Hà Nội (Hanoi) is the capital of Vietnam and its cultural heart, a city of lakes, tree-lined French colonial boulevards, and a thousand-year-old Old Quarter where every street once specialised in a single trade. Visitors come for street food such as phở and bún chả, egg coffee, water puppet theatre, temples and museums, and easy access to Hạ Long Bay, Ninh Bình, and the northern mountains.
Hanoi has a humid subtropical climate with four distinct seasons. Summers (May-Sep) are hot, very humid, and rainy with typhoon risk; winters (Dec-Feb) are cool, grey, and damp with drizzle; spring and autumn are short and pleasant. Autumn (Oct-Nov) is widely considered the best time to visit.
Best time to visit
Best: Year-round
Avoid: None
Month-by-month weather
Typical conditions throughout the year.
January
17°C/62°F
Cool, grey, and damp; the coldest month of the year with occasional dips to 10°C. Tết (Lunar New Year) may fall late January or February.
February
18°C/64°F
Cool and drizzly; Tết crowds and closures if it falls in this month; flower markets and temple visits.
March
21°C/70°F
Warming up with light drizzle and grey skies; increasingly comfortable for walking.
April
25°C/77°F
Warm and pleasant with rising humidity; a good month for sightseeing and day trips.
May
28°C/82°F
Hot and humid with the first heavy thunderstorms; peak heat begins toward the end of the month.
June
30°C/86°F
Hot, humid, and rainy; afternoon storms; heat index often above 38°C.
July
30°C/86°F
Very hot and wet; frequent downpours and possible typhoon-related flooding.
August
29°C/84°F
Hot, humid, and the wettest month with peak typhoon risk; museums and air-conditioned cafes provide relief.
September
28°C/82°F
Still warm and wet in early month with heat easing; National Day (2 Sep) crowds; typhoon risk remains.
October
26°C/79°F
Beautiful autumn with clear skies, lower humidity, and hoa sữa scent; ideal for walking.
November
22°C/72°F
Dry, mild, and sunny with cool evenings; one of the most comfortable months.
December
19°C/66°F
Cool and dry to drizzly; Christmas lights around St. Joseph's Cathedral and Hoàn Kiếm Lake.
The seasons
What to expect in each part of the year.
Spring
Months: Feb-Apr
Mild and humid (18-28°C) with frequent light drizzle known locally as mưa phùn; blossoms and Tết festivities in late Jan or Feb.
Summer
Months: May-Sep
Hot and very humid (28-35°C) with heavy afternoon downpours and thunderstorms; July-August are the wettest months and typhoon remnants may bring flooding.
Fall
Months: Oct-Nov
Golden autumn with mild temperatures (20-29°C), lower humidity, blue skies, and the famous hoa sữa (milkflower) fragrance in October and November.
Winter
Months: Dec-Feb
Cool and damp (12-20°C) with overcast skies and drizzle; cold snaps can dip to 8-10°C, and indoor heating is rare.
Crowds & peak times
When to expect tourists and when to avoid them.
- High Season
- Oct-Nov and Dec-Jan (pleasant weather, Christmas and Western New Year visitors; also Tết travel peaks in Jan-Feb with domestic crowds)
- Shoulder Season
- Mar-Apr and Sep (mild weather, fewer visitors, lower prices)
- Low Season
- Jun-Aug (hot and rainy; lowest hotel prices, fewer tourists)
Major events & festivals
Time your visit around what matters.
Tết Nguyên Đán
Vietnam's biggest holiday: flower markets on Hàng Lược, fireworks at Hoàn Kiếm Lake, and widespread closures for 3-7 days
Lantern Festival (Tết Nguyên Tiêu)
Temple visits and offerings across Hanoi's pagodas
Hùng Kings Commemoration
National public holiday honoring the legendary founders of Vietnam
National Day
Parades and celebrations at Ba Đình Square; some sites close and crowds fill the Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum area
Mid-Autumn Festival (Tết Trung Thu)
Lanterns, lion dances, and mooncakes, centered on Hàng Mã Street in the Old Quarter
Hanoi Autumn Season
Hoa sữa fragrance, cốm (young green rice) sold in bamboo baskets, and clear blue skies