Ok Om Bok in Tra Vinh: Vietnam festivals 2026 dates, boat races, and costs

Ok Om Bok is the Khmer moon-worship festival that marks the end of the rice harvest. In 2026 it falls on the 15th day of the 10th lunar month: Monday, November 23. Tra Vinh, in the Mekong Delta, holds provincial celebrations for it. The date follows the lunar calendar, so it changes each year. Late November 2026 is the window to plan around if you are tracking Vietnam festivals 2026.

Tra Vinh's provincial celebrations usually run three days, November 22-24, 2026, with the main ceremony on the evening of November 23. Families gather at Ba Om Pond and Ang Pagoda (Chùa Âng) in Tra Vinh City to make offerings and release lanterns. Khmer music plays and food stalls are set up around the pond. Boat races (đua ghe ngo) on the Long Binh River take place on November 23-24.

One caveat for planners: Tra Vinh's official schedule may be announced only in late October and could shift by one day. Confirm dates with the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism before you book buses or a room. Boat races can also be cancelled or moved if river conditions change. Because lunar dates change yearly, these dates apply to 2026 only.

Public moon-worship and boat-race events are free, and no tickets are required, so the festival itself costs nothing to attend. Money goes to travel and lodging instead, both of which get busier around the full moon. Buses from Ho Chi Minh City take 4-5 hours and cost 250,000-400,000 VND, limousines run 350,000-500,000 VND, and Tra Vinh City hotels sit at 350,000-900,000 VND with Khmer homestays at 150,000-300,000 VND. Book three to four weeks ahead.

Coaches from Ho Chi Minh City to Tra Vinh take 4-5 hours and cost 250,000-400,000 VND, with departures through the morning from the bus station. Tra Vinh has no commercial airport, so the road trip is the standard route. A 7am departure puts you in Tra Vinh City by noon, which leaves the afternoon for hotel check-in and a walk to Ba Om Pond before crowds build after 6pm.

Limousines on the same route cost 350,000-500,000 VND and cut the waiting time, since they pick up in Ho Chi Minh City and drop at Tra Vinh addresses. Seats on both fill quickly around the November 23 full moon, so book a day or two ahead. If you would rather hand over the logistics, paid HCMC day tours to the festival run about 1.2-2.5 million VND, covering transport and a guide, though the fixed return time can cut short the lantern release at Ba Om Pond.

Inside Tra Vinh, Grab cars and taxis cost 20,000-60,000 VND per short trip, which covers most hops between Tra Vinh City hotels, Ang Pagoda (Chùa Âng) and Ba Om Pond. Boat-race banks on the Long Binh River fill by 6am on November 23-24, so arrange your ride the night before rather than hunting for a car at dawn. Reserve your return seat when you arrive, since November 24 is the last day of the three-day celebration.

Plan to arrive by November 22 if you want the opening events without the full-moon squeeze on November 23, when provincial celebrations peak. The official 2026 Tra Vinh schedule may be announced only in late October and could shift by one day, so confirm dates with the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism before locking in transport.

Ok Om Bok in Tra Vinh runs November 22-24, 2026, during Vietnam's November festival season. Its three main sites sit inside Tra Vinh City: Ba Om Pond, Ang Pagoda (Chùa Âng), and the Long Binh River. Entry to the public moon-worship and boat-race events is free, and no tickets are required. Buses from Ho Chi Minh City take 4-5 hours and cost 250,000-400,000 VND; limousines run 350,000-500,000 VND. Once in town, short hops between the sites by Grab or taxi cost 20,000-60,000 VND.

Ba Om Pond is the evening hub. Lantern releasing happens around the water, and Khmer music and food stalls fill the paths beside it. The pond is packed from 6pm to 10pm, so arrive by 4pm if you want room to release a lantern and a clear view of the water instead of a spot at the back of the crowd. Weather during the festival is dry-season warm, 24-32°C, and a rain jacket is worth packing for the evening.

Ang Pagoda is the main site for moon-worship rituals, with the main ceremony on the evening of November 23. It sits next to Ba Om Pond, so you can walk from the lanterns to the pagoda in minutes. Dress modestly, remove your shoes before entering, and ask before photographing monks or elders.

The Long Binh River hosts the boat races (đua ghe ngo) on November 23-24. Banks fill by 6am, so plan to be there before dawn for a front position. Races can be cancelled or moved if river conditions change, and the official 2026 schedule may be announced only in late October. Confirm details with the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism before planning around a specific start time. Book accommodation 3-4 weeks ahead: Tra Vinh City hotels run 350,000-900,000 VND, Khmer homestays 150,000-300,000 VND. Day tours from Ho Chi Minh City cost 1.2-2.5 million VND, and some operators inflate prices around the full moon, so compare before booking.

## Boat races and moon-worship ceremony schedule

Ok Om Bok 2026 in Tra Vinh runs November 22-24, 2026, with the main moon-worship ceremony on the evening of November 23 (the 15th day of the 10th lunar month) and the đua ghe ngo boat races on November 23-24 on the Long Binh River. The ceremony is the anchor of the provincial celebrations and one of the biggest entries on Vietnam's November festival calendar. Public moon-worship and boat-race events are free, and no tickets are required.

The races are a morning event. The banks of the Long Binh River fill by 6am, so plan to be standing on the riverbank before first light if you want an unobstructed view of the crews. River conditions can cancel or move the races, so check locally on the day rather than trusting a printed itinerary. Your hotel front desk or the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism can confirm whether the boats are running that morning.

The ceremony and lantern releasing happen around Ba Om Pond and Ang Pagoda (Chùa Âng) in Tra Vinh City, where Khmer music and food stalls keep the area busy late. Crowds build from 6-10pm, so arrive by 4pm if lanterns are the reason you came. That gives you time to walk the pond edge, find a spot, and eat before the crush.

One caveat applies to both events: the official 2026 Tra Vinh schedule may be announced only in late October and could shift by one day. Confirm the dates with the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism before you book transport. Dress modestly at the pagoda, remove your shoes before entering, and ask before photographing monks or elders.

## Where to stay near Ba Om Pond for Vietnam festivals 2026

Tra Vinh City hotels for the Ok Om Bok weekend of November 22-24, 2026 cost 350,000-900,000 VND a night, and the rooms closest to Ba Om Pond and Ang Pagoda (Chùa Âng) go first. Public moon-worship and boat-race events are free with no tickets, which makes this one of the cheaper Vietnam festivals to build a trip around, and that is exactly why the central rooms disappear. Book 3-4 weeks ahead: the full moon on the evening of November 23 brings domestic tour groups from the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City plus Khmer families home for the harvest, and Tra Vinh City has a limited stock of rooms.

Khmer homestays cost 150,000-300,000 VND and are the cheaper option. They sit in the Khmer villages outside the city center, so you trade a short taxi ride for a quieter night and a host who knows the pagoda timetable. Ask about meals and check-in times when you book, because family-run places rarely list them online.

Distance to the pond matters more than star rating that weekend. Ba Om Pond is packed from 6-10pm and lantern releasing starts well before that, so aim to arrive by 4pm. The boat-race banks on the Long Binh River fill by 6am on November 23-24. A bed within walking distance removes the 20,000-60,000 VND Grab and taxi trips you would otherwise take twice a day.

Compare prices before you commit. Some tour operators inflate prices around the full moon, and booking direct usually beats a packaged HCMC day tour at 1.2-2.5 million VND. A bus from Ho Chi Minh City takes 4-5 hours and costs 250,000-400,000 VND, or 350,000-500,000 VND by limousine. The official 2026 schedule may be announced only in late October and could shift by one day, so confirm with the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism before paying for a non-refundable room.

Attending Ok Om Bok in Tra Vinh costs almost nothing beyond travel and a bed. Moon worship at Ba Om Pond, lantern releasing and the đua ghe ngo boat races on the Long Binh River are free, and no tickets are issued for any of them. Vietnam festivals like this one leave your budget for transport, lodging and food. In 2026 the festival runs November 22-24, with the main ceremony on the evening of November 23.

Buses from Ho Chi Minh City to Tra Vinh take 4-5 hours and cost 250,000-400,000 VND; limousines cost 350,000-500,000 VND. Inside Tra Vinh, Grab cars and taxis cost 20,000-60,000 VND per short trip. Paid day tours from Ho Chi Minh City run about 1.2-2.5 million VND, covering transport and a guide. Some tour operators inflate prices around the full moon, so compare before booking.

Tra Vinh City hotels cost 350,000-900,000 VND a night, and Khmer homestays cost 150,000-300,000 VND. Book 3-4 weeks ahead because the full moon on November 23 brings domestic tour groups from the Mekong Delta and Ho Chi Minh City plus Khmer families home for the harvest. The official 2026 schedule may be announced only in late October and could shift by one day, so confirm with the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism before paying for a non-refundable room or transport.

Every public Ok Om Bok event in Tra Vinh is free. There are no tickets for the moon-worship ceremony around Ba Om Pond or the boat races on the Long Binh River, so spend your budget on transport, food, and lodging instead. November is dry-season warm in the Mekong Delta, with temperatures between 24 and 32°C, and a rain jacket is worth packing for evening showers.

Timing decides how much you see. Ba Om Pond is packed from 6 to 10pm, and the lantern releasing happens inside that crush, so arrive by 4pm to hold a spot near the water. The boat-race banks on the Long Binh River fill by 6am on November 23 and 24, which means leaving your hotel in the dark if you want a clear view of the đua ghe ngo crews. Grab and taxis charge 20,000 to 60,000 VND per short trip, useful once the crowd empties after 10pm.

Etiquette at the pagodas is simple. Dress modestly at Ang Pagoda and every Khmer temple you enter, with shoulders and knees covered, and remove your shoes before stepping inside. Ask before photographing monks or elders; holding up your camera and waiting for a nod is enough. Shorts and tank tops are common along the riverbank but out of place on temple grounds.

Tra Vinh City hotels cost 350,000 to 900,000 VND and Khmer homestays 150,000 to 300,000 VND, and both sell out around the full moon, so book 3 to 4 weeks ahead. Buses from Ho Chi Minh City take 4 to 5 hours and cost 250,000 to 400,000 VND; limousines run 350,000 to 500,000 VND. For Vietnam festivals 2026, the official Tra Vinh schedule may appear only in late October and could shift by one day, so confirm with the Tra Vinh Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism before you book.