A tropical south with two seasons and no winter
The first thing to understand about the south is its weather, because it shapes every plan. Unlike Hanoi and the northern mountains, which have four seasons and a cool, grey winter, the south is tropical and has only two seasons. There is no winter. Temperatures sit between roughly 25 and 35 °C all year, and what changes is the rain.
The dry season runs roughly from December to April, with the hottest weather in March and April. The wet season runs roughly from May to November. In the city and the delta, the wet season rarely means grey, all-day drizzle: the usual pattern is a bright morning, building heat, then a heavy downpour in the late afternoon that lasts an hour or so and clears. Plan outdoor sightseeing for the morning and you will lose very little. The one exception is the sea: in the wet season, the west coast of Phu Quoc can be rough and visibility for snorkelling drops, which is why that island’s best season is roughly November to April.
Because the climate is so different from the north and the centre, there is no single best time for the whole country. If you are building a trip that runs from Hanoi to Saigon, the best time to visit Vietnam guide shows how to balance the three regions. For the south alone, the dry season is simply the easiest choice, and the wet season is a perfectly reasonable one with lower prices and fewer crowds.
Ho Chi Minh City is the economic centre, not the capital
A common mistake worth clearing up early: Hanoi is the capital of Vietnam. Ho Chi Minh City is the largest city and the country’s commercial and financial heart, but it is not the seat of government. The city was called Saigon until 1976, and the old name is still in daily use, on shop signs, in conversation and in the name of the airport district and the river. Both names are correct for visitors; the official one is Ho Chi Minh City.
It is also far from Hanoi. The two cities are roughly 1,100 to 1,150 km apart as the crow flies and about 1,700 km by road or rail. You fly in about two hours or spend more than thirty hours on the Reunification Express. Treat it as a separate trip, never a day excursion. Our guide to domestic flights in Vietnam covers the practicalities, and the Vietnam train travel page explains the sleeper option for those who want the long, slow version.
For many travellers, Ho Chi Minh City is the arrival point and the base for everything else in the south. District 1 holds the main sights: Ben Thanh Market, the Reunification Palace, the War Remnants Museum, the Central Post Office and the Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, which has been under long restoration. The Nguyen Hue walking street, Cholon (the old Chinatown) and the Landmark 81 tower show how different parts of the city feel. The full picture, including where to sleep and how to read the districts, lives on the Ho Chi Minh City destination page and in the districts explained guide.
A good evening idea in the city is to see it from the water. Options such as a dinner cruise on the Saigon River give you the skyline lit up without having to fight the evening traffic, and they sit comfortably after a hot day of sightseeing. For more on this theme, see Saigon river cruises.
The Mekong Delta: water, orchards and floating markets
The Mekong Delta is the green, waterlogged plain south-west of Ho Chi Minh City, where the great river splits into countless channels before reaching the sea. It is a landscape of orchards, coconut groves, brick kilns, small canals and houses on stilts. Boats here are not an attraction so much as the ordinary way of getting around.
The delta can be approached at several depths:
- My Tho and Ben Tre, about 70 km from the city, are the classic day-trip towns. You can be on a canal by mid-morning and back in the city by evening.
- Cai Be and Vinh Long sit a little further on, with a quieter feel and homestay options among the orchards.
- Can Tho, about 170 km from Ho Chi Minh City, is the delta’s main city and the best base if you want more than a day.
- Chau Doc lies near the Cambodian border and is the usual stop for travellers heading overland.
The floating market is at Can Tho, not My Tho
One confusion comes up constantly, so it deserves a clear statement. The famous Cai Rang floating market is at Can Tho, not at My Tho. It trades at dawn, and by mid-morning most of the action has gone. A day trip from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho or Ben Tre is a lovely excursion, but it will not take you to Cai Rang. To see the floating market you need to stay overnight in or near Can Tho and be on a boat very early. The Can Tho floating market tours guide covers the practical side, and the Can Tho destination page has the wider picture.
For choosing between a quick trip and a longer one, Mekong Delta tours from Ho Chi Minh City compares the main formats, and Mekong Delta in three days gives a slower plan that includes the dawn market. The delta overview itself is on the Mekong Delta destination page.
Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are not in the Mekong Delta
The second frequent mix-up: Mui Ne and Phan Thiet are not part of the Mekong Delta. They are a seaside stretch about 200 km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City on the coast, with a very different landscape. Instead of canals and orchards, you find red and white sand dunes, a fishing harbour, wind-swept beaches and a strip of resorts that is popular with kitesurfers because of the steady breeze. It is a dry, sunny corner of the south, and it is reached by road in around four to five hours, not by boat.
That distinction matters for planning. A delta trip and a Mui Ne trip go in opposite directions from the city, so combining them in one day is not realistic. Many visitors treat Mui Ne as a beach stop on the way to Da Lat or Nha Trang, or as a short break from the city. Details on the dunes, the fairy stream and the resort strip are on the Mui Ne destination page, and the Mui Ne sand dunes tours guide covers the sunrise and jeep options.
Closer to Ho Chi Minh City, Vung Tau is the nearest sea escape, a weekend town for locals with a long coastline, hills and a few landmarks. The Vung Tau destination page explains what it offers and when it is busiest.
Phu Quoc and Con Dao: two very different islands
The south has two island destinations that people often lump together, but they have little in common beyond being far from the mainland.
Phu Quoc is Vietnam’s largest island and a full beach-holiday destination with its own international airport. It is worth noting its geography: it sits in the Gulf of Thailand, just off the Cambodian coast, not in the South China Sea. That is why its sea conditions and its season follow their own pattern: calm and clear roughly from November to April, rougher on the west coast in the wet season.
Visitors come for the beaches, the island-hopping boats, snorkelling, a night market, a cable car and a growing number of resorts. A speed boat run to the southern islets, for example a southern islands speedboat day with lunch, is among the most popular ways to spend a day. See the Phu Quoc destination page and the island hopping and snorkeling guide for more.
Con Dao is a small, quiet archipelago further out, reached by air or fast ferry only. It is known for its protected national park, turtle-nesting beaches, clear water and a sober history as a former prison island. It suits travellers who prefer walking, diving and silence to nightlife. A hiking option such as the Nui Chua peak trek gives a sense of the interior. Read the Con Dao destination page before booking, because ferry schedules and flights are the main constraint.
If you are undecided between the two, Phu Quoc or Con Dao puts them side by side. In short: choose Phu Quoc for resorts, variety and easy logistics, and Con Dao for calm, nature and a more remote feel.
How to organise the south
Rather than trying to see everything, think of the south as four poles and pick the ones that suit your time.
| Pole | Character | Typical time | Best season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ho Chi Minh City | Big city, food, museums, nightlife | 2 to 3 days | December to April, or any time with morning plans |
| Mekong Delta | Canals, orchards, floating market at Can Tho | 1 to 3 days | December to April for drier boat days |
| Mui Ne coast | Dunes, kitesurfing, beach resorts | 1 to 3 days | December to April |
| Phu Quoc and Con Dao | Island beaches, snorkelling, hiking | 3 to 5 days | Roughly November to April |
A simple week in the south might give three nights to the city with a Cu Chi or delta day trip, two nights in Can Tho for the dawn market, and a flight to Phu Quoc for the rest. For a tighter plan, southern Vietnam in one week lays this out day by day.
Getting around
From Hanoi or other regions, domestic flights are the practical choice. Ho Chi Minh City’s main airport, Tan Son Nhat (SGN), is unusually close to the centre at about 7 km, usually 20 to 45 minutes by road depending on traffic. There is no rail or metro link to the airport. A second airport, Long Thanh, is under construction; do not plan around it. Phu Quoc has its own international airport, and Con Dao has air and ferry access.
In the city, ride-hailing apps such as Grab, Be and Xanh SM are the easiest way to get around, for cars and motorbike taxis alike. Metro Line 1, from Ben Thanh to Suoi Tien, opened in December 2024 and is useful for the north-east of the city. Our guide to Grab and taxis in Vietnam explains how the apps work and what to check on arrival. For airport arrivals, a pre-booked transfer removes the haggling; see Ho Chi Minh City airport transfers.
For the delta, buses and “limousine” minibuses run to the main towns, and boats continue from there. For the islands, you fly or take a ferry. Overland to Cambodia is possible from the delta; see Vietnam to Cambodia overland for how the border crossings work.
Food and daily life in the south
Southern cooking is generally a little sweeter and more herb-heavy than in the north, with a lot of fresh greens, coconut and river fish. Dishes to look for include com tam (broken rice with grilled pork), hu tieu (a noodle soup), banh xeo (crisp savoury pancakes eaten wrapped in leaves), goi cuon (fresh spring rolls) and ca phe sua da, iced coffee with condensed milk. Banh mi and bia hoi are found everywhere. For a deeper look, the Vietnamese food guide covers the whole country by region.
Practicalities are simple but worth noting:
- Cash still matters. Street food, markets and small cafés mostly take cash. Hotels, cruises, tours and larger restaurants take cards.
- Prices are quoted in dong (VND), with large numbers. In mid-2026 the rate is roughly 28,000 VND to 1 EUR and 26,000 VND to 1 USD, and it drifts slowly, so always check the year when reading a price.
- Tap water is not drinkable. Use bottled or filtered water.
- Motorbike theft in Ho Chi Minh City is a real risk: phones and bags can be snatched from passing bikes, so keep them on the side away from the road.
- Traffic is the main danger for most visitors. Cross streets at a steady, predictable pace and let riders flow around you.
Planning notes that save trouble
A few points that tend to catch first-time visitors in the south:
- Do not treat the delta as one place. A short trip from the city and the dawn market at Can Tho are different experiences with different logistics.
- Give the wet season a fair chance. Mornings are generally clear and the downpours are short. It is mostly the sea that suffers, not the city.
- Tet is expensive and busy. The lunar new year falls between late January and mid-February on a different date each year; many shops close for days and transport sells out. Check the exact dates for your year on our Tet in Vietnam page.
- Check entry rules officially. Visa rules depend on nationality and change. Use the Vietnam visa guide and your own government’s advice, and note that Phu Quoc has its own exemption scheme for direct arrivals.
- Province names changed in 2025. Vietnam merged its provinces on 1 July 2025, but place names did not change. Use the town names when searching and booking.
If you are still choosing between regions, north or south Vietnam compares them directly, and the first time in Vietnam guide helps you decide how the south fits a longer route. For the country-level view, return to the destinations overview.
Southern Vietnam travel questions answered
Is Ho Chi Minh City the capital of Vietnam?
No. Hanoi is the capital. Ho Chi Minh City, still widely called Saigon, is the largest city and the main economic centre. Hue was the imperial capital until 1945.
How long does it take to get from Hanoi to southern Vietnam?
About two hours by domestic flight to Ho Chi Minh City. The Reunification Express train takes more than thirty hours end to end, so it is a journey in itself rather than a way to save money on a short trip.
What is the best time to visit the south?
The dry season, roughly December to April, is the easiest. March and April are the hottest months. The wet season runs roughly May to November, with short late-afternoon downpours. Phu Quoc is best from roughly November to April.
Are Mui Ne and Phan Thiet part of the Mekong Delta?
No. They are on the coast about 200 km north-east of Ho Chi Minh City, known for sand dunes and kitesurfing. The Mekong Delta lies south-west of the city, with canals, orchards and towns such as My Tho, Ben Tre and Can Tho.
Where is the Cai Rang floating market?
At Can Tho, not My Tho. It is busiest at dawn, so you need to stay overnight in or near Can Tho and take an early boat. A day trip from Ho Chi Minh City to My Tho will not reach it.
Which sea does Phu Quoc face?
Phu Quoc is in the Gulf of Thailand, off the Cambodian coast, not in the South China Sea. It has its own international airport and is at its best roughly from November to April.
How many days should I spend in the south?
Five to ten days is comfortable. Allow two or three days for the city and a day trip, one to three days for the delta, and three to five days if you add an island such as Phu Quoc.
