When to go · Hanoi
Hanoi in December
Good month. Cool; bring a layer.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 22°C (72°F)72°F (22°C) / 16°C (61°F)61°F (16°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 5
- Crowds
- High
- Vietnam overall
- Prices
- High
- Vietnam overall
Verdict
Cool; bring a layer.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than December?
December is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in December
- HanoiHighs around 22 °C (72 °F), lows around 16 °C (61 °F), rain on about 5 daysHighs around 72 °F (22 °C), lows around 61 °F (16 °C), rain on about 5 days
- North, Vietnam · Hanoi, Hạ Long, Ninh Bình, Sa Pacool
Four seasons: cool grey winters (Sa Pa can reach 0 °C (32 °F)), humid hot summers with storms Jul–Sep; Hạ Long cruises cancel on storm warnings.Four seasons: cool grey winters (Sa Pa can reach 32 °F (0 °C)), humid hot summers with storms Jul–Sep; Hạ Long cruises cancel on storm warnings.
Winter season
Cool, grey and cosy: hot phở weather, Christmas crowds at St Joseph's, flower markets before Tết.
Watch: Smog on still days; unheated rooms.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Daisy season (cúc họa mi)
About mid-November to mid-December · Flower bikes around the Old Quarter and Phan Đình Phùng
Photographers stop traffic; flowers ₫50,000–100,000 a bunch.
Christmas Eve
24 December · St Joseph's Cathedral, Nhà Chung
Streets around the cathedral jammed from dusk; midnight mass overflows.
New Year countdown
31 December · Hoàn Kiếm Lake, Opera House square
The walking-street zone widens and cars are cut off: expect a long walk to any taxi after midnight.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Vietnam overall
- High
- Prices · Vietnam overall
- High
Vietnam overall: North and south dry, centre wet; Christmas to New Year lifts beach prices.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Hanoi, side by side.
Verdict
Dec: Good
Apr: Great (better)
Daytime high
Dec: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Apr: 28 °C (82 °F)82 °F (28 °C)
Night low
Dec: 16 °C (61 °F)61 °F (16 °C)
Apr: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Rain days
Dec: 5 (better)
Apr: 13
Crowds
Dec: High
Apr: Medium
Prices
Dec: High
Apr: Medium
Festivals listed
Dec: 3
Apr: 3
December: Cool; bring a layer.
April: Warm; good month.
Hanoi: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket