Reunification Day (April 30)
April 30 marks the 1975 fall of Saigon, formally reunifying north and south Vietnam. A patriotic national holiday combined with May 1 Labour Day. What it looks like.
What April 30 is
April 30 is the date in 1975 when North Vietnamese forces entered Saigon, bringing the Vietnam War to an end. The event is known in Vietnam as the Liberation of the South and National Reunification. In Western usage it is usually called the Fall of Saigon.
The official name of the public holiday is Reunification Day. It marks the moment that ended roughly two decades of a divided country — a North governed from Hanoi and a South governed from Saigon — and set the stage for the unified Socialist Republic of Vietnam that was formally declared in 1976.
For modern Vietnam, April 30 sits at the centre of national identity. The government treats it as the founding moment of the current state. Public messaging is strongly patriotic. Expect red flags with the yellow star on streets, government buildings, hotels and buses throughout the country for several days before and after the date.
How Vietnam marks the day
The day is a full public holiday. Government offices, banks, post offices and most schools close. Large state-run businesses close or run reduced hours. Many private businesses stay open, particularly in tourist areas, though some close for part of the day.
Official ceremonies involve flag-raising events, military parades in major cities, cultural performances and wreath-laying at war memorials. State television broadcasts speeches and historical footage throughout the day. Local authorities organise community events including concerts, exhibitions and sporting competitions.
The tone in public spaces is celebratory and formally patriotic rather than sombre. Crowds gather at city centres, especially in Ho Chi Minh City, which was the site of the original events.
Combined with May 1 Labour Day
May 1 is International Labour Day, also a public holiday in Vietnam. Because April 30 and May 1 fall on consecutive days, the Vietnamese government typically grants a multi-day holiday bloc running from April 30 through May 1 and sometimes extending into the surrounding weekend days.
In practice this creates a four-day or five-day break for many workers. The result is one of the busiest domestic travel periods of the year. Vietnamese families travel in large numbers to beach resorts, hill stations and major cities. Internal transport routes and popular tourist destinations become very crowded.
Where ceremonies happen
The largest events take place in Ho Chi Minh City, which was Saigon. Reunification Palace is the focal point — it was the site where the first North Vietnamese tanks entered on April 30, 1975. The area around the palace fills with crowds, and the palace grounds host official ceremonies.
Other significant locations in Ho Chi Minh City include the War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market area and the main boulevard of Le Duan Street, where parades sometimes route.
In Hanoi, Ba Dinh Square — where Ho Chi Minh declared independence in 1945 — hosts formal state events. Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum typically draws larger-than-normal crowds.
Smaller ceremonies occur in provincial capitals and towns across the country. War cemeteries and memorials receive official visits and flowers. If you are following a historical war itinerary, note that many memorial sites will be busier than usual and access to certain areas may be restricted during official events.
Reunification Palace public access
Reunification Palace in Ho Chi Minh City is one of the most visited history sites in the country and is covered in detail among the best places for history in Vietnam.
On April 30 itself, public access to the palace can be restricted or managed differently from normal operating hours. The grounds are used for official ceremonies. In some years parts of the site have been closed to general visitors during the morning ceremony period and reopened in the afternoon. In other years, managed public access has been maintained throughout the day.
If visiting on April 30 is a priority, check current opening arrangements closer to your travel date. Most cases are that the palace reopens to the public by early afternoon after morning ceremonies conclude. Entry fees in 2026 are approximately 40,000 VND for adults.
Travel realities
The April 30 to May 1 holiday bloc is among the three or four busiest domestic travel periods in Vietnam, comparable to Tet and the summer school break. The key practical realities are as follows.
Trains, buses and flights fill up weeks in advance on the most popular routes — Ho Chi Minh City to Đà Nẵng, Hanoi to Hạ Long Bay, and connections to beach towns like Phú Quốc, Nha Trang and Đà Lạt. Last-minute booking is unreliable and often impossible.
Traffic in major cities is significantly heavier than normal during this period. Allow extra time for any road-based travel. Some central streets are closed for parades or ceremonies, which can affect taxi and rideshare routes.
Tourist attractions, beaches and national parks are noticeably more crowded. Queues at popular sites can be long. If you prefer quieter visits, this is not the ideal window.
Hotel and transport spikes
Hotel rates in beach destinations and popular cities rise sharply during the April 30 holiday bloc. A room that costs 800,000 VND mid-April may cost 1,500,000 VND or more on the holiday dates. Most hotels apply minimum stay requirements during peak periods.
Book accommodation at least four to six weeks in advance if you plan to be anywhere popular. Cancellation policies are often stricter during public holidays — read terms carefully.
Domestic flight prices also increase. Train tickets on routes like Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City (the Reunification Express) sell out quickly once the holiday schedule is released. If train travel is part of your plan, book as early as possible.
What it means for tourists
If you are in Vietnam over April 30, you will see a side of the country that is not visible at other times. The patriotic atmosphere is genuine and the public celebrations are worth observing if you have an interest in Vietnamese history and culture.
The main practical inconveniences are crowds, higher prices and some temporary closures of specific sites or streets. These are manageable with advance planning. Foreign visitors are welcome at public celebrations and at the sites. There is no expectation that tourists participate or take any particular stance.
If your trip can be scheduled to avoid this period and you prefer quieter travel, the weeks either side — mid-April and mid-May — offer similar weather and significantly thinner crowds in most parts of the country.
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