Skip to content What the 2008 page showed
This page was first published in 2008 as a short video of a Saigon downpour, shot in the rainy season. The video was a Flash embed, which no browser plays any more, so only the idea survives: Saigon rain arrives fast and hard.
What to expect
The wet season in the south runs about May to November. Typical days are sunny and humid in the morning, with a heavy shower for an hour or two in the afternoon or evening. Streets can flood quickly, and motorbikes and traffic slow right down, so allow extra time for airport runs and day trips. Dry-season months, roughly December to April, are drier and hotter.
Most travellers carry a light rain jacket, not an umbrella, and plan outdoor sights for the morning. For how the city moves, see traffic in Saigon, and for the city guide, Ho Chi Minh City. Check the national weather forecast for typhoon warnings, which mostly affect the central and northern coast.
For the month-by-month picture across the south, see our rainy season guide.