Vietnam in summer?

[VanillaTeapot]

I was thinking of a big trip to Vietnam this summer as DDs will have finished GCSEs and A Levels and I have also wanted to go. We have never gone on holiday outside of Europe also this would be an adventure for us. However, I am a bit of an irrational worrier when it comes to typhoons and I am concerned about the weather. DH wants to visit Hanoi and Ha Long Bay as do I but I am worried about the weather being dangerous

Is it fine to go in summer and am I being unnecessarily wary?

My partner and I went travelling round Asia Summer 2023 and visited Vietnam for a week in August (inc Hanoi & Ha Long Bay.) We didn't have any issues with the weather/typhoons in Vietnam, nor in any of the countries we visited either actually. Sounds like a wonderful trip for you all, I wouldn't overthink about the weather!

That's very reassuring, thank you!

What month in this summer?

The north could be very hot in the summer specially in Hue - Hanoi is usually hot too - it’s rainy season in the South but we find it’s usually an hour a day you wouldn’t know it otherwise …otherwise nice temperature of 30 deg C….

We’re in the country at the moment btw we go every year to see family

We're thinking start of July for 18 days, going from north to south

Usually, the typhoon season in North falls in August, not good for mountainous areas like Sapa, Ha Giang… due to landslides (If you are still a bit worried about the weather in North at that time, make a back up plan).

DD was there in July / Aug 24 and as poster above says, Ha Giang was affected by torrential rain and landslides which meant she couldn't do the Ha Giang loop. Otherwise, she had an amazing time.

Central Vietnam has the best weather in the summer: Hoi an and Hue are both great places to visit. It can get very hot though- over 40 degrees one summer when we were there ( have been to Vietnam many times) and it can be very debilitating. I have also been to Hanoi in the summer, had some rain but did not spoil the trip as plenty of museums, galleries, shopping, cookery classes etc. One year we queues in the rain to see ‘uncle ho’s’ ,body at the Mausoleum- quite the experience.

As pp mentioned avoid Sapa in the summer months.

Thank you all! I'll incorporate this information into our itinerary

The Yacht hotel in HA Long is lovely x

It’s not a great time at either end of the country. If you look at other times you’ll see that. Have a look on travel sights such as Audley as they give guidance on weather.
just because someone had a good time, it’s frankly nonsense to take that a fact. Check patterns of weather from a trusted source.

I spent a month in Vietnam several summers ago. Yes, it's rainy season in the north and south, but the middle is fine. We didn't make plans to venture into the northern mountains in case of bad weather. I think it is mostly the north that suffers most from typhoons. I did research beforehand regarding weather and risks.

We did go to Ho Chi Min and Hanoi, both were humid and hot, with some rain on some days. It is torrential for an hour or so (sometimes the streets flooded briefly) but then clears. No problems doing lots of activities in these cities and ducking into a cafe when it rains.

We got out in Ha Long bay, and while not clear blue sky, it was overcast but hot and with the occasional afternoon shower. I think rainy season is fine if you are sight seeing, less so if you want to sunbathe.

We stopped in Nha Trang for some sunny beach time, and also went to the beaches near Hoi An. We also visited Hue and My Son ruins, it was very hot.

My advice would be a few days in Hanoi/HaLong, a longer stint in the middle section (Hoi An is lovely), and then a few days in HCM.

Jumping on this one.

We're using a travel agent and they have suggested flights with Air Vietnam but I'm very nervous about that as reviews look horrendously poor.

Would it be better to fly with a more reputable airline via Doha or HK? If so, what would be the best itinerary if you want to fit it all into 14 days (definitely want to do HoiAn/Hue)?