Weather and seasons in Vietnam by region

Vietnam is long, so the weather depends on where you are, not on the country. Choose your month for the region you will be in.

Checked 20 Oct 2026

Monthly detail varies from year to year, and sources disagree on exact start and end dates. Use this to plan, and check the forecast close to your dates.

Weather varies year to year. Check the forecast close to your dates.

At a glance

Region	Wetter months	Drier months	Note
North (Hanoi)	Late April or May to October, wettest in July and August ¹	November to March is cooler and drizzly ¹	Four seasons. Winters can be cold
North central and central coast (Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An)	About August or September to December, heaviest in September to November ¹²	Spring and early summer	Storm and flood risk is highest here
South central coast (Nha Trang)	August or September to December, heaviest in October and November ¹	The rest of the year	Less exposed than the cities to the north ²
Central Highlands (Da Lat)	April or May to October or November, peak in August ¹	Winter is dry ¹	Cooler than the coast
South (Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong Delta)	May to November ¹	December to April	Two seasons, dry and wet

The north

Hanoi and the north have four seasons. Winter, from about November to March, is cold and drizzly. Summer is hot and humid, with the rainy season from late April or May to October and the most rain in July and August ¹. Reported monthly mean temperatures for Hanoi are about 16 degrees Celsius in January and 29 in July ¹. Spring and autumn are the milder months.

Central Vietnam

The coast from Hue to Da Nang has its rain later than the north. It starts around August or September, runs to November or December, and is heaviest in September and October on the north central coast. The south central coast peaks in October and November ¹. Spring and early summer are the drier stretch.

This is also the storm area. Vietnam sees about 6 to 8 typhoons or tropical cyclones a year ¹. One guide rates the central coast's typhoon risk as moderate to high in September and high to very high in October and November ². In the south the risk is very low ².

The south

The south has a dry and a wet season. The rains begin in May and run to about November, with short heavy rain on many afternoons ¹. The dry months are hot, and April is the warmest month in Ho Chi Minh City, at a mean of about 29 degrees ¹.

Central Highlands

Da Lat and the highlands are dry in winter and wet in summer. The rain begins in April or May, peaks in August and ends in October or November ¹. The cold month is January. The mean annual temperature is about 18 degrees in Da Lat, well below the coast ¹.

Storms and floods

When. The official typhoon season is June to November. The north is riskiest from July to September and the central coast from September to November ².
What happens. A guide says airports and ports can close for 12 to 48 hours before and after a storm, roads can be blocked for 2 to 5 days and power can be out for 24 to 72 hours ². Island ferries are often cancelled first ².
Where to check. The national forecaster, NCHMF, publishes English updates. Check airlines directly for flights ².
If one is coming. Charge devices, save offline maps, keep cash and water, follow your hotel's instructions and stay out of floodwater ².
Cover. Check that your policy covers weather cancellation and interruption, and read the exclusions for named storms ².

Tet

Tet is the Lunar New Year. The first day of 2027 falls on 6 February ³. Many shops and restaurants close for days and transport is busy, so book early and stock up. The official public holiday dates for 2027 were not final when we checked: sources gave periods from about 3 to 11 February. Check before you go ³⁴.

How to choose a month

Pick the month for the region. Some people follow the weather: the south in winter, the north in autumn and spring.
A stay of a month or more on the central coast between September and December carries real storm risk. Check the forecast and your cover before you book.
If you move around, stay flexible about the order of cities.

Before you pick a month

Check what your passport needs in the visa check. Then look at where to stay.

Questions and answers

Which month should I pick?

No one month suits the whole country. One guide suggests March and April is the only nationwide window ⁵. Choose by region.

When is typhoon season?

Officially June to November, with the central coast most exposed from September to November ².

Is the south ever dry?

Yes. The dry months are about December to April, and they are hot ¹.

Sources

All pages were read or seen in search on Oct 20, 2026. Weather varies by year, so treat dates as rough.

Wikipedia, "Climate of Vietnam" (regional rainy seasons, temperatures, storms per year): en.wikipedia.org
Vietnam Tourism, "Is it safe to travel to Vietnam during typhoon season? A practical guide for 2026" (monthly risk by region, disruption, forecasts, cover): vietnamtourism.com
Wikipedia, "Tet" (first day of the 2027 Lunar New Year; seen in search): en.wikipedia.org
MyVietnamVisa, "Vietnam public holidays 2026 and 2027" (proposed Tet break; seen in search): myvietnamvisa.com
Cosmic Scanner, "Worst time to visit Vietnam in 2026" (March and April as a nationwide window; seen in search): cosmicscanner.com