The best month depends on what you are willing to trade
Northern Vietnam has no month that is good at everything. This page says what each month actually costs you and what it gives back, including the wet months that most operators quietly discourage.
The short version
If you have one week and want the highest chance of clear passes and dry roads, come in October or November. If you want green terraces and can accept afternoon rain, come in late May or June. If you want the lowest prices and the emptiest roads, come in February, and bring a real jacket.
| Months | Ha Giang | Ha Long | Hanoi | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec - Feb | Cold, 5-15°C, clear but hazy mornings | Grey, cool, often flat light | Cold and damp, 12-18°C | Low |
| Mar - Apr | Warming, dry, good visibility | Improving, some fog | Pleasant, 20-27°C | Rising |
| May - Jun | Green, hot, afternoon storms | Hot, clear mornings | Hot, 28-35°C | Moderate |
| Jul - Aug | Wettest. Landslide risk on the loop | Storm season, cancellations | Hot and wet | High, domestic |
| Sep - Nov | Best. Dry, clear, rice harvest in Sep | Best. Clear and calm | Best, 22-30°C | High |
What the wet months actually mean
July and August are the two months most companies will steer you away from, and the honest reason is not rain, it is risk. Rain in Ha Giang falls in intense afternoon bursts and clears; you get wet and then you dry. The real problem is that saturated ground on a mountain road produces landslides, and a landslide closes the loop for anything from four hours to two days.
We still run in July and August. What changes is the plan: we build the itinerary with an alternative route out of each night's stop, we start earlier, and we tell you at booking that the order of the days may change. What you get in return is a province at its greenest, half the traffic on the passes, and homestays that are not full.
We refund in full any day we could not deliver, and the film package in full if the closure left fewer than two filming days. This is written into the booking terms, not offered case by case.
Ha Long is a different calendar
Ha Long and Lan Ha run on the sea, not the mountains, and their bad month is not the same as Ha Giang's. Tropical storms between June and September cancel sailings outright — the harbour master closes the bay and no operator, at any price, sails. That is a hard stop, not a judgement call.
The reverse problem is winter. December to February rarely cancels anything, but it delivers a flat white sky for days at a time. The bay is still remarkable and the photographs are not. If the film matters to you more than the price, this is the strongest argument in the whole page for coming in autumn.
Detail by season is on the Ha Long Bay page.
Rice, and the two weeks people actually come for
The terraced rice of northern Vietnam has two moments. Around late May the terraces are flooded and mirror the sky. Around mid to late September the same terraces are gold and being cut by hand. Both windows are roughly two weeks wide and both move by up to ten days year to year with the weather.
If you are travelling specifically for one of them, book flexible dates and ask us in the month before departure. We will tell you what the fields are doing, including when the answer is that you are a week early.
When not to come at all
- Tet, the lunar new year, usually late January or February. The country closes for about a week, transport is full and expensive, and many homestays shut.
- The last week of April, around Reunification Day and Labour Day. Domestic travel peaks, Ha Long is at its busiest of the year, and prices rise.
- Early September for Ha Giang if you are not flexible. National Day weekend fills the loop with domestic riders.
What people ask before booking
What is the single best week of the year?
Mid to late October. Dry roads, clear passes, the harvest just finished, and the sea calm enough that Ha Long is reliable. It is also when everyone else comes, so book homestays two months out.
Is Ha Giang possible in winter?
Yes, and it is beautiful and nearly empty. It is also genuinely cold on the passes, down to 5°C with wind, and if you are on a motorbike that matters more than the number suggests. Bring proper gloves.
Will you tell me if my dates are bad?
Yes, before you pay. We have talked people out of specific weeks and into others, and occasionally out of the trip entirely.
How far ahead should I book?
Six to eight weeks for September to November. Two to three weeks is usually enough for the rest of the year. The film package is the part that runs out first, because there are fewer filmmakers than vehicles.
Read next
Tell us your dates and we will send a plan with a price
Dates, how many of you, and whether you want the film package. You get an itinerary and a total in writing, not a brochure.