Vietnam in November (2026): Weather by Region and Where to Go

Last updated: October 2026

November is one of the best months to visit Vietnam, as long as you plan around the middle of the country. The north is at its best: dry, sunny days around 20–27°C in Hanoi, clear skies over Ha Long Bay and cool nights in the mountains. The south is drying out. But Hue and Hoi An are in the heart of their rainy season, and November is when they flood most often.

I live in Hanoi, so I get November there every year, and I’ve also traveled down to Da Nang in November. My short answer: if the Golden Bridge and Hoi An are your must-sees, pick another month. If Hanoi and a boat ride through Tam Coc are on your list, November is a great choice, and it’s water lily season on the river in Tam Coc.

This guide covers the weather in each region, where to go and what to plan around, what’s on in November 2026, and a simple two-week route that uses the good weather.

My honest take: Vietnam in November, in short

• Go north. Hanoi, Ninh Binh, Ha Long Bay and Ha Giang are at their best. Having lived in Hanoi through every season, this is the month I’d pick for a first trip to the north.
• Hue and Hoi An are a gamble. Most days are just grey and wet, but a flood can shut the old town for two or three days. Keep them flexible.
• The south is drying out, not dry yet. Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc still get showers in early November. December is safer for a pure beach trip.
• Rice terraces are done. The golden fields in Mu Cang Chai and Hoang Su Phi are harvested by early to mid October. In November the mountains are about clear views and the first buckwheat flowers instead.
• Book the north early. November is high season for Hanoi, Sapa and Ha Long cruises.
• Pack a warm layer. Hanoi evenings drop to about 20°C, and Sapa nights get down to 10°C.
• Water lilies in Tam Coc. From September to December the Ngo Dong river is covered in purple, pink and white water lilies. It’s the best reason to do the Tam Coc boat ride in November.
• My blunt verdict: don’t plan a November trip around the Golden Bridge and Hoi An. Plan it around Hanoi and Ninh Binh.

Vietnam weather in November by region

Place	Day / night (°C)	Rain in November	What it means
Hanoi	27 / 20	about 61 mm, 8 rainy days	Dry, sunny, comfortable. The best of the year.
Sapa	16 / 10	about 106 mm	Cool days, cold nights, mostly clear
Hue	27 / 21	about 642 mm, 21 rainy days	Peak rainy season; flood risk
Ho Chi Minh City	32 / 25	about 128 mm, 9 rainy days	Hot, short showers, getting drier
Phu Quoc	31 max	about 164 mm, 14 rainy days	Transition month; much drier than October

Long-term averages from the Wikipedia climate tables for each city (national weather service data). Hoi An and Da Nang follow the same pattern as Hue. Ha Long Bay is like Hanoi: mostly dry and clear.

North Vietnam: the best month of the year

November is dry season in the north. Hanoi has about eight rainy days in the whole month and most of them are light. The humidity of summer is gone, and the air is cool enough in the evening for a jacket on the back of a motorbike.

This is also the clearest month on Ha Long and Lan Ha Bay: calm water, good visibility for kayaking, and the storm season is mostly over. In Ninh Binh, the boat trips at Trang An and Tam Coc are comfortable without the summer heat. The rice there has been cut, so expect brown fields rather than green or gold, but the river makes up for it: from September to December, the Ngo Dong river through Tam Coc is covered in purple, pink and white water lilies, and the rowing boats push right through them.

In the mountains, Sapa is cool and clear with cold nights, and the Ha Giang loop has dry roads and wide views. The buckwheat flowers on the Dong Van plateau are just starting to come out; they’re at their best in December.

More: Hanoi in November · Ha Long in November · Ninh Binh in November · Sapa in November · Ha Giang in November

Central Vietnam: rainy season, plan around it

The central coast has its own rainy season, later than the rest of the country. In Hue, October and November are the two wettest months, with about 640 mm of rain in November and more than 20 rainy days. Hoi An and Da Nang are similar.

Most of that rain falls as long grey days, not disasters. But floods do come, usually in late October and November. In late October 2025, Hue recorded more than 1,000 mm of rain in 24 hours, the highest ever measured in Vietnam, and the water in Hoi An’s old town was waist-deep. That was a record year. A normal November is wet and quiet, with fewer crowds and lower hotel prices. Further south, Nha Trang gets about 281 mm of rain in November, and rough seas cancel most boat trips.

Our honest take: if Hoi An is the main reason for your trip, go in February to April instead. If it’s one stop on a longer route, keep it, but put it near the end so you can skip it if the forecast is bad, book refundable rooms on an upper floor, and use Da Nang as a base if you’re nervous. I wouldn’t recommend November if the Golden Bridge and Hoi An are the main things you want to see. The Golden Bridge sits up in the hills at Ba Na, which are often in cloud in the rainy season, and a wet week can wash out Hoi An’s old town too.

More: Hoi An in November · Hue in November · Da Nang in November · Nha Trang in November

South Vietnam: getting drier

The south’s rainy season is ending. Ho Chi Minh City gets about 128 mm of rain in November, a third of what it gets in October, usually as short afternoon showers. It’s still hot: highs around 32°C. By December, rain drops to about 41 mm.

Phu Quoc is in the same transition. November is much drier than October (about 164 mm against 354 mm), but there are still showers on about half the days. The west-coast beaches calm down as the wind changes, and by December it’s properly dry. If your trip is all about beach days, late November or December is the safer choice.

The Mekong Delta’s high-water season peaks in October and the water starts going down in November. Some fields and orchards are still flooded, which is when the floating markets and boat trips through the canals look their best.

Da Lat starts its dry season in November: cool days, cold nights, and the wild sunflowers (dã quỳ) bloom yellow along the roads.

More: Ho Chi Minh City in November · Phu Quoc in November · Mekong Delta in November · Da Lat in November

What’s on in Vietnam in November 2026

Hoi An full-moon lantern night: Sunday 22 November 2026. On the 14th day of each lunar month, the old town turns off its electric lights and the river fills with paper lanterns. In November it’s flood season, so check the forecast that week, and confirm the date locally, since lunar dates can shift by a day.

Buckwheat flower festival in Ha Giang: usually November. The festival marks the start of the travel season on the Ha Giang loop. The pink and white buckwheat fields on the Dong Van plateau are at their best in December, so a November trip gets you the opening and the first flowers.

Teachers’ Day: 20 November. Not a festival for visitors, but you’ll see flower stalls everywhere and schools celebrating.

Water lilies in Tam Coc: September to December. The Ngo Dong river turns purple, pink and white with water lilies, right along the Tam Coc boat route.

Daisy season in Hanoi: late November. The small white daisies (cúc họa mi) appear on flower bikes around the Old Quarter for a few weeks from late November, and people line up to photograph them.

Just before November: the Khmer Ok Om Bok festival in Soc Trang and Tra Vinh, with dragon-boat racing, falls in late October in 2026 (around 25 October). If you’re in the Mekong at the end of October, it’s worth the detour.

A two-week route for November

This route keeps the central coast in the middle, with buffer days, so you can cut it if a storm comes.

• Days 1–3: Hanoi. Old Quarter, street food, a day trip to Ninh Binh (or one night in Tam Coc).
• Days 4–5: Ha Long or Lan Ha Bay on an overnight cruise.
• Days 6–8: Ha Giang loop or Sapa. Ha Giang for the big views and the first buckwheat flowers; Sapa if you’d rather trek.
• Days 9–11: Hoi An and Da Nang. Fly Hanoi to Da Nang. If the forecast is bad, skip this and fly straight south.
• Days 12–14: Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta, or Phu Quoc for the last few days if you need a beach.

See the full 2-week Vietnam itinerary or, if you only want the north, the North Vietnam itinerary.

Good to know before you go

Book ahead in the north. November is peak season for Ha Long cruises, Sapa trains and Hanoi hotels. Book the cruise and the Sapa or Ha Giang transport two to three weeks ahead.

Pack for two climates. Light clothes for the south, plus a fleece or light jacket for Hanoi evenings and real warm layers for Sapa and Ha Giang nights.

Get insurance that covers weather delays, and buy it when you book the trip. Many policies won’t cover a storm that was already forecast when you bought them, so read the weather section before you pay.

Check the forecast five days out. For the central coast, a forecast a month ahead tells you very little. Watch the national weather service (NCHMF) and English-language news like VnExpress International in the week before you go.

Visa: most nationalities need an e-visa. See our Vietnam e-visa guide.

Is November a good time to visit Vietnam?

Yes, especially if you’re starting in the north. For Hanoi, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and Ha Giang, it’s hard to beat: dry, clear and comfortable. The south is getting better week by week, and Phu Quoc is fine by late November.

The catch is the central coast. If Hoi An and Hue are the heart of your trip, February to April is the safer window. If they’re one stop on a longer route, November still works: plan with buffer days and you’ll probably get a few wet days and some quiet, lantern-lit evenings with fewer crowds than in spring.

My own verdict, after a lot of Novembers in Hanoi: this is the north’s month. Come for Hanoi’s cool, dry evenings, an overnight on Lan Ha Bay and the water lilies in Tam Coc, and treat the central coast as optional. If the Golden Bridge and Hoi An are the reason you’re booking, wait for spring.

Frequently asked questions

Is November a good time to visit Vietnam?

Yes for the north and the south, less so for the middle. Hanoi, Ha Long Bay and Ninh Binh have some of their best weather of the year, and the south is drying out. Hue and Hoi An are in their rainiest and most flood-prone month.

Is it rainy in Vietnam in November?

It depends on the region. Hanoi gets only about 61 mm of rain in November, while Hue gets about 640 mm. Ho Chi Minh City and Phu Quoc get short showers that become rarer as the month goes on.

Is Hoi An flooded in November?

Not every year, and not for the whole month. Floods usually last one to three days, and the riverside streets go under first. Stay away from the river, book refundable rooms and keep your dates flexible.

What is the weather like in Hanoi in November?

Dry and mild: about 27°C in the afternoon and 20°C at night, with around eight rainy days, most of them light. It’s one of the most comfortable months of the year in Hanoi.

What’s in bloom in Vietnam in November?

Water lilies on the river in Tam Coc (September to December), the first buckwheat flowers in Ha Giang (best in December), wild sunflowers around Da Lat, and white daisies on Hanoi’s flower bikes from late November.

Can you see rice terraces in November?

Not golden ones. The terraces in Mu Cang Chai, Hoang Su Phi and Sapa are harvested by early to mid October. For golden rice, go in late September or the first days of October; in November the northern mountains are about clear views and the start of buckwheat season instead.

Is Phu Quoc good in November?

It’s improving. November gets about half of October’s rain, but showers are still common. For guaranteed beach weather, aim for late November through March.

Read more

• Vietnam in October
• Vietnam in December
• Weather in Vietnam by month
• Mu Cang Chai in October
• 2-week Vietnam itinerary