When to go

Hanoi

Representing the typical weather of tropical monsoon type in Northern Vietnam, Hanoi has the hot summer with high rainfall and the dry cold winter. The city also receives a large amount of sunlight and a relatively high humidity all throughout the year. Although the weather is divided into two main seasons: rainy season (from May to September), and dry season (from October to April), thanks to transition months, Hanoi still experiences all four seasons: spring, summer, autumn and winter.

Lasting from February to April, Hanoi’s spring is humid and wet with drizzles. The average temperature normally ranges from 15 to 20 Celsius degree. As this kind of weather is suitable for the plants to grow and flowers to blossom, spring will be the best time for tourists to witness the vitality of tropical nature. Spring is also the time for Tet holiday – the biggest, longest and the most essential Vietnamese festival of the year.

Hanoi’s summer lasting from May to August is kind of hot with the average temperature of 32 degree (and has risen up in recent years), July is the hottest month with the highest temperature peaks to 40 degree. Since global warming has become more and more serious, some summers are dry while others may be extremely wet with high humidity. Heavy rain is one feature of Hanoi’s summer, so don’t forget to bring a raincoat or an umbrella with you whenever leaving home. Moreover, be ready to be sweat under the sun during the day and a thunderstorm in the afternoon or evening!

Fall is considered as the most beautiful and romantic time for travelers to visit Hanoi. This season is quite short, typically from middle of September to the end of November. With the average temperature of 25 degree, Hanoi looks extremely charming with warm sunlight, cool breeze and dry atmosphere in autumn. If you love seeing the leaves change color, tasting some local autumn specialties such as young green rice, or living slowly to enjoy the beauty of your life, you definitely should come to Hanoi in autumn.

Hanoi’s winter starts from December until late February, with the average temperature of 17.2 degree. However, sometimes it may drop to below 10 degree, and the high humidity will lend a hand in making the weather bitter cold. Bring some serious warm clothes is necessary, if you do not want to get a cold when visiting a tropical country! Hanoi’s winter is also famous for many delicious street foods which can warm you up in a chilly day.

Ha Long Bay

It is possible to visit Ha Long Bay all year round, but the period of time that’s considered to be the best is from October to April. Although during the three months of winter December, January and February, the weather can be cool and overcast with low visibility. During the summer months from May to September, temperatures rise and storms are more likely during the rainy season. For those who love the sun and sea with water sport like kayaking, swimming then this is the ideal period to enjoy Ha Long Bay.

Sapa

Thanks to its geographic condition, Sapa has one of the most favorable climates in Vietnam. The temperature remains stably cool throughout the year though winter may see more severe changes, with frost and even snow for few days (mostly from mid-December to mid-January).

The humidity is relatively high all year round between 83-87% and temperature ranges with 15-30 Celsius degree.

The rainy season lasts from May to September, peaking in July and August, when heavy downpours wash out bridges, turn unsealed roads into quagmires and throw in the occasional landslides for good measure.

The best time to visit Sapa as well as the northern mountain is from September to November or from March to May, when the weather is fairly settled with dry sunny days and clear cold nights. In April and May, Sapa is blooming with flowers and green pastures.

And if you want to go there in winter, you can get some great feelings with the weather and sightseeing at there. Winters can be decidedly chilly, especially in the Northeast where night frosts and possibly snow are not uncommon from December to February, but the compensation is daybreak mists and breathtaking sunrise views high above valleys filled with early-morning lakes of cloud.

Hue

Located in the central of Vietnam and influenced by Southwest wind flow from Laos, Hue is considerably hotter than its neighbor destinations such as Da Nang and Hoi An during summer months. Months of May to September are hottest and the severity level can be unbearable from time to time.

From October to March, the weather cools off at the expense of frequent small rain drops. The average temperature during this period is between 20 and 30 Celsius degree.

Hue is well known among Vietnamese for its lasting drizzle by the end or early in the year. Despite the gloomy sky that the tiny rain drops involved, it is said to add more soul to Hue sceneries, especially the Perfume River and the Old citadel.

It means October to March is the ideal time to visit. For those who can stand the heat in exchange for endless blue sky, the summer months are the way to go. Try to avoid July and August which are high seasons for domestic travels and also notorious for the scorching heat.

Da Nang

Da Nang has a monsoon tropical climate and enjoys mild temperatures throughout the year. Temperature is highest from May to September, hovering around 24 Celsius degree. Unlike Hue, the proximity of Da Nang to Pacific Ocean keeps it cooler than it should be. In other months, the temperature does not drop below 20. Rainfall level is highest in winter months from November to February. That leaves March to October the best time to visit Da Nang when rainfall is minimal.

Hoi An

Typical for tropical climate of Vietnam, Hoi An weather is warm throughout the year with its average temperature of 29 Celsius degree. Hoi An has two main seasons, rainy season from September to January, and dry season for the rest of the year.

The heat reaches its peak on the months from June to August when the highest temperature measured during day time is 38 Degree Celsius while the lowest temperature only drops at 21C Degree at night. Winter-like weather falling in the town from November to January bring coldest days to Hoi An when daily average temperature is between 19 to 24 Degree Celsius.

Best time to visit Hoi An is between March and October when rainfall is minimal. If you arrive the town on the 14^th day of a lunar month, you will get chance to experience an extremely charming Hoi An with its Full Moon Festival and Old Street Night exclusively available on that day.

Nha Trang

With the special weather not influenced by the monsoon, Nha Trang has a warm, fair, beautiful and comfortable climate almost all year round. Anytime of the year can be favorable for you to make wonderful trips to this tourism city. The summer often starts from May with sunlight and hot weather which suitable for natural tourism such as ecotourism, ocean tourism or water sports tourism; while other months could be pleasing for tourists to visit cultural and historical places such as Ponagar Temple Tower, Bao Dai villa, Vinpearl or Nha Trang Aquarium.

While the rest of southern Vietnam is turned into water for half of a year by monsoon winds, Nha Trang experiences only four “wet months”, from September till mid-December, which are also a time to reconsider visiting Nha Trang. In the first eight months of the year, this coastal city enjoys a warm and beautiful weather and so any day between January and August is good time to start your holiday in Nha Trang.

The best time to visit Nha Trang would be from February till April, when temperature is kept moderate at around 26-27 Celsius degree, and precipitation stays at the lowest level of the year. If your trip is firmly scheduled for July or August, remember to give Hòn Bà (30 km far from city center) the first position on your tourist attraction list. The mountain with cool climate all year round is absolutely a great place to hide from the summer heat.

Da Lat

Da Lat has a pleasant weather all year round. Like other mountainous areas in the Middle of Vietnam, Da Lat has two main seasons, dry and rainy seasons. The wet season is often from April to October, so it would be better for visitors to come to Da Lat in the period of time from November to March, when the air is fresh and cool. It is dry and very comfortable, so that the travelers can totally relax with the clean environment here and visit many fascinating natural destinations like Xuan Huong Lake or The Valley of Love. Moreover, this period of time is the season of flowers in Da Lat when colorful flowers are blooming brilliantly everywhere. There is an annual flower festival in January in Da Lat, when many unique types of flowers from the city and other areas in Vietnam are exhibited.

During winter months, the average temperature is 10 degree while summer is 20. Da Lat is never stormy and only has occasional heavy winds from the ocean through the mountain-less East side of the city.

Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh City is famous for its pleasant climate and rarely suffers from natural disasters like the Central or Northern Vietnam. It can be said that anytime in a year is a good time to visit the city.

With a tropical climate of 2 distinctive seasons: dry and wet, it is suggested you should pay a visit to Ho Chi Minh City during the dry season, starting from December and lasting until April. This period of the year is known to be the hottest, with average temperature of 28°C (82°F). The peak is 39°C (102°F) around noon time in late April, while the lowest temperature may fall below 16°C (61°F) in the early mornings of late December. Humidity is moderate in December and begins to decrease from January to April. Hence, if travelling during this period, foreign travelers can escape from the normal sticky weather of Saigon.

Although dry season tends to be the popular choice, rainy season starting from May to November still has its own advantages, considering that this city is endowed with a rare nice climate. It often has short day time rains that clear as quickly as they come, and give space for even more sun.

Mekong Delta

As same as Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta has a pleasant tropical climate with two alternative seasons: dry and rainy. The dry season runs from November through April with the average temperature of 28°C, and the rainy season from May through October. Usually the rain showers are brief and heavy, mostly in the afternoons, but after an hour or so it clears up again.

Mekong Delta can be visited all year round and the best time to visit the region iss dry season from November to April.

Mui Ne – Phan Thiet

Mui Ne – Phan Thiet enjoys typical coastal climate with beautiful sunshine nearly all year round. Annual average temperature is 27 °C and average humidity is 79%, relatively lower than all other cities in Vietnam. There are also two main seasons: dry season from November to April, rainy season from May to October. In rainy season, however, rainfall is usually at low record and largely drops in August. There are also possibilities of some infrequent typhoons from June to October. Mui Ne – Phan Thiet can be visited all year round and the best time to visit is dry season.

Central Highlands

December to March is the best time to visit Central Highlands when conditions are usually dry and cool. Along the central coast there is a rainy season from December to February. June to October tends to be very dry and hot.

Long Hai – Vung Tau

Not surprisingly, Vung Tau is windy all year round with a very pleasant average temperature of 28°C which make it a popular destination for sightseeing in Vietnam.

It is possible to visit the place any time of the year, but the best time to visit is dry season from December to April. It shouldn’t be much of a problem in rainy season because heavy downpours don’t last too long and don’t affect travel plans too much.

Phu Quoc Island

Phu Quoc enjoys a very consistent average temperature of 27.7 °C (81.9°F), with an average maximum day time of 31.2°C and average minimum of 24.6°C. With consistently warm temperatures, Phu Quoc is a perfect place for a beach holiday.

Influenced by monsoon sub-equatorial climate, Phu Quoc has two seasons: rainy season from June to October and dry season from November to May. The average annual rainfall is 2,879 mm.

The best months for visibility as you would expect are the dry season from November to March, however visibility is still relatively consistent throughout the year.

Con Dao Island

Con Dao Island is a good year round destination for swimming and exploring. The best time to visit is from March to June when the sea is calm. For divers, the ocean is at its best between March and October. There can also be heavy rains during these months however it rarely persists beyond a few hours. Expect temperatures to peak in the high twenties and low thirties dropping to mid-twenties in the evenings for most of the year.