What's on in Ha Long (Halong Bay), Vietnam through the year

Busy — Tet, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Tet

  15 Jan – 28 Feb · usuallyLunar New YearClosuresCrowded

  Cruise operators run reduced fleets and shore restaurants shut for several days, then the domestic crowd arrives for the temple trips. Book the boat itself well ahead. Source ↗

Still on: Fog and drizzle on the bay (15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually))

Peak crowds — Tet, Tết Nguyên đán break in Vietnam

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Tet (15 Jan – 28 Feb (usually)), Fog and drizzle on the bay (15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Fog and drizzle on the bay (15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually))

Busy — Reunification Day break, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Reunification Day break

  28 Apr – 4 MaySchool holidaysCrowdedBook early

  Hanoi drives to the coast for the long weekend and Bai Chay is solid. Cruise berths are the first thing to go and rates roughly double for those four days. Source ↗

Still on: Fog and drizzle on the bay (15 Dec – 5 Apr (usually))

Quiet — travelers describe it as quiet, Reunification Day break

• Season

  Northern rain season

  15 May – 30 Sep · usuallyMonsoon

  Heat, humidity and afternoon thunderstorms, with the domestic summer peak stacked on top of it in July. Cheap on the shoulder weeks, crowded in the middle.

Still on: Reunification Day break (28 Apr – 4 May)

Busy — Summer break in Vietnam, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Hazard

  Typhoon season

  1 Jun – 15 Oct · usually

  The management board suspends all sailings when a storm is signalled, and an overnight cruise can be cut to a day trip or cancelled outright with a few hours' notice. August and September are the worst of it. Source ↗

Still on: Northern rain season (15 May – 30 Sep (usually))

Busy — Summer break in Vietnam, school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in July.

Still on: Northern rain season (15 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually))

Busy — Summer break in Vietnam, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: Northern rain season (15 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually))

Busy — Summer break in Vietnam, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  Northern autumn

  25 Sep – 30 Nov · usuallyDry season

  The clearest stretch of the year on the bay: the storms have finished, the winter fog has not started, and the light on the limestone holds all day.

Still on: Northern rain season (15 May – 30 Sep (usually)), Typhoon season (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in October.

Still on: Typhoon season (1 Jun – 15 Oct (usually)), Northern autumn (25 Sep – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Northern autumn (25 Sep – 30 Nov (usually))

Busy — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather

• Season

  Fog and drizzle on the bay

  15 Dec – 5 Apr · usuallyFog seasonRisk

  Low cloud sits on the karst most mornings and the port authority holds boats in harbour when visibility drops. The bay looks its most atmospheric and its least photographable at the same time.