Seasons in Vietnam
Vietnam's weather is shaped by two monsoon systems, a summer and a winter monsoon. The summer monsoon usually begins at the end of April or in early May and ends in September or October, and it brings the big rains of the south and the Central Highlands. The winter monsoon brings cold spells, extreme rainfall and strong winds to the north.[2] The Ministry of Construction's climate regulation splits the country at 16 degrees north, level with the Hai Van Pass, which lies between Hue and Da Nang. North of that line there is a cold winter, with a coldest-month mean of 10 to 15 °C on the plains. South of it there is no cold winter, the plains are hot all year, and the year divides into a rainy season from May to October and a dry season from November to April.[3]
Typhoons affect Vietnam mostly from June to November: from June to August they are more likely to hit the north, and from September to November they are more likely to reach the South Central and southern regions.[2] The central coast does not follow the southern calendar. In the North Central region, the northeast monsoon and disturbances over the sea typically bring heavy, repeated rain from October to December.[3] Flood seasons follow the same split: from June to October on rivers of the north, from September to December on rivers from Quang Binh to Ninh Thuan, and from June to November in the South and the Central Highlands.[2]
Region by region
North (Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long)
Hanoi's city government describes four seasons: spring from February to April, a hot and rainy summer from May to August, a mild autumn from August to October and a cold, dry winter from November to January.[4] Our data rates Hanoi best from January to April and from October to December, with a mean daily high of 19.6 °C and a low of 14.3 °C in January. In the north, cold spells with a daily mean below 15 °C typically occur from December to February.[2] From February to April the east of the north and the central coast often have a damp, muggy spell with humidity above 95 percent. Snow is rare in Vietnam and falls only once or twice a year on a few high mountains in the north.[3]
July and August are the wet peak: Ha Long gets 530 mm in July and 467 mm in August, Sa Pa 433 mm and 409 mm, and Hanoi 295 mm and 289 mm, and all three rate poor in both months. A storm or typhoon came within 200 km of Ha Long in 14 of 30 years in July and in 13 in August. When a storm or tropical depression approaches, Quang Ninh province can suspend permits for sightseeing and overnight trips at sea, as it did on 18 August 2025, so keep a spare day for any boat trip between July and September.[5] Sa Pa has the coldest nights, with a mean daily low of 6.6 °C in January, and it is almost dry in November (11 mm) and December (5 mm).
Central coast (Phong Nha, Hue, Da Nang)
Hue's city portal puts the rainy season from September to December and the flood season from October to December, with October and November the wettest months and the ones that most often bring floods.[1] In our data Hue has 524 mm in October and 572 mm in November, and a storm came within 200 km in 11 and 4 of 30 years; in September the count is 16 of 30 years, the highest on our map, shared with Da Nang. Da Nang's city portal gives a dry season from January to September and a rainy season from October to December, and says the big storms usually come from September to November.[6] Our data rates September poor in Da Nang, with 367 mm of rain.
Big waves usually occur from September to March on the Da Nang coast and grow strongly when a storm, a tropical depression or a strong monsoon is active.[7] The city's beach management board asks visitors not to swim on bad weather days or where a warning board forbids it.[8] In Phong Nha, the park authority describes a hot dry season, when temperatures can reach 40 to 41 °C, and a rainy season of flooding, flash floods and landslides, above all along the Son and Chay rivers and the Tra Ang stream.[9] Our data rates Phong Nha best from January to June and poor in September (495 mm) and October (506 mm). The Son Doong cave tour season runs from January to August and is limited to 1,000 visitors a year.[10]
South Central (Nha Trang, Da Lat, Mui Ne)
Khanh Hoa province describes a short rainy season from about mid-September to mid-December, centred on October and November, which brings more than 50 percent of the year's rain. The rest of the year is the sunny season, with 2,600 to 2,800 hours of sunshine a year, and the province gets few storms: about 0.82 landfalling storms a year, against 3.74 for the Vietnamese coast as a whole.[11] Our data rates Nha Trang best from January to August, with just 18 mm in February, while October is mixed (258 mm) and November is poor (242 mm, with a storm within 200 km in 11 of 30 years).
The Lam Dong provincial gazetteer gives Da Lat a dry season from November to April, which coincides with the northeast monsoon, and a rainy season from May to October, which coincides with the southwest monsoon. From November to January, polar air masses occasionally replace the usual sunny air and bring cloud, light rain and strong wind.[12] In our data Da Lat has a mean daily high of 21.8 °C and a low of 10.5 °C in January, rates best from December to March, and is mixed in May and from July to October. Mui Ne is the only place on our map that never rates worse than good, with 6 mm of rain in February and 8 mm in March. The construction climate regulation puts the boundary between the South Central and the southern climate regions between Ninh Thuan and Binh Thuan, which places Binh Thuan, where Mui Ne lies, almost entirely in the southern region.[3]
South (Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Phu Quoc)
Ho Chi Minh City's government portal gives a rainy season from May to November and a dry season from December to April, and says about 90 percent of the year's rain falls from May to November.[13] In our data the city has just 4 mm in February and 8 mm in March, reaches a mean daily high of 34.1 °C in April, and is mixed from May to October with 236 to 286 mm a month. Can Tho rates best from December to April, good from May to August and mixed in September (242 mm) and October (250 mm). Flood season on rivers of the South runs from June to November.[2]
Phu Quoc's district portal gives a dry season from December to May and a rainy season from June to November, with 3,038 mm of rain a year, and says the island has few adverse weather events such as storms. Mountain climbing and adventure activities are limited from July to September because of the concentrated rain.[14] Our data shows the rain arriving earlier than the official calendar, with 318 mm in May, and rates Phu Quoc poor from June to September, with 593 mm in July and 544 mm in August. It rates best from November to March, and a storm came within 200 km in only 2 of 30 years in November and 1 in December, and in none of the other months.
Vietnam month by month
Vietnam in January
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long, Phong Nha, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Phu Quoc, and Hue.
Most rain: Hue, 169 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 31 °C on average.
Eleven of our twelve places rate best in January, and only Hue is rated good, with 169 mm of rain. In the north it is cool: Hanoi has a mean daily high of 19.6 °C and a low of 14.3 °C, and Sa Pa a low of 6.6 °C. Cold spells with a daily mean below 15 °C typically occur from December to February.[2] The Son Doong cave tour season opens in January and runs to August.[10]
Vietnam in February
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long, Phong Nha, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Phu Quoc.
Most rain: Hue, 65 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 32 °C on average.
All twelve places rate best in February, with Hanoi at a mean daily high of 20.8 °C and Nha Trang at 28.3 °C. In 2027 the official Tet break for public servants runs from 4 to 10 February, from the 28th day of the last lunar month to the 5th day of the new year.[15] Book transport and rooms early around those dates. From February to April the east of the north and the central coast often have a damp, muggy spell with humidity above 95 percent.[3]
Vietnam in March
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long, Phong Nha, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Da Lat, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, and Phu Quoc.
Most rain: Phu Quoc, 122 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 33 °C on average.
March is the other month in which all twelve places rate best, and Mui Ne and Ho Chi Minh City are almost dry, with 8 mm each. Hanoi warms to a mean daily high of 22.6 °C.
Vietnam in April
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hanoi, Ha Long, Phong Nha, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Sa Pa, Da Lat, and Phu Quoc.
Most rain: Phu Quoc, 144 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 34 °C on average.
Nine places rate best in April, while Sa Pa (133 mm), Da Lat (140 mm) and Phu Quoc (144 mm) are rated good as the rain returns. Ho Chi Minh City and Can Tho are at their hottest, with a mean daily high of 34.1 °C in both. Reunification Day on 30 April and Labour Day on 1 May are one day public holidays each, and the Hung Kings holiday falls on the 10th day of the third lunar month.[16]
Vietnam in May
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Phong Nha, Hue, Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hanoi, Ha Long, Mui Ne, and Can Tho.
Most rain: Phu Quoc, 318 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 34 °C on average.
Four places still rate best in May, namely Phong Nha, Hue, Da Nang and Nha Trang, while Sa Pa, Da Lat, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc turn mixed. Phu Quoc receives 318 mm and Ho Chi Minh City 236 mm. The summer monsoon that brings the southern rain usually begins at the end of April or in early May,[2] and Ho Chi Minh City's own portal counts May as the first month of its rainy season.[13]
Vietnam in June
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Phong Nha, Nha Trang, Hanoi, Hue, Da Nang, Da Lat, Mui Ne, and Can Tho.
Most rain: Phu Quoc, 381 mm.
Hottest days: Da Nang, 35 °C on average.
Only Phong Nha and Nha Trang rate best in June, and Phu Quoc turns poor with 381 mm. Hue and Da Nang reach their hottest month, with mean daily highs of 34.5 °C and 35.1 °C, and a hot, dry west wind can push temperatures in the North Central region up to 43 °C between April and September.[3]
Vietnam in July
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hue, Nha Trang, Phong Nha, Da Nang, Mui Ne, and Can Tho.
Most rain: Phu Quoc, 593 mm.
Hottest days: Da Nang, 35 °C on average.
Ha Long gets 530 mm in July, and Sa Pa 433 mm, Hanoi 295 mm and Phu Quoc 593 mm, so all four rate poor. A storm or typhoon came within 200 km of Ha Long in 14 of the 30 years. From June to August typhoons are more likely to hit the north.[2] Phu Quoc's district portal says mountain climbing and adventure activities are limited from July to September because of the concentrated rain.[14]
Vietnam in August
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Da Nang, Nha Trang, Hue, Mui Ne, and Can Tho.
Most rain: Phu Quoc, 544 mm.
Hottest days: Da Nang, 34 °C on average.
Ha Long (467 mm) and Hanoi (289 mm) are still rated poor in August, while Da Nang is rated best with 110 mm and Hue good with 115 mm. August is the last month of the Son Doong tour season.[10]
Vietnam in September
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Nha Trang and Mui Ne.
Most rain: Phong Nha, 495 mm.
Hottest days: Da Nang, 32 °C on average.
No place on our map rates best in September: Hue (433 mm) and Phong Nha (495 mm) are poor, and a storm came within 200 km of Hue in 16 of 30 years. Da Nang's city portal says its big storms usually arrive from September to November.[6] National Day is a two day holiday around 2 September,[16] and in 2027 the official break for public servants runs from 2 to 5 September.[15]
Vietnam in October
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long, and Mui Ne.
Most rain: Hue, 524 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 32 °C on average.
Hanoi is back to best in October with 93 mm, while Hue (524 mm), Da Nang (522 mm) and Phong Nha (506 mm) are poor. Hue's city portal names October and November as the wettest months and the ones that most often bring floods.[1] In the North Central region, the northeast monsoon and disturbances over the sea typically bring heavy, repeated rain from October to December.[3] Khanh Hoa province puts its short rainy season from about mid-September to mid-December, centred on October and November.[11]
Vietnam in November
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long, Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc, Da Lat, Mui Ne, and Can Tho.
Most rain: Hue, 572 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 32 °C on average.
Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long, Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc all rate best in November, while Hue (572 mm), Da Nang (407 mm) and Nha Trang (242 mm) are poor. Hanoi's city government counts November as the first month of the cold, dry winter.[4] In Da Lat, polar air masses occasionally replace the usual sunny dry-season air from November to January and bring cloud, light rain and strong wind.[12]
Vietnam in December
HanoiSa PaHa LongPhong NhaHueDa NangNha TrangDa LatMui NeHo Chi Minh CityCan ThoPhu Quoc
Great or good weather: Hanoi, Sa Pa, Ha Long, Da Lat, Mui Ne, Ho Chi Minh City, Can Tho, Phu Quoc, Phong Nha, and Nha Trang.
Most rain: Hue, 378 mm.
Hottest days: Ho Chi Minh City, 31 °C on average.
Eight places rate best in December, including Hanoi (28 mm) and Sa Pa (5 mm), while Hue is still poor with 378 mm and Da Nang is mixed with 269 mm. Phong Nha (150 mm) and Nha Trang (174 mm) are good again. Hue's city portal ends the rainy season in December,[1] and so does Da Nang's.[6]
Frequently asked questions
What is the best time to visit Vietnam?
February to April is the easiest window, because every place on our map rates best or good in those months. If you visit only the north or the south, November to April also works, while central Vietnam is best from February to May.
When is the rainy season in Vietnam?
It depends on the region: the plains of the south have their rainy season from May to October,[3] Hue's rainy season runs from September to December,[1] and Hanoi's hot summer from May to August is also its rainy time.[4]
When is the best time to visit Hue and Da Nang?
Our data rates Hue and Da Nang best from February to May and poor from September to November. Hue's city portal puts the rainy season from September to December, with the heaviest rain and floods in October and November.[1]
When is typhoon season in Vietnam?
Typhoons affect Vietnam mostly from June to November, with the north more exposed from June to August and the South Central and southern regions from September to November.[2] Da Nang's city portal counts 2 to 3 storms or tropical depressions a year that affect it directly, with the big ones usually from September to November.[6]
When is the best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta?
Our data rates Ho Chi Minh City best from November to April and Can Tho best from December to April. The city's government portal puts the dry season from December to April and the rainy season from May to November.[13]
When is the best time to visit Hanoi and northern Vietnam?
Hanoi rates best from October to April, but the winter is cool, with a mean daily high of 19.6 °C and a low of 14.3 °C in January. Cold spells with a daily mean below 15 °C typically occur from December to February.[2]
About the data
Temperatures and rain are long-term averages for 1991 to 2020 from TerraClimate, and the typhoon risk counts tropical storms from NOAA IBTrACS. The ratings use the same rules for every country. How the rating works.
Long-term averages, not a forecast. The weather in a given year can be quite different.
Travel guide: Vietnam
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] Hue city government portal (hue.gov.vn): Chế độ mưa, lũ (rain and flood regime, in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [2] Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE), Institute of Meteorology, Hydrology and Climate Change (IMHEN), UNDP: Viet Nam Special Report on Managing the Risks of Extreme Events and Disasters to Advance Climate Change Adaptation (SREX Viet Nam), 2015. Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [3] Ministry of Construction (Bộ Xây dựng), published on the Government portal: QCVN 02:2022/BXD, National technical regulation on natural physical and climatic data for construction (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [4] People's Committee of Hanoi (Hanoi Investment Map portal): Giới thiệu tổng quan và khái quát về địa lí thành phố Hà Nội (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [5] People's Committee of Quang Ninh Province (provincial government portal): Tạm ngừng cấp phép tàu từ 13 giờ ngày 18/8 (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [6] Da Nang city government portal (danang.gov.vn): Điều kiện tự nhiên (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [7] Da Nang city government portal (danang.gov.vn): Các tác động của thiên tai và biến đổi khí hậu (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [8] Da Nang city government portal (danang.gov.vn), beach management board advice of 12 April 2023: Đảm bảo an toàn cho người dân và du khách khi tắm biển tại các bãi biển của thành phố (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [9] Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Management Board (phongnhakebang.vn): Phát triển du lịch bền vững trong bối cảnh biến đổi khí hậu (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [10] Phong Nha-Ke Bang National Park Management Board (phongnhakebang.vn): Chinh phục Sơn Đoòng, hang động lớn nhất thế giới (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [11] People's Committee of Khanh Hoa Province: Điều kiện tự nhiên (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [12] Lam Dong provincial government portal, Da Lat Gazetteer (Địa chí Đà Lạt): Khí hậu, Địa chí Đà Lạt (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [13] Ho Chi Minh City government portal (tphcm.chinhphu.vn): Khí hậu, thời tiết (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [14] Phu Quoc district portal, An Giang provincial government (phuquoc.angiang.gov.vn): Giới thiệu về Phú Quốc (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [15] Ministry of Home Affairs (Bộ Nội vụ), Notice No. 11483/TB-BNV of 9 October 2026: Thông báo lịch nghỉ tết Âm lịch và lễ Quốc khánh năm 2027 (in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
- [16] National Assembly of Viet Nam, published on the Government portal: Bộ luật Lao động số 45/2019/QH14, Điều 112 Nghỉ lễ, tết (Labour Code, in Vietnamese). Retrieved October 15, 2026.
