Vietnam can be small on the map, but it is a country of a fascinating mixture of geography, which can be called three different nations in a row. The weather here is as widely varying as far north and south, with the cool misty weather of the north and the sun-soaked beaches of the south. This is why it is never the best time to visit Vietnam, because there is always a good place in Vietnam.
Experience the winter breeze in the city of Hanoi or spend some time on the tropical beaches of Phu Quoc; each of these experiences is unique. It makes it all simpler with a clear month-by-month and region-by-region breakdown that can guide you in planning your trip to Vietnam in the most intelligent way and across all seasons.
Table of Contents
Best Time to Visit Vietnam
January in Vietnam
January is usually dry in the south and north (but central Vietnam is in the end of the dry season), though. In the north, around Hanoi and Halong bay, it is much colder than it is further down south. Capitalism in the mountainous far north may become very cold indeed in the mornings and evenings, and down to 5 o C. Tet Nguyen Dan or Lunar New Year is common during January. Hotels are occupied during this big event and numerous restaurants and shops pull their shutters.
February in Vietnam
The seasons are typically best in February; that is, the weather is mainly dry and sunny with an average temperature of 23 o C. The central and southern Vietnam are generally warmer than the north and thus, in case you need a beach holiday, just go to the southern islands where you will easily get the vibes of utmost relaxation or to Ho Chi Minh City where I will get that vibe of having a rooftop pool.
February is also expected to be hectic especially with Luna New Year (Tet) celebrations going on, but you can avoid all the traffic on a day out trip to Mekong Delta where the water is high to view the floating markets at their full glory.
March in Vietnam
Warm and dry weather of March in Vietnam marks the beginning of peak season yet end of the month it becomes unpleasantly hot in the south. The beach resorts are highly packed and the month of March is also regarded as the best month to tour the impressive limestone islands of the fabulous Halong bay with clear and rain free skies. This season is ideal to go trekking and cycling in the north and central Vietnam.
April in Vietnam
April remains deep in Vietnam in the so-called best time to visit Vietnam and has rather warm and comfortable climate, but soon there will be a time of transition (in terms of weather), so the rates of precipitation and humidity will be increasing, particularly, in the south. Even the peak season tourists have already started to disperse in April and thus the popular temples like Tran Quoc Pagoda in Hanoi or Thien Mu Pagoda in Hue are better visited at this time.
May in Vietnam
In May, the temperatures in the south of Vietnam can reach 40 o C, so you would like in the north, in the mountains, in Hanoi or the central coast. It is hot and humid in Ho Chi Minh City as the monsoon season approaches, with afternoon showers possible. At the north of Vietnam, you will also enjoy the occasional downpour of the rain but the weather is far much lenient. In May, hiking and cycling in Vietnam are always very nice and you can always find a deal as peak season is coming to an end.
June in Vietnam
Though it has been written that it has been the hottest month in Vietnam, June is still a rather good month to explore the central areas of the country on sunny days that are ideal to ride by bike and have a rest in the beaches in Danang and Nha Trang. The south cannot say the same as it is nowadays an everyday occurrence there with downpours. The slight positive, in the event you are visiting Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho in June, is that, although these are heavy showers, they are almost always brief, and in the afternoons, so that you may be able to spend much time wandering about in the mornings.
July in Vietnam
July in Vietnam is not much different than June, there is a lot of rain in the north and in the south as well as in the central Highlands hence trekking and bicycle holidays cannot be done. Neither is it uncommon to see the Mekong Delta overflow. However, the central coast beaches are idyllic but at times it has reached 30 o C. It is quite hot and damp, and there are even strong downpours when some more distant places become hard or even impossible to get to.
August in Vietnam
In the event that you insist on hiking the mountainous parts of northern Vietnam, then August is not the month to be in but in case you have more interest in spending your time on beaches in Hoi An and Danang, then you can begin crossing the dates in your calendar – you are good to travel.
Yes, it can get over 30o C and more in central Vietnam, but the rainfalls are frequent (particularly towards the end of the month), and they will provide you with a slight relief against the heat. Hatching baby Green Turtles should also be on the list of things to do in case you are visiting Con Dao Island as they begin their slow yet cute travel to the sea between the middle of August and the end of it.
September in Vietnam
In September, it is Vietnam, and that is a shoulder month. The north and the south are still wet, but towards the end of September, the conditions are drying off. The same cannot be said of Central Vietnam you may just manage to squeeze in a beach holiday at the beginning of September, but typhoon season is on the anvil and as the month progresses the coast and highlands may be pounded by rain and storms. There is a large harvest festival during the full moon of September through October which involves children carrying lanterns in the processions and the traditional lion dances.
October in Vietnam
Although the weather is not ideal in the whole country in October, one can still have a great holiday in Vietnam in October – it is likely. In the north one has to deal with summer heat bringing the temperatures down again, whereas the south is less prone to typhoons. Central Vietnam however is still surrounded with the wet season and therefore, it is better to avoid these places in case you want to spend your holiday outdoors and have a feel of the beautiful sceneries of the country.
November in Vietnam
November is the month when another high season is approaching in Vietnam. It is also during this month that the weather in Vietnam is one of the best; hot and dry in the north and in the south. It is a pleasant time to be trekking in the mountainous north around Sapa and the southern beaches are gorgeous. The fact that the skies are so clear implies that we regard November as the best time to visit Vietnam, in case you are keen on spending a day or two in Halong Bay.
December in Vietnam
It is definitely a perfect weather in southern Vietnam in December as it is near perfect with temperatures being comfortable. There is also low humidity and very minimal or no rainfall is expected during the month.
You can enjoy your outdoor time with walking in parks, laying out in a beach or engaging in some Tai Chi but it is advisable not to visit Central Vietnam if it might rain a lot but the amount of rainfall will significantly reduce so you can always be lucky and have a few clear days in September in case you are travelling to Central Vietnam. Christmas and New Year preparations also increase towards the end of the month with cities around the country taking the Christmas spirit by decorating the fronts of stores and hosting markets.
When to visit
When to visit North Vietnam (Sapa, Hanoi, Halong Bay)
The north of Vietnam experiences cold dry winters during the period between December and February and occasionally the temperatures go down to 4 o C even at night. The season of the weather is generally hot and humid (summer, May to August). The most suitable time to tour northern Vietnam would be during spring ( March to April ) or during autumn (September to November ) as the days are generally hot and sunny.
When to visit Central Vietnam (Hue, Hoi An)
During the wet season, the typhoons usually destroy the central Vietnam coast. These heavy rains and hurricane-like winds are difficult to predict when they could occur on such cities at the coasts such as Hoi An, when the season of typhoons is between the months of August and November in most cases. The rains are likely to clear up in the month of February and you would be in the path of a warmer weather and sunshine. Even though the weather will be pleasant any time of the year, as long as it is between the months of February and August, the sunny days with the temperature at 30 o C will dominate in July and August.
When to visit South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta)
South Vietnam has pleasant temperatures throughout the year and hence travel can be good any time. The dry season is usually between December and May and rainy season between June and November. Although it may flood, rainfall is generally brief, and hardly affects travelling. Actually, the monsoon or rainy season has been identified as the best season to do photography because the thunderheads look dramatic floating over the Mekong Delta and the rice fields change to a vibrant emerald. Others may consider temperatures intolerable between March and May when temperatures touch 40 o C frequently.
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