Best Time to Visit Vietnam: Region by Region

Vietnam is long and thin, about 1,600 km from north to south, so the weather is not the same everywhere in the same month. The south has two seasons, dry and rainy. The north has four: a cool winter, a hot summer and two short seasons in between. So the honest answer to "when is the best time" is: it depends where you go.

Below is a simple guide by region. If you tell us your dates and where you want to go, we can tell you what the weather is usually like then.

Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Ha Long Bay)

Best time: October to April

These months are cooler and drier. December to February can be cold in Hanoi, around 10 to 17°C, and it is often grey and damp, so bring a jacket and layers. From February to April there can be mist on Ha Long Bay, which some people like for photos and some don't. May to September is hot and humid, with summer rain and the odd storm.

Central Vietnam (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An)

Best time: February to August

This is the dry part of the year. February to April is the most comfortable. June to August is very hot, but good for the beach. The rainy season is from about September to December, sometimes into January, and October and November usually get the most rain and the typhoons. Hoi An old town can flood for a few days in those months.

Southern Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta)

Best time: December to April

The dry season runs from about November to April. It is hot all year, around 30 to 35°C, and March and April are the hottest. In the rainy season (May to October) it usually rains hard for an hour or two in the afternoon and then stops, so you can still travel.

Highlands (Dalat, Sapa)

Dalat: December to March. Dalat is cool all year and these are the dry months.

Sapa: March to May and September to November. Sapa is in the far north and gets very cold in winter, sometimes near 0°C. In September the rice terraces turn yellow before the harvest, which is a popular time to go.

If you are coming on a cruise ship

Most cruise ships visit Vietnam between October and April. That is a good time for the north and the south. For Chan May and Da Nang, ships in October to December can meet heavy rain, so pack a light rain jacket. Our shore excursions still run in the rain, and we change the plan a bit on the day if needed. For ideas at each port, see Hue or Hoi An from Chan May port, Ha Long cruise port in 8 hours and Phu My port: Saigon, Vung Tau or the Mekong.

Weather is never fully predictable and it changes a little from year to year, so check the forecast a few days before you go.