Da Nang in December: Past the Rain Peak, but Not Dry

Averages 2015-2025 · Source: Open-Meteo, CHIRPS · How we measure

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Is December a good month for Da Nang?

For a beach month, no. For a work month with a low bar for weather, it can be fine. Da Nang averages 330 mm of rain in December, with rain on about 17 of 31 days and an average high of 24°. That is past the peak of the wet season, not the end of it.

Guides disagree here, and both camps are partly right. Some call December the calmer month; others warn about floods. Our 2015-2025 record puts October at 883 mm, November at 521 mm and December at 330 mm, so the heaviest rain is behind you but a lot is still falling. Here is how Da Nang's year compares with Ho Chi Minh City's, whose wet season is the other half of the calendar:

Why does Da Nang get so much rain in the winter?

The central coast of Vietnam catches its heaviest rain when the northeast monsoon pushes moist air against the mountains behind the city. That is why the wet season here runs from autumn into winter, while the south of the country is in its dry season at the same time. Two cities in one country can be in different seasons: in December Ho Chi Minh City gets 71 mm against Da Nang's 330 mm.

What does 330 mm in a month mean for daily life?

Rain on about every second day, and a real chance of days that are hard to plan around. Our figures are monthly averages, so they cannot tell you how the rain falls inside a month. Local news has reported streets flooded after a prolonged downpour, and the road towards Hoi An is a known weak spot; Tuoi Tre covers one December event. For a laptop worker the risks are small but real: a power cut or a flooded street is more likely than in a dry month, and scooter trips get unpleasant.

It is mild, not cold, at 24° with cloud over most of the sky. That is comfortable for walking and bad for drying clothes. Pack a light waterproof layer, not a coat. If you still go, choose a flat above street level, keep a second data connection, and book the first stretch refundable so you can leave if a bad week arrives.

Where should you spend December instead?

"Somewhere else in Vietnam" is not one answer. Phu Quoc is the closest thing to a dry beach, though rain still falls on about 4 of 31 days. Ho Chi Minh City is hot rather than wet. Hanoi is dry but cool and grey. Nha Trang is no escape: it is almost as wet as Da Nang, with 316 mm. For proper dry heat, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are a flight away. The where is warm in December guide has the full ranking.

Where to be in December instead

• Phu Quoc

  89 mm in Dec4 rain days in Dec29° high in Dec

  The best mix of beach and low rain in Vietnam this month.

  Suits: a beach month, dry for the region

• Ho Chi Minh City

  71 mm in Dec5 rain days in Dec31° high in Dec

  Dry season in the south, hot rather than wet.

  Suits: a city base with nomad infrastructure

• Hanoi

  20 mm in Dec3 rain days in Dec21° high in Dec

  Dry but grey and cool.

  Suits: a city month, not a warm one

• Bangkok

  9 mm in Dec1 rain days in Dec31° high in Dec

  The proper dry heat, a flight out of Vietnam.

  Suits: dry weather and strong wifi

When is the best time to return to Da Nang?

Wait for March. January is still damp at 100 mm, with rain on about 10 of 31 days. February is better at 28 mm, but rain still falls on about 6 of 28 days. March has 25 mm on about 3 of 31 days and highs of 27°. If you must be in Da Nang in January or February, accept a grey month and plan for work, not beach days. The Vietnam in January guide shows how the three regions compare, and Da Nang weather by month has all twelve months.

What would we do?

If December is fixed and the beach matters, base in Phu Quoc and visit Da Nang in March. If December is fixed and Da Nang is the point (Hoi An, the Marble Mountains, the food), go, but plan a culture month with a rain jacket. Do not read "past the peak" as "dry": the second half of the wet season is still a wet season.