SEASONS IN VIETNAM AND SOME ESSENTIAL TRAVEL NOTES

Located in the tropical zone, the climate of Vietnam is highly differentiated by topography, location, and monsoon. Complex climate characteristics have profoundly affected the weather of different regions. So how many seasons in Vietnam are there? The north of Vietnam has 4 seasons in a year: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. The weather in the northern central part is a bit similar to the north, however, due to the impact of the Fehn wind making the summer longer & hotter. The southern central & the south of Vietnam often have 2 main seasons including the rainy season & the dry season. 

I - Seasons in Vietnam: 4 seasons in Northern & North-Central region

The northern & north-central regions include: 

- From Thanh Hoa province to the north is the northern region. 

- From Thanh Hoa province to Thua Thien Hue province is the north-central region. 

1 - Spring 

Spring in the northern & north-central regions lasts from February to April. The weather in spring is affected by the last winter monsoon with light cold wind & drizzle and high humidity. The average temperature is about 20.6°C. 

Spring is one of four seasons in Vietnam - Source: E.vnexpress

Information for tourists when traveling in this season in Vietnam: 

- In the spring, there are many festivals taking place in Vietnam such as Huong Pagoda (My Duc district, Hanoi), Khai An Festival in Tran Temple (Nam Dinh province), Yen Tu festival (Quang Ninh province), the Hung King festival (Phu Tho province), etc.

- The fields and hills of flowers blooming brilliantly throughout the northwestern mountains are the most beautiful natural color picture. Ideal places to visit: Ha Giang, Sapa, Moc Chau,...

2 - Summer - The longest time in 4 Seasons in Vietnam

Con Dao island - Source: Shutterstock

Summer northern & north-central region starts from May to early August, the average temperature is about 28.1^oC, summer average rainfall is about 237.3mm. High temperature & sudden showers are the summer weather’s highlights. 

The temperature increases gradually and reaches its peak in July (up to 39^oC). Summer in the north from May to August is also the rainy season in Vietnam when the coastal provinces start to enter the storm season. 

Information for tourists when traveling in this season of Vietnam: 

Summer heat is not so comfortable for sightseeing activities. Traveling to Vietnam this time, the long sandy beaches in central & south Vietnam are the most ideal. The mountainous regions such as Sapa, Pu Luong, Moc Chau valley are also nice places to visit. 

3 - Autumn - the best season to visit Vietnam 

Autumn in Hanoi - Source: Zingnews

Autumn in Vietnam lasts from September to October. The weather in autumn is more pleasant than summer, making this the best season for Vietnam. The temperature gets a slight decrease to 25°C. The average temperature falls about 25°C. The weather is very cool. It is not too hot and not too cold like winter. At this time, the humidity in the air also starts to increase, sometimes there is heavy rain.

Among the 4 seasons in Vietnam, Autumn is the most beautiful one, with a gentle atmosphere and poetic scenery. For those who love romance, this is the most suitable season.

Tourist information:

- At this time, the weather is quite pleasant, you can stroll along the streets to watch the beautiful yellow leaves fall, and watch the street scene gradually changing. Autumn season in Vietnam is also the season of many beautiful flowers, notably chrysanthemum - the special flower of autumn, inhaling the scent of fragrant milk flowers, enjoying green nuggets as well as the ripe dracontomelon.

- You can also go to Ha Giang province to see the buckwheat flowers, admire Sapa in the late autumn, the immense Moc Chau tea hill, welcome light sunshine in Phu Quoc island etc.

4 - Winter - top seasons in Vietnam for traveling along the country

Sapa town in the winter - Source: Vnexpress

Winter in Vietnam starts from the end of November to the end of January the following year, the average temperature is about 15 - 20°C, this season usually does not rain. The weather is cold at the beginning of winter and possibly the damaging cold in the middle of the season, the humidity in the air is still low, and at the end of winter, the foggy weather creates a cold feeling. Among the seasons of Vietnam, winter is the only one that has snow. Snow can occur in some mountainous areas such as Mau Son, Sapa,... 

Tourist information:

Winter weather is cold and dry but suitable for climbing for sightseeing or hiking. Some suggestions: Sapa - Lao Cai, Ta Xua - Son La, Ha Giang.

II - Season in Vietnam: Central Highlands, South Central & Southern region

- The South Central region includes the coastal provinces from Da Nang city to Binh Thuan province. 

- The Central Highlands region includes 5 provinces of Dak Lak, Dak Nong, Lam Dong, Kon Tum and Gia Lai. 

- The rest are the provinces in the southern region.

1 - Dry season in Vietnam

Phu Quoc Island - Source: Focusasiatravel

The dry season in Vietnam starts from December to May next year, the average temperature is 25-35°C, the rainfall is low and the humidity in the air is usually lower (<100mm) than the rainy season. As for the South Central region, the dry season leads to a prolonged drought.

Tourist information:

Dry season - one of the best seasons in Vietnam to travel. This season in the South is very convenient for sightseeing and participating in interesting outdoor activities. You should go to Binh Quoi tourist area (Binh Thanh district, Ho Chi Minh city) to participate in folk games, Thanh An island (70km from Ho Chi Minh city), Doc Let beach in Nha Trang, Phu Quoc island,...

2 - Seasons in Vietnam - Rainy season 

Source: SHAH Shah

The rainy season usually starts from the end of May to November, the average temperature is about 20-25°C, and the humidity in the air starts to rise. 

Heavy rain often appears in the afternoon, but only lasts for a short time. The rainy season in Vietnam is also the typhoon season, heavy rains with rainfall from 200mm - 400mm lead to inundation. Especially, heavy storms accompanied by heavy rain may cause severe floods.

Tourist information

As it may rain a lot, entertainment activities or outdoor tours are limited.

It can be seen that the seasons in Vietnam are divided quite differently, with the North having 4 main seasons: spring, summer, autumn, winter and the South only has 2 seasons: dry and rainy.