What to Wear in Hanoi
Vietnam · 9 monthly packing guides
Hanoi runs Northern-Vietnam heritage-and-monsoon — the heritage 1010 Lý-dynasty capital (Thăng Long, since the 11th-century Imperial Citadel UNESCO 2010), the heritage Old Quarter 36-streets-of-trades grid, the heritage French-Colonial Hoàn Kiếm + Ba Đình quarters with the heritage Opera House (Ferret + Lagisquet, 1911 Paris-Garnier replica). Per Vietnam Institute for Building Science and Technology data aligned to NCHMF, May-August holds 32-33°C / 90-91°F afternoons with overnight lows 25-27°C / 77-81°F and 15-17 monsoon rain days monthly (the heritage Tonkin-monsoon afternoon pattern that hits 14:00-17:00 daily). Humidity 80-85%. Local register: La Sirène (the heritage Tràng Tiền silk-and-embroidery atelier), Áo dài tailoring at the heritage Lụa Hà Đông silk village (the heritage 1,000-year-old silk-weaving Hà Đông district 14 km southwest), Sông Hồng Cashmere, the heritage Tan My Design embroidery + bag house. Heritage anchors: Hoàn Kiếm Lake (the heritage Lê-dynasty 'Returned Sword Lake' at the Old Quarter centre — the heritage Ngọc Sơn Temple on Jade Island), the heritage Temple of Literature (Văn Miếu, since 1070 — the heritage Vietnam's first university), Hồ Chí Minh Mausoleum + the heritage One Pillar Pagoda (1049), the heritage Old Quarter 36 streets (Hàng Bạc silver, Hàng Gai silk, Hàng Bạc + Mã Mây heritage tube houses), the heritage French Quarter Opera House + Hôtel Métropole (Sofitel Legend Métropole 1901, the heritage Graham Greene + Charlie Chaplin + Catherine Deneuve hotel). Festivals: Vietnam National Day September 2 (parade through Ba Đình Square — the heritage 1945 Hồ Chí Minh declaration site), Mid-Autumn Festival mid-September (the heritage Tết Trung Thu mooncake + lantern register at the Old Quarter Hàng Mã street). Skip slick-soled urban shoes — Old Quarter sidewalks ice-slick after monsoon thunderstorms and run motorbike-saturated.
Choose your month below to match your layers and shoes to the weather. Across the months covered, average daily lows reach 14°C / 57°F in January; average highs reach 33°C / 91°F in June.
Compare Hanoi by month
Monthly averages help compare packing needs; check the forecast before departure. Only months with published guides are listed. See the source notes below for station and measurement differences. Scroll across the table to see all weather details on a small screen.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Rain days | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January packing guide | 14°C / 57°F | 20°C / 68°F | 7 | 11h 00m |
| February packing guide | 16°C / 61°F | 21°C / 70°F | 9 | 11h 25m |
| May packing guide | 25°C / 77°F | 32°C / 90°F | 15 | 13h 15m |
| June packing guide | 26°C / 79°F | 33°C / 91°F | 15 | 13h 30m |
| July packing guide | 27°C / 81°F | 33°C / 91°F | 17 | 13h 25m |
| August packing guide | 26°C / 79°F | 33°C / 91°F | 17 | 12h 50m |
| October packing guide | 22°C / 72°F | 30°C / 86°F | 8 | 11h 40m |
| November packing guide | 19°C / 66°F | 26°C / 79°F | 5 | 11h 10m |
| December packing guide | 15°C / 59°F | 22°C / 72°F | 5 | 10h 50m |
Choose your Hanoi packing list
Hanoi in January: 20°C / 68°F afternoons, 14°C / 57°F nights, about 10 severe-cold days and drizzle on about 15, the coldest month of the year.
In this capsule: Navy double-breasted wool coat, knee length; Light heather-grey crew-neck sweater; Deep burgundy chunky cable-knit cardigan.
Hanoi in February: 21°C / 70°F afternoons, 16°C / 61°F nights, drizzle logged on about 16 days, and Tết on Saturday 6 February 2027.
In this capsule: Sand single-breasted cotton overcoat, knee length; Jade fine-gauge merino crew; Ivory silk shirt, point collar, balloon cuffs.
Hanoi in May is pre-summer monsoon shoulder — 32°C / 90°F afternoons, 25°C / 77°F nights, 15 rain days from afternoon Tonkin-monsoon thunderstorms.
In this capsule: Lightweight linen midi dress + cotton tee; Leather sandal (heritage Hàng Dầu street artisans) or rubber-soled walking shoe; Packable rain shell (Patagonia Houdini) + compact travel umbrella.
Hanoi in June is peak Tonkin-summer monsoon — 33°C / 91°F afternoons, 26°C / 79°F nights, 15 rain days from afternoon thunderstorms.
In this capsule: Lightweight linen midi dress + cotton tee + linen wide-leg pant; Leather sandal (heritage Hàng Dầu street artisans) or Hoka Bondi rubber-soled walking shoe; Patagonia Houdini packable shell + Blunt Metro compact travel umbrella.
Hanoi in July is peak Tonkin-monsoon — 33°C / 91°F afternoons, 27°C / 81°F nights, 17 rain days from afternoon thunderstorms.
In this capsule: Lightweight linen midi dress + cotton tee + linen wide-leg pant; Leather sandal (Hàng Dầu street artisans) or Hoka Bondi rubber-soled walking shoe; Patagonia Houdini packable shell + Blunt Metro compact travel umbrella.
Hanoi in August is peak Tonkin-monsoon — 33°C / 91°F afternoons, 26°C / 79°F nights, 17 rain days from afternoon thunderstorms.
In this capsule: Lightweight linen midi dress + cotton tee + linen wide-leg pant; Leather sandal (Hàng Dầu street artisans) or Hoka Bondi rubber-soled walking shoe; Patagonia Houdini packable shell + Blunt Metro compact travel umbrella.
Hanoi in October: 30°C / 86°F afternoons, 22°C / 72°F nights, rain on about 8 days, and 18 afternoons that still reach 30°C.
In this capsule: Pale yellow oversized cotton button-down; White fitted long-sleeve blouse, point collar; Olive drawstring wide-leg trousers.
Hanoi in November: 26°C / 79°F afternoons, 19°C / 66°F nights, rain on about 5 days, and a dry second half with about 14mm.
In this capsule: Rust fine-wale corduroy overshirt; Cream long-sleeve cotton button-down; Khaki short-sleeve camp-collar shirt.
Hanoi in December: 22°C / 72°F afternoons, 15°C / 59°F nights, the driest month of the year, and the first severe-cold days from mid-month.
In this capsule: Bottle-green Donegal tweed jacket; Oatmeal chunky shawl-collar cardigan; Charcoal-and-forest plaid wool flannel overshirt.
Climate sources by month
These credits follow the source recorded on each monthly guide. Climate figures inform the packing advice; outfit combinations and illustrations are editorial suggestions.
- January: NOAA NCEI · Hanoi (WMO station 48820) · 1991–2020 normalsa station of Viet Nam's national network, filed by NOAA as Noi Bai International; NOAA NCEI computed these figures from its 48820099999 global-summary-of-the-day record: 30 complete Januaries for temperature, and the 21 Januaries of 1991–2012 that carry daily rain reports for precipitation (a rain day is ≥0.01 in). Recorded per month because this city's May–August pages are sourced differently.
- February: NOAA NCEI · Hanoi (WMO station 48820) · 1991–2020 normalsa station of Viet Nam's national network, filed by NOAA as Noi Bai International; NOAA NCEI computed these figures from its 48820099999 global-summary-of-the-day record: 30 complete Februaries for temperature, and the 21 Februaries of 1991–2012 that carry daily rain reports for precipitation (a rain day is ≥0.01 in). Recorded per month because this city's May–August pages are sourced differently.
- May: Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) · Central Hanoi (Đống Đa / Hoàn Kiếm) · monthly climate averagesAligned to NCHMF station data; Vietnam's IBST building-climate series is the published English source.
- June: Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) · Central Hanoi (Đống Đa / Hoàn Kiếm) · monthly climate averagesAligned to NCHMF station data; Vietnam's IBST building-climate series is the published English source.
- July: Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) · Central Hanoi (Đống Đa / Hoàn Kiếm) · monthly climate averagesAligned to NCHMF station data; Vietnam's IBST building-climate series is the published English source.
- August: Vietnam National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF) · Central Hanoi (Đống Đa / Hoàn Kiếm) · monthly climate averagesAligned to NCHMF station data; Vietnam's IBST building-climate series is the published English source.
- October: NOAA NCEI · Hanoi (WMO station 48820) · 1991–2020 normalsa station of Viet Nam's national network, filed by NOAA as Noi Bai International; NOAA NCEI computed these figures from its 48820099999 global-summary-of-the-day record: 30 complete Octobers for temperature, and the 21 Octobers of 1991–2011 that carry daily rain reports for precipitation (a rain day is ≥0.01 in). Recorded per month because this city's May–August pages are sourced differently.
- November: NOAA NCEI · Hanoi (WMO station 48820) · 1991–2020 normalsa station of Viet Nam's national network, filed by NOAA as Noi Bai International; NOAA NCEI computed these figures from its 48820099999 global-summary-of-the-day record: 30 complete Novembers for temperature, and the 21 Novembers of 1991–2011 that carry daily rain reports for precipitation (a rain day is ≥0.01 in). Recorded per month because this city's May–August pages are sourced differently.
- December: NOAA NCEI · Hanoi (WMO station 48820) · 1991–2020 normalsa station of Viet Nam's national network, filed by NOAA as Noi Bai International; NOAA NCEI computed these figures from its 48820099999 global-summary-of-the-day record: 30 complete Decembers for temperature, and the 21 Decembers of 1991–2011 that carry daily rain reports for precipitation (a rain day is ≥0.01 in). Recorded per month because this city's May–August pages are sourced differently.
Frequently asked questions
Start with your travel month. The 9 published guides cover January, February, May, June, July, August, October, November, December. Compare the average low as well as the high: among these months, January has the lowest average low at 14°C / 57°F, while June has the highest average high at 33°C / 91°F. For a trip spanning two months, read both lists before deciding which layers to bring.
No. They are monthly climate averages for planning, not temperatures promised for a particular day or hour. Check the local forecast close to departure and adjust your layers and rain protection. The source, station and averaging period are listed for each month where recorded; different stations or rain-day definitions can affect comparisons.
No. Treat the capsule as a set of clothing functions: walking shoes, a base outfit, weather protection and any change for dinner or a venue's dress code. Start with equivalents you own. Adjust quantities to your trip length and laundry access; the illustrations are outfit suggestions, not a shopping requirement.