Best time to go to Vietnam (month by month comparison)
by Chris on 14th September 2018
Chris is the CEO of The Adventure People and has over 20 years experience in the travel industry.
As Vietnam is a big, long country so the best time to go varies depending on where you are going. If you're planning on travelling around the whole country this can get slightly complicated. The main thing to keep in mind though is that Vietnam is a year-round destination with nice and warm temperatures, just with more and less rainfall and humidity. Here is a very general month by month comparison:
January - February
Many would agree this is the best time to visit Vietnam. The weather is at its driest and the temperature is warm. Especially if you're going to the south of Vietnam and looking to enjoy some beach time, this is the best time to go. Although the south is warm year round, there is less rainfall during this time. The north including Hanoi, Halong Bay and Sapa can be chilly during this time, especially at night. If that's an issue you might want to consider going a bit later in the year.March - April
North of Vietnam is now warmer, and the wet season has not yet started so this could be the perfect time to go. The south might see some rainfall especially as it gets closer to May. If you're going trekking this could be the ideal time to go along with October-November. It's also the ideal time for Halong Bay as the skies are usually the clearest at this time.May - August
Wet season has begun but this could still be a very nice time to go! Central Vietnam, and the beaches of Hoi An and Hue is generally dry and sunny. The south will see short daily rain showers but then the rest of the day is nice and sunny. The north sees a lot of rain and is humid. On the plus side though there are fewer tourists and prices are often lower!September - October
In the beginning of this time frame, the whole country is more of less wet. The north starts to get dry first, and trekking in Sapa for example starts to be nice again. It's not the ideal time for the beaches in central Vietnam. Towards the end of the period (mid to late October) the south gets drier and very pleasant again.November
Along with maybe February, this is generally the best time to visit. Especially if you're travelling around from north-south. It's become significantly drier and is nice and warm temperatures around 30 degrees Celcius. Perfect time to cycle around Vietnam for example!December
December is also a great time to visit, dry, just slightly colder than the rest of the year. It's probably the time of year when you'll experience the clearest skies, something which is especially nice when going trekking. Around Christmas is a very busy month with tourists and prices might be higher. Of course, there are always exceptions and weather can be very hard to predict but we hope this guide has been helpful in planning your trip! We're always happy to answer any questions you may have about Vietnam or any other destination, just email us at hello@theadventurepeople.com
