Season guide · Hanoi · Vietnam
Hanoi in autumn
September–November: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Quick answer
Hanoi's favourite season: drier air, blue skies and comfortable temperatures, with the Mid-Autumn Festival. Expect highs up to 31°C (88°F) and lows around 19°C (66°F), with about 28 rainy days across September–November. October–November are among the best months of the year to visit.
Key facts
- Months
- September–November
- Temperatures
- 19°C (66°F) to 31°C (88°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 28
- Crowds
- Busy
- Hotel prices
- High
Weather in autumn
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September | 31°C (88°F) | 25°C (77°F) | 13 | 12.2 h | 3/5 |
| October | 29°C (84°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 9 | 11.6 h | 4/5 |
| November | 25°C (77°F) | 19°C (66°F) | 6 | 11.1 h | 4/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 28°C (82°F) against a yearly 27°C (81°F), and 28 of the year's roughly 143 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 4/5 and hotel prices 4/5 on average.
What's on in autumn
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- September: National Day — flags and celebrations around Ba Đình Square (2 September)
- September: Mid-Autumn Festival — lanterns and mooncakes on Hàng Mã street (September or early October)
- October: Liberation of the Capital Day (10 October)
Good choices for autumn
Gallery · Ba Đình
Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts
Just north of the Temple of Literature, this colonial building holds Vietnamese art from ancient bronze drums and Buddhist statues to 20th-century lacquer and silk paintings.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · French Quarter
Hỏa Lò Prison
Allow time for the audio guide; the exhibits are grim but give important context to the French colonial era.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Cầu Giấy
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
The best museum in Hanoi for understanding Vietnam's 54 recognised ethnic groups, with clothing, tools and ritual objects indoors and full-size traditional buildings in the garden, including an Ê Đê longhouse and a soaring Ba Na communal house you can climb into.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Architecture
Experience · Hoàn Kiếm Lake
Water puppet show
Book a show a day ahead in busy periods and sit a few rows back; the front rows can get splashed.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- After dark
- Iconic
Museum · French Quarter
Vietnamese Women's Museum
Four floors explore women's roles in family life, history and wartime, alongside striking textiles and costumes from ethnic minority groups and a gallery on street vendors.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Day trips in autumn
- Perfume Pagoda (About 2 hours by road, then a boat) — A complex of Buddhist temples and shrines in the Hương Sơn mountains, reached by a scenic rowing-boat ride along the Yến stream and a climb or cable car to the Hương Tích cave.
- Bát Tràng ceramic village (About 30–45 minutes) — A pottery village on the Red River that has made ceramics for centuries, with workshops, kilns, a large ceramics market and classes where you can throw a pot on the wheel.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and high-factor sunscreen
- A compact umbrella and waterproof shoes — rain is frequent
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is autumn a good time to visit Hanoi?
Yes: October–November are among the best months. Hanoi's favourite season: drier air, blue skies and comfortable temperatures, with the Mid-Autumn Festival.
+What is the weather like in Hanoi in autumn?
Highs of up to 31°C (88°F) and lows around 19°C (66°F), with about 28 rainy days over the season.