When to visit Vietnam: weather by region and month

Vietnam is about 1,650 km long, so there is no single rainy season: when it pours in Hoi An, Saigon can be dry and sunny. Plan by region first, then by month.

Three climates

• North: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Sa Pa, Ha Giang

  Four seasons. Winter, from December to February, is cool and often grey: around 10–20°C in Hanoi and colder in the mountains, where frost is possible. Summer, from May to September, is hot, humid and rainy, and storms can cancel Ha Long Bay cruises between July and October. The most comfortable months are October–November and March–April.

• Central coast: Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang

  Dry and hot from about February to August, the best beach season. The rainy season runs from September to December, with typhoons and floods, especially in October and November around Hue and Hoi An.

• South: Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc

  Warm all year, roughly 25–35°C. The dry season runs from December to April. In the rainy season, from May to November, rain usually comes as a heavy afternoon downpour that clears within an hour or two.

• Central Highlands: Da Lat

  Cool all year, around 15–25°C, with rain from May to October.

So when is the rainy season?

In the South, from May to November. In the North, from May to September, in the summer. On the central coast, from September to December.

Month by month

• January–February

  Tết, the Lunar New Year, falls in late January or February (6 February in 2027). Homes and streets fill with peach blossom in the North and yellow apricot blossom in the South, and Saigon’s Nguyen Hue walking street becomes a flower street. For a few days around Tết many shops, restaurants and offices close, and trains, buses and flights sell out. The South is dry and sunny; the North is cool and drizzly.

• March–April

  A good time almost everywhere. White bauhinia flowers bloom in the northwestern mountains in March, and in April street vendors in Hanoi sell white Easter lilies. The 30 April and 1 May holidays are a peak for domestic travel.

• May–August

  Hot, with rain in the North and the South and the best beach weather on the central coast. Lotus season in Hanoi runs from about late May to August, and red flame trees are in bloom across the country in May and June. Summer school holidays bring crowds to the beaches.

• September

  National Day on 2 September is a public holiday. The Mid-Autumn Festival, on the 15th day of the eighth lunar month (September or early October), brings lanterns and mooncakes. The rains start on the central coast.

• October–November

  The North at its best: dry, mild and clear. Buckwheat flowers turn the hills of Ha Giang pink, the scent of milk-flower trees fills Hanoi’s streets, and daisies appear in November. Wild sunflowers bloom around Da Lat in November. On the central coast, this is the wettest time of the year.

• December

  The dry season begins in the South, one of the best times for Saigon, the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc. The North is cold. Christmas is widely celebrated in the cities, and Da Lat holds its flower festival roughly every two years, usually in December; check the dates before you plan around it.

Two practical notes

• Book early for the holidays

  Tết, 30 April – 1 May and 2 September are the peaks of domestic travel: transport and hotels fill up weeks ahead.

• Rain rarely ruins a day in the South

  Plan something indoors for the afternoon downpour. On the central coast in October and November, keep a spare day in case of floods.

More Vietnam guides

• Map of Vietnam’s 34 provinces

  Tap any of the 34 provinces for its sights, food, flower seasons and best months, and see which province Hoi An or Sa Pa belongs to now.

• Vietnamese fruits: what to try, and when

  Dragon fruit, mangosteen, lychee, durian and more: the season for each, how to eat it, and what you can take home.

• What to buy in Vietnam: souvenirs worth bringing home

  Coffee, tea, an áo dài made to measure, lacquerware and silk: what to buy, where, and what to leave behind.

• The ao dai and other symbols of Vietnam

  The long silk tunic, the conical hat, the lotus, the dragon: what Vietnam’s symbols mean and where you will see them.

• Vietnam travel guide

From a florist in Ho Chi Minh City

These guides are written by Flosa, a flower shop in Ho Chi Minh City. Celebrating something while you travel, such as a birthday, an anniversary or a proposal? We deliver flowers to hotels across Vietnam. Want to thank someone in Vietnam after you get home? You can send flowers to Vietnam from abroad.