Guide CLXXIV — Asia — Calendar
Best Time to Visit Vietnam: Month by Month
Three climates in one country — Hanoi and Ha Long, Hoi An and the central coast, and Saigon and Phu Quoc — and the months when all three line up.
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The short version
Vietnam is 1,650 kilometres long and never has one season. The north has a real winter, cold and misty from December to February, and a hot wet summer. The centre is dry and hot from February to August and floods in October and November. The south is simply wet or dry: dry from December to April, wet from May to November, warm throughout.
March and April are the two months that work everywhere at once — the north has emerged from the drizzle, the centre is dry, the south has not yet turned. Tet, the lunar new year, moves between late January and mid-February and shuts much of the country for a week.
Vietnam month by month
| Month | North — Hanoi, Ha Long, Sapa | Centre — Hue, Hoi An, Danang | South — Saigon, Phu Quoc | Rate character |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cold and misty; clear spells on the bay | Cool, some drizzle | Dry, warm, the best southern month | High in the south, low in the north |
| February | Cool, brightening; Tet closures | Drying out, pleasant | Dry and hot | High; Tet spike |
| March | The north's best month — clear and mild | Warm, dry, beaches open | Hot and dry | Shoulder to high |
| April | Warm, green, excellent | Hot, dry, calm sea | Very hot before the rains | Shoulder |
| May | Hot and humid, storms build | Hot, still dry | Wet season opens | Low |
| June | Hot, wet, hazy on the bay | Peak beach month, hot | Afternoon downpours | Low, with a domestic-holiday bump |
| July | Wettest in the north | Hot and busy with domestic travel | Wet but workable | Low to shoulder |
| August | Heavy rain, typhoon risk | Last dry weeks; storms late | Wet, green | Low |
| September | Rain easing, typhoons possible | Turning wet | Wettest southern month | Low |
| October | Crisp, clear, one of the best months | Flooding season begins — avoid | Rains easing late | Shoulder |
| November | Cool, dry, superb for Ha Long | Peak flood risk in Hue and Hoi An | Dry season opens | Shoulder |
| December | Cold, atmospheric, quiet | Cool and damp | Dry, bright, festive | Southern peak over the festive fortnight |
Booking windows that actually matter
- Tet: confirm everything three to four months out and expect closures for about a week; domestic flights and trains sell out first.
- Private Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay charters in October and November: three months, because the good boats hold only a few cabins.
- Christmas and New Year in Phu Quoc or on the Con Dao islands: book by June.
- Hoi An tailoring and Danang beach weeks: February to May, and skip October and November entirely.
- March and April, the all-country window: eight to ten weeks for the best houses and suites.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the best month to visit Vietnam?
- March or April. Those are the only months when the north, centre and south are all dry and comfortable at the same time, which matters on a north-to-south itinerary.
- When is typhoon season in Vietnam?
- Roughly June to November, peaking on the central coast in September, October and November. Hue and Hoi An flood most years in October or November.
- What is the best time to visit Ha Long Bay?
- October and November for clear, cool air, and March to May for warmth with less haze. Summer brings heat, thunderstorms and the highest typhoon risk.
- Should I travel during Tet?
- Only if you want the festival itself. Families travel home, many restaurants and shops close for several days, and transport is fully booked well in advance.
Editorial note & limitations
Rates are indicative planning figures assembled from official tourism and meteorological data and connected partner inventory in September 2026, not quotations. Hotels and rentals shown on the listings pages are searched live through our booking partners; nothing here is a sponsored placement.