We're considering a trip to Vietnam in mid-December (approx. 12/14-27). Trying to figure out of this is a good time to go. I'd appreciate any specific info you could offer about the weather around this time.

I've done some research on the weather, and it seems quite complicated. I get that the South will be fine at this time. I get that the North will be dry but might be cold. I'm unclear if it'll be too cold for hiking in Sapa, or if visibility will be poor at Ha Long Bay. I get that Central Vietnam might be rainy, but I'm not sure how bad it's likely to be.

Also, during this time, are sites/hotels going to be expensive and overcrowded with tourists because of Christmas?

We're a young couple and we've never been to Vietnam before. We're not sure if this is a good time to go, or if we should go in the future at some other month. This won't be our only time to go to Vietnam, so if it makes sense not to go in December, we'd go some other time.

Thanks so much for the advice.

Central VN is likely to be quite rainy and may have flooding, so I'd avoid that area. I was in Hanoi in December and the weather was very pleasant - highs in the 70s. But Halong Bay may be unpleasantly foggy and cold. They can get snow in Sapa in December. As you know, no guarantees with weather.

March is arguably the best month in which to visit the whole of Vietnam but Jan and Feb are pretty good too.

December is an excellent time for the South, HCMC and the Mekong Delta and not too bad for the north. It can get cold at night in the mountains but rarely gets down to zero. Just go prepared with the appropriate gear and it will be a good time to go. Ha Long May be foggy, but you don’t really have enough time anyway. We went trekking in the North from Mai Chau to Ninh Binh a couple of years ago and had a great time and the weather was perfect for trekking.


Central Vietnam will still be in the rains but these should decline towards the month end.

Basically if you want to visit the whole country in one go AND want good weather, I would go in March or Feb, otherwise Dec is none too bad a time to go.

Christmas is great in Saigon. It does get crowded on Xmas Eve but it is always crowded in Vietnam. As with everywhere It will be more expensive over Christmas in bigger hotels and at resorts but not that different to the rest of the year in smaller, local type places.

Agree with 2 posts above - March! If you would like to visit VN in mid-Dec , Ninh Binh or Mai Chau is a good alternative to Sapa - North and South of VN.

Thanks so much to all for the great advice. March makes more sense, I think.

We didn't have much flexibility with our travel dates so our trip is December 15-31st. What can we expect for high temps in Saigon, Hanoi and Hue/Hoi An?

It will be quite pleasant overall. Around 25 c in Saigon and Hue/Hoi An and cooler in Hanoi , maybe 20c