Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, Vietnam (officially: Socialist Republic of Vietnam) is a coastal state in Southeast Asia.
The republic stretches from the Gulf of Thailand to the South China Sea and borders Laos, Cambodia and the People’s Republic of China. Around 94 million people live in an area of around 332,000 square kilometers. The population density is thus 282 inhabitants per square kilometer.
The capital of Vietnam is Hanoi in the north of the country, which is about 8740 kilometers as the crow flies from Frankfurt and can be reached in 10.5 hours by flight.
As a region in Indochina, the country was under French colonial rule and was occupied by Japan during World War II. After a division into the socialist north with Hanoi and the more west-facing south with Saigon, Vietnam was reunited in 1976.
Three quarters of the area of Vietnam is covered with mountains and plateaus. Both in the north and in the south one can find fertile river deltas, which are mainly used for rice cultivation. The deltas of the Mekong and the Red River Sông Hồng are particularly extensive.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Vietnam.
Climate in Vietnam
Due to its wide north-south expansion, Vietnam lies in both the tropical and the subtropical climatic zone. In the north, around the capital Hanoi, a mostly dry winter prevails, which brings a maximum of 37 millimeters of precipitation with it in the months from December to March. The temperatures here range between 20 and 22 ° C. In summer the temperatures rise up to 33 degrees.
At the same time, however, the rainy season begins, precipitation can occur in Augustup to 310 millimeters. The mountainous region in the northwest can get very cold in winter, even snowfalls are not uncommon at high altitudes. In the central areas of Vietnam there is a tropical and alternately humid monsoon climate. Here the weather is mostly dry and very hot from January to mid-August.
From October onwards the rains increase sharply. In the south of Vietnam you can find hot, tropical and humid climates all year round. In Saigon, the rainy season lasts from June to October and brings monthly rainfall of up to 303 millimeters. The drought runs from November to May and reaches in February with less than 5 millimeters of precipitation their minimum. The temperatures rise to 35 ° C.
When to go to Vietnam
Basically, in most regions of Vietnam it gets unbearably hot from May onwards and the humidity increases sharply. As our climate tables show, there is a rainy season between May and September (in some areas also until October) with sometimes considerable rainfall. This hot and humid travel time is not ideal for your explorations in Vietnam, and beach holidays are only possible to a very limited extent.
In general, we therefore recommend November to April as the best time to travel to Vietnam because it is now much drier and cooler. In the high altitudes in the north (for example Ha Giang) it can get quite fresh in January and February, but the visibility and weather conditions are still ideal. Beach holidays on Nha Trang and Hoi An, on the other hand, are best from mid-February to early September.
While Hanoi and Halong Bay are easily accessible from October to April, it will be very hot in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta from mid-February. In March there are average daily temperatures of 34 degrees, which is why we particularly recommend the travel time from December to the end of February for South Vietnam. Due to the overlap, this is also the best travel time for round trips!
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (Vietnam).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Hanoi | January, February, March, April, October, November and December |
| Haiphong | January, February, March, April, October, November and December |
| Ho Chi Minh | January, February, March, April, November and December |
| Ha Long | January, February, March, April, October, November and December |
Temperatures, precipitation in Hanoi (Vietnam)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 20 ° C | 21 ° C | 23 ° C | 27 ° C | 32 ° C | 33 ° C | 33 ° C | 32 ° C | 31 ° C | 29 ° C | 26 ° C | 22 ° C |
| Night temperature | 14 ° C | 15 ° C | 17 ° C | 21 ° C | 24 ° C | 25 ° C | 26 ° C | 25 ° C | 24 ° C | 22 ° C | 18 ° C | 15 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 20 | 28 | 37 | 101 | 168 | 236 | 256 | 310 | 265 | 150 | 70 | 15 |
| Rainy days | 7 | 8 | 10 | 16 | 19 | 21st | 21st | 22 | 18 | 12 | 9 | 10 |
| Sunrise | 6:35 | 6:25 | 6:05 | 5:40 | 5:20 | 5:15 | 5:25 | 5:35 | 5:45 | 5:50 | 6:05 | 6:25 |
| Sunset | 17:35 | 17:55 | 18:05 | 18:15 | 18:25 | 18:40 | 18:40 | 18:30 | 18:00 | 17:35 | 17:15 | 17:20 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Hanoi is 23.4 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is July (29 ° C), coldest month of January with mean values of 16 ° C.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 1656 mm on 173 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of June, July, August and September are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 1067 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Hanoi.
Cities nearby
The following larger towns are nearby and have a similar climate: Việt Trì, Hải Dương, Nam Định and Thái Nguyên.
Highlights and attractions
Vietnam is rich in cultural and scenic highlights and is therefore particularly suitable for round trips with several locations. Of course, the capital Hanoi and Saigon are just as important on your trip as the UNESCO World Heritage Sites Hoi An and Hue. The famous floating markets of Cai Rang or Cai Bae, for example, give you a delicate insight into the culinary highlights.
A boat trip through the picturesque Halong Bay is a must among the Vietnam attractions. You can also admire the former capital Hue, the lush rice terraces of Lao Chai or the impressive, 200-kilometer-long Cu Chi tunnel from the times of the Vietnam War. From picturesque pagodas to welcoming locals: Vietnam will enchant you!
