With planning your holiday in Vietnam, you may ask yourself when is the best time to travel somewhere in Viet Nam. The answer is fairly simple: Anytime!
Honestly, it is not right completely. It depends on how you want your holiday in Vietnam. If you would like to stay at a beautiful place with warm beach, sipping a glass of cocktail and sunbathing, you will want experience in different periods for a more interesting vacation.
Average Conditions of Vietnam weather
Average Conditions data © Copyright RM, 2011 (from BBC.com).
First of all, Viet Nam is a country that stretches over a thousand miles, from the North of Sapa to the southern Mekong Delta. There are 2 relative different climates: the northern climate with 4 seasons and the tropical climate with two seasons (dry and rainy season).
The division between 2 main climate zones is Hai Van Pass between Hue and Da Nang.
The climate in the South of Vietnam
Let’s start with the climate in the southern Vietnam. In the end of the dry season from December to the end of April, the weather is clear and pure, not much rain.
From January to March, there is not almost rainfall too much. If your purpose is to relax at a resort near to beach, this is the best time to visit Vietnam. In case your destination is highland, let you choose Da Lat at this time because it is quite cool.
Dry season in the South (at Can Tho).
If you plan your whole time of vacation for Ho Chi Minh City, you should prepare for yourself an overcoat when going out to protect your skin away sunlight as well as consider it as the removal of dust from vehicles. This is the way of many Vietnamese. What’s more, the roads in dry season can be quite dusty. Especially the majority of city roads are not really clean, lack of rain adding the environmental pollution.
The temperature doesn’t change too much in the South. It is always hot in the lowlands but it is very comfortable and cool in the highlands of the Southern Viet Nam. The hottest time of year is between March and May. The visitors from colder countries welcome that hot climate but with locals, this is a kind of special torture weather.
Therefore, when the rainy season begins in May and June, most of people feel good with the influence of cold air.
The low temperature is from September to December and the end of rainy season in November. In my own experience, from November to January is the best time to travel to the southern Vietnam. It’s no wonder that this is the peak tourist season in Ho Chi Minh City.
Thus, in case you are planning to get out of the cold weather with dark night winter especially during winter season, Vietnam is an ideal place for that purpose.
The climate in the North of Vietnam
Northern Viet Nam is known with 4 seasons of year more than only 2 seasons. You can make your decision through considering the hot and humid weather in summers, the cold and dry weather in winter. If it’s rain during the cold season, rain may make everything become quite dirty but fortunately, this does not often happen.
The winter in Hanoi
However, if you want to come to the northern mountainous region, you should prepare psychologically with a relatively cold winter even the low temperature of 0°C. In Sapa, there is an occasional snowfall. If you are particularly interested in the weather in Hanoi, you had better refer to the following guideline for weather:
• Spring
The best thing about 4 seasons is the spring with the atmosphere filled in thousands of flower flavor in a tropical climate. Spring time in Hanoi is usually wet with a low humidity before monsoon arrives in May. When admiring the blooming flower thousands in this period, don’t forget to bring an umbrella to adorn the sky.
• Summer
Summer time in the North is hot and wet. Actually, there are nothing’s special to expect as the earth is heating up causing all kinds of temperature in combination together. Let you bring an umbrella or a raincoat in all cases. You don’t know that how weather can change quickly.
• Autumn
Autumn in the northern Vietnam is considered as the most romantic time of the year because rain and temperature is regulated, leaves change their color and you can experience a beautiful cold atmosphere. In general, I just want to say that fall is the best time to visit the northern Vietnam but this period is quite short (only a few weeks between September and the end of October)
• Winter
Winter in the North is cold, at least, this is right for a tropical country like Vietnam. Temperature in Hanoi can be down 10°C with humidity even it’s pretty cold. To welcome this cold weather, you should prepare for yourself appropriate clothes but don’t make everything become “a terrible form”. Winter in Vietnam is very attractive because everyone gathers around a small fire to sip a cup of hot tea and tasty dishes specifically the hot and attractive street foods.
Holidays in Vietnam
Holiday in Hoi An
This is another consideration when travelling to Vietnam. Although there is not much, most of Vietnamese have some holidays to visit their families or spend a few days to come to other cities more than for themselves.
If you would like to travel during the Lunar New Year or the international day, you have to book ticket soon. How is serious, in case you don’t have any ways to get on bus or ticket on the Tet occasion. If you are extremely lucky, perhaps you will find out a space on the floor between 2 seats. Even airline ticket to Bangkok and other Southeast Asian cities are sold out.
At this time, cost of hotel rooms increases at least double while there are many stores in city close but the famous tourist villages and destinations of Vietnam are very bustling with visitors. Thus, if you want to experience your holiday here, first of all, you have to either plan carefully or stay at your place during this bustling time.
You need check your holiday as well as vacation time in advance. Let you care about the big festivals in Vietnam. They don’t change but holidays may be different. Be sure you have enough time and check your visa limitation as well. The embassy will stay in vacation time so if your visa expires, it can become expensive.
Severe storm
August – November is a special season for hurricanes, tropical storms with the potential devastation. Even if road of storm is too far to Hanoi, most of the Central coastal regions are influenced the strongest.
In general, once storms come to Vietnam, they are ready to damage many properties but it’s very difficult to predict. If you stay at Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An or any coastal regions while a storm is moving on the road, be sure check online information or the hotel reception. It’s just for your safety.
Final: best time to visit Vietnam
When is the best time to visit Vietnam? Anytime! However, from September to January is ideal to travel the South whilst spring and fall are prefect time for the North. If you are not afraid of rain, the South is for you all year round.
