What To Do in Vietnam during Rainy Season

If you are travelling in Vietnam this summer, you are likely going to experience a whole lot of sun, a whole lot of heat and a whole lot of rain. Not to mention the humidity!

Travelling in Vietnam between May and October is a wonderful time for exploring outside and spending time in nature. However, it is also rainy season across most of the country and therefore unpredictable rainstorms can often ruin your best-laid plans.

Read more: Halong Bay Vietnam tourism: All information tours for you (Part 1)

But, fear not, as Lily’s travel experts have a whole host of ideas for amazing things for you to do in Vietnam during rainy season.

Linger in coffee shops

One of the joys of travelling in the cities of Vietnam – Hanoi, Hoi An, Da Nang, Hue and Ho Chi Minh, to name a few – is that you will find atmospheric coffee shops on every street. You haven’t truly experienced Vietnam if you haven’t sat for a few hours over a caphe sua da, watching the world go by.

Don’t worry if you don’t like coffee as most cafes will serve delicious, fresh juices and smoothies, as well as the ubiquitous green tea.

Feast to your heart’s content

Another joy in travelling in Vietnam? The food of course!! Take your time over a delicious bowl of soup, savouring every last sip of broth and then brave the rain for a few more steps to find your next meal!

A really fantastic feast to enjoy in the rain is a Vietnamese BBQ as you can take your time ordering food and cooking it on your personal grill for as long as your heart desires. This is a great thing to do in the evening, accompanied by good friends, beer and maybe a little rice wine.

Explore Vietnam’s culture at local museums, temples and galleries

While we prefer to do our sightseeing outside on the streets of Vietnam, there is no better place to escape bad weather and learn a thing or two than in a museum. Temples and galleries, too, are great for a rainy day.

Some of our favourites include the Women’s Museum and Ethnology Museum in Hanoi, plus the beautiful Temple of Literature. In Ho Chi Minh, you can’t leave without a visit to the War Remnants Museum and in Hoi An and Hue there are countless small galleries and temples to peek around.

Go Shopping

If you can brave the rain long enough to walk between shops, then Vietnam is a great place for a little retail therapy. Hoi An is the best place for shopping and getting tailor-made clothes and accessories, while Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh are great for all Vietnam’s specialities – silk, handicrafts, ceramics and more – in one place. For really unique items and traditional fabrics and handicrafts, you should shop locally in Mai Chau and Sapa.

Get inside Vietnam’s caves

Vietnam’s incredible landscape is host to thousands of kilometres of cave systems, giving you a chance to stay inside while also experiencing Vietnam’s natural splendours.

The world-famous caves of Phong Nha and Halong Bay are the obvious choice but you can also find caves large and small in almost every destination you visit. We’ve been able to explore incredible caves in Mai Chai, Ba Be and outside of Hoi An at the spectacular Marble Mountain.

So, next time the weather takes a turn for the worse, why not ask around for the nearest cave and get exploring?! Many of Vietnam’s caves house temples and a whole host of historic stories from past wars.

We hope this article has given you plenty of ideas for travelling in Vietnam during rainy season. Let us know if you have any more tips for escaping the downpours!