Vietnam
Hanoi in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonHot, humid and often rainy. Watch for hazy air.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics · N95 mask for hazy days
Why May scores 6.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.2
- ✓Hot (33°C highs / 25°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 24.2°C)
- !Wet: ~165 mm rain, ~5 heavy-rain days
- Air quality4.6
- !Unhealthy for sensitive groups (PM2.5 ~45 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline7.5
- ·Increased caution
| May | Nov | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 6.8 Good | 8.3 Very good |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | 🌦️ Shoulder (showers) |
| High / low | 33° / 25° | 27° / 20° |
| Rain | 165 mm | 61 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 24° | dew pt 18° |
| PM2.5 | 45 µg/m³ | 37 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Hanoi weather-station normals. Rainfall: downtown Hanoi weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- International Labor Day 30 Apr – 3 May · 4 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore HanoiEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyVietnam's capital, with a lakeside centre, a busy Old Quarter, French colonial buildings, ancient temples and an outstanding street food culture.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
National DayEvery year2 September every year
Marks Vietnam's declaration of independence in 1945, with flags and official celebrations.
Why go: A public holiday; the mausoleum area may be closed to visitors.
Where: Ba Dinh Square and citywide
Mid-Autumn FestivalDate variesLunar calendar - usually September or early October
A children's festival with lanterns, lion dances and mooncakes.
Why go: Hang Ma street is packed with lantern stalls in the weeks before.
Where: Hang Ma street and the Old Quarter
Tet (Lunar New Year)Date variesLunar calendar - late January to mid-February, date moves each year
Vietnam's biggest holiday, with flower markets, family visits and temple outings.
Why go: Many shops and restaurants close for several days; transport is heavily booked.
Where: Citywide
Hoan Kiem Lake and Ngoc Son Temple
A central lake with a temple on an island reached by the red Huc Bridge.
💡 Surrounding streets become pedestrian zones on weekend evenings.
Old Quarter
A dense grid of streets historically named after the goods sold on them, packed with shops and food stalls.
Temple of Literature
A Confucian temple dating from 1070 that housed Vietnam's first national university.
Ho Chi Minh Mausoleum complex
The mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh, with his stilt house and the One Pillar Pagoda nearby.
💡 Dress modestly and expect strict rules inside the mausoleum.
Hoa Lo Prison
A former French colonial prison, later known as the 'Hanoi Hilton', now a museum.
Vietnam Museum of Ethnology
A museum on Vietnam's ethnic groups, with full-sized traditional houses in its grounds.
Pho
Rice noodle soup with beef or chicken in a clear, aromatic broth, which originated in northern Vietnam.
Bun cha
Grilled pork patties and belly in a sweet-sour dipping broth with rice noodles and herbs.
Cha ca
Turmeric-marinated fish fried with dill and spring onions, served with noodles.
💡 Cha Ca street in the Old Quarter
Banh cuon
Thin steamed rice rolls filled with pork and wood ear mushroom.
Egg coffee (ca phe trung)
Strong coffee topped with a whipped egg yolk and sugar cream, a Hanoi creation.
💡 Cafés in the Old Quarter
Bat Trang ceramics
Pottery from a centuries-old ceramics village just outside the city.
Silk
Silk scarves and clothing.
💡 Van Phuc silk village and Hang Gai street
Lacquerware
Lacquered bowls, boxes and paintings.
Vietnamese coffee
Robusta and arabica beans with a traditional phin filter.