There is no single best time to travel to Vietnam, because the country stretches more than 1,600 km from north to south and has three different weather systems. When Hanoi and Sapa are cool and clear, Hoi An may still be having late rains, while the beaches of Phu Quoc enjoy blue skies.
Vietnam's three weather zones
North Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Ninh Binh, Sapa, Ha Giang) has four seasons. Winter, from December to February, is cool and dry, around 14–20°C in Hanoi and colder in the mountains, where frost is possible. Summer, from May to September, is hot (30–35°C) and humid, with heavy showers.
Central Vietnam (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An, Nha Trang) is dry and sunny from February to August, its beach season. The rains arrive from September to December, with the heaviest rain, typhoons and occasional floods in October and November.
South Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc, Con Dao) is tropical and warm all year, around 25–35°C. The dry season runs from November to April; the rainy season, from May to October, usually brings short afternoon downpours rather than all-day rain.
Peak season, low season and crowds
- Peak season (December to March): the best weather for most of the country and the most international visitors. Christmas, New Year and Tet (the Lunar New Year, late January or February) are the busiest weeks: hotels, trains and domestic flights fill up and prices rise, so book two to three months ahead.
- Domestic holidays: 30 April–1 May and 2 September, plus the June–August school holidays, when Vietnamese families head for Da Nang, Nha Trang, Phu Quoc and Halong Bay. Beach hotels can sell out on those dates.
- Low season (May, and September to early October): fewer travellers and better hotel rates. Expect heat and showers, and plan around the central coast's rains from late September.
The table below shows the typical temperature in each region month by month. Each month then has its own section with the weather, the temperature and the best places to go.
