The best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City is December to March, when the national weather service’s 30-year averages show 8 to 41 mm of rain a month and daytime highs of 31.6 to 33.6°C, with December and January the least hot months of the year. The months to avoid for outdoor plans are September and October, the two wettest, and if your dates touch 4 to 10 February 2027 you will be here for Tết, when much of the city’s small business closes for several days.
Everything below is desk research, re-checked on 13 November 2026: climate normals published by the World Meteorological Organization, forecasts from Vietnam’s own weather services as reported by named newspapers, and the official 2027 holiday calendar. We have not yet kept a storm log or photographed a king tide for this guide, so nothing on this page is a first-hand measurement.
Ho Chi Minh City weather by month
| Month | Rain | Rain days | Average high and low | What is on (2027 dates) | Our verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12 mm | 2 | 32.0°C / 23.4°C | New Year’s Day, the run-up to Tết | Dry, a top pick |
| February | 8 mm | 1 | 32.7°C / 23.1°C | Tết on 6 February (break 4 to 10 February), Lantern Festival on 20 February | Driest, but Tết closures |
| March | 18 mm | 1 | 33.6°C / 24.9°C | No public holidays | Dry, getting hot now |
| April | 57 mm | 4 | 34.5°C / 26.4°C | Hùng Kings’ Day on 16 April, Reunification Day on 30 April | Mostly dry, very hot |
| May | 202 mm | 13 | 34.9°C / 26.4°C | Labour Day on 1 May | Hottest, rains begin |
| June | 224 mm | 16 | 33.5°C / 25.5°C | No public holidays | Wet, plan indoor backups |
| July | 231 mm | 19 | 33.0°C / 25.2°C | No public holidays | Rain on most days |
| August | 219 mm | 17 | 32.9°C / 25.1°C | No public holidays | Wet, much like July |
| September | 273 mm | 18 | 32.6°C / 25.0°C | National Day break 2 to 5 September, Mid-Autumn on 15 September | Wettest month, stay flexible |
| October | 240 mm | 16 | 32.3°C / 25.0°C | King-tide season | Wet, plus king tides |
| November | 128 mm | 9 | 32.4°C / 24.9°C | Vietnam Culture Day on 24 November, king tides still possible | Rain easing, tides linger |
| December | 41 mm | 5 | 31.6°C / 23.9°C | Christmas lights, New Year’s Eve countdown | Least hot, mostly dry |
Source: World Meteorological Organization climate normals for Ho Chi Minh City, 1991 to 2020, supplied to the WMO by Viet Nam’s national weather service. A rain day is any day with 0.1 mm of rain or more. The year totals 1,653 mm over 121 rain days, and 1,517 mm of that falls from May to November.
The dry season, December to April
December and January are the least hot months, with average highs of 31.6°C and 32.0°C and lows near 23°C to 24°C. Dry does not mean cool. Some travel sites call these months cool, and the averages disagree: the mean daily high never drops below 31.6°C in any month of the year.
Heat climbs from March (33.6°C). April is still mostly dry, with 57 mm of rain over 4 days, but its average high is 34.5°C, the second hottest of the year after May.
For a day of walking, that points to doing the outdoor sights first thing and saving museums and cafés for the middle of the day. We will add our own note on what we stop doing at midday in April once we have written it down. For what to see, start with our guide to the best things to do in Ho Chi Minh City.
The rainy season, May to November: how it really rains
The switch is sharp. April averages 4 rain days and 57 mm. May averages 13 rain days and 202 mm. Guides that start the wet season in June are a month late by the 30-year record.
July has the most rain days (19) and September the most rain (273 mm). October is the second wettest month, at 240 mm over 16 days, so ignore any guide that tells you the rain eases in October. It eases in November.
Each year differs. In 2026 the rains came late. Tiền Phong reported on 14 May 2026 that the South’s rainy season usually begins in the first half of May, and in some years in late April, but that through April and the first half of May 2026 there was little rain apart from sudden late-afternoon thunderstorms over small areas. Nguyễn Đức Hòa, deputy head of climate forecasting at the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting, told the paper the 2026 season was arriving later than the yearly average, and warned that total rainfall was likely to fall short of the long-term average in the last months of 2026.
You will read everywhere that it rains hard for an hour in the afternoon and then clears. We could not find a meteorological source that says so, and we have not kept our own storm log yet, so we will not repeat it. What the record does show is that even in July, the month with the most rain days, about 12 days pass with no measurable rain on average.
King tides and flooded streets
Rain is half the flooding story. The Saigon River is tidal, and the highest tides of 2025 and 2026 were recorded or forecast for late October and November. The Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station forecast the highest tide of 2026 at Phú An station at 1.70 to 1.75 m for 27 to 29 October, 0.10 to 0.15 m above alarm level III, and the city issued an urgent order on storms, flooding and landslides (Tiền Phong, 4 October 2026). The same station forecast more high tides for 10 to 12 November and 25 to 27 November 2026, with two more in December (Viet Nam News, 29 October 2026).
For the late October 2026 tide, high water was forecast between 05:00 and 07:00 and again between 17:00 and 19:00, the same report says, and heavy rain landing on a peak makes flooding last longer. In October 2025 a record 1.77 m tide at Phú An broke a wall at the Bình Quới tourist area and left it up to a metre deep, and hundreds of homes at Thanh Đa were affected (VnExpress, 3 November 2025). Both are on the peninsula served by the Saigon Water Bus, whose timetable and stops we list here. Streets in the former District 7 flooded for long periods too.
Heavy rain alone can do it. Tuổi Trẻ News reported on 19 September 2026 that floodwater swept people off their feet on Lý Tế Xuyên Street, and that some motorcyclists pulled over to wait for the water to drop. Our guide to Bùi Viện notes that rain plus a tidal surge has left the walking street ankle deep.
What to do when it rains
The Museum of Ho Chi Minh City is open from 08:00 to 17:00 every day, according to its website. The Fine Arts Museum and the Café Apartment at 42 Nguyễn Huệ are both indoors too. Beyond those, we keep a list of cosy bars for a rainy afternoon, a guide to unusual things to do when it rains, and the happy-hour map, which shows what is on right now.
The four venues below are Saigon Scene partners. That means each gives Scene Pass members a discount in return for being featured. The discount is off regular prices and never applies on top of a happy hour or another offer.
Ceramic4You in Thảo Điền is pottery painting: pick a piece, paint it, and collect it a few days later once it has been fired. It serves food and drinks and suits children, so it fills a wet afternoon.
10% off regular prices, outside happy hour or any other offer, for Scene Pass members.
Bazzarilli Coffee and Snuffbox Speakeasy share one address, 14 Tôn Thất Đạm in Sài Gòn Ward. Bazzarilli is the daytime café, and after dark the space becomes Snuffbox, a cocktail bar.
10% off regular prices at both, outside happy hour, for Scene Pass members.
The Racha Room in Thảo Điền is a cocktail bar with Thai-inspired drinks and food. Its partner page lists a happy hour from 17:00 to 20:00 every day.
10% off regular prices, outside happy hour, for Scene Pass members.
Month by month
January
Dry and about as mild as the city gets: 12 mm of rain over 2 days, highs of 32.0°C, lows of 23.4°C. New Year’s Day is a public holiday. In 2027 Tết falls early, on 6 February, so the last week of January is already the run-up. One practical note: the official break starts on Thursday 4 February 2027, so a late January trip misses the closures.
February
The driest month on the record, with 8 mm of rain and a single rain day. In 2027 it is also Tết: New Year’s Day is Saturday 6 February and the official break runs from 4 to 10 February. The Nguyễn Huệ flower street opened on the 28th day of the last lunar month in both 2025 and 2026. In 2027 that day is 4 February, but the city had not published its plan when we checked. The Lantern Festival, the first full moon of the lunar year, falls on 20 February 2027.
March
Still dry, with 18 mm of rain and one rain day, and noticeably hotter: the average high reaches 33.6°C. There are no public holidays, which makes March the simplest dry-season month to plan. Do your walking early in the day.
April
Mostly dry (57 mm over 4 days) and very hot, with an average high of 34.5°C. Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day falls on Friday 16 April 2027, according to VnEconomy. Reunification Day, 30 April, is also a Friday, and Labour Day follows on Saturday 1 May. Because 1 May lands on a weekend, VnEconomy expects civil servants to be off from 30 April to Monday 3 May. The official notice for these holidays was not out when we checked.
May
The hottest month, with an average high of 34.9°C, and the start of the rains: 202 mm over 13 days, against 4 rain days in April. Labour Day on 1 May is a public holiday. The start date moves from year to year. In 2026 the rains arrived later than usual, by the national forecasting centre’s account.
June
Fully wet season: 224 mm of rain over 16 days. The heat drops a little from May, to an average high of 33.5°C. There are no public holidays. Plan each day with an indoor option, and keep the happy-hour map handy for somewhere to wait out a storm.
July
July has more rain days than any other month, 19 on average, and 231 mm of rain. The average high is 33.0°C. No public holidays. If you are here now, book things you can move by a day and do not rely on a clear evening for a rooftop.
August
Much like July: 219 mm of rain over 17 days and an average high of 32.9°C. No public holidays fall in August, and the Mid-Autumn Festival comes in September in 2027. Treat it as you would July: flexible plans and an indoor backup.
September
The wettest month: 273 mm over 18 rain days. National Day is 2 September, and in 2027 civil servants are off from Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 September. The Mid-Autumn Festival falls on Wednesday 15 September 2027 by the lunar calendar. In 2025 Chợ Lớn Ward opened a lantern street at the corner of Nguyễn Án and Nguyễn Trãi on 24 September (Tuổi Trẻ), and in 2026 several eateries in the city put up Mid-Autumn decorations and some handed children free lanterns (Tuổi Trẻ News, 17 September 2026).
October
The second wettest month, with 240 mm over 16 days. Do not believe the line that October is drier: it averages only 33 mm less rain than September. This is also when king tides begin to peak, so riverside streets can flood at high water with or without rain. The 2026 peak was forecast for 27 to 29 October.
November
Saigon’s weather in November is the wet season winding down: 128 mm of rain over 9 days on average, about half of October’s total, with highs of 32.4°C. King tides are still possible, and in 2026 high tides were forecast for 10 to 12 and 25 to 27 November. Vietnam Culture Day, 24 November, became a paid public holiday in 2026. It falls on a Wednesday in 2027.
December
The lowest average high of the year, 31.6°C, with 41 mm of rain over 5 days. At Christmas 2025 Notre-Dame, which is under restoration, was lit from 18:45 to 23:00, and the streets around it were packed before sunset (Viet Nam News, 23 December 2025). For New Year’s Eve 2025 the city’s plan put the countdown on Nguyễn Huệ, with fireworks from 00:00 to 00:15 at four sites, the mouth of the Saigon River tunnel among them (Báo Pháp Luật, 10 December 2025). The plans for Christmas and New Year’s Eve 2026 were not published when we checked. One more date: the city’s free buses are due to end on 31 December 2026.
Festivals and public holidays in 2027
Vietnam has 12 paid public holidays a year. The twelfth, Vietnam Culture Day, was added in 2026.
| Date in 2027 | What | What it means for a visitor | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Friday 1 January | New Year’s Day | Public holiday. On 1 January 2026 the fireworks were scheduled for 00:00 to 00:15 | VnExpress International, 3 October 2026, and Báo Pháp Luật, 10 December 2025 |
| Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February | Tết break (Tết is Saturday 6 February, Year of the Goat) | Offices shut, many small shops and eateries close. Private employers choose 3 to 9, 4 to 10 or 5 to 11 February | Ministry of Home Affairs Notice 11483/TB-BNV, 9 October 2026 |
| Saturday 20 February | Lantern Festival (first full moon) | Not a public holiday | Counted from Tết: the 15th day of the first lunar month |
| Friday 16 April | Hùng Kings’ Commemoration Day | Public holiday, a three-day weekend | VnEconomy, 10 October 2026. Official notice not yet out |
| Friday 30 April and Saturday 1 May | Reunification Day and Labour Day | Public holidays. Monday 3 May is expected as a day in lieu | VnEconomy, 10 October 2026. Official notice not yet out |
| Thursday 2 to Sunday 5 September | National Day break | Public holiday. Private employers give 2 September plus 1 or 3 September | Ministry of Home Affairs Notice 11483/TB-BNV |
| Wednesday 15 September | Mid-Autumn Festival | Not a public holiday. Lanterns in Chợ Lớn | Counted from Tết: the 15th day of the eighth lunar month |
| Wednesday 24 November | Vietnam Culture Day | Public holiday since 2026 | National Assembly Resolution 28/2026/QH16, via the Ministry of Home Affairs |
What Tết does to the city
The official Tết break in 2027 runs from Thursday 4 to Wednesday 10 February, and civil servants return on 11 February. Tết itself is Saturday 6 February. The big sights keep going: the Independence Palace says it opens from 07:00 to 18:00 every day, holidays and Tết included, and the Museum of Ho Chi Minh City lists the same policy on its website, although its notice of 9 February 2026 closed it on Tết Eve that year. See our guide to the Independence Palace for tickets.
Small business is different. On the first day of Tết 2026, traditional markets, small shops and most shopping centres in many parts of the country closed, while large supermarkets, convenience stores, petrol stations and pharmacies opened for limited hours (Báo Pháp Luật, 17 February 2026, a national picture). On the fifth day of Tết 2025 the city’s eateries were packed again, but many restaurants, coffee shops and shops had not reopened, and several were due back on the sixth day (Tuổi Trẻ News, 3 February 2025).
Bank counters shut for the break. In 2026 most banks worked until the Friday before Tết, and ATMs and digital banking ran as normal (CafeF, 10 February 2026). For the customs behind the holiday, read our guide to Lunar New Year in Vietnam and its traditions.
When it is busiest
The dry season and the holiday weeks. The clearest number we have is for Tết: the city’s flower streets drew more than 2.2 million visits in 2026, more than 1.8 million of them on Nguyễn Huệ, which was open for eight days (Tuổi Trẻ, 26 February 2026). At Christmas 2025 the streets around Notre-Dame were packed before sunset, and for New Year’s Eve 2025 the city planned to extend the countdown area on Nguyễn Huệ to Lê Lợi, Lam Sơn park and the Opera House forecourt (Báo Pháp Luật, 10 December 2025).
We have no data on hotel prices by season, so we make no claim about when rooms are cheaper. Our own notes on which weeks feel most crowded will be added here.
How we checked
This is desk research. Nobody at Saigon Scene measured the rain, timed a storm or photographed a flood for this guide, and where we plan to add our own storm log and photos the text says so. We re-checked every time-sensitive fact on 13 November 2026, starting from a brief researched on 27 October 2026.
Climate figures are the World Meteorological Organization’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Ho Chi Minh City, supplied to the WMO by Viet Nam’s national weather service. The 2026 season comes from the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting as reported by Tiền Phong (14 May 2026), and tide forecasts from the Southern Hydro-Meteorological Station as reported by Tiền Phong (4 October 2026) and Viet Nam News (29 October 2026), with the 2025 record tide from VnExpress (3 November 2025). Holiday dates come from Ministry of Home Affairs Notice 11483/TB-BNV of 9 October 2026, with VnExpress International and VnEconomy for the dates not yet in an official notice. Event details for past years come from Đại Biểu Nhân Dân, Tuổi Trẻ, Viet Nam News and Báo Pháp Luật, and opening hours from the venues’ own websites.
Dates for the 2027 flower street, Christmas 2026 and New Year’s Eve 2026 had not been announced on 13 November 2026. We will update this page when they are.
Best time to visit Ho Chi Minh City: questions answered
Which is the best month to visit Ho Chi Minh City?
February is the driest month on the 30-year averages, with 8 mm of rain over a single rain day, and December is the least hot, with an average high of 31.6°C. Between them, December to March is the window.
When not to visit Ho Chi Minh City?
September and October are the wettest months, with 273 mm and 240 mm of rain on average and 16 to 18 rain days, and October is when king tides add street flooding. April and May are the hottest, with average highs of 34.5°C and 34.9°C.
What is the weather like in Saigon in November?
Wetter than the dry season but easing: on average 128 mm of rain over 9 days, with highs around 32.4°C. King tides can still flood riverside streets when they meet heavy rain.
Is December a good time to visit Ho Chi Minh City?
Yes. It has the lowest average high of the year (31.6°C) and only 41 mm of rain over about 5 days. In 2025 Notre-Dame was lit for Christmas and the city planned a New Year’s Eve countdown on Nguyễn Huệ.
When is the rainy season in Ho Chi Minh City?
May to November. The switch is sharp: April averages 4 rain days and May 13. In 2026 the rains started later than usual, according to the national forecasting centre.
Is Tết a good time to visit Ho Chi Minh City?
It suits visitors who plan for closures. The official break in 2027 runs from 4 to 10 February, Tết itself is on 6 February, and in 2025 many restaurants, coffee shops and shops in the city had still not reopened on the fifth day. The Independence Palace says it stays open throughout.
How hot does Ho Chi Minh City get?
The average daily high runs from 31.6°C in December to 34.9°C in May, and the average low never falls below 23°C.
