When to go · Hanoi
Hanoi in January
Good month. Cool, grey; check Tết dates.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 20° / 14°
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 10
- Crowds
- Medium
- Vietnam overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Vietnam overall
Verdict
Cool, grey; check Tết dates.
Weather in January
- HanoiHighs around 20 °C, lows around 14 °C, rain on about 10 days
- North, Vietnam · Hanoi, Hạ Long, Ninh Bình, Sa Pacool
Four seasons: cool grey winters (Sa Pa can reach 0 °C), humid hot summers with storms Jul–Sep; Hạ Long cruises cancel on storm warnings.
Winter season
Cool, grey and cosy: hot phở weather, Christmas crowds at St Joseph's, flower markets before Tết.
Watch: Smog on still days; unheated rooms.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Ông Công Ông Táo (Kitchen Gods day) check
23rd of the 12th lunar month, a week before Tết · Lakes and rivers
Families release live carp into Hoàn Kiếm, West Lake and the Red River; a pretty morning, busy lakesides.
Tết (Lunar New Year) check
Tết 2027 falls around 6 February · Whole city
Flower markets and peach-blossom sellers the week before; then 3–7 days when many restaurants, shops and some museums close and trains and buses sell out. Hotels add 30–100%.
Lunar New Year big impact
Tết — 6 Feb 2027 (lunar, moves yearly) · Vietnam
Trains, buses and flights sell out a week either side; many restaurants and shops close 3–7 days; prices up.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Vietnam overall
- Medium
- Prices · Vietnam overall
- Medium
Vietnam overall: South and centre dry; the north is cool and grey — a jacket for Hanoi, cold nights in Sa Pa.
What to pack
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket