When to Visit Vietnam: Traveling with the Seasons
Despite being a relatively small country, Vietnam’s various regions experience quite different seasons. If you’re planning your trip to Vietnam around school holidays, slow seasons at work or set vacation times, you may not have the choice of when to visit Vietnam. If you do have flexibility in your travel schedule however, you may want to know when certain parts of the country are hot, cold, wet, dry, etc. When is the best time to visit Vietnam? Well, it all depends on where you’re going!
North Vietnam
If you’re planning a trip to Hanoi, Halong Bay, Mai Chau, Ninh Binh and so on, you may want to make your vacation around November (The north’s equivalent to autumn) or April/May (when days are warm and sunny). North Vietnam’s cool and dry season runs from early November to late April, with the coldest months being December to early February (temperatures get as low as 10 Celsius!). The hot and humid season runs from May to October, with July- early September seeing the highest rainfall. During this time of year, temperatures usually hover around the low 30’s, but it has been known to reach 40 degrees Celsius!
Sapa and the Northernmost Regions
Vietnam’s northernmost regions experience similar weather patterns to the aforementioned north, though varying to different degrees (and getting a bit colder!). Sapa’s dry season runs from October-March and the wet season from April-September. For trekking purposes, the best time to visit Sapa is September-November//March-May when the days are warm, the nights are cool and the views are the clearest. The coldest months in Sapa are December and January, when visitors may even have the chance to see some snow!
If you’re traveling to Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An and the surrounding areas, the best time to visit is from January to April (when the weather is clear and not too hot). The wet and cool season in Central Vietnam runs from late September to early January, with October and November seeing the most rain. The hot, humid and dry season runs from late January to August, with January-May being the most bearable, and temperatures rising near 40 degrees from late May to August. If you’re planning a visit to Hue, temperatures are known to be a bit cooler than those experienced around Hoi An and Danang.
The Southern Region of Vietnam
If you’re planning a trip to Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta Region, Mui Ne and the surrounding areas, there are two distinct seasons to keep in mind. The dry season runs from December (the coolest) to April (the hottest), with temperatures ranging between the high 20’s and high 30’s. The Wet (or Monsoon) season in the south runs from May to November, with June-August experiencing the heaviest rains. Visitors should take note that the rains in the south usually come in heavy, short bursts, while the rains in the north and central regions tend to last much longer.
Phu Quoc Island
If you’re planning a trip the southwestern island of Phu Quoc, the seasons will be quite different from Saigon. The wet season generally only lasts from July to September, with November to June staying mostly hot and dry.
