Best time to visit Hanoi
The best time to visit Hanoi is November–December, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 20.1 °C / 68 °F | 14.5 °C / 58 °F | 45 mm / 1.8 in | good month |
| February | 22.1 °C / 72 °F | 16.2 °C / 61 °F | 33 mm / 1.3 in | good month |
| March | 24.9 °C / 77 °F | 19 °C / 66 °F | 56 mm / 2.2 in | good month |
| April | 28.9 °C / 84 °F | 22.3 °C / 72 °F | 100 mm / 3.9 in | neither best nor good |
| May | 32.1 °C / 90 °F | 25.3 °C / 78 °F | 229 mm / 9 in | neither best nor good |
| June | 34 °C / 93 °F | 27.3 °C / 81 °F | 219 mm / 8.6 in | neither best nor good |
| July | 33.5 °C / 92 °F | 27.1 °C / 81 °F | 253 mm / 10 in | neither best nor good |
| August | 32.8 °C / 91 °F | 26.5 °C / 80 °F | 320 mm / 12.6 in | neither best nor good |
| September | 31.8 °C / 89 °F | 25.5 °C / 78 °F | 263 mm / 10.4 in | neither best nor good |
| October | 29.3 °C / 85 °F | 23 °C / 73 °F | 154 mm / 6.1 in | good month |
| November | 26.3 °C / 79 °F | 19.6 °C / 67 °F | 52 mm / 2.1 in | best month |
| December | 21.8 °C / 71 °F | 15.6 °C / 60 °F | 32 mm / 1.3 in | best month |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: good
- FFebruary: good
- MMarch: good
- AApril: neither
- MMay: neither
- JJune: neither
- JJuly: neither
- AAugust: neither
- SSeptember: neither
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: best
- DDecember: best
- Best
- November–December
- Good
- January–March, October
Hanoi's cool, dry, brighter months of November and December are best for exploring on foot, with the hazier but still mild January-March and the cooling October good; April through September turns hot, humid and drenched by monsoon downpours that fall mostly in the afternoon, making a day of sightseeing uncomfortable.
Why these months
January · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 20.2 °C / 68 °F, average daily high 20.1 °C / 68 °F, precipitation 45 mm / 1.8 in, days with heavy rain 0.8 days, wet days 8.1 days, share of daylight that is sunny 38%, average daily low 14.5 °C / 58 °F.
Against: relative humidity 78%, sunshine per day 4.2 h.
Also on: Tết (Lunar New Year) festivities.
Watch out for: Tết travel rush and closures, Winter haze from seasonal burning.
February · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 23 °C / 73 °F, average daily high 22.1 °C / 72 °F, precipitation 33 mm / 1.3 in, days with heavy rain 0.4 days, wet days 7.6 days, share of daylight that is sunny 36%, average daily low 16.2 °C / 61 °F.
Against: relative humidity 80%, sunshine per day 4.2 h.
Also on: Tết (Lunar New Year) festivities.
Watch out for: Tết travel rush and closures, Winter haze from seasonal burning.
March · good
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.2 °C / 81 °F, average daily high 24.9 °C / 77 °F, precipitation 56 mm / 2.2 in, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, share of daylight that is sunny 36%, wet days 9.8 days, average daily low 19 °C / 66 °F.
Against: relative humidity 82%, sunshine per day 4.4 h.
October · good
In its favour: share of daylight that is sunny 69%, average daily high 29.3 °C / 85 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 33.2 °C / 92 °F, precipitation 154 mm / 6.1 in, wet days 12.4 days, days with heavy rain 4.2 days, relative humidity 79%, share of rain falling in the daytime 41%, average daily low 23 °C / 73 °F.
Also on: Milkwood tree blossom.
November · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 28.6 °C / 83 °F, precipitation 52 mm / 2.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 64%, average daily high 26.3 °C / 79 °F, days with heavy rain 1.4 days, wet days 7.2 days, average daily low 19.6 °C / 67 °F.
Against: relative humidity 78%.
Also on: Milkwood tree blossom.
December · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 22.2 °C / 72 °F, average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 32 mm / 1.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 51%, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, wet days 6.6 days, average daily low 15.6 °C / 60 °F, relative humidity 75%.
Against: sunshine per day 5.6 h.
Also on: Milkwood tree blossom.
Watch out for: Winter haze from seasonal burning.
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is Jade Dragon Mountain, 886 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | 20.2 °C | 23 °C | 27.2 °C | 33.2 °C | 38.2 °C | 40.9 °C | 40.7 °C | 39.9 °C | 38 °C | 33.2 °C | 28.6 °C | 22.2 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0.8 days | 0.4 days | 1.2 days | 3 days | 7.7 days | 7 days | 8.8 days | 10.2 days | 8.3 days | 4.2 days | 1.4 days | 0.7 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 5 am | 8 am | 7 am | 10 pm | 1 am | 2 am | 4 pm | 4 pm | 3 pm | 2 pm | 4 am | 6 am |
| Sunshine per day | 4.2 h | 4.2 h | 4.4 h | 6.9 h | 8.4 h | 8.5 h | 8.3 h | 7.8 h | 7.8 h | 8 h | 7.1 h | 5.6 h |
| Relative humidity | 78% | 80% | 82% | 81% | 80% | 79% | 81% | 84% | 83% | 79% | 78% | 75% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 53.3 µg/m³ | 40.1 µg/m³ | 47.1 µg/m³ | 55 µg/m³ | 40.5 µg/m³ | 40 µg/m³ | 41.1 µg/m³ | 44.4 µg/m³ | 42.3 µg/m³ | 39.4 µg/m³ | 43 µg/m³ | 49 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 87.3 µg/m³ | 65.8 µg/m³ | 74.6 µg/m³ | 85.9 µg/m³ | 65 µg/m³ | 64.1 µg/m³ | 69 µg/m³ | 74.4 µg/m³ | 73.9 µg/m³ | 70.7 µg/m³ | 76.5 µg/m³ | 82.8 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Tết (Lunar New Year) festivities
21 January–20 February, dates vary from year to year
- Milkwood tree blossom
October, November and December
Worth knowing before you go
- Tết travel rush and closures
21 January–20 February, dates vary from year to year
- Winter haze from seasonal burning
January, February and December
- Reunification Day / Labor Day travel rush
30 April–1 May
- National Day travel rush
2 September
World Heritage sites nearby
UNESCO World Heritage sites within 25 km, nearest first.
- Imperial Citadel of Thang Long
Less than 1 km away