When to go · Ho Chi Minh City
Ho Chi Minh City in May
Mixed month. Rains start; very humid.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 34°C (93°F)93°F (34°C) / 26°C (79°F)79°F (26°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 17
- Crowds
- Medium
- Vietnam overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Vietnam overall
Verdict
Rains start; very humid.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than May?
May is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in May
- Ho Chi Minh CityHighs around 34 °C (93 °F), lows around 26 °C (79 °F), rain on about 17 daysHighs around 93 °F (34 °C), lows around 79 °F (26 °C), rain on about 17 days
- South, Vietnam · Ho Chi Minh City, Mekong, Phú Quốcrainy
Hot all year; wet May–Nov means a 1–2 h afternoon downpour, rarely a lost day.
Early rains season
Afternoon storms cool the evenings; fruit season (mango, rambutan, durian).
Watch: Humidity; plan indoor afternoons.
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.
Reunification Day and Labour Day
30 April – 1 May · Palace, Lê Duẩn
Parades in anniversary years (2025 was the 50th); road closures around the palace.
Buddha's birthday check
15th of the 4th lunar month · Pagodas
Lantern processions.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Vietnam overall
- Medium
- Prices · Vietnam overall
- Medium
Vietnam overall: Heat builds in Hanoi and Saigon; the central coast is at its beach best.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Ho Chi Minh City, side by side.
Verdict
May: Mixed
Jan: Great (better)
Daytime high
May: 34 °C (93 °F)93 °F (34 °C)
Jan: 32 °C (90 °F)90 °F (32 °C)
Night low
May: 26 °C (79 °F)79 °F (26 °C)
Jan: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Rain days
May: 17
Jan: 2 (better)
Crowds
May: Medium
Jan: Medium
Prices
May: Medium
Jan: Medium
Festivals listed
May: 2
Jan: 3
May: Rains start; very humid.
January: Dry and warm; Tết some years (check).
Ho Chi Minh City: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast