Season guide · Hanoi · Vietnam
Hanoi in summer
May–August: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: vi:User:Rungbachduong, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Hot, very humid and wet, with thunderstorms and occasional storms; low prices and fewer tourists. Expect highs up to 33°C (91°F) and lows around 25°C (77°F), with about 62 rainy days across May–August.
Key facts
- Months
- May–August
- Temperatures
- 25°C (77°F) to 33°C (91°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 62
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in summer
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May | 32°C (90°F) | 25°C (77°F) | 14 | 13.1 h | 3/5 |
| June | 33°C (91°F) | 26°C (79°F) | 15 | 13.4 h | 2/5 |
| July | 33°C (91°F) | 26°C (79°F) | 16 | 13.3 h | 2/5 |
| August | 32°C (90°F) | 26°C (79°F) | 17 | 12.8 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 33°C (91°F) against a yearly 27°C (81°F), and 62 of the year's roughly 143 rainy days fall in these 4 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
Good choices for summer
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
Gallery · Ba Đình
Vietnam National Museum of Fine Arts
Pair it with the Temple of Literature across the road.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Museum · French Quarter
Hỏa Lò Prison
Built by the French in 1896 to hold Vietnamese political prisoners, the prison was later nicknamed the 'Hanoi Hilton' by American pilots held there, including John McCain.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
Museum · Cầu Giấy
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
Allow at least half a day; it is about 8 km west of the Old Quarter, so take a Grab or taxi.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Kids
- Rainy day
- History
- Architecture
Day trips in summer
- Ninh Bình (Tràng An and Tam Cốc) (About 2 hours each way by road) — Rowing boats glide along rivers through limestone caves and rice paddies at Tràng An and Tam Cốc.
- 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.
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 summer a good time to visit Hanoi?
It is a trade-off: Hot, very humid and wet, with thunderstorms and occasional storms; low prices and fewer tourists. The best months overall are March–April and October–December.
+What is the weather like in Hanoi in summer?
Highs of up to 33°C (91°F) and lows around 25°C (77°F), with about 62 rainy days over the season.