Vietnam in November 2026: Dry South, Rainy Center

Vietnam in November follows latitude: the further south you fly, the drier it gets, and the further north, the cooler. Phu Quoc and Mui Ne are in dry season, the coast from Hue to Nha Trang is still in its wettest weeks, and Hanoi is mild and dry. I live in Vietnam and have run tours across the country since 2023, so below I show how I would pick a base for November 2026.

For the flood weeks behind the rainy centre, see typhoon season by region .

How Much Rain Does Each Region Get in November?

November rainfall runs from 340-620 mm in Hue and about 430 mm in Da Nang down to roughly 30-60 mm in Mui Ne, based on 1991-2020 climate norms. Nha Trang gets 270-330 mm, Phu Quoc about 170 mm, and Hanoi 40-60 mm. The table puts all ten places side by side.

Ho Chi Minh City and Da Lat earn their place for practical reasons. Ho Chi Minh City is where many long flights land and where you change planes for Phu Quoc, and Da Lat is a dry, cool break if you want a few days away from the coast.

Does the 2026 El Niño Forecast Change Your Plans?

Partly: the center should be drier than usual, but one storm can still upend a trip. The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting said on October 5, 2026 that a very strong El Niño has been running since late September. It expects November rainfall from Quang Tri to Lam Dong, which covers Hue, Da Nang and Nha Trang, to land 20-40% below normal, the south 5-15% below, and the north 10-30% above.

The same forecast expects fewer storms than usual by year end. The norm for the period is about 4.5 storms in the South China Sea and 1.9 landfalls. The agency still warns that one storm on a tricky track, combined with cold air, can bring downpours, floods and landslides. It also says rivers from Quang Tri to Lam Dong could reach flood alarm levels 2-3, on a scale where level 3 is the highest.

This is where people usually write to me: the forecast looks friendly, then a storm lands on day one and the excursions and transfers have to be rebuilt by hand. You can handle that yourself if you keep spare days and watch the bulletins. If you would rather not carry it, I put together guided Vietnam tours and re-plan the order of cities when a storm closes the center. Message me on Telegram with your dates and I will rebuild the plan around the weather.

What Happened in Central Vietnam Last November?

Central Vietnam went through its worst flooding in years: from October 16 to December 6, 2025, floods killed or left missing at least 219 people, and Typhoon Kalmaegi made landfall on November 6-7. The sights in Hue, Da Nang and Hoi An reopened within days of landfall, while flooding elsewhere in the region continued into December.

That is why I count the center as the risky part of the trip. Bach Ma station near Hue recorded 1,739.6 mm of rain in 24 hours on October 26-27, 2025. The typhoon season in the center runs from July to December and peaks from mid-September to mid-November. Hoi An’s old town floods in November and December in some years, though not every year, and the costly mistake is a prepaid, non-refundable stay inside the old town for late November. Month-by-month risk for every region is covered in the guide to Vietnam’s typhoon season .

Where Should You Spend a Beach Week in November?

Phu Quoc and Mui Ne. The dry season there runs from November to April, the rain is tapering off, and peak prices only arrive in December. Da Nang and Nha Trang come with surf and brown water, so I treat them as sightseeing bases with a flexible schedule.

Between the two dry-season resorts, Phu Quoc is my pick for a calm, lazy week because the sea stays quiet, while Mui Ne wins if you kite, since the wind builds in the second half of the month.

One travel-media estimate puts Phu Quoc hotels in November at 15-25% below peak, but treat it as a rough guide, because it comes from a single source and prices move daily. How the three price peaks work and when to book is in the guide to Vietnam’s high season , and what December looks like by region is in Vietnam in December .

Is It Worth Going North in November?

Yes, if you want cool, dry days. Hanoi runs 19-27°C with about 40-60 mm of rain for the whole month, so it suits long walks.

Sapa nights turn properly cold at around 10°C and Fansipan can see frost, so Sapa only pays off if you are happy with cold nights. The forecast calls for more rain than usual in the north, so a light windbreaker belongs in every bag. Month-by-month weather for the whole country sits in the guide to the best time to visit Vietnam .

What Do You Need to Enter Vietnam in November 2026?

Citizens of 12 countries, among them Germany, France, Italy, Spain, the UK, Japan and South Korea, enter without a visa for 45 days under Resolution 44/NQ-CP, valid from March 15, 2025 to March 14, 2028. Your passport should be valid for at least six months, have one blank page, and you should hold an onward ticket. The 45 days cannot be extended inside the country.

Everyone else applies for an e‑visa of up to 90 days, which is listed at $25 for a single entry and $50 for multiple entries, with processing that usually takes about three working days. Apply only on the official portal, evisa.gov.vn , and check the current fee there, since third-party sites quote it differently.

How Do You Choose Where to Base Yourself?

Pick Phu Quoc or Mui Ne for a beach week, treat Hue, Hoi An and Da Nang as sightseeing stops with one or two spare days, and add the north for cool air and mountains. The forecast promises a calmer November in the center, but the 2025 floods show why free-cancellation bookings are the best insurance.

Late-November plans fall apart on connections: a flight between south and center, one storm day and rebuilt excursions can eat a week. You can do all of it yourself, the forecasts are public. If you would rather hand over the control and skip the logistics, send me your travel dates on Telegram and I will tell you which resort to book for the first week.

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