Vietnam & Cambodia Travel

The North of Vietnam experiences cool, damp winters between November and April with temperatures in Hanoi falling to around 15°C. The summer months from May to October are hot and dry.

A pleasant time to visit is spring (March-April) or autumn (October-December). There are extremes in the Highlands as snow sometimes falls in the winter whilst the summer can see temperatures up around 40ºC. There is the possibility of typhoons between July and November.
When to Go?

The best time to visit the north of Vietnam is from September to December when it isn’t so humid. The weather turns quite cold and wet in January and this continues until March. The humidity can prove oppressive from May to the start of September and there’s a danger of flooding.

CENTRAL VIETNAM

The Central Part of Vietnam experiences something in between the weather patterns of the north and south with the rainy season in summer. The central coast area is usually quite dry from May to October and wet from December to February. Highland areas can experience freezing conditions in winter. There is the possibility of typhoons between July and November.

When to Go?

December to March is a good time to visit the Central Highlands when conditions are usually dry and cool. We visited the region in late November when the weather was beautiful with fine, warm days and pleasant evenings. We had a few light showers as we headed north towards Hoi An. Along the central coast there is a rainy season from December to February. June to October tends to be very dry and hot.

SOUTH VIETNAM

The South of Vietnam has a tropical climate with hot, humid conditions which makes sightseeing in Ho Chi Minh City very tiring for much of the year. The wet season is from May to November with June to August registering the highest rainfall figures. December to April tends to be very dry. Temperatures average around 25-30°C all year round with the hottest and most humid period from the end of February to May.

When to Go?

December to April is the best time to visit the south of Vietnam. There are short downpours during the wet season from May to November but they tend to only last a short time so you can still enjoy a visit during these months (just go for lunch when you see the black clouds developing). The Mekong Delta can experience severe flooding during this period making travel very difficult.

Conclusion

There is no neither ideal nor bad time to visit Vietnam as there are distinct regional weather variations between the Northern, Central and Southern regions.

January & February

The weather in north and along the coast of Vietnam in Jan and Feb is very comfortable, and among best months to travel of the year.

March, April and May

March/ April are pretty good too and less busy. It will start to rain more in May, but not all day. Phu Quoc Island is pretty pleasant up till September, when it rains all day. March is one of the best month to travel as it is one of the driest times of the year, although there can be occasional rain showers around Hue and Hoi An.

June-Aug

June-Aug are summer months and extremely hot in northern & central cities. It’s also the wet season in HCMC and the central highlands (and Phu Quoc in the south) and it’s the hottest time of year in Hanoi.

November & December

Nov and Dec are good months to visit Vietnam. not so cold in northern Vietnam at that time, Hanoi about 15-25oC, while Sapa about 10-20oC. The coldest months are Jan and Feb. Central and southern Vietnam are great at that time (except typhoon). The November visit was by far the most comfortable in terms of temperature and humidity (or lack of).

South Vietnam (HCMC and Mekong Delta, Can Tho, Chau Doc), the weather is fine, a little warmish and sticky, but not at all oppressive. No rain, only a few evening dry thunderstorms, very beautiful over the Mekong.

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