The premise: November to April is Hanoi's cool, dry season and the sensible window for a first trip - but "dry" is doing a lot of work in that sentence. The season's rain comes as days of fine drizzle rather than downpours, the skies are often grey, and January nights drop to 14°C, with cold snaps lower. This is a European autumn, not tropical beach weather, and the travellers who enjoy Hanoi most in these months are the ones who packed for it. Figures below are long-run climate averages (1991-2020 series, cross-checked October 2026) - check a live forecast for your actual week.
Month by month
| Month | High / Low | Rain | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| November | 26°C / 19°C | ~46 mm, 7 days | Dry, clear-ish and pleasant; the year's best stretch after October. Light jacket for evenings. |
| December | 22°C / 16°C | ~23 mm, 5 days | Cool and dry; Christmas lights in the French Quarter. Air quality starts to worsen. |
| January | 20°C / 14°C | ~19 mm, 8 days | Coldest month: grey skies, the "mua phun" drizzle for days, cold snaps to 7-8°C at night. Cheapest hotels outside Tet. |
| February | 21°C / 16°C | ~26 mm, 10-12 days | The greyest month - about 1.5 hours of sun a day - but Tet flower markets and decorations. Most businesses close 4-7 days over Tet. |
| March | 23°C / 18°C | ~48 mm, 12 days | Damp and grey, drizzle easing; the year's tourism low point and cheapest flights and rooms. |
| April | 27°C / 22°C | ~90 mm, 13 days | The warm-up: noticeably hotter, afternoon thunderstorms begin; good value before the May heat. |
The trade-off nobody prices in: air and light
Winter in Hanoi has two hidden costs. First, sunshine: December to March averages one to three hours of sun a day, which is why the season's photos look moody. Second, air quality: from November to March, PM2.5 levels regularly run well above health guidelines, with December and January the worst months. If anyone in the group has asthma or breathing issues, pack masks, check a live AQI app each morning, and plan indoor backups (museums, cafés, the water-puppet theatre) for bad-air days. Neither fact cancels the season - the temperatures are lovely - but both belong in the plan.
Tet 2027: the dates that reorganise February
Tet, the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, falls on Saturday 6 February 2027, and Vietnam's official public holiday runs 4-10 February 2027. In practice, Hanoi empties for about a week: many restaurants, shops and sights close or keep short hours, while trains, buses and flights sell out well ahead as the whole country travels home. Visiting during Tet itself is a genuine experience - flower markets around Hoan Kiem Lake, decorated streets, a calm city - but it only works if transport and hotels were booked weeks ahead and you are comfortable with a quiet, partly closed city for a few days. If your dates are flexible, the two weeks either side of Tet give you the decorations without the shutdown.
What to book first, in order
1. Flights, if your dates touch late January to mid-February. Tet-period fares on India-Vietnam routes rise fastest and first. 2. Any Ha Long Bay or Ninh Binh overnight. Cabins on the better boats sell out through the season, and February-March fog can delay or shorten cruises - book operators with a clear reschedule or refund policy rather than the cheapest listing. 3. Hotels for December and Tet week. January and March are the opposite case: the year's lowest rates, so book refundable and recheck prices closer in. 4. Nothing else urgently. City sights, water-puppet shows and day tours stay bookable a day or two out all season.
So when in the window?
November is the sweet spot: dry, 26°C days, clear-ish skies and full services. December adds chill and festive lights. January and February trade grey skies and drizzle for the lowest prices and (in Tet week) the city's biggest festival - pack a warm layer, waterproof shoes and patience. March is for budget travellers who do not mind damp. April suits those who want warmth and do not fear an afternoon storm. If your dates are fixed, the honest summary is: every month in this window works, as long as you packed for drizzle and checked the AQI - the season fails only for people expecting blue-sky tropics.
A Miranda House graduate and lawyer who traded courtrooms for slow travel. Cheshta travels with the batches we host ourselves, with a soft spot for travelling alongside elders.
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