December is really cold winter in northern Vietnam, rainy season with cool temperatures in the Central Coast and the beginning of the dry season in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and in southern Vietnam. The temperatures are pleasant in the Central Highlands and South of Vietnam during this time.
It rains less in the Central Coast compared to the September – November period. There may still be rain in the Central Highlands and South of Vietnam but it is mostly dry days, some days with overcast skies.
The wind which prevails in Vietnam in December is the Northeasterly Wind which comes to Vietnam mostly from Siberia. The North Easterly Wind causes rain in the Central Coast and rough sea in all of Vietnam in December.
1/ The North of Vietnam
December is the winter time in Northern Vietnam with coldest temperatures of the year often found during the period 20-December through 10 January. The Northeasterly Wind is very strong and it is often dry. There may be some light rain each time a new spell of the Winter Monsoon arrives.
December is generally speaking a good month for adventure tours in northern Vietnam like trekking, cycling, mountain climbing… Trekking or climbing the mountains in northern Vietnam may not be a great experience as it may snow or there are often frosts in the mountains at this time. Young Vietnamese adventurers may like it as they love playing with snow.
The temperatures are 10-18oC in the lowlands and below 10oC in the mountains in the first half of December. In the second half of December it may be 8-13oC in the lowlands and below water freezing point to 8oC in the mountains. It is often very windy and cloudy.
2/The North of the Central Region of Vietnam
This region shares certain aspects of the weather pattern between northern Vietnam and the Mid Central Coast of Vietnam. There is still heavy rain at the beginning of the month. Then in the later half of the month it is more days with overcast skies and there is less rain during this time. The temperatures are 16-19oC in the first half and 14-18oC in the second half of December. Coming to the end of December, it is dry and cold weather mostly.
3/The Central Coast of Vietnam
December is still the rainy season in the Central Coast of Vietnam. There may be heavy rain at the beginning of the month when the first spells of the strong Winter Monsoon start arriving. The rainfall then get less and less from the middle of December. The skies are often gloomy, dark or overcast in the Mid Central Coast and mild sunny in the South of the Central Coast (from Nha Trang to Phan Thiet Mui Ne).
The temperatures are 19-24oC in the mid of the Central Coat and 3-4oC higher going southward from Binh Dinh to Binh Thuan.
December is not a great time for adventure tours in the Central Coast of Vietnam, especially in the western mountainous areas where rain is still found and hence muddy trails. It is ok for sightseeing tours from mid of December. Those who plan for beach vacations in the Mid Central Coast then December is not a good time either.
Those who plan to travel in the South of the Central Coast (from Nha Trang to Binh Thuan), then you can go on boat trips on the Ninh Van Bay, Nha Trang Bay or Vinh Hy Bay in the later half of the month, during which time it is often sunny with pleasant temperatures (22-33oC).
4/ The Central Highlands of Vietnam
The Central Highlands may still get some rain when the first spells of the Winter Monsoon start having impact. But it is mostly dry days with overcast skies in the first half and sunny days in the second half of December.
The temperatures are pleasant ranging from 19-29oC.
From third week or fourth week of December it is a good time for adventure holidays, wildlife tours and bird watching tours in the Central Highlands of Vietnam.
5/The South of Vietnam
December is the beginning of the dry season in the South of Vietnam. There may be still some light rain at the beginning of the month and the skies may be overcast. It should start getting more sunny after the first 10 days. The temperatures are pleasant ranging between 20-30oC and 2-3oC higher in Ho Chi Minh City.
December is a great time for adventure trips in the Mekong Delta and a good time for sightseeing tours in Ho Chi Minh City. This is a great time for wildlife tours, eco tours and bird watching tours, too. This is still the flood season in the Mekong Delta which provides abundant food to different species. Besides, the cold winter in northern hemisphere causes several bird species to migrate to the south.
December is not a great time for island vacations in Southern Vietnam as the Northeasterly Wind is strong and the sea is rough. Sea water may not be clear. Boat trips or snorkeling, scuba-diving are often not possible during this time. But if you only look for sunny weather and nice temperatures, then it is fine to travel to the Phu Quoc Island and Con Dao Islands.
