Ho Chi Minh City · Vietnam
December
Peak dry season energy — Christmas festivities, rooftop New Year's Eve, and the best weather of the year.
Best match
#3 of 12 months
December is one of the best times to visit Ho Chi Minh City.
Climate
High
31°C
Low
22°C
Rain
45mm
Sun
7hrs/day
30-year climate normals · Open Meteo ERA5
How December scores in Ho Chi Minh City
Weather
Excellent
Value
Above average
Crowds
Good
Events
Very good
Atmosphere
Excellent
What you gain in December
- ↑The best of the dry season: 45mm of rain, 31°C days, 7 sunshine hours — comparable to January but with Christmas and New Year energy added
- ↑Christmas decorations across District 1 make HCMC surprisingly festive — the city's Vietnamese-Catholic population is significant and December celebrations are genuine
- ↑Year-end dining and nightlife scene: rooftop New Year's Eve events at the Saigon Skydeck and hotel rooftop bars
What you sacrifice
- ↓Hotel prices are at their highest alongside January: Christmas and New Year week commands peak rates across all categories
- ↓Year-end business events fill hotels in early December; solo travellers and couples face competition for the best mid-range options
- ↓Crowds at major attractions are back at peak: War Remnants Museum, Ben Thanh Market, and Reunification Palace have their highest visitor counts of the year
How December compares to February (best month)
| Factor | December | February ★ |
|---|---|---|
| Weather | 8 | 9 |
| Value | 5 | 4 |
| Crowds | 6 | 7 |
December in other destinations
Lisbon (14.4°C)Barcelona (13.8°C)Tokyo (12°C)Bali (30.3°C)Santorini (14.5°C)Paris (6.9°C)New York (5.1°C)Marrakech (18.1°C)Amsterdam (6.4°C)Maldives (30°C)Rome (11.7°C)Bangkok (30.4°C)Istanbul (9.4°C)Vienna (3°C)Seoul (3.7°C)Dubrovnik (11.6°C)Rio de Janeiro (29.5°C)Kyoto (11.3°C)Phuket (31.8°C)Cape Town (25.6°C)Prague (3°C)Amalfi Coast (13°C)Mexico City (21°C)Medellín (28°C)Fiji (30°C)London (8°C)Sydney (26°C)Iceland (2°C)Tulum (28°C)Dubai (25°C)Singapore (30°C)Hoi An (24°C)Chiang Mai (27.5°C)Miami (25.6°C)Florence (9.8°C)Queenstown (21°C)Madrid (9.5°C)Porto (14°C)Edinburgh (7°C)Copenhagen (5°C)Budapest (5°C)Kraków (2°C)Tbilisi (7°C)Palawan (29°C)Hanoi (20°C)Osaka (11°C)Goa (32°C)Cusco (20°C)Buenos Aires (29°C)Mykonos (14°C)Zanzibar (31°C)Sri Lanka (30°C)Costa Rica (25°C)Cancun (28°C)Krabi (32°C)Athens (14°C)Seville (15°C)Cartagena (31°C)Siem Reap (28°C)Havana (26°C)Split (11°C)Taipei (20°C)Kuala Lumpur (32°C)Valletta (16°C)Hawaii (27°C)Cappadocia (6°C)Dominican Republic (28°C)Jamaica (30°C)Tanzania (27°C)Seychelles (30°C)Nepal (17°C)Jordan (14°C)Azores (18°C)Bora Bora (30°C)Los Angeles (20.4°C)Cairo (20.8°C)Kenya (26°C)Jaipur (22.8°C)Las Vegas (14.7°C)San Francisco (13.8°C)Madeira (20°C)Vancouver (7.1°C)Muscat (27.8°C)Lima (24.2°C)Cinque Terre (12°C)Kotor (11°C)Tel Aviv (19°C)Santiago (29°C)Bogotá (18°C)Bruges (6.8°C)Penang (30.9°C)Lombok (30.9°C)Cape Verde (26.8°C)Fez (15.2°C)Kerala (31°C)Kigali (26°C)Hong Kong (19°C)Oslo (2°C)Auckland (22°C)
Climate data: 30-year normals (1991–2020) from Open Meteo ERA5 reanalysis. Scores compare months within Ho Chi Minh City, not across destinations. Methodology →