Vietnam is a country with a quite diverse climateVietnam is a country with a quite diverse climate, with freezing temperatures and even snow in its northern highlands.
Vietnam has two distinct monsoon seasons. The southwest monsoon brings in wet and humid weather while the northeast monsoon delivers drizzly, colder temperatures to the north and dry weather to the south.
Generally warmer weather prevails throughout Vietnam, except for the northern mountainous region. In general you can never predict exactly what the weather will be the next day, it's that variable and localized.
Below I’ve split the Vietnam into regions (blocks of three regions: Northern - Central - South) and written up a summary of where favourite places to be are for each region.
Read On!
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| Photo by Phan Dang Viet Tung |
North Vietnam
Northern Vietnam has four seasons: during its winter months December-February, it may dip down to 5-6°C occasionally, even below zero in mountainous areas.
The summer months of June and July are hot, with daytime temperatures reaching 35°C. Drizzling rains and more pleasant temperatures come in autumn, August-November, and the spring, March-April.
Weather in Northern Vietnam is generally cooler than in other countries of Southeast Asia at the same longitude. You can't predict when exactly to go to Northern Vietnam, because the weather is so variable day to day. Temperature and climate, however, does differ on average between individual months.
The best time to visit Northern Vietnam
The best months to travel in Northern Vietnam are from October to April. It's the dry season, with less precipitation than in summer and pleasant temperatures. However, beware of the months December and January, as it can be very cold and may even snow in mountainous areas.
Where to go?
Mountainous Far North (Sapa, Ha Giang, Bac Ha, Mu Cang Chai)
The best trekking conditions in Sapa and around Mu Cang Chai can be experienced between September & November, and from March to May. Daytime temperatures range from 15-28°C, and night-time temperatures from 10-18°C. Trekking and cycling are possible year round, however the winter time can be rather chilly, and the summer rather wet.
The best months to travel in the north-east (Ha Giang) is during the dry season, from October to April (especially in early October usually in the rice harvest season on terraced fields, the scenery of Ha Giang is extremely spectacular), although December and January can get very cold. We recommend that you consider carefully when traveling Ha Giang during the rainy season (May to September).
North Vietnam (Hanoi, Halong Bay, Moc Chau, Mai Chau & Ninh Binh)
Hanoi is a destination you can visit any time of the year, every time there will be different experiences, but in general Hanoi is easy to explore all year round.
Ninh Binh is located just 100 km from Hanoi in the lowlands, the weather is almost the same as in Hanoi. The wettest and hottest months are June, July and August. The best months for visit are September, October, when the temperature around 25 degree. Some spring months are also suitable
Weather in Mai Chai is almost same as in Hanoi. Mai Chau town is in teh lowlands, in the summer there are high temperature up to 35 degree, but very suitable temperature to 25 degree in the autumn. In the winter months can be quite humid and foggy in the area, so be careful when travelling.
You can see hundreds of flowering fruit trees and shrubs in the months of February - March. It's the ideal time to visit this area. The weather in Moc Chau can be a little bit cool in December and January.
Summer lasts from May to October when it is hot and humid and the region experiences its highest rainfall. July to September are often the wettest months of the year. So, weather can prevent junks sailing in Halong Bay although such weather is rare.
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| Photo by Duong Nhan |
Central Vietnam
Central Vietnam has warm temperatures year round, with the hottest months in middle of the year, and cooler, drier days from November to April.
The best time to visit Central Vietnam
Suitable months to visit central Vietnam are from January to August when the temperature is around 30 degree. You can expect more precipitation in October and November. The beach resorts have a dry season from January to September and high temperature.
Where to go?
Hoi An, Hue & Danang in the centre of Vietnam have hot and dry weather from mid-January to late August, with temperatures often reaching the mid-30's °C. During the winter months the rainfall increases with October and November achieving peak levels, occasionally in the form of typhoons.
Hue is often cooler than Hoi An, especially early in the year. In addition, with each sitting on opposite sides of a small mountain range the weather can often differ between the two greatly on any given day.
Quy Nhon is a six hour drive south of Hoi An and shares a similar weather pattern although the dry season is slightly longer due to its proximity to the southern system.
At the far south of Central Vietnam, Nha Trang benefits from a longer dry season (typically January to September), with high temperatures and little rain . The rainy season runs from October to early December with almost half the annual rainfall falling in October and November.
Dalat, in the central highlands, is wet from June to October making outdoor pursuits problematic. From November to May it is far drier although cold in December & January.
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| Photo by Binh Ho Image |
South Vietnam
With temperatures remaining constant year round, the climate of the south is split into two simple seasons, wet and dry. The dry season begins in November and ends in April/early May with late February to May being slightly hotter and more humid.
The wet season lasts from May until early November with the months from June, July & August receiving the highest rainfall of the year. Throughout much of the wet season rainfall is generally heavy but short lasting, often occurring in a mid-afternoon heavy downpour.
The average temperatures in the south range between 25 - 35°C year round.
Where to go?
In the far south, the islands of Phu Quoc and Con Dao can be enjoyed year-round, with high chances of sunny days, although if visiting outside dry season, afternoon downpours should be expected.
How to have a perfect Vietnam trip outside of Vietnam weather, you need to know at least the basic information such as beautiful destination, how to move, delicious food, ...
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Wish you have a happy trip to Vietnam!
