Climate in Vietnam

The weather in Vietnam is as diverse as its geography. The Mekong River Delta and the southern coastal lowlands experience hot and humid tropical weather year-round, while the Red River Delta in the north has a four-season climate. The mountains in the far northeast and northwest may experience below-freezing temperatures and even occasional snow during the winter months. Mild, spring-like temperatures are typical year-round in the mountainous Central Highlands.

Vietnam has wet and dry seasons, though there is always a chance of rain, even during the driest months. When you’re planning your outdoor activities, it’s often more important to consider rainfall rather than temperature. It’s also possible to enjoy pleasant, sunny days at any time of the year wherever you are in the country.

Hanoi and other northern cities experience four distinct seasons. Though Hanoi’s humidity averages around 79%, October through April are the least humid months and temperatures are usually mild and comfortable. It doesn’t snow in Hanoi, but temperatures occasionally get into the single-digits between December and February. Summers tend to be hot and humid throughout the north, with temperatures from May through September occasionally topping 40 C.

Typical days in the central coast cities of Da Nang and Hoi An are partly cloudy, warm but not too hot, and they’re tempered by ocean breezes.

The hottest months are May through August, though humidity is comfortably low during this time. By September, the weather will begin to cool, with more rainy days and stronger winds. October is historically the rainiest and wettest month of the year. Cooler winter weather lasts from mid-November until mid-February. Winters tend to be fairly wet and humid, though late in the season, the precipitation drops markedly. By March and April, rain occurs an average of just three days per month.

Year-round high temperatures on the central coast average less than 26 C. The temperature rarely drops below 17 C, even on the coldest nights. Tropical storms and typhoons are a possibility between August and October.

The temperatures become warmer and there is less seasonal variation as you head further south. Light coastal winds along the South China Sea keep many seaside towns comfortable throughout the year. The climate in Nha Trang is ideal, with warm and sunny summers and mild, breezy winters but comparatively less humidity than you’ll find in most other parts of the country. There will be cool days from December through February when you’ll have the occasion to don a light jumper, but there are few days too cool to relax under a beach umbrella.

Expats living in the southern part of Vietnam generally stay in either Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) or in Vung Tau. The climate in both of these cities is warm year-round—never too cold and rarely too hot. The average annual temperature is a balmy 28 C and the sun shines almost every day. The dry season here runs from December through April; combined with slightly lower temperatures, this is considered to be the best time of the year to be in this area.

Vung Tau has the distinction of having more hours of sunshine per year—2,400 hours of it—than any other place in Southeast Asia. Nearly constant coastal breezes moderate the heat and keep air pollution to a minimum. Typhoons and tropical storms rarely pass this far south.

At 1,500 metres, the Central Highland’s town of Dalat is comfortably cool with an average year-round temperature of just 14 C. Not surprisingly, Dalat is known as the City of Eternal Spring and it’s a popular place for expats who like Vietnam’s low cost of living but not its warm, tropical temperatures.

Most of Dalat’s annual 1,770 mm of rain falls between May and October, while other months are usually sunny and dry.