Where to go on a short Lunar New Year trip?

Before you plan a Lunar New Year trip

The Lunar New Year holidays are a handy window for a short trip abroad, but many destinations celebrate the same holiday. It is a major festival in Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore and Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City) too, so expect many shops to close, sights to be crowded or hotel rates to spike.

Lunar New Year moves every year. This article gives no dates, so check a calendar and official notices for the holiday dates first. Beach resorts such as Guam and Da Nang also get pricier flights and hotels over holiday peaks.

Temperatures and rainfall are February normals (average high, average low and rainfall), rounded to whole numbers. Normals are long-term averages, so they don't tell you this year's weather; the source, station and period are given in brackets for each city. Check the forecast before you go.

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Taiwan — many shops close over Lunar New Year

In Taipei, Kaohsiung, Taichung and Tainan many shops close over Lunar New Year, and in Kaohsiung, Taichung and Tainan the sights are crowded too. The Tainan Confucius Temple is closed on Lunar New Year's Eve, so check if it is on your list.

Taipei-Hualien trains sell out on weekends and holidays, so book early on the official TRA website or app. Plan on 3 to 4 days for each of the four cities. Taipei is cool and damp in January-February, so bring a jacket.

• Taipei — February high 20°C, low 14°C, rainfall 143 mm (Central Weather Administration (CWA), Taiwan; Taipei station; 1991–2020)
• Kaohsiung — high 25°C, low 17°C, 18 mm (CWA; Kaohsiung station; 1991–2020)
• Taichung — high 23°C, low 14°C, 63 mm (CWA; Taichung station; 1991–2020)
• Tainan — high 24°C, low 15°C, 22 mm (CWA; Tainan station; 1991–2020)

Hong Kong, Macao and mainland China — Spring Festival is peak crowd time

Hong Kong is very crowded over Chinese New Year and Golden Week. Beijing's sights are extremely crowded at Chinese New Year, and Shanghai and Haikou are very crowded too. In Sanya, sights and hotels are very crowded over Spring Festival, and in Guangzhou and Chengdu it is best to avoid big holidays such as Spring Festival.

In Xi'an, the Grand Tang Mall can see over 300,000 visitors a day during holidays such as Spring Festival, and sights post special holiday hours, so check official information before you go. Kunming's sights can also be crowded at Spring Festival, so plan with some slack. Many travellers combine Macao with Hong Kong and accommodation is most of the budget there, so check official information for the Lunar New Year period and compare prices for your dates.

• Hong Kong — high 19°C, low 15°C, 39 mm (WMO World Weather Information Service — Hong Kong Observatory; WMO city data; 1991–2020)
• Macao — high 19°C, low 14°C, 44 mm (Macao Meteorological and Geophysical Bureau (SMG); 30-year statistics, station not named; 1991–2020)
• Guangzhou — high 20°C, low 13°C, 56 mm (China Meteorological Administration submission · WMO normals collection; Guangzhou station; 1991–2020)
• Haikou — high 23°C, low 17°C, 30 mm (China Meteorological Administration submission · WMO normals collection; Haikou station; 1991–2020)
• Shanghai — high 10°C, low 4°C, 64 mm (China Meteorological Administration submission · WMO normals collection; Shanghai Baoshan station; 1991–2020)
• Beijing — high 6°C, low -4°C, 6 mm (China Meteorological Administration submission · WMO normals collection; Beijing station; 1991–2020)
• Xi'an — high 8°C, low -2°C, 11 mm (WMO World Weather Information Service — China Meteorological Administration; WMO city data; 1961–1990)

Singapore and Ho Chi Minh City — hotel spikes and Tet closures

In Singapore, hotel rates spike around Lunar New Year and year-end. It is hot and humid all year, so any month works, but if you go over the holiday, compare hotels early. Plan on 2 to 4 days.

In Ho Chi Minh City, many shops close around Tet (Lunar New Year, January or February), so check the dates. December-February is slightly less hot; plan on 4 to 5 days.

• Singapore — high 32°C, low 25°C, 105 mm (WMO World Weather Information Service — Meteorological Service Singapore; WMO city data; 1991–2020)
• Ho Chi Minh City — high 33°C, low 23°C, 8 mm (WMO World Weather Information Service — Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration; WMO city data; 1991–2020)

Japanese cities — different peak times

In Fukuoka and Osaka the busy times are Golden Week and the year-end and New Year period. For Fukuoka, Osaka, Sapporo and Okinawa, check official information on opening over Lunar New Year before you go. Suggested stays are 3 days for Fukuoka, 4 days for Osaka, and 4 to 5 days for Sapporo and Okinawa.

Sapporo is popular in December-February for snow scenes and winter festivals, but hotels fill up early and prices rise during the festivals, so check the dates and book ahead. Be ready for sub-zero cold and icy streets. Okinawa in winter (December-February) is too cool for swimming but fine for sightseeing. From stays on 1 February 2027, an accommodation tax applies at all lodgings in Okinawa Prefecture (2% of the room rate per person per night, up to JPY 2,000), so check official information.

• Fukuoka — high 12°C, low 4°C, 70 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency; Fukuoka station; 1991–2020)
• Osaka — high 11°C, low 3°C, 61 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency; Osaka station; 1991–2020)
• Sapporo — high 0°C, low -6°C, 92 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency; Sapporo station; 1991–2020)
• Okinawa — high 20°C, low 15°C, 115 mm (Japan Meteorological Agency; Naha station; 1991–2020)

Warm seas — Guam, Saipan, Cebu, Kota Kinabalu and Da Nang

If you want warm seas in February, compare the normals for these five below. Note that 4 to 5 days suit Guam, Saipan, Kota Kinabalu and Da Nang (including Hoi An) and 5 to 6 days suit Cebu, so a short holiday can feel tight.

Check prices as well. Prices rise during holiday peaks, and in Cebu resort rates rise sharply. In Ho Chi Minh City, also in Vietnam, many shops close around Tet, so if you go to Da Nang, check local information for the Tet period.

• Guam — high 30°C, low 24°C, 105 mm (NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals; Guam International Airport station; 1991–2020)
• Saipan — high 29°C, low 23°C, 64 mm (NOAA NCEI, U.S. Climate Normals; Saipan International Airport station; 1991–2020)
• Cebu — high 30°C, low 24°C, 89 mm (PAGASA submission · WMO normals collection; Mactan-Cebu International Airport station; 1991–2020)
• Kota Kinabalu — high 31°C, low 24°C, 78 mm (Malaysian Meteorological Department (MetMalaysia) submission · WMO normals collection; Kota Kinabalu station; 1991–2020)
• Da Nang — high 26°C, low 20°C, 22 mm (WMO World Weather Information Service — Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration; WMO city data; 1991–2020)

If you are in Korea over Seollal, plus a pre-trip checklist

In Seoul, many shops close over Lunar New Year (Seollal) and Chuseok. Gyeongju National Museum is closed on Seollal day and Gangneung's Seongyojang House on Seollal, and KTX trains to Busan often sell out on weekends and holidays, so book ahead. Seoul's February normals are a high of 5°C, a low of -3°C and 28 mm of precipitation (Korea Meteorological Administration, Seoul station, 1991–2020).

• Holiday dates: Lunar New Year moves every year, so check a calendar and official notices
• Local holiday: for Taiwan, Hong Kong, mainland China, Singapore and Vietnam, check each city guide for closures, crowds and hotel prices
• Opening hours: where sights post special holiday hours, as in Xi'an, check official information before you go
• Train tickets: book Taipei-Hualien trains and KTX trains to Busan early
• Entry rules: check official information for each country's entry and visa rules
• Weather: normals are only a guide, so check the forecast before you leave

• Singapore guide →
• Fukuoka guide →
• Guam guide →
• Where to travel in February →
• Taipei vs Hong Kong →
• Planning a year-end or winter-break trip →

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