When to Ride Vietnam · A Region-by-Region Season Guide

The most common email we get is some version of: 'I have two weeks in [month]. Where should I ride?' It is the right question. Vietnam stretches from 8°N to 23°N — that is the latitude span from Panama to southern Mexico. The North freezes in January. The South is in monsoon in July. Picking the right region for the right month is half the trip.

Best window: late October to mid-December, then March to early May. Cool and dry, clear skies above the cloud line, the rice harvest is gold in October, the cherry blossom hits Moc Chau in February.

Avoid: June, July, August. Monsoon. Off-road becomes mud, mountain passes disappear into fog, rivers flood the low crossings.

If you are coming in winter (Jan–Feb), it is rideable but plan for cold — see our

Northern Highlands expedition and the

Northwest extreme loop for the high-altitude routes that get coldest.

Central Vietnam has a flipped season. The wet season hits the central jungle from September to January — the Ho Chi Minh Trail West gets flooded, river crossings become impossible. The dry, ride-able window is February to August.

Best window: March, April, May. Warm but dry, jungle still green, rivers low enough to ford.

See our

Ho Chi Minh Trail expedition and

Tu Lan cave expedition — both run heaviest in this window.

The Mekong Delta has two seasons: dry (November–April) and wet (May–October). Dry season means lower river levels, easier ferry crossings, and dirt tracks that aren't underwater.

Our

Mekong Delta river expedition runs October to May. Outside that window we don't take it out — the floods change the route every week.

December to February — North only, dress for cold.

March to May — anywhere in the country.

June to August — Central jungle, possibly Northwest if you accept fog days.

September to November — South + shoulder season North (clearing skies after monsoon).

Browse all active routes by

region: North,

Central, or

South.