather in December is generally cold with some sunny days and some wet foggy days.
6. Da Nang
Da Nang is a big city in central Vietnam and a popular destination for Christmas. It is still in the wet season but the rainfall decreases compared to previous months, and you will have more sunny days for exploration.
Similar to other major cities in Vietnam like Saigon and Hanoi, Da Nang is nicely decorated during Christmas and New year. From Da Nang international airport, to Ba Na Hill, and My Khe Beach, you will see festive themes everywhere.
While the best areas to stay in Da Nang are the Han River and My Khe beach, you can choose to stay a night or two at a resort in Ba Na Hill for the best Christmas experience. I recommend looking at Mercure Danang French Village Bana Hills.
You can explore many attractions such as Han River, Dragon Bridge, Marble Mountains, and Ling Ung pagoda. You can go shopping at Han market, Con Market, Vincom Plaza, and Son Tra night market.
You can try local dishes such as Banh Cuon Thit Heo and My Quang. The city is known for its seafood, so be sure to check many seafood restaurants in Da Nang. You can celebrate Christmas and new year at many trendy rooftop bars too.
7. Hoi An
Hoi An is a popular destination to go for Christmas. It is located in central Vietnam, 40km away from Da Nang. It is an atmospheric town that is known for its ancient town, tailor shops, lantern-filled streets, and peaceful beaches.
Similar to Da Nang, Hoi an is almost at the end of the rainy season, and the rain that can interrupt your travel plans but still has a lot of sunshine for sieging and exploring the old town.
You can explore the town on foot and rent a bicycle for further exploration to the beaches and countryside area. You can take a lantern boat ride at night and enjoy its lively atmosphere.
There are many nice restaurants, cafes, and bars along the Hoai River where you can have a nice dinner and people watch.
The best place to stay in Hoi An is the area near the ancient town. You can stay in An Hoi island, Cam Pho, and Cam Nam, which are popular neighborhoods right next to the old town.
8. Halong Bay
Taking an overnight cruise on Halong Bay is one of the best ways to spend your Christmas in Vietnam. There are one night and two night cruise options, but I recommend taking the two night one for the best experience on the bay.
You can enjoy the views of the breathtaking karts and the sea from sunrise to sunset. You can visit caves, floating villages, and enjoy delicious buffet meals. You can join cooking class on the cruise.
See more:
- The Most Romantic Places in Vietnam for couples
- Nightlife in Vietnam: Best Places to Go
- Where to Go in Vietnam for Beaches
- One month in Vietnam Itinerary
- Best Time to Visit Vietnam
So, Where’s the best place to spend Christmas in Vietnam?
I recommend going to the South (Ho Chi Minh City or Phu Quoc) if you want a beach holiday and warm weather during the Christmas holiday. For traditional Vietnam and to celebrate christmas in the cold weather, you can check out Hanoi, Sapa, and Halong Bay in the North.
Dalat in the highland central of Vietnam is also a great stop for your christmas vacation in Vietnam as it has many influences from French. Da Nang and Hoi An are other famous places to go for Christmas in central Vietnam. Even though they are still in the rainy season, but they have less rain compared to previous months, so you can still have sunny days for exploration.