· 3 min read
Vietnam from north to south: what to pack for three climates in one trip
Drizzle and 16 °C in Hanoi, warm lantern-lit evenings in Hoi An, 34 °C in Ho Chi Minh City. What to pack for Vietnam between February and April, when the country is cool at the top and hot at the bottom.
HAN · DAD · SGN
- When
- February–April
- Weather
- 15–35 °C, drizzle up north
- Pack
- Layers, light clothes, a rain jacket
The story
Hanoi in late February is gray and soft. It’s 16 °C, and a fine drizzle hangs in the air all morning without ever quite turning into rain. You sit on a low plastic stool by the pavement with a bowl of phở, in a light jacket, watching thousands of motorbikes flow around Hoan Kiem Lake. Crossing the street takes a new skill: you walk at a steady pace, and the traffic bends around you.
The next day, on a boat in Ha Long Bay, the limestone islands appear and disappear in the mist. On deck it’s cool and damp, and the sweater you nearly left at home stays on all day.
A short flight south and everything changes. In Hoi An it’s 27 °C and dry, and in the evening lanterns light up the old town along the river. You spend an afternoon at a tailor’s, choosing fabric for a shirt that will be ready the next day, and you’re glad you left space in your bag.
Your last stop is Ho Chi Minh City, where it’s 34 °C at two in the afternoon. You switch to your lightest clothes, drink water all day and duck into air-conditioned cafés. Before visiting a pagoda, you put a scarf over your shoulders and swap your shorts for long trousers.
Vietnam in spring is really three trips: a cool, drizzly north, a warm and dry center, and a hot south. Layers for the first and light clothes for the rest cover all of it.
What to pack
Pack light clothes for the center and the south, then add layers and a rain jacket for the north.
Clothes
- Light, breathable T-shirts and shirts.
- A sweater or fleece and a light jacket for Hanoi and Ha Long Bay.
- A light rain jacket for the northern drizzle.
- Long trousers or a long skirt, and a scarf, to cover your knees and shoulders at temples and pagodas.
- Shorts and swimwear for the beaches around Da Nang and Hoi An.
Shoes
- Comfortable walking shoes.
- Sandals that are easy to slip off: some temples and homes ask you to take your shoes off.
For health and comfort
- Insect repellent: mosquitoes can carry dengue.
- Sunscreen and sunglasses for the center and the south.
- Something for an upset stomach; drink bottled or filtered water.
- A pack of tissues, since not every restroom has paper, and a face mask for heavy traffic.
Documents, money and tech
- Passport, and your e-visa if you need one.
- A plug adapter: sockets are types A and C, at 220 V.
- A power bank, and a ride-hailing app for getting around the cities.
- Space in your bag, if you plan to have clothes made in Hoi An.
Good to know
- Weather: from February to April, Hanoi runs from about 15 to 28 °C (59 to 82 °F), with drizzle and gray skies early in the season; Hoi An is around 20 to 30 °C (68 to 86 °F) and mostly dry; Ho Chi Minh City is 24 to 35 °C (75 to 95 °F), hottest in April.
- Tết: the Lunar New Year falls in late January or February (on February 6 in 2027). Many shops and restaurants close for several days, and trains, flights and hotels fill up early.
- Plugs: types A and C, 220 V.
- Money: Vietnamese đồng (VND). Cash rules at markets and street stalls; hotels and larger restaurants take cards. The 20,000 and 500,000 notes are both blue, so check before you pay.
- Entry: some nationalities can visit without a visa for a limited time; everyone else applies online for an e-visa. Check which applies to your passport.