Spiritual tourism during Tet 2026: Huong Pagoda, Yen Tu and Ba Den Mountain welcome record numbers of visitors.
Key historical sites in Hanoi, Quang Ninh, and Tay Ninh are experiencing severe overcrowding, with many attractions having to stop admitting visitors due to prolonged congestion.
In the early days of 2026, the number of people flocking to major historical and spiritual sites across the country surged dramatically. At many key destinations such as Huong Pagoda, Yen Tu, and Trang An, localized traffic congestion lasting for hours caused many tourists to give up midway or wait in exhaustion.
Huong Pagoda: Visitor numbers increase by 20% thanks to free entrance policy.
The 2026 Huong Pagoda Festival has seen a surge in popularity following the implementation of a free entrance policy from the 4th to the 6th day of the first lunar month. According to data from the Organizing Committee, in just the first three days of the year, the historical site welcomed over 60,000 visitors, an increase of approximately 20% compared to the same period last year.
Notably, on the 5th day of the Lunar New Year, traffic congestion at Huong Tich Cave was constant from early morning. Many tourists reported that it took them 10-15 minutes to move just a few meters through the crowded streets.
At the cable car area, the situation was no better, with an overwhelming number of people queuing. Mr. Tran Hung, a tourist from Ninh Binh, shared that he had to turn back when he arrived at Huong Tich Cave at midday because he couldn't squeeze through the crowd. Some tourists even gave up on their cable car tickets because the waiting time was unbearable.
Yen Tu: 130,000 visitors in 5 days of Tet holiday.
In Quang Ninh, the Yen Tu historical site also experienced similar overcrowding. From 4 am on February 21st (the 4th day of Tet), long lines of vehicles crowded the Ha Kieu area. By around 8 am, the bus station there was officially overloaded. During the 5 days of Tet, it is estimated that Yen Tu welcomed approximately 130,000 visitors.
Ms. Phuong Nguyen, a tourist from Bac Giang, said that the narrow road leading up to Dong Pagoda was severely congested. Despite arriving at 5 am, her family had to spend many hours to reach the mountaintop because of the massive crowds, making it impossible to move even though the destination was right in front of them.
Ninh Binh: Trang An stops receiving visitors, Tam Coc experiences operational disruption.
In Ninh Binh, the Trang An tourist area had to announce that it would stop accepting visitors from 8 am on the 5th day of Tet (Lunar New Year) due to overcrowding. Many tour groups, even those who arrived as early as 5 am, still had to queue for more than 3 hours before they could board a boat to begin their sightseeing tour.
Meanwhile, at the Tam Coc tourist area, boat transportation was disrupted on the afternoon of the 5th day of Tet (Lunar New Year). The reason is believed to be that the boat drivers stopped working to petition about the operating mechanism and remuneration. This situation left many tourists in a difficult position, forcing them to resell their tickets to intermediaries at low prices in order to return home.
Ba Den Mountain: Traffic paralyzed on the main road.
In Tay Ninh, the Ba Den Mountain Spring Festival 2026 attracted approximately 327,000 visitors, a 10% increase compared to the same period last year. The overwhelming number of visitors caused traffic congestion stretching over 10 km on the main roads leading to the tourist area, especially the Boi Loi road.
Traffic police had to set up more than 10 checkpoints to manage and regulate traffic. During peak hours from 2 PM to 7 PM on February 20th, traffic was almost completely paralyzed, forcing many buses to let tourists get off and walk to the ceremony area.
