Hoi An Travel Tips
Hoi An Weather Month by Month (2026): Best Time to Visit, Flood Season and What to Pack
Hoi An travel tips · August 2026
Hoi An weather is not one climate but three, and picking the wrong one is the most common planning mistake visitors make. The town is dry and mild from February to April, hot and beach-ready from May to August, and then takes 526 mm of rain in October alone. This is the month-by-month breakdown with the actual rainfall numbers, what the flood season really looks like, and the honest answer on the best time to visit Hoi An for what you personally want to do.
- The short answer: best Hoi An weather by what you came for
- Hoi An weather month by month
- The flood season, written by someone who lives here
- Typhoons: the honest risk assessment
- Beach season and town season are different Hoi An weather
- Riding weather: when Hoi An weather suits the roads
- Crowds, prices and the dates that move
- What to pack for each season
- Three itineraries built around Hoi An weather
- Frequently asked questions about Hoi An weather
Travelling in the wet months? Our Hoi An flood season guide covers the October to December floods in detail, including the 2026 forecast.
№ 01The short answer: best Hoi An weather by what you came for
There is no single best month of Hoi An weather. There is a best month for what you actually want to do, and those answers differ by half a year.
| You want | Go | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Old Town walking, photos, tailors | February – April | October – November |
| Beach and swimming | May – August | November – February |
| Motorbike day trips and the Hai Van Pass | February – May | September – December |
| Cheapest hotels, fewest tourists | September – November | December – February |
| Cooking classes, lantern workshops, spas | any month | none – Hoi An weather barely matters indoors |
| Lantern festival atmosphere | the 14th night of any lunar month | nothing |
If you have one week and no other constraints, March is the single best week of the year in Hoi An: 30 mm of rain for the entire month, comfortable temperatures, sea warm enough to swim, and the crowds have not arrived.
№ 02Hoi An weather month by month
The rainfall column is what matters most in any Hoi An weather table. Hoi An weather is not gradually wet – it is bone dry for six months and then dumps most of the year’s rain into three.
| Month | Rain | Typical temp | What it feels like |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 92 mm | 19-26°C | Cool, grey mornings, wind off the sea. Sweater weather at night by local standards. |
| February | 32 mm | 20-28°C | The turn. Dry, mild, still quiet. Tet falls here or late January. |
| March | 30 mm | 21-29°C | The best month. Driest of the year, warm but not hot. |
| April | 34 mm | 23-31°C | Still excellent, heat building. Sea comfortable. |
| May | 56 mm | 24-33°C | Hot. Beach season opens properly. Short afternoon showers begin. |
| June | 99 mm | 25-33°C | Peak heat. Rain arrives as brief heavy bursts, not all-day grey. |
| July | 90 mm | 25-33°C | Same as June, busiest month for European visitors. |
| August | 104 mm | 25-33°C | Hot and humid, still mostly usable. The last reliable beach month. |
| September | 297 mm | 24-32°C | The switch flips. Rain triples overnight. First storm warnings. |
| October | 526 mm | 23-30°C | Wettest month of the year by a wide margin. Flood season. |
| November | 363 mm | 22-27°C | Still very wet, still flood risk, cooling down. |
| December | 206 mm | 20-26°C | Tapering. Cool and damp rather than tropical. |
Figures are long-term monthly averages from Weather Atlas. Add September, October and November together and you get roughly 1.186 mm – more than half of Hoi An’s annual rainfall in three months. That single number explains almost everything about Hoi An weather and when to come.
№ 03The flood season, written by someone who lives here
Flooding is the part travel sites skip when they write about Hoi An weather, and it is the single most useful thing to understand about Hoi An weather.
The water does not come from the sky above you
Hoi An floods because of rain falling in the mountains 60 km inland. The Thu Bon river drains that catchment and Hoi An sits at the bottom of it, a metre or two above sea level. You can have a bright morning in town and standing water in Bach Dang street by evening because it rained in Nam Giang two days ago. Watching the sky out of your window tells you nothing.
What a flood day actually looks like
Shops move stock to the mezzanine – every old house in the Old Town has one, and that is why. Sampans replace scooters on the riverside streets and locals charge a small fare to ferry you along Bach Dang. Cafes stay open with the water halfway up the chair legs. It is not a disaster, it is an annual event the town is built around, and it lasts one to four days.
What it means for your trip
| Affected | Reality |
|---|---|
| Riverside streets | Under water, closed to bikes. Bach Dang and Nguyen Thai Hoc go first. |
| Motorbike hire | We will not rent you a bike into standing water, and neither should anyone else. Salt and river water destroy an engine. |
| An Bang and Cua Dai beaches | Rough, brown, unswimmable, often closed by lifeguards. |
| Day trips to My Son and Cu Lao Cham | My Son floods and closes. Cham Islands boats stop for days at a time. |
| Hotels and food | Fine. Nothing shuts. Prices are the lowest of the year. |
№ 04Typhoons: the honest risk assessment
Central Vietnam’s storm window runs roughly from September to mid-December, with October and November the peak. Most years Hoi An is brushed rather than hit: heavy rain, wind, a day indoors. Occasionally a storm makes landfall nearby and the town closes for 24 to 48 hours.
What this means practically: forecasts are reliable three to five days out, so you will not be surprised. Airlines and buses cancel before a landfall rather than during it. Travel insurance that covers weather disruption is worth having for an October trip in a way it simply is not for a March one.
№ 05Beach season and town season are different Hoi An weather
An Bang, Ha My, Cua Dai and Tan Thanh run on a different calendar from the Old Town, and this catches people out constantly.
| Months | Sea | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| April – August | Calm, clear, warm | Beach season. Loungers out, bars open, lifeguards on. |
| September | Choppy, warm | Swimmable on good days, watch the flags. |
| October – December | Rough, brown, cold wind | Not a beach. Many An Bang bars close entirely. |
| January – March | Calm but cool, 22-24°C water | Beautiful to walk, cold to swim for most people. |
So a February trip gives you perfect Old Town Hoi An weather and a beach you will look at rather than swim in. A July trip gives you the opposite: a hot, busy town and a genuinely excellent beach. That trade-off is the real decision, not “wet season or dry season”.
№ 06Riding weather: when Hoi An weather suits the roads
If your Hoi An trip includes the Hai Van Pass, My Son, Cu Lao Cham or a run south to Tam Thanh, your calendar is stricter than a walker’s.
February to May: the riding season
Dry roads, clear passes, no fog on Hai Van, boats running to the Cham Islands. This is the window every rider should aim for.
June to August: hot but fine
Ride early and late, not from eleven to three. Afternoon storms are short and heavy – pull under an awning for twenty minutes and continue.
September to December: pick your days
The Hai Van Pass sits in cloud and the summit visibility drops to metres. Cu Lao Cham boats stop for days at a time. Roads flood in the low sections between Hoi An and Da Nang. Riding is still possible, but plan day by day rather than in advance – see our wet-weather riding guide for how to do it safely.
№ 07Crowds, prices and the dates that move
Hoi An weather is only half the calendar. The other half is who else is here.
| Period | Crowds | Hotel prices |
|---|---|---|
| Mid-December – early January | Peak. Western holidays. | Highest of the year |
| Tet (late Jan or Feb, moves yearly) | Domestic peak, many shops shut 3-5 days | High |
| March – April | Building, comfortable | Mid |
| 30 April – 3 May | Vietnamese public holiday, very busy | Spike |
| June – August | Peak European season and domestic summer | High |
| 2 September | National Day long weekend, domestic surge | Spike |
| September – November | Emptiest of the year | Lowest |
Tet moves and it matters
Lunar New Year shifts between late January and mid-February. For three to five days around it many restaurants, tailors and workshops close, transport is booked out and prices rise. The town looks wonderful and half of what you came to do is shut. Check the date before booking February.
The full moon night
On the 14th night of each lunar month Hoi An turns off its electric lights in the Old Town and runs the lantern festival – the single most photographed thing in the town, and it happens twelve times a year regardless of Hoi An weather. Our 2026 full moon dates page lists them. Timing a trip around one costs you nothing.
№ 08What to pack for each season
February to April
Light layers. February Hoi An weather brings evenings can be genuinely cool by tropical standards, around 20°C with wind. One long-sleeve layer, otherwise summer clothes.
May to August
Minimum clothing, maximum sun protection: this is the hottest Hoi An weather of the year. Hat, high-factor sunscreen, electrolyte sachets. The UV index here peaks at 12 – that is the top of the scale, and it burns fast even under cloud.
September to December
Waterproof everything – this is the Hoi An weather that ruins luggage. A dry bag for your phone and passport, sandals rather than trainers because your feet will get wet, and a light rain jacket that packs down. Do not bother with an umbrella on a motorbike.
№ 09Three itineraries built around Hoi An weather
The same four days look completely different depending on the month. Here is how we would spend them.
March: the dry-season version
Day one Old Town on foot and a tailor fitting. Day two ride to My Son early, back for a swim. Day three the Hai Van Pass or Cu Lao Cham, both reliable in March Hoi An weather. Day four An Bang, coffee, second tailor fitting. Nothing here is weather-dependent because nothing here needs luck in March.
July: the hot-season version
Everything outdoor moves to 06:00-10:00 and 16:00-19:00. Day one beach at dawn, Old Town after dark. Day two Cu Lao Cham, which is at its best now. Day three ride out early to Tam Thanh or the Marble Mountains, spa in the afternoon. Day four cooking class in the heat of the day. In July Hoi An weather does not stop you, it just reorganises your clock.
October: the wet-season version
Book two indoor anchors first – a cooking class and a lantern workshop – so a washed-out day is never a wasted one. Keep the bike days flexible and take them the moment a dry morning appears. Stay away from the riverside. Budget a full spare day. Accept that the beach is off the table and that you are paying half price for a town with no crowds in it. Handled this way, October Hoi An weather is a trade rather than a disaster.
№ 10Frequently asked questions about Hoi An weather
What is the best time to visit Hoi An?
February to April. March is the driest month of the year at around 30 mm of rain, temperatures sit between 21 and 29°C, and the sea is warm enough to swim. If you want the beach rather than the Old Town, May to August is better despite the heat.
When is the rainy season in Hoi An?
September to December, peaking in October with about 526 mm of rain in that single month. September, October and November together account for more than half of Hoi An’s annual rainfall.
Does Hoi An really flood every year?
The Old Town floods in most years, usually in October or November, for one to four days at a time. The water comes down the Thu Bon river from rain in the mountains inland rather than from rain falling in town, so a clear sky in Hoi An is no guarantee.
Is it worth visiting Hoi An in October or November?
Yes if you are flexible and price-sensitive – it is the cheapest and emptiest time of year and nothing closes. No if you have three fixed days and a beach on your list. Stay away from the riverside streets and keep part of your itinerary loose.
What is the hottest month in Hoi An?
July and August, both topping out around 33°C with high humidity. June is close behind. The UV index reaches 12 through the middle of the year, which is the top of the scale.
Can I swim at An Bang beach in December?
Not comfortably. From October to March the sea is rough and cool, many beach bars close, and lifeguards often fly the red flag. April to August is the swimming window.
Is Hoi An weather good for riding a motorbike?
February to May is the reliable riding season – dry roads, clear passes, boats running. June to August is fine if you ride early and late. From September expect fog on the Hai Van Pass, flooded low sections and cancelled island boats.
Do typhoons hit Hoi An?
Central Vietnam’s storm window runs from September to mid-December, peaking in October and November. Most years Hoi An gets heavy rain and wind rather than a direct hit. Forecasts are reliable three to five days ahead, and travel insurance covering weather disruption is worth having for an autumn trip.
Rainfall and temperature figures are long-term monthly averages and will not match any single year exactly. Crowd and price notes are our own observation from running a rental shop in Hoi An year round. Anh Khoa Hoi An Motorbike Rental, 84 Phan Chau Trinh, Hoi An · Zalo 0935 439 306 · WhatsApp +84 935 206 306.
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