We prove that any 3-uniform hypergraph whose minimum vertex degree is at least (59+o(1))(n2) admits an almost-spanning tight cycle, that is, a tight cycle leaving o(n) vertices uncovered. The bound on the vertex degree is asymptotically best possible. Our proof uses the hypergraph regularity method, and in particular a recent version of the hypergraph regularity lemma proved by Allen, B\"ottcher, Cooley and Mycroft.