If you are planing your trip to Vietnam, one of the first question which comes to you might be when is the best time to travel to Vietnam?. However, to find out the best time to visit Vietnam will be difficult to give the accurate answer because, for Vietnam, any time can be a good time to travel. Vietnam is a country with tropical monsoon climate, which means different weather patterns from North to South as well as different events, activities might also interest the travelers. If travelers want to visit the whole country, deciding “which is the best time to go” can be a little bit complicated.
The easiest way to find out the best time to visit Vietnam is to breakup the country into 3 regions which you might start your Vietnam trip – the North, the Central and the South. Vietnam is over 1,000km in length and has huge regional diversity, however you can travel to any part of Vietnam during any season is also possible. The climate in Vietnam can be divided into 3 zones: North, Central and South. Northern Vietnam has a humid and subtropical climate. The weather gets cold from November to March and hot season will begin from April to October. While Southern Vietnam, especially Ho Chi Minh and Mekong Delta, gets plenty of rain and hot, enjoy tropical climate all year around with humid weather from April to September. Central Vietnam is kind of a transitionary area with average temperature ranging between 20-35°C.
It is hard to find out the perfect time to travel Vietnam because each season in each area of Vietnam bring something unique and beautiful, which are waiting for you exploring.
NORTHERN VIETNAM
The climate in the north is characterized by its tropical monsoon climate. The cold season begin from November to the end of March. Dry season starts from April to the end of September, the weather in this timing is usually hot and humid with heavy rain. The average temperature is 23°C. The highest temperature can reach up to 37°C in June. The lowest temperature can be down to 10°C in January.
Based on the uncomfortable weather conditions, summer in the Hanoi seems to be the hardest season for tourists to travel. However, summer is the most bustle season of the year with many kinds of flower, white Madonna Lily, red flamboyant which is the symbol of Hanoi’s summer or WestLake lotus will attract tourists. You can travel to Sapa and Halong Bay to enjoy the cool weather in summer which is best suitable for water and trekking activities.
Moreover, summer is the off-season, the accommodation prices tend to be cheaper, so it’s good for tourists on a budget.
Compare to other areas in Vietnam, it has a clearer distinction between four seasons. The best time to visit places in Northern Vietnam is around October and November, as the weather is not too hot with less rain and plenty of sunshine.
Autumn also is the most beautiful season of Hanoi in particular and in the North of Vietnam in general that the South Vietnam doesn’t have. During this season, there are some national holidays during these months like Vietnam National Day on September 2nd, Vietnam Reunification Day on April 30th for tourists who want to experience the Vietnamese national holidays.
CENTRAL VIETNAM
From April to September, while other areas have rain, central Vietnam does see less rain than other parts of the whole country. Central of Vietnam has a wet season from September to December. This timing, there are quite a lot heavy rains in October and November which can cause flooding. January to August is dry season though afternoon showers are still common, with average temperatures rising to the mid-thirties in the middle of summer.
Travel to central Vietnam, there are many places that travellers must visit such as Da Nang, Hue, Hoi An. If you arrive at the Hoi An town on the 14th day of a lunar month, Hoi An will be much more charming with its Full Moon Festival and “Old Street Night” exclusively available on that day. Traveller visiting Da Nang during the festival day, you can enjoy colorful streets with many traditional songs. There are mixed variety kinds of festivals in Da Nang including Cau Ngu festival, Quan The Am festival, communal village festival,..
HO CHI MINH CITY
Ho Chi Minh city is a cultural, economic and political center in Vietnam. It is known as a “Pearl of the Orient” which has a modern, vibrant and extremely young beauty combined with many traditional ancient buildings.
Ho Chi Minh City is divided into two distinct seasons: the dry season and the rainy season. Rainy season usually lasts from May to November. And dry season starts from December to April, this period is known to be the hottest, with average temperature of 28°C. Humidity is moderate in December and begins to decrease from January to April. If you travel to Ho Chi Minh city during this period, you can escape from the normal sticky weather of Saigon. It is said that, this timing is the best time in year for traveling to Ho Chi Minh city. In this timing, the humidity is low, it’s pleasant in the morning then becoming cool and windy at night, which makes it much more bearable. December is the coolest month with temperatures in the early morning can decrease to 16°C with light sunshine and mild climate, it has little cloud in the evening, creating cool feeling for tourists.
In term of activity, if you visit Ho Chi Minh city in late of December, you will have chance to experience Christmas and the traditional holiday of Vietnamese people – Tet holiday (New Year). In this month, whole city is filled with colorful decorations, people will hang out and grand sales happening and shopping with family.
However, many travellers decide to visit all three regions on their trip, so being aware of the temperature is key to ensuring you pack appropriately to enjoy each destination.
