Halong Bay is no doubt the most visited destination in Vietnam and known for its stunning limestone islands and islets scattered all over the green water bay. The landscape is indeed the most highlighted feature of Halong Bay therefore your trip to Halong Bay will be effected by the weather. Here we’ll show you the best time to visit Halong Bay to make your experience in this beautiful place even more perfect.
Halong Bay Weather Overview
Halong Bay weather is affected deeply by the ocean weather and monsoon season just like the entire northern Vietnam. Therefore, Halong Bay also has four seasons, one of which is a chilly winter. In general, Halong Bay enjoys high temperature and high humidity in summer and most of the rest of the year except for winter.
The wet season in Halong Bay last from May to September – which is also the time for hot summer and high rainfall. During this time and until later months of year, Halong Bay might see some storms coming from the east sea which will cause all activities in the bay to be halted. Temperature can reach around 40 degree Celsius but the sea will make you feel so much milder and not as hot as in the cities. June and July are often the hottest months.
The dry season in Halong Bay starts at the same time with the winter in north Vietnam and northern central Vietnam, meaning from November to next February with temperature dropping low, low humidity and chilly winds. In Halong Bay, you might feel colder in winter due to the exposure to the sea and the winds.
When is the best time to visit Halong Bay
If you don’t mind not being able to swim in the cold water then visiting Halong Bay in winter is not so bad an idea. And if you go to Halong Bay in the aim for a bunch of amazing photos, then summer is perfect for you since the skies will be bluer, the sunrise and sunset are more dramatic and beautiful than any other time of year.
However, beware that summer is also the peak season of domestic tourism so you better expect to see crowds of tourists on the bay.
Your trip to Halong Bay would interrupted by the sudden showers in this season.
Halong Bay also can be visited in spring when the weather gets warmer and there’re only drizzles. April and early May would be a perfect time to visit Halong since the temperature allows swimming in the sea and the skies are clear and blue which is perfect for photography.
Some activities in Halong Bay
To visit Halong Bay, you’ll have to book a cruise, you can articulate as many activities as you want in the cruise itinerary but the most popular things to do in Halong Bay are swimming, rock climbing, kayaking, caving and visiting floating villages. Catching fishes or squids is also an interesting thing to enjoy, even the success rate is guaranteed.
If you choose a 3-day cruise that also has Cat Ba island in the itinerary, then you’ll enjoy even more activities such as trekking to Cat Ba National Park or visit Viet Hai village where you can do biking.
So all in all, Halong can be visited all year round – in each season Halong has a distinctive beauty worthy of your visit. Visiting Halong Bay isn’t tricky at all! To stimulate your trip to Halong Bay even more, read our article about Things to do in Halong Bay!
