Best time to go to Vietnam

Vietnam has had so many cultural influences over the centuries, with both the northern and southern powerhouses, Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, seeing the good, bad and the ugly. There is a similar north-south divide when it comes to the weather and, although they all have their good sides, seldom ugly, they do influence your choice of time to travel. So can peak season, which is July to August, as this is when the beaches are at their peachiest. Our tours take you into more adventurous terrain, however, where you have time to cycle through small Hmong tribe villages, or hike from one homestay to another. Even though our adventures are available all year round, here are some tips so that you can work out the best time to go to Vietnam for you.

Whether you go cycling in the dry or rainy season in Vietnam, it’s always so cool.

Best time to go to Northern Vietnam

If you want to experience a hiking or cycling holiday in northern Vietnam, think of Hanoi and head north or west from there. Hanoi is, of course, Vietnam’s capital and cultural heart, with over a thousand years of history. Northern Vietnam stretches from the Red River Delta to the highlands, encompassing a variety of terrains, climates and cultural influences. We have two holidays there at the moment: a privately-guided cultural adventure and a cycling tour and both are available all year round.

Northern Vietnam has a subtropical climate, with four distinct seasons. Winters (December to February) can be surprisingly cold, especially in the mountains. Spring and autumn offer pleasant weather for walking or cycling, and summer months (May-August) are generally warm and humid. Monsoon season is from July to early September, bringing occasional heavy rain showers.

The Highlands and Sapa

Sapa is the main hub of our cultural adventure, and a popular trekking stop in the highlands. Overlooking Muong Hoa Valley, it has one of the most up and down temperatures in the country. Temperatures can get to a sub-tropical high of 29C in June and July, but winter becomes more temperate, dropping to as far as zero degrees in late December or January. They don’t go past the 10C mark until March, when average temperatures are 14-15C, with averages of 20C in July, but often a lot hotter as mentioned above.

Hòa Bình Province

With our cycling holiday in northern Vietnam, you don’t head as far north but, after some time in Hanoi, you head west and south-west into Hòa Bình Province. This region is mountainous but more of a transition area from lowland to highland. The monsoon has a more clear cut effect here, leading to two seasons rather than four – a rainy one in summer, and a dry cold one in winter. The average annual temperature hovers around 23C, although it can go as high as 29C in July. The rainy season starts around mid-April, as does the humidity, and goes on until the end of October. It’s not an all day affair though, with short but serious downpours, usually in the middle of the day. It’s an amazing experience to see the rice plantations and tropical forests burst into life over this period, almost on a daily basis. The end of the monsoon, leading into the dry season, in November, is when the waterfalls are at their most thunderous, and the valleys at their most verdant. If you like your cycling to be drier, without those cooling down showers, the best time to go to Vietnam’s northern region is between December and March.

Tea plantations in Phú Thọ province in Northern Vietnam during the ravishing rainy season.

Best time to go to Central Vietnam

Central Vietnam, or Central Region (locally known as Miền Trung), is in the middle of that littoral, lanky bit of the country. But definitely not middle of the road when it comes to landscapes. Especially for our cyclists, who can head here with a private guide any time of year on this nine day adventure. Central Vietnam lies between the northern and southern regions of the country, stretching from Thanh Hóa Province in the north down to Bình Thuận Province in the south. It’s as rich geographically as it is culturally, with a mix of cooling plains, cloudy-prone mountains that run parallel to the coast. There’s a monsoon influence that mixes with a maritime one, which can sometimes tease the typhoons into action.

There’s a risk of typhoons in Central Vietnam between June and November, with the most active months being August to October. The actual rainy season is different whether you’re on the coast or in the mountains. The coastal areas such as Hội An and Da Nang, get most of their rain between September and December, but the more elevated regions inland get their share of soaking between May and August. Getting around by boat during the rain is a lot of fun, though and, like northern Vietnam, the rain showers don’t always last too long. There are always silver linings to those clouds, though, as the rainy season keeps the crowds at bay, so it’s a great time for exploring in peace. And if you want to stay dry while on your bike, book a cycling tour between January and the end of August, when the thermometer can go off the scale, with temperatures ranging between 21-35C.

Traditional fishing in Hội An, a coastal area and UNESCO that can be affected by typhoons in rainy season.

Christmas in Vietnam

If you’re allergic to the buildup to Christmas, you will soon forget any notions of seasonal over-consumerism, cycling or hiking in Vietnam. Although Vietnam gets busy at this time of year, this trip takes you off the beaten track. On a Christmas holiday in Vietnam you are also escaping the rainy season. It’s hot and dry, but if you head to some of the elevated landscapes, they are cooler than on the busier coast. And, if you like to treat yourself to good food at this time of year, this holiday is one moveable feast. And not a bit of turkey in sight.

Best time to go to Vietnam for festivals

Vietnam has several major public holidays and cultural festivals that are celebrated nationwide. Many of these are tied to the lunar calendar and so they vary every year. One thing that doesn’t vary is just how popular, and populated, they can be. So, you may want to time your trip accordingly, either to embrace these cultural events or escape them. Here are the approximate dates of some of the most significant ones.

Tết Nguyên Đán (Vietnamese Lunar New Year)

Late January to mid-February (the first day of the lunar calendar, lasting three to seven days). This is the big one, party-wise and price-wise as accommodation can soar at this time. But you get to experience a real community affair with fireworks, family feasts and musical festivities. As well as a lot of peach or apricot blossoms, which are used to decorate houses and public buildings.

Reunification Day (Victory Day)

This takes place on 30 April to commemorate the end of the Vietnam War in 1975, marking the fall of Saigon and the reunification of North and South Vietnam. You can join the joyful parades, fireworks and concerts at just about every main town and city in Vietnam. This holiday is often adjoined to Labour Day, which is on 01 May.

National Day

Taking place on 02 September, National Day commemorates the day in 1945 when Vietnam declared independence from French rule. More fireworks, flags and feasts for this one.

Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival)

Another lunar event, this time on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, so around September or October). This is known simply as the Moon Festival, and it’s a real family affair with a focus on children and young people who eat traditional mooncakes, while all coming together to sing and dance under the full moon.