While there is almost never a bad time to visit Vietnam, May is one of the best time to visit Vietnam for your trip. Outside of peak season, the country is less crowded. The weather is manageable with proper planning and preparations. There are plenty of things to see and do as always with Vietnam in May.
Vietnam weather in May
As Vietnam enters “the lusty month of May”, traveling around the country can be a confusing and unpredictable experience in combating seasonal change. In the North, the weather in Vietnam will get visited by heat waves, hot weather, and plenty of sunshine that doesn’t scorch. The South enters the humid and wet season. That being said, Southern rain comes and goes before you can enjoy or begrudge it. And you won’t sweat as much as you would in Northern and Central Vietnam. See below for what you might expect when it comes to May weather.
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| Regions | Temperature | Humidity | Rainfalls | Rain Days |
| North | 32∘/24∘ | 75% | 133mm | 7 days |
| Central | 33∘/25∘ | 80% | 63mm | 3 days |
| South | 34∘/24∘ | 70% | 66.5mm | 2 days |
Crowds & Costs
Be aware of the public holidays in May: Reunification Day (April 30) and International Labor Day (May 1). It’s often a long weekend for the Vietnamese, who will take the opportunity to travel. So your destinations might be crowded. Other than that, you can take advantage of attractive deals of up to 30% off for resorts and other points of interest around the country, as businesses are keen to get more visitors this season. Remember to book and purchase any ticket at least a month in advance!
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Where to go in Vietnam in May
Qui Nhon
May falls into the dry season for this land that “leans against the mountain to gaze upon the sea”. Just before the tourist season, spring transitions into summer. The clear blue waters of Qui Nhon are extra lovely, and the air is comfortably warm. The best time to go to the beach is before 9 a.m. and after 4 p.m. Trung Luong Picnic Tourism Area also offers the opportunity to camp among pristine nature. The Poetic Garden of Han Mac Tu offers a vantage viewpoint of Quy Nhon city from the grave of one of Vietnam’s greatest poets. After swimming, you can feast on delicacies freshly caught and prepared: shrimp pancakes, jellyfish noodles, crab hotpot, steamed lobsters, and more.
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Pu Luong
Arrive in May and you will have spared yourself the uncomfortable heat of the summer – the Goldilocks moment of weather when everything is just right. You can hike, trek, or bicycle through the Best Places To Visit In Vietnam with Pu Luong Nature Reserve and see how ethnic minorities live in harmony with nature. Vietnam in May is also the end of the rice harvest season, so if you’re lucky, you can still see the farmers take the golden coat off of the scenery.
Ninh Binh
However, if you’re interested in seeing more of the rice paddies, a boat ride down the Ngo Dong river in Ninh Binh will set you right with floating paddies on either side of the stream. Another best things to do in Ninh Binh you must see is to the Tam Coc caves, majestic karst formations carved by the hands of Nature using water and time. Their neighbors are Bich Dong pagoda and Bich Dong cave, known as “the second-most beautiful cave under Southern skies”. (The honor of being the most beautiful goes to Huong Tich cave in Hanoi instead.) While you’re in Ninh Binh, don’t forget to sample burnt rice (a sort of savory Rice Krispies treat) and goat meat.
Trang An
In addition to its stunning mountains and waters, the Trang An Landscape Complex- A Unesco World Heritage Site is also home to Hoa Lu, an ancient capital of Vietnam, established by the Dinh Dynasty as the first feudal center of power. A mere 42 years later, it was left behind when Emperor Ly Thai To made the monumental decision to move the capital from Hoa Lu to Thang Long (modern-day Hanoi), but humans have occupied it ever since the Neolithic and Bronze Ages, and Hoa Lu saw much historical upheaval. Today, visitors travel to Trang An to marvel at the preserved and restored glory of a royal residence as much as they do its nature, the beauty of man’s creations being embraced by the beauty of nature’s treasures.
What to do in Vietnam in May
You can cover the whole country in May, provided you’re well-prepared for what the weather might have in store. See the Imperial Citadels in Hanoi and Hue, cruise the waters of Ha Long Bay. Travel down the Mekong River to explore “the granary of Vietnam”. Do the best things to do in SaPa like chase clouds in the mountains and amidst rhododendron flowers. You can even be trekking through tribal villages in Sapa if you are interested in Sapa and Y Ty, Lao Cai – The Scenic & Tribal loop 3 days 2 nights,… And much, much more.
May Events & Holiday
Nghe An: Uncle Ho’s Birthday – May 19
Vietnam remains grateful to its latest national hero, Ho Chi Minh (Uncle Ho). Because of local beliefs in ancestor worship, every province and city has multiple shrines to him (essentially considering him an honorary uncle of every Vietnamese family). He was born in Kim Lien village, Nam Dan district, Nghe An province. Every year, the province honors its famous son with various activities: art competitions, performances and festivals of traditional theatre and music, ao dai fashion shows with lotus motifs (the village’s name means “Golden Lotus”), and more.
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Hoa Binh: Praying for rain Festival (the 4th lunar month)
On nights when the moon has a red or yellow halo, the Thai people of Hoa Binh organize ceremonies to pray for rain, as the halo is an omen of droughts that threaten their crops and livelihood. Young people form groups that go from house to house.
Beginning with the family with the oldest woman in the village. They will then invite the elder to come out in her fineries and sing together to ask the skies for water. She will emerge with a basin full of water and splash the procession with it. In the next houses, elders merely give the procession some sticky rice and salt.
Once the visits are finished, the procession returns to its starting point (the common house). They will light torches, go down to the river, and splash each other with the blessed water, and no one goes home until they’re soaked and freezing. The ceremony is repeated if the droughts begin or continue.
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Quang Binh: Praying for a good season Festival (14th-16th of the 4th lunar month)
The people of Bao Ninh village in Quang Binh also pray for a good season. But their entreaties are directed at the whale spirit who saved their fishermen amid a storm long ago, and two fishermen, father and son, worshipped after their deaths. Much like most Vietnamese traditional holidays, the event consists of two parts: ritual and celebration. Firstly, Lord Whale’s bones are paraded from the village to the communal building. Two mediums will channel the spirits to give sage advice. Then comes the celebration, in which women sing and mock-row on dry land to resemble rowboat crews, while the men dance. They wish for calm seas, fruitful fishing trips, and eternal abundance and health for the village.
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Vietnam in each month
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Frequently asked questions about Vietnam in May (FAQs)
Is May a good time to visit Vietnam?
May will have heat waves in the North and the South that seems cooler. Please avoid public holidays in May: April 30 and May 1 because this is a holiday time and Vietnamese people will take advantage to travel at this time. Outside of peak season, the country is less crowded; the weather is manageable with proper planning and preparations, and there are plenty of things to see and do as always.
What are the best things to see in May?
You can see the Imperial Citadels in Hanoi and Hue, cruise the waters of Ha Long Bay, travel down the Mekong River to explore “the granary of Vietnam”, chase clouds in the mountains of Sapa amidst rhododendron flowers,… You can travel to cover the whole country in May if you want to go more.
Being in Vietnam in May is very much a case of “right place, right time”. The country will not fail in entertaining you and giving you experiences you can treasure for the rest of your life.
