WEATHER in VIETNAM
Vietnam
has tropical weather in the south to subtropical in the north and 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 (over 1,200 miles) which covers several weather zones and has a significant
variance
in altitudes (in late 1999 there was snow in northern Sapa at about 5,000 feet while it was over
eighty degrees in Saigon). Flooding during monsoon 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 — plan dates of travel
carefully and consult with us. See our
charts below, showing the levels of rain and temperature for north, south, and
central Vietnam by month of the year.
North Vietnam is marked by a hot and humid wet season from mid-May to mid-September as well as a warm and humid dry season from around mid-October to mid-March. In the south the seasons come later and in Central Vietnam rainfall is heaviest between September and January when the coast is subject to tropical storms. During December in particular, 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.
For Sapa, September and November and March through May are the best
times 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 very chilly dropping into the 30s with fog and drizzle, and
the summer
rather wet.
Sufficiently confused by now? Below are weather charts to help you
gauge when to travel. Ideally, tours are limited to the drier period of the
year: December through March, although mid-October is less touristy and the rains have begun to taper.
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Jan
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Feb
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Mar
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Apr
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May
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Jun
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Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
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Hanoi
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Halong
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Sapa
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Hue
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Danang
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Nha Trang
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Saigon
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Can Tho
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Phu Quoc |
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More weather
data by region:
Place
(North to South)
|
Rainy Season
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Dry Season
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Annual Rainfall (in)
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High Temp
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Low Temp
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Humidity (%)
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Hanoi
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May-Oct
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Nov-Apr
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66
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June: 91
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Jan: 57
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83
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Halong
Bay
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July-Aug
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Nov-Apr
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79
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July: 89
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Jan: 56
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82
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Dien Bien
Phu
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Apr-Sep
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Oct-Mar
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62
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May: 90
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Jan: 52
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84
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Sapa
(Far North)
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Mar-Nov
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Dec-Feb
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109
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August: 74
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Jan: 43
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87
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Hue
(Central)
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Jul-Jan
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Feb-Jun
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114
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August: 94
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Jan: 63
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88
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Danang
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Jul-Jan
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Feb-Jun
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78
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June: 94
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Jan: 66
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83
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Qui Nhon
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Sep-Dec
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Jan-Aug
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65
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August: 94
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Jan: 69
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81
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Pleiku
(Highlands)
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May-Oct
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Nov-Apr
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106
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April: 87
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Jan: 57
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85
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Dalat
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Apr-Nov
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Dec-Mar
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72
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April: 80
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Feb: 50
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84
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Nha Trang
(So. Beaches)
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Sep-Dec
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Jan-Aug
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45
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August: 92
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Jan: 69
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82
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Saigon
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May-Oct
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Nov-Apr
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78
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April: 95
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Jan: 70
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82
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Can Tho (The Delta)
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May-Oct
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Nov-Apr
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61
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April: 93
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Jan: 71
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82
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