Country guide
Vietnam
Hanoi's old quarter, Ha Long's karst bays, lantern-lit Hoi An and Mekong floating markets; north and south run on different seasons.
Currency
VND
Language
Vietnamese
English
Limited
Payment
Cash preferred
Power
Type A / B / C
230 V, 50 Hz
Dialing
+84
Destinations
Con Dao
Vietnam's heaviest history and its emptiest beaches, on one small island.
✓ best Dec-AprDa Nang
Thirty kilometres of city beach, a river full of lit bridges, and central Vietnam's best days out all inside an hour's drive.
✓ best Jan-MayDalat
Vietnam in a jumper: pine ridges, waterfalls and French villas on a plateau that never gets hot.
✓ best Jan-AprHa Giang
Southeast Asia's most challenging motorbike loop through limestone peaks and isolated ethnic mountain villages
✓ best Oct-AprHa Long Bay
Thousands of limestone islands you can only really see from the deck of a boat you sleep on.
✓ best Oct-AprHanoi
The most atmospheric capital in Southeast Asia - a living old quarter that has not been sanitised for tourists.
✓ best Apr, Oct-DecHo Chi Minh City
Vietnam's loudest and best-fed city, where the history of the war sits a few blocks from the country's most relentless street life.
✓ best Dec-MarHoi An
Vietnam's best-preserved old town, lantern-lit and largely traffic-free, ten minutes by bike from the sea.
✓ best Jan-AprHue
Vietnam's imperial capital - a walled citadel, a river of royal tombs, and the country's most particular regional cooking.
✓ best Feb-AprMekong Delta (Can Tho)
Vietnam's rice bowl seen at water level: a wholesale market held in boats before dawn, orchard canals you row rather than walk, and a proper city to sleep in.
✓ best Dec-JanMui Ne
Vietnam's kitesurfing coast, where the beach runs straight into sand dunes.
✓ best Nov-AprNha Trang
Vietnam's beach city proper: a long arc of sand in the middle of town, the country's best diving offshore, and Cham towers over the river.
✓ best Jun-Aug, Jan-AprNinh Binh
Vietnam's answer to Halong Bay, except the water is rice paddies and you can day-trip it from the capital.
✓ best Nov-AprPhu Quoc
Vietnam's big beach island: national park at one end, sunset resorts down the west coast, and snorkelling islands scattered off the south.
✓ best Dec-MarSapa
The best trekking base in Vietnam, with terraced valleys and hill-tribe villages you reach on foot, not by bus.
✓ best Feb-Mar, Nov-DecThe sweet-spot windows
Good weather, thinner crowds, better prices: the windows worth aiming for.
| Where | When | Why it works | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Central coast (Hoi An, Hue, Da Nang) | Feb-Apr | Warm & dry, perfect beach weather, calm seas | March gets hot inland around Hue |
| The north (Hanoi, Sapa, Ha Long) | Oct-Nov | Crisp autumn, clear skies, rice harvest season in Sapa | Can be chilly at altitude, esp. Nov |
| The south (HCMC, Mekong) | Nov-Dec | Dry returning, fewer tourists than Jan-Feb peak | Occasional late-season shower |
Climate zones, month by month
Vietnam has 15 distinct climate zones. The right month depends on where in the country you're going.
Con Dao →
✓ Best Dec-Apr · ✗ Avoid Jun-Oct
Watch for Jun-Oct monsoon flooding risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Da Nang Central Coast →
✓ Best Jan-May · ✗ Avoid Sep-Nov
Watch for Jun extreme heat risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Sep-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Dalat Central Highlands →
✓ Best Jan-Apr · ✗ Avoid Sep-Nov
Watch for Sep-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Ha Giang Far North →
✓ Best Oct-Apr
Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Ha Long Bay →
✓ Best Oct-Apr · ✗ Avoid Jul-Aug
Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Jul-Aug monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Hanoi →
✓ Best Apr, Oct-Dec · ✗ Avoid Jun-Aug
Conditions Jan Cool & drizzly · Feb Damp & grey · Mar Drizzly · Apr Warming up · May Hot & humid · Jun Monsoon heat · Jul Monsoon · Aug Heavy rain · Sep Storms easing · Oct Crisp & dry · Nov Cool & clear · Dec Dry & mild
Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Jul-Sep monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Ho Chi Minh City →
✓ Best Dec-Mar · ✗ Avoid May-Oct
Conditions Jan Dry season · Feb Driest month · Mar Dry & warm · Apr Hot pre-rains · May Monsoon starts · Jun-Aug Monsoon · Sep Peak rain · Oct Heavy rain · Nov Rains easing · Dec Dry returns
Watch for Apr extreme heat risk · Jun-Oct monsoon flooding risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Hoi An Central Coast →
✓ Best Jan-Apr · ✗ Avoid Sep-Nov
Conditions Jan Mild & dry · Feb Driest period · Mar Warm & dry · Apr Beach season · May Heating up · Jun Very hot · Jul-Aug Hot & dry · Sep Typhoon risk · Oct Monsoon peak · Nov Monsoon · Dec Rains easing
Watch for Jun-Jul extreme heat risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Sep-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by verified verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Hue Central Coast →
✓ Best Feb-Apr · ✗ Avoid Sep-Dec
Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Jun-Jul extreme heat risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Sep-Dec monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Mekong Delta (Can Tho) →
✓ Best Dec-Jan · ✗ Avoid Jun-Oct
Watch for Mar-Apr extreme heat risk · Jun-Oct monsoon flooding risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Mui Ne South Central Coast →
✓ Best Nov-Apr
Watch for Jul-Oct typhoons risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Nha Trang South Central Coast →
✓ Best Jun-Aug, Jan-Apr · ✗ Avoid Oct-Nov
Watch for Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Oct-Nov monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Ninh Binh Red River Delta →
✓ Best Nov-Apr · ✗ Avoid Aug-Oct
Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk · Aug-Oct monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Phu Quoc Gulf of Thailand →
✓ Best Dec-Mar · ✗ Avoid Jun-Oct
Watch for Jun-Oct monsoon flooding risk · Jul-Oct typhoons risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions
Sapa Northern Highlands →
✓ Best Feb-Mar, Nov-Dec · ✗ Avoid Jun-Sep
Watch for Feb-Apr haze risk · Jun-Sep monsoon flooding risk
Cards tinted by calculated verdict · big number = typical daily high, small = low · hover for conditions