Practical guide · weather

When is the best time to visit Vietnam?

For the south, December to April is the best time: dry, sunny and not yet at its hottest until March. Vietnam is long, so the north and centre follow a different calendar, and the wet season (May to November in the south) is a good time to travel if you accept afternoon showers.

Quick answer for the south

For Saigon, the Mekong Delta, the beaches and the highlands, December to April is the best time to visit. Rain is rare, the sky is clear and the sea is calm. December to February is the most comfortable, because March to May is the hottest part of the year, when Saigon can reach 38 to 39°C.

The wet season runs from May to November. It rains most days, but usually as a short heavy shower in the afternoon, not all day. If your dates are fixed, the wet season is no reason to cancel a trip to the south.

South Vietnam by month

MonthsWhat to expect in Saigon and the south
December to FebruaryDry, sunny, the coolest and most pleasant weather. Peak season; book early around Christmas and Tet
March to MayThe hottest period, 35°C and above. Dry until the rain starts in May
June to SeptemberWet season. Afternoon showers, high humidity, lower prices. September is the wettest month in Saigon
October to NovemberThe wet season tails off. Rain is heaviest in the first half of October, with the risk of a storm until about mid-December

Saigon has roughly 1,950 mm of rain a year, with over 200 mm a month from May to October (Climates to Travel, checked October 2026). Temperatures hardly change: 27°C in the coolest months and 30°C or so in the hottest, as monthly averages.

The places we drive to

Mui Ne and Phan Thiet

This is the driest coast in Vietnam, with about 1,070 mm of rain a year. February and March are almost without rain, and the wet season is milder here than in Saigon. The wind is the other draw: kitesurfers come from October to April, with the strongest winds from about November to March. See the Mui Ne and Phan Thiet guide and the sand dunes.

Da Lat and the highlands

Da Lat’s altitude keeps it cool all year, with averages of about 17 to 20°C. The best months are December to March; the rainy season runs from May to October, and September is the wettest. Nights in winter can fall to 5 or 6°C, so bring a jumper. Da Lat is a good escape from Saigon’s hottest months of March to May. Month by month, see Da Lat’s weather through the year.

Nha Trang

Nha Trang has the opposite pattern to Saigon. The dry season is January to April, and the rain arrives from September to December, with a peak in November. Storms threaten the coast from September until about 10 December. Mid-January to March is the best window. See Nha Trang.

The Mekong Delta

The dry season (December to May) is the easy time to visit. From September to November the river rises and the delta enters its high-water period, which is scenic in provinces such as An Giang and Dong Thap, and the water is high around Can Tho. Floating markets run at dawn all year. See Can Tho and My Tho.

Vung Tau, Ho Tram and Con Dao

The coast near Saigon follows the Saigon calendar, so the sea is best from December to April. The islands, including Con Dao, can be affected by rough seas and ferry cancellations in the wet season. Check the ferry the day before.

Phu Quoc

Phu Quoc’s dry season runs from November to April, and the rainy season from May to October, with the heaviest rain from July to September. The sea can be rough then.

North and central Vietnam, briefly

The north has four seasons. Spring (March and April) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable; winter can be cold and grey, and summer is hot and wet. The centre (Da Nang, Hoi An, Hue) is driest from about February to August, and wettest from September to December, with typhoons possible until early December. A trip that runs the length of the country is a compromise: March to April or October to November are the usual choices.

Tet, Christmas and other busy times

Tet (Lunar New Year) falls on 6 February 2027. The government has proposed a public holiday from 4 to 10 February 2027 (as announced in September 2026). Expect many businesses to be shut for several days, and flights, trains and buses to be sold out around the holiday. Prices rise and cars are hard to find. Book months ahead if you’re travelling then.

Christmas and New Year, and the national days of 30 April and 1 May and 2 September, bring crowds on the beaches and heavy traffic out of Saigon on the eve of each holiday. Allow extra time for the drive to the coast.

Planning around the weather

  • Book the beach in the dry season, and the Mekong and city in any season.
  • In the wet season, do outdoor things in the morning and expect rain from mid-afternoon. A cover for your luggage helps.
  • Leave a margin before an international flight if a storm is forecast, especially from September to December in the centre.
  • See the rainy season for how wet-season travel works in the south, and the Saigon traffic guide for how rain affects the roads.

The information page links to the other practical guides, including getting around Vietnam and the Vietnam visa guide.

FAQ

Questions travellers ask us

What is the best month to visit Saigon and the south of Vietnam?

December to February is the most comfortable: dry, sunny and slightly cooler, with daytime highs around 31 to 32°C. March to May is the hottest, with highs of 35°C or more. The wet season runs from May to November, with short heavy showers that mostly arrive in the afternoon.

What is the best time to visit all of Vietnam in one trip?

No month is perfect everywhere. March and April, or October and November, are the most balanced for a north-to-south trip, but the centre can see storms late in the year and the north is cold in winter. If you only visit the south, aim for December to April.

Is the rainy season a bad time to visit Vietnam?

Not in the south. Rain usually comes as a short heavy shower, often in the afternoon, and the mornings are clear. The sea is rougher and the central coast is stormier later in the year, and some flights and ferries can be disrupted, but prices are lower and the countryside is green.

When is Tet and should I avoid it?

Tet (Lunar New Year) falls on 6 February 2027. Cities empty out, many shops and restaurants close for several days and flights, trains and buses sell out well in advance. It is an interesting time to see Vietnamese family life, but book transport months ahead and expect closures.

Which part of Vietnam is driest?

The Mui Ne and Phan Thiet coast. Phan Thiet gets about 1,070 mm of rain a year, against about 1,950 mm in Saigon, and is called the sunniest and least rainy part of Vietnam. February and March are almost dry.

When is the cool season in Da Lat?

Da Lat is cool all year because it sits at about 1,500 m. The dry season runs from December to March, with sunny days and cold nights that can drop to 5 or 6°C. The rainy season runs from May to October.