When is the Best Time to go to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon)

What is the best time to go to Ho Chi Minh? What are the most interesting seasons? What’s the weather like in Ho Chi Minh each month? When are the best festivals in Ho Chi Minh? Read on for our comprehensive guide.

When To Go To Ho Chi Minh: The Summary

• The best times to visit Ho Chi Minh are October to March (dry season)
• You can visit Ho Chi Minh at any time of the year because the weather is tropical
• Raining season is from April to October with daily short showers, but you can still travel

Ho Chi Minh Weather in January

January temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 33/91
Average low (C/F): 18/64

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In January:

1, Jan: New Year. The locals of Ho Chi Minh City join the expatriate community to celebrate this Western holiday; however, the New Year on the Western (Gregorian) calendar is not widely celebrated as the TET Lunar New Year.

See How to Spend Christmas and New Year's Eve in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh Weather in February

February temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 35/95
Average low (C/F): 19/66

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In February:

14, Feb: Red Valentine’s Day. The day that females give presents to males. Read more on White Valentine’s Day in March and Black Valentine’s Day in April below.
15 – 20, Feb: During the 2018 calendar year, TET Lunar New Year falls in between these dates, and it is the largest holiday in Vietnam. Most businesses are closed during this celebration.

15 – 20, Feb: Spring Flower Festival.

There are two major Spring Flower Festivals during the Tet holidays. One on Nguyen Hue Boulevard, District 1, is displayed with a variety of flower designs. It lasts for several days and the whole street is closed off for this occasion. Besides enjoying the elaborate arrangements, visitors can eat the local foods and peruse talented exhibitions by local artists nearby. The other flower arrangement is situated in Tao Dan Cultural Park on Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 1. The festival features music, exciting games, tasty food, and of course, flowers.

Flower Festival at Tao Dan Park

The 15th day of the first Lunar month usually falls in some time in February of the Western Calendar, is the Lantern Festival (Tet Nguyen Tieu). This is mainly celebrated by the Chinese community in District 5 (Cho Lon). The streets are overloaded with colorful lanterns and art displays.

To have fun trips in Ho Chi Minh City, check out our authentic motorbike tours with professional local guides!

 

Ho Chi Minh Weather in March

March temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 36/97
Average low (C/F): 23/73

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In March:

8, Mar: International Women’s Day.

14, Mar: White Valentine’s Day. The day that males give presents to females to return their appreciation and thanks.

The first two weeks of every March is the Book Festival. The local bookstores put on an exhibition of Vietnamese and English books in a park setting. The books are reasonably priced and include some unusual finds. (Le Van Tam Park, Vo Thi Sau St., Dist. 1, Ho Chi Minh City)

The 10th day of the third Lunar month is Hung King’s Commemoration. There is a temple built for the King at Suoi Tien Park in District 9.

Make sure to wear sunglasses and sunscreens when touring Ho Chi Minh in daytime to protect yourself from the sunlight 

Ho Chi Minh Weather in April

April temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 37/99
Average low (C/F): 23/73

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In April:

14, April: Black Valentine’s Day. This holiday originated in Korea but it is widely popular among local Vietnamese. On this day, all the singles celebrate their single status by exchanging gifts with each other, and they specifically wear all black.

30, April: Liberation Day. This day marked the end of the Vietnam War in 1975 and North and South Vietnam was reunited.

The War Remnants Museum is the best place to learn about the Vietnam War in Ho Chi Minh City

Ho Chi Minh Weather in May

May temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 37/99
Average low (C/F): 24/75

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In May:

1, May: International Labor Day. As this event is adjacent to Liberation Day, it is often joined on April 30th as a double-day holiday.

19, May: Ho Chi Minh’s birthday.

The 15th day of the fourth Lunar month is Buddha’s Birthday, which usually falls in May in the Western calendar. As an important day on the Buddhist calendar, this day commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and death of Buddha. This religious holiday is celebrated quietly with prayer at various temples in Ho Chi Minh City.

Ho Chi Minh Weather in June

June temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 36/97
Average low (C/F): 22/72

Ho Chi Minh is known for its unexpected rains during rainy seasons

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In June:

1, June: International Children’s Day. This is a fun day for the children to play games at the parks and receive presents.

The 5th of May in the Lunar calendar is TET Doan Ngo, which usually falls in June in the Western calendar. This mid-year holiday marks the seasonal shift from spring to summer.

 

Ho Chi Minh Weather in July

July temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 34/93
Average low (C/F): 23/73

Ho Chi Minh Weather in August

August temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 36/97
Average low (C/F): 24/75

Have yourself some fresh tropical fruits when visiting Ho Chi Minh City in the summer

Ho Chi Minh Weather in September

September temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 35/95
Average low (C/F): 23/73

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In September:

2, Sept: National Day is celebrated with music and festivals at local parks throughout Ho Chi Minh City.

24, Sept: the 15th of August in the Lunar calendar is the Mid-Autumn Festival, which falls on the 24th of September in the 2018 Western calendar. In Chinatown, the streets are filled with lanterns display and mooncakes.

Ho Chi Minh Weather in October

October temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 34/93
Average low (C/F): 24/75

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In October:

20, Oct: Vietnamese Women’s Day.
31, Oct: Halloween.

Ho Chi Minh Weather in November

November temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 36/97
Average low (C/F): 23/73

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In November:

20, Nov: Teacher’s Day. On this day, students and schools host various events to show appreciation to the teachers.

Ho Chi Minh Weather in December

December temperatures in Ho Chi Minh:
Average high (C/F): 34/93
Average low (C/F): 20/68

Ho Chi Minh Festivals And Events In December:

25, Dec: Christmas. A few major streets (Nguyen Hue, Dong Khoi, Le Loi, Le Duan) in the center of the city of District 1 will have colorful lighting decorations. The streets in the city are extra crowded at night due to everyone driving out to see the city lights and decorations.

For more details, check our blog on What to do in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) and our insider Vietnam Travel Guides.

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