New Year's Day 2026 travel: Lo Lo Chai and Mang Den hotels fully booked.
The four-day New Year's holiday caused a surge in travel demand, with many popular destinations like Lo Lo Chai and Mang Den fully booked thanks to cherry blossom festivals.
The official announcement of the 4-day New Year's Day holiday in 2026 (from January 1st to January 4th, 2026) has triggered a strong surge in tourism. At popular highland destinations, accommodation is becoming increasingly scarce as bookings surge at the last minute.
Lo Lo Chai and Ha Giang: The allure of a global title.
Since being named "World's Best Tourist Village 2025," Lo Lo Chai (Lung Cu commune, Tuyen Quang province) has become a focal point for tourists over the past two months. According to Mr. Tran Duc Chung, Chairman of the People's Committee of Lung Cu commune, all 106 guesthouses and homestays with more than 1,000 rooms in the area were fully booked a month before the holiday.
Lung Cu's popularity is further enhanced by the Cherry Blossom Festival, which will take place on January 3rd and will feature many unique cultural activities. Local authorities expect to welcome between 3,000 and 5,000 visitors during this period. Many tourists choose to drive their own cars to the old Ha Giang province, but still face significant difficulties in finding accommodation in Lung Cu, Dong Van, or the old Ha Giang city.
Mang Den: Cherry blossom season and hot air balloon festival
Similarly, in the Central region, Mang Den (Quang Ngai) also recorded a booking rate of 90% out of a total of 1,500 accommodation rooms in the entire commune. Tourists flocked here to participate in the Mang Den Culture and Tourism Week and the Cherry Blossom Season 2026, which took place from January 1st to 4th, 2026.
Besides admiring the cherry blossoms, the "Flying Over the Cherry Blossoms" hot air balloon festival, sporting events, and food fairs are key factors that make entertainment services here highly sought after from the outset.
Sa Pa and the trend of last-minute independent travel.
In Lao Cai, Sa Pa continues to maintain its appeal with approximately 80% of rooms already booked as of December 25th. The effect of the snowfall on Fansipan peak during Christmas has fueled a rapid increase in demand for accommodation. Rooms with good amenities and balconies overlooking the valley are now fully booked or have significantly increased prices.
Travel agencies such as Trang An Travel and BestPrice Travel reported having to turn away many customers because tours and travel packages for the New Year holiday had sold out several days in advance. Due to the short notice of the holiday, processing applications for overseas tours was almost impossible. Instead, tourists tended to travel independently by private vehicle to destinations near their homes such as Moc Chau (Son La) or Da Lat (Lam Dong).