Weather in Vietnam

The weather in Vietnam is hot most of the year, with cool to cold weather being experienced in the North of the country around Hanoi during the winter months.

However, there is never a ‘bad' time to visit Vietnam. Remember, the country is very big and the distances are huge. So when it's cold in Hanoi you can usually guarantee hot and sunny weather in Saigon/HCMC and vice-versa. The weather can be very changeable, particularly in central areas such as Hue, cold and damp one day, hot and humid the next.

Generally, when it's hot, it's very, very hot and when it's wet, likewise, but nothing lasts long and it all adds to the adventure and variety of travel in Asia. Everyone should experience the refreshing relief of an Asian downpour.

In a nutshell, in the north of Vietnam, the weather will be cool to cold from November to April and hot from May to October. In the south of the country, it is at it's coolest from November to January. The hottest time is from February to May and it is likely to rain (a lot) from June to October.

Refer to the "What to Take" section for some tips on clothes etc.

The free, 2007 Editions of the on-line Cambodia and Thailand Travel Guides are now available in English. Other Travel Guides will be available in the near future.

In addition, Arikah now also features free, online encyclopedias in Dutch, English, German, French, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Swedish.