Best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City
The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is during the winter dry season from early-December through February; March and April are still dry months, but are typically uncomfortably hot.
Ho Chi Minh City weather
Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon) has a hot tropical climate with a dry season from December to April, and a wet season from May to November.
South Vietnam is always hot: temperatures average 30°C (86°F) year-round.
Which is the hottest month in Ho Chi Minh City?
The hottest time of year in Ho Chi Minh City is normally April, when maximum daytime temperatures usually reach 35°C (95°F), with very high heat and humidity.
The hot season lasts from mid-March to mid-May, with an average daily high temperature above 34°C (93°F).
What is the humidity in Ho Chi Minh City?
Ho Chi Minh City experiences notable seasonal variation in perceived humidity, with approximate average relative humidity calculated at between 69% – 85% over the course of the year. Typically, it's humid all year round.
What do the humidity conditions feel like in Ho Chi Minh City?
We derive the humidity comfort level – what conditions feel like – from the dew point temperature, which measures moisture content in the atmosphere: a higher dew point feels more humid, while a lower dew point feels drier.
Meteorologists agree that dew point temperature is a more consistant indication of 'absolute humidity' than relative humidity, which fluctuates with temperature.
The average annual dew point in Ho Chi Minh City is 23°C (73°F), and varies over the course of the year from humid at 21°C (70°F) to muggy and oppressive at 25°C (77°F).
The more humid time of year lasts from mid-February through December, when you can expect the comfort level to be muggy at least 80% of the time.
The months with the most muggy days in Ho Chi Minh City are May through to October, when every day in each month is muggy or worse.
January is only slightly more comfortable, with around 24 days that are muggy.
Which is the coldest month in Ho Chi Minh City?
The coldest month of the year in Ho Chi Minh City is December, with an average high of 31°C (87°F) and a low of 22°C (71°F).
The cooler season lasts from late-August to mid-January, with an average daily high temperature below 32°C (89°F).
Which is the sunniest month in Ho Chi Minh City?
The sunniest time of year in Ho Chi Minh City is usually March with an average of nine hours of sunshine per day; that's on average 75% of daylight hours.
When is the sea warmest in South Vietnam?
The sea is usually at its warmest in Ho Chi Minh City in May when water temperatures average 30°C (86°F), which is pleasant for swimming.
In southern Vietnam, the sea is warm all year round.
Which month has the most rain in Ho Chi Minh City?
September is usually the wettest month in Ho Chi Minh City with 325mm of rainfall on average, distributed across 23 days.
The wet season lasts from early-May through to mid-November, with a greater than 32% chance of rainfall on any given day.
The drier season lasts from mid-November to early-May. The month with the least rainfall in Ho Chi Minh City is February, with an average of 5mm of rainfall, distributed across one day.
Which is the windiest month in Ho Chi Minh City?
The windiest month of the year in Ho Chi Minh City is March, with an average hourly wind speed of 15 kilometres per hour (8 knots).
The windy part of the year lasts from early-February through to mid-May, with average wind speeds of more than 12 kilometres per hour (7 knots).
The less-windy time of year lasts from mid-Mayl through to early-February. The calmest month of the year in Ho Chi Minh City is October, with an average hourly wind speed of 9 kilometres per hour (5 knots).
The predominant average hourly wind direction varies throughout the year in Ho Chi Minh City.
Ho Chi Minh City Weather Averages
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| Average high temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 31 |
| Average low temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 23 | 22 |
| Average daily sunshine (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 8 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 |
| Average daily daylight (hrs) | |||||||||||
| 11 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 11 |
| Comfort level – heat | |||||||||||
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| Comfort level – humidity (#muggy days) | |||||||||||
| 25 | 24 | 29 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 31 | 29 | 27 |
| Average dew point temperature (°C) | |||||||||||
| 21 | 21 | 22 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | |||||||||||
| 71 | 69 | 69 | 72 | 78 | 83 | 84 | 85 | 83 | 85 | 81 | 78 |
| UV Index (max) | |||||||||||
| 11 | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 11+ | 10 | 10 |
| Average days of rainfall (≥1mm) | |||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 22 | 23 | 21 | 12 | 7 |
| Average monthly rainfall (mm) | |||||||||||
| 15 | 5 | 10 | 50 | 220 | 310 | 295 | 270 | 325 | 265 | 115 | 50 |
| Average wind speed (km/h) | |||||||||||
| 10 | 13 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 11 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Ho Chi Minh City weather | |||||||||||
Holiday seasons
High season: From November to March and in July and August. Prices peak over the Christmas and New Year period.
Low season: May, June and September
Note: Avoid travel during Tet (Vietnamese New Year). The country’s biggest festival is held in late-January and early-February, when the Vietnamese return to their ancestral family home. Transport and hotels are completely booked and the roadways are crammed with traffic. Most businesses close down.
Source: Meteorological data for Ho Chi Minh City is based on weather statistics gathered for the 30-year period 1991 to 2020 by Vietnam's National Hydro-meteorological Service (NHMF) at the closest weather station: Tan Son Nhat International Airport (SGN), located 6km (4mi) north of central Ho Chi Minh City.
Advice on the best time to visit a particular destination is based on average local weather statistics, when the weather conditions are generally better than at other times of the year. We consider high and low temperatures, risk of rain (and thunderstorms, etc.), amount of sunshine and sea temperature. For general outdoor activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 18°C (64°F) and 27°C (80°F); and for hot-weather activities we favour clear, rainless days with a temperature range between 24°C (75°F) and 32°C (89°F). Often, the best times to visit correspond to high season and therefore involve higher prices.
Latest update: Vietnam weather: 21 May, 2024
Disclaimer: The information on this site is provided as is, without any assurances as to its accuracy or suitability for any purpose. Weather data and conditions at any given location and time are unpredictable and variable. We assume no responsibility and can not be held legally responsible for any decisions made on the basis of the information presented on this site.
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