When to travel to Vietnam?

If Vietnam is visited throughout the year, some regions are more pleasant to discover according to their weather.

With its look depicting the silhouette of a dragon, emblem of strength and virtue in the Far East, shaped by centuries of Chinese occupation and almost 100 years of French presence, Vietnam is a phoenix that rises from the ashes.
Devastated by three decades of struggle for reunification between the North and South of the country, it could have been forgotten in the darkness of History. But the Land of the Dragon suddenly opened to the outside world in 1994 and has since experienced a dazzling economic expansion. Vestiges of wars and memorials are now tourist attractions, as are its spectacular terraced rice fields, postcard-perfect beaches, and still wild lands. With its elongated territory stretching over 1,600km from North to South, this Southeast Asian country shows contrasting and well-marked weather, delimiting three main regions: North, Centre, and South. The whole Two Deltas Country is subject to the alternation of a dry and a wet season, also known as the rainy season.

As a mountainous region with a subtropical climate, North Vietnam radiates from Hanoi, a thousand-year-old capital architecturally marked by French colonial influence and a singular cultural effervescence. Between tradition and modernity, the ancient Thang Long fascinates the traveler with its old quarter with outmoded colonial charm, by the Mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh next to the pagoda with single pillar, by its Taoist temples and Buddhist pagodas, not to mention the Hoan Kiem Lake, vibrant heart of the City of Peace. Hanoi has been a capital for over 1,000 years and is ideally visited from October to December, with the complicity of pleasant weather, with comfortable temperatures.
Further north, on the border with China, are the mountainous provinces with majestic and breathtaking reliefs, hosting many ethnic communities with unchanged customs for centuries. In the Sapa region, hikes in the heart of terraced rice fields will lead travelers to meet these peoples at the end of the world, while the Northeast sees the Red River delta unfold, which finally opens onto the Gulf of Tonkin and its famous Halong Bay.
In the far north, the province of Ha Giang and its Ma Pi Leng pass culminating at more than 1 200m, is ideally visited from late September to early November. In addition, this period corresponds to the rice harvest, an exceptional moment, known here as the golden season. Do not hesitate to extend your pleasures by heading towards the Chinese border, marked here by the impressive waterfalls of Ban Gioc, particularly beautiful in this season.
Awaken your inner adventurer by exploring the treasures of the Sapa region!
The best time to visit northern Vietnam is during the dry season – that is, from November to early May. The rest of the year, the wet season, is characterized by particularly frequent rainfall in June, July and August, and temperatures around 35°C, which creates a high humidity level.

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Pearl of Tonkin, Halong Bay is particularly appreciated from March to April, or from September to November. Halong Bay, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is home to nearly 2,000 karst islands and islets that can be explored by kayaking, exploring its various beaches, caves, and floating fishing villages.

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Central Vietnam is experiencing a rainy season that is lagging the north: we will see this region under heavy rainfall (typhoons are not uncommon) between November and January. Prefer the period from February to May, which corresponds to the dry season, with pleasant temperatures. Those who are sensitive to the heat will avoid the period from June to August, with temperatures averaging around 40°C. Under this tropical climate, the charming and romantic Hoi An is a museum city classified as a UNESCO Heritage Site. Stroll through the lantern market, amble up the pedestrian streets or enjoy the sun on the beaches overlooking the Cu Lao Cham islands, confetti of authentic nature, off the beaten track.
Also classified by UNESCO, Hue is an ancient imperial city that is full of tombs, palaces, temples, and pagodas. Not far away, Da Nang is a lively seaside resort, whereas Quy Nhon offers magnificent beaches almost deserted.
Heading even further south, the country is shrinking and giving way to a succession of cities turned towards the warm waters of the South China Sea. Here, you will enjoy the temperate microclimate of Nha Trant and its splendid bay, whereas Phan Thiet will delight almost all year-round windsurfers and kite surfers.

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The South and the Mekong Delta is announced by the megacity of Ho Chí Minh City (formerly Saigon) which buzzes like a hive where traders, businessmen and revelers from all backgrounds find themselves. The most populated and modern city in Vietnam leaves no one indifferent, whether you love it or hate it! Sometimes considered as a huge open-air restaurant, you can avoid vibrating in unison with its generous cuisine, its overflowing energy, the exotic effervescence of its Chinatown and the timeless charm of its French colonial vestiges.
One will find calm in the extreme south of the country, in the jungles of flooded coconut trees forming the Mekong delta and on the beaches of the paradisiacal islands of Phu Quoc or those of Con Dao, irresistible destinations for lovers of Robinsonnades.
The best time to enjoy the southern languor of an atypical Vietnam, living along the water and the rhythm of its floating markets is the dry season. Indeed, if the South of the Country knows rather high temperatures all year-round, the region is subject to the game of the dry (September to April) and wet seasons, from May to September. The summer season – aka the rainy season - is characterized by its high humidity and sudden and intense precipitation, of relatively short duration. If possible, we will preferably choose the period from December to early March, with its weather complicit in seaside pleasures.

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