January is winter in Northern Vietnam, the end or about the end of the rainy season in the Central Coast, the dry season with pleasant or cool temperatures in the Central Highlands, and the dry season with pleasant temperatures in Southern Vietnam.
In northern Vietnam, January is often the time of dry weather, clouds or mild sunshine, pleasant or cold temperatures.
The Central Coast often has rain. But the rain in January tends to be light and there are days without rain, but with clouds.
January is that month the Northeasterly Monsoon is dominant but less strong than in December. Northern Vietnam may have days with the Southeasterly Wind but the impact should be minor and lasts for only a few days each time.
The sea is rough all over Vietnam in January, and sea exploration tours are not operable in most places. The wind is less strong, hence less rough sea all over the country, except for rare cases of typhoons in southern Vietnam.
Again, Vietnam is a narrow country with a long coastline and the country is to be affected tremendously by any change in sea temperatures and/or climate change. This is the reason that the weather patterns in Vietnam nowadays may vary from year to year and could be totally different from the norm.
Recap of Vietnam Weather in 2025
In fact, the weather patterns in Vietnam were drastically different from the norm in 2025. There were floods in the Central Coast of Vietnam in June, in August and in September, October, November and the first week of December.
There was devastating damage resulted from flash floods, floods and tornadoes caused by typhoon in northern Vietnam in late September and early half of October.
In brief, there were flood and typhoons and tornadoes with fatal wind speeds (over 100 kph) which hit northern Vietnam, the Mid of the Central Coast, and North of the Central Coast of Vietnam from late September throughout October... The details of these are listed in our earlier monthly weather reviews.
There were strong winds in all over Vietnam which felled trees and destroyed houses, agricultural crops in the North, in the Central Coast, in the Central Highlands and in southern Vietnam through out the summer from June through October.
Southern Vietnam experienced unusual high tides which caused floods in several quarters of Saigon Ho Chi Minh City which lasted from November to the third week of December. The Mekong Delta experienced unusual high flood water of the Mekong River which had been virtually absent for decades!
In the latter half of November 2026, the worst ever encountered disaster hit the Central Coast of Vietnam and the Central Highlands of Vietnam: worst flood ever costing human lives and sweeping away everything from houses, agricultural crops, livestock... The worst period was from 15-November through 23-November. The flood water receded briefly and came back again flooding many regions of Binh Dinh and Phu Yen Provinces. All coastal cities from Quy Nhon, Tuy Hoa, Ninh Hoa, Nha Trang, Phan Rang... were flooded!
The rainy season in the Central Highlands and southern Vietnam was unusually long from late September through the first week of December. Unusual heavy rain in the Central Highlands was found even in the first half of December 2025.
Northern Vietnam experienced a much warmer winter than normal with mostly pleasant temperatures in the lowland.
Monsoons in Vietnam in January
In January there are three main monsoons affecting Vietnam:
- The Southeasterly Monsoon which sometimes or rarely blows mostly in northern Vietnam which causes moist air and pleasant temperatures.
- The Northeasterly Monsoon which has impact in most of Vietnam in January causing: cold weather in the North, rainy weather (mostly light rain) or cloudy weather in the Central Coast, dry weather with chilly or cold temperatures in the Central Highlands, dry weather with pleasant temperatures in southern Vietnam.
Due to the Northeasterly Monsoon that the sea is rough all over Vietnam in January.
What to expect from your holidays to Vietnam in January, where to go in Vietnam in January?
Taking the general weather conditions in Vietnam into consideration, for those travelers planning trips to Vietnam or those who are on vacation in Vietnam in January, then there are some notes as follows:
- January is a great time to travel in northern Vietnam, in the Central Highlands and in southern Vietnam. It is expected to have pleasant, chilly or mildy cold temperatures in these regions of the country.
Northern Vietnam often has the coldest temperatures first 10 days of January; and there may be snow or frosts in the far northern mountains during this period.
- Expect light rain or cloudy weather in the Central Coast of Vietnam.
- If there is a typhoon in January, then it is more likely that the typhoon has impact on southern Vietnam. But this is really rare.
In northern Vietnam, January is a great time to go on trekking adventures, biking tours to the far northern mountains. All trips through the lowland of the North are more likely to experience beautiful weather with mild sunshine, pleasant or cold temperatures. Those who embark on mountain hiking adventures are to marvel at ethereal clouds on the journeys.
January is still the bird wintering or migration season and of course this is among the best time of the year to go bird watching in the North, in the Central Highlands and in southern Vietnam.
Those who go to the sea are to expect rough sea all over Vietnam. It is more likely that sea exploration tours like scuba-diving, snorkeling... are not to be operable.
The beaches in Vung Tau, Long Hai and Mui Ne, Phan Thiet are good options near Saigon Ho Chi Minh City.
Con Dao Islands, Phu Quoc Island are to have cloudy weather with lovely temperatures of 26-31oC.
Below you can find Paradissa’s reviews and statistics of the weather in different regions in Vietnam in January 2026
1/ Vietnam Weather in the First Decade of January 2026
2/ Vietnam Weather in the second decade of January 2026
3/ Vietnam Weather in the last decade of January 2026
Disclaimer: Vietnam weather summary is for reviews of Vietnam weather by month on the basis as “it is” to the best of our knowledge. Paradissa does not guarantee the accuracy of our monthly reviews of Vietnam Weather. Our Vietnam Weather Reviews by month must not be used for making travel decisions or for any other purposes. Paradissa disclaims any liability in connection with with the use of our information.
