Vietnam in Winter: North, Central or South?

Short answer: in December go north and south and keep the centre short; in January the same, with a jacket for Hanoi's drizzle; in February the centre finally dries and the whole country is usable, but Tet on 6 February 2027 will shape the middle of the month. The railway alone runs 1,726 km from Hanoi to Ho Chi Minh City, and winter means three different things along that line. The mistake most first-time planners make is to treat "Vietnam in winter" as one forecast.

This guide gives you the numbers by region and month, then turns them into a decision by trip length. The day-by-day route that follows from it is the 14-day December itinerary; this page is about which regions belong in your trip at all.

Three climates, one table

These are 1991 to 2020 climate normals published through the WMO World Weather Information Service from Vietnam's national meteorological data. A rain day is any day with at least 0.1 mm. Phu Quoc is not a WMO station; its figures come from a secondary climate summary and are rounded.

Winter climate normals by region: monthly rainfall, rain days and December temperatures
Station	Region	November	December	January	February	December high / low
Hanoi	North	48 mm, 7 days	24 mm, 7 days	28 mm, 11 days	19 mm, 12 days	22 C / 15 C
Hai Phong (near Ha Long)	North coast	45 mm, 7 days	25 mm, 7 days	40 mm, 11 days	21 mm, 13 days	22 C / 16 C
Da Nang	Central coast	486 mm, 21 days	272 mm, 21 days	83 mm, 14 days	22 mm, 7 days	25 C / 21 C
Nha Trang	South-central coast	400 mm, 18 days	224 mm, 15 days	54 mm, 9 days	13 mm, 4 days	27 C / 23 C
Ho Chi Minh City	South	128 mm, 9 days	41 mm, 5 days	12 mm, 2 days	8 mm, 1 day	32 C / 24 C
Phu Quoc (secondary)	Gulf island	about 170 mm, 13 days	about 60 mm, 6 days	about 35 mm, 5 days	about 30 mm, 4 days	31 C / 24 C

Read the rain-day column, not just the millimetres. Hanoi in February has less rain than December by volume but nearly twice the rain days: that is the crachin, a fine drizzle under low cloud that can last for days. Da Nang in December has the same 21 rain days as November with little more than half the volume: heavy showers become steady rain. Ho Chi Minh City in January has two rain days; the constraint there is heat.

Trang An boat landing in Ninh Binh: rows of green rowing boats with painted numbers and orange life jackets moored at stone steps, a line of rowers in light green uniforms and conical hats waiting on the bank under trees — The Trang An boat landing near Ninh Binh; rowers wait for the first groups of the morning. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized for web display)

The north in winter: Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh

December is the north's best winter month. It is cool by Vietnamese standards, dry by any standard, and grey. Hanoi's streets, museums and food are at their most comfortable at 20 to 22 C; you will want a jacket at night and a scarf on a scooter. Ha Long Bay is calm and hazy rather than blue, which suits photographs of karst better than you might expect, and the management board's winter rules apply from 1 November: boats leave from 05:30 and must be back in port by 19:00, and the caves and islands open 07:30 to 17:00. The winter fee for the standard route with one night on the bay is 550,000 VND per person on top of the cruise price.

January and February bring the drizzle. Temperatures barely move, but the number of wet days rises to 11 and then 12 or 13. Fog on the bay becomes more likely, and cruise operators occasionally delay departures. This is why Ninh Binh earns a place in any winter plan: the karst there is inland, the boat trips at Trang An (300,000 VND) and Tam Coc (250,000 VND) run in drizzle, and the town is two hours from Hanoi by train on the December timetable. If you have one shot at the bay, book Ha Long and hold Ninh Binh as the swap.

The mountains are a separate case. Sapa and Ha Giang are cold from December to February, with fog that can hide the valleys for days, and the transfers are long. They belong in a spring or autumn trip, or in a winter trip with three weeks and a tolerance for grey.

The centre in winter: Hue, Da Nang, Hoi An

The central coast has its own wet season, and it runs late. The UK Foreign Office describes the central rainy season as October to December, with seasonal flooding in October and November, and the tropical cyclone season as May to November with storms possible at other times. The normals agree: Da Nang gets 486 mm in November and 272 mm in December, on 21 rain days each, then drops to 83 mm in January and 22 mm in February. Nha Trang, further south, follows the same curve a month behind.

So the centre in December is a culture stop, not a beach stop. Hoi An's Ancient Town is small, walkable and lit by lanterns after dark; its heritage ticket (120,000 VND) covers museums and old houses and is valid through a stay of up to three days, so you can move sites around the showers. Hue's citadel and tombs work in rain too. What does not work is a resort week in Da Nang in December. If the beach is the point, that money belongs in the south.

By February the centre has changed character. Da Nang's 22 mm on 7 days is a dry month and daytime temperatures are in the mid-20s. A late-February trip can include a beach day on the central coast with a reasonable chance of sun. It still cannot promise one; February is where the odds turn, not where they become certain.

The south in winter: Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong, Phu Quoc

The south is in its dry season from December. Ho Chi Minh City's normals are 41 mm in December, 12 mm in January and 8 mm in February, with daytime highs around 32 C every month. Heat, not rain, sets the pace: museums and markets early, air-conditioning and cafes at midday, the streets again after five. The Mekong Delta is at its most pleasant in these months, with lower water than the autumn floods and the floating markets running from first light.

Phu Quoc is the beach the calendar recommends. Its dry season runs December to March; secondary climate summaries put December at around 60 mm on six days, January and February lower still, with sea temperatures around 27 to 28 C. Early December can still see a few short showers as the season turns, and the island is busy over Christmas and New Year. Book the beach nights first.

Month by month

December. North: cool, dry, grey; the best northern month of the winter. Centre: wet, still with a storm tail; culture only. South: dry and hot; Phu Quoc coming into season. Verdict: north and south, centre short, direction north to south.

January. North: drizzle begins, with 11 rain days in Hanoi. It is fine for cities and Ninh Binh and worse for the bay. Centre: drying fast, Hoi An pleasant, beach still a gamble. South: at its driest. Verdict: same shape as December; give the centre a day more and Hanoi a day less if you can. Watch the Tet run-up in the last week.

February. North: drizzliest month, 12 to 13 rain days, cool. Centre: dry, warm, the first real beach chance on the central coast. South: dry. Verdict: the most balanced month for a three-region trip, with a hard constraint in the middle of it. Tet 2027 is Saturday 6 February; the public holiday spans several days around it, intercity transport sells out, and many family businesses close for the core days. Travel in the first days of February or from the middle of the month onward, and book everything early.

How many days, and which regions

Seven days. One region. In December or January, choose the south: Ho Chi Minh City with a Mekong night and Phu Quoc, or the north: Hanoi, one night on Ha Long Bay or in Ninh Binh, and a museum day. Do not fly north-to-south with a week; you will spend two of the seven days in transit.

Ten days. Two regions. North plus south is the winter pairing: Hanoi three nights, Ninh Binh or Ha Long one, fly to Ho Chi Minh City, two nights, Phu Quoc three. The centre is the one to drop in December; in February, drop the north instead and pair Hoi An with the south.

Fourteen days. All three, north to south, with the centre held to three nights and given a buffer day. That is the pillar route: Hanoi 3, Ha Long 1, Hoi An 3, Ho Chi Minh City 3, Phu Quoc 3, with flights between regions. The flights, trains and buses guide explains why the long legs are flights and where the overnight train is a fair swap.

Three weeks. Add Hue and a Mekong night, or the northern mountains if you accept the cold, and consider the reverse direction in February, when finishing in a drier centre and a cool north is less of a penalty. With three weeks you can also afford to end on Phu Quoc after the Mekong rather than choosing; the Phu Quoc or Mekong Delta comparison shows the bus and ferry chain that connects them.

Calendar traps beyond the weather

Christmas and New Year fill Phu Quoc and Hoi An with international visitors; book those nights first. The Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum in Hanoi closes every Monday and Friday and shuts for maintenance each autumn, usually into early November, so check the board's notice if it is on your list. Ha Long Bay's winter operating hours are fixed by the management board, which is why winter cruises board around noon and return by late morning. Domestic flight schedules thicken for Tet and prices rise with them from mid-January.

Packing by region

North: a real jacket, a scarf, closed shoes, an umbrella; hotel rooms in older buildings can feel colder than the thermometer says. Centre: a rain shell and quick-drying clothes; sandals that can get wet. South and Phu Quoc: summer clothes, high-factor sunscreen, a hat, reef-safe sunscreen for boat trips. Everywhere: a power bank and a local SIM or eSIM for Grab and weather checks.

Frequently asked questions

Which part of Vietnam has the best weather in winter?

The south. Ho Chi Minh City, the Mekong Delta and Phu Quoc are in their dry season from December to February, with Phu Quoc the most reliable beach. The north is cool and mostly dry in December, then drizzly. The central coast is wet in December and dries through January and February.

Is Hanoi cold in winter?

Cool rather than cold: December highs around 22 C and lows around 15 C, similar in January and February, with more drizzle days as winter goes on. Bring a jacket; it is not a coat climate at sea level, but the mountains around Sapa are.

Can I go to the beach in Da Nang or Hoi An in December?

Not reliably. Da Nang's December normal is 272 mm of rain on 21 days. Treat any sunny day as a bonus and plan the old town, My Son and museums instead. By late February the odds improve.

Is Phu Quoc good in December?

Yes. December starts the dry season, with a few short showers possible early in the month and reliably dry weather from late December to March. It is busy over Christmas and New Year.

When is Tet in 2027 and does it matter?

Tet is Saturday 6 February 2027. The public holiday runs for several days around it. Transport sells out in the week before, many businesses close on the core days and prices rise. Travel early February or from mid-February, and book ahead.

North to south or south to north in winter?

North to south in December and January, so the trip ends in the dry south rather than in Hanoi's drizzle. In late February the reverse is acceptable because the centre is dry and the north is only cool.

Photo credits

Hoan Kiem Lake, Hanoi (cover). Photo: Richard Mortel, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized for web display).
Trang An, Ninh Binh. Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (resized for web display).

Sources checked 17 September 2026: WMO World Weather Information Service normals for Hanoi, Hai Phong, Da Nang, Nha Trang and Ho Chi Minh City; Climates to Travel (Phu Quoc, secondary); UK Foreign Office Vietnam travel advice; Ha Long Bay Management Board winter hours and fees; Trang An management board price list; Da Nang city tourism portal (Hoi An tickets); Vietnam Railways timetable tool.