When's the best time to travel to Vietnam in terms of weather? The Vietnam travel industry often says "there's no good or bad seasons to go." Not exactly true, overall the best time to go is December through April when rainfall is minimal and there are warmer temperatures. However, don't be dissuaded by rain outside the monsoon season, it is not much of a deterrant unless your set on having beach time.
Vietnam
has tropical weather marked by a monsoon season. It is typically humid
and warm, although the weather can vary significantly from one area to
another
due to the
long length of the country which covers several weather zones and the
variance
in altitudes (in late 1999 there was snow in northern Sapa while it was over
eighty degrees in Saigon). Flooding is also common in the central
coast
region around Hue and Hoi An.
Vietnam
had back-to-back years of devastating flooding in this region during 2000 & 2001 — travel
companies may list tours for the rainy period, but plan
your trip dates carefully or your trip may be a washout. The weather may also be very unpredictable, particularly during the tourist season (December through March), when cold spells and/or unexpected rain may pass through. IN 2007, the north and central experienced it's coldest weather in over 40 years, and the usual sunny skies on the central coast gave way to consistent rain and cold winds.
Temperature
remains almost constant in Saigon while in Hanoi there is a marked cooler,
although
pleasant season from November through March and warmer period during the summer
("cooler" is relative, you will not likely need a jacket aside from Hanoi and Halong Bay)). See our
charts below, showing the levels of rain and temperature for north, south, and
central Vietnam by month of the year.
Since
flooding is common, most important for traveling in Vietnam is avoiding the
monsoon season. We cannot emphasize this enough. People on trips have been
stranded over a week or more during floods. Below are some charts to help you
guage when to travel. Our scheduled tours are limited to the drier period of the
year: December through March (although we do arrange custom tours year-round
in areas that may be dry). During December, the weather north of Danang (and the
Hai Van Pass) can be cool and rainy. January is an optimal month to travel the
length of the country (combined with humidity, it is not as cool as the chart
below reflects). However, Sapa does not thaw until around the first week of March.
Specifically
for Sapa, September through November and March through May are the best
weather periods for trekking and cycling in Sapa. Daytime temperatures range from
15-28 C,
and night-time
temperatures from 18 down to 10 Celsius. Trekking and cycling are
possible at other times too, but the wintertime can be rather chilly, and
the summer
rather wet. Please ask about our Mai Chau trips if your trip is during the cooler months.
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