What is the cheapest time to go to Vietnam?
Souleymane Enok
Vietnam inspires millions of travelers every year. Its terraced rice fields, spectacular bays, explosive gastronomy, and legendary hospitality make it one of the most coveted Asian destinations in the world. But between the price of the plane ticket, the choice of season, and the sometimes dramatic price variations depending on the month, it is not always easy to know when to go to Vietnam to pay the least.
The good news is that there is an answer, and it is quantified. According to flight comparison data, the month of May is the cheapest to travel to Vietnam from France, with a round-trip ticket available on average for around €933. Conversely, the months of July (around €1,260 on average) and June (around €1,155) represent the most expensive periods of the year—a reality directly linked to the pressure of school holidays and the high tourist season.
The average price for a round-trip flight to Vietnam is €903, with variations ranging from €896 for Ho Chi Minh City to €909 for Hanoi depending on the chosen destination. Où et Quand But this figure hides significant discrepancies depending on the period. According to Skyscanner, it is advisable to book your ticket between 40 and 75 days before departure to get the best possible price.
And while the timing of your departure matters, the day of booking does too. Paris-Vietnam flights are cheapest when departing on a Tuesday, with tickets costing an average of €877, compared to about €1,013 on Friday, which is the most expensive day of the week. Momondo
In this article, discover month by month what is the best time to go to Vietnam without breaking the bank by taking into account both flight prices and local weather conditions.
Month by month: when to go to Vietnam to combine good prices with good weather?
Finding the best time to go to Vietnam requires crossing two essential parameters: the price of the plane ticket and the weather conditions on the ground. Because a cheap flight in the middle of the monsoon can quickly turn your dream stay into a rainy ordeal. Here is a complete month-by-month analysis to help you make the best choice according to your budget and travel desires.
January and February are a double-edged sword. January is a good time to get a low-cost Paris-Vietnam flight Momondo, with generally attractive fares. Weather-wise, the north of Vietnam (Hanoi, Sapa) can be cool and misty, but the center and south (Ho Chi Minh City, Phu Quoc) enjoy dry and sunny weather ideal for the beach. February marks the beginning of the high price season due to the Vietnamese Tet, the Lunar New Year celebration: prices climb and tourist sites become crowded.
March and April represent probably the best compromise of the year. According to Liligo, March is the cheapest month to book a France-Vietnam flight, with particularly competitive fares. Meteorologically, the dry season, from December to April, is ideal for visiting Vietnam with pleasant temperatures of 25°C to 30°C. The north begins to warm up, the center is superb, and the south is perfect. In short, March-April is the sweet spot for travel to Vietnam: inexpensive, few crowds, and good weather.
May is the cheapest month from France, with a round-trip ticket available on average for around €933. It is an excellent window for flexible travelers. Weather: the south gradually enters the rainy season, but showers are often short and do not prevent you from enjoying the trip to the fullest. The north remains very pleasant during this period.
June and July are the most expensive months of the year, with tickets potentially reaching €1,155 and €1,260 respectively on average from France. The pressure of school holidays makes prices skyrocket. Climate-wise, the north is humid and hot, the center suffers from some rain, and the south is in the middle of the monsoon. If you can avoid these months, your wallet will thank you.
August and September show slightly softer prices than in July but remain above the annual average. The typhoon season rages from September to November Bourse des Vols, particularly in the center of the country (Hội An, Da Nang). These months are to be avoided if you wish to visit this region.
October and November mark the return to more accessible fares. The north regains splendid weather with its landscapes of golden rice fields at harvest—a magical time for Sapa and Ha Long Bay. The south becomes dry and pleasant again from November.
December sees prices rise slightly due to the end-of-year holidays but remains below the summer peaks. The weather is excellent in the south and very decent in the center.
📊 Summary table: prices and weather month by month
| Month | Avg. RT Price (France) | General Weather | Our opinion |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | ~€950 | Cool in north, dry in south | ✅ Good value for money |
| February | ~€1,050 | Dry and pleasant | ⚠️ Rise due to Tet |
| March | ~€880 | Excellent everywhere | ✅✅ Best time |
| April | ~€900 | Ideal, dry and warm | ✅✅ Highly recommended |
| May | ~€933 | Rainy south, pleasant north | ✅ Cheapest flight |
| June | ~€1,155 | Humid and hot | ❌ Expensive and mixed weather |
| July | ~€1,260 | Monsoon, typhoons possible | ❌ Most expensive of the year |
| August | ~€1,100 | Hot and humid | ⚠️ Avoid if possible |
| September | ~€1,000 | Typhoons in the center | ⚠️ Weather risks |
| October | ~€950 | Superb north, rainy center | ✅ Good for the north |
| November | ~€930 | Very pleasant in the south | ✅ Good time |
| December | ~€980 | Excellent in the south | ✅ Holidays but good weather |
Tips for finding a cheap plane ticket to Vietnam from France
Knowing the cheapest months to go to Vietnam is a first step. But knowing how to unearth the best rate is what really makes the difference in the final price of your ticket. Between the timing of the booking, the choice of airlines, the days of the flight, and the tools to use, here are all the practical tips to pay for your France-Vietnam flight at the lowest possible price.
The first golden rule is to anticipate your booking early enough. It is advisable to book your ticket between 40 and 75 days before departure to get the best possible price for a flight to Vietnam. It is during this window that airlines offer their best rates, before demand drives up prices as departure approaches. Booking too early, more than six months in advance, is not always advantageous either: for Ho Chi Minh City, it is better to book 6 to 7 months before departure to get the best price, while for Hanoi, the ideal window is between 5 and 6 months before departure.
The day of the week you book and depart also has a direct impact on the price. The best day of the week to take a flight to Vietnam is Tuesday; departing on a Tuesday or even a Monday allows you to benefit from softer prices, while Saturday is generally the most expensive day to fly to Vietnam. Applying this simple rule can save you tens of euros on your ticket without any extra effort.
Also remember to compare departure airports. While Paris Charles-de-Gaulle remains the main gateway for flights to Vietnam, departures from Lyon, Marseille, Bordeaux, or Toulouse, even with a layover, can sometimes display significantly lower rates. Use comparators like Skyscanner, Momondo, or Google Flights by activating the "nearby airports" mode to see all options available from your region.
The destination of arrival also counts. Ho Chi Minh City Tân Sơn Nhất Airport receives the cheapest flights to Vietnam, costing an average of €342, while Hanoi Nội Bài Airport is the second cheapest destination with tickets costing an average of €453. If your itinerary is flexible, arriving in Ho Chi Minh City and departing from Hanoi, or vice versa, can allow you to pay less while organizing a beautiful loop trip across the country.
Also compare the airlines available for your route. Vietnam Airlines, Air France, and Turkish Airlines are the three most popular airlines for flights between France and Vietnam, while airlines like Vietnam Airlines, Vietravel Airlines, and VietJet Air offer the lowest fares, starting at €26, €37, and €45 respectively. Airlines with layovers, such as Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, China Eastern via Shanghai, or Emirates via Dubai, often display lower fares than direct flights, at the cost of a few extra hours of travel time.
Activate price alerts on comparison sites as soon as you start planning your trip. These tools monitor fare fluctuations for your route and notify you via email or notification as soon as a significant price drop is detected. It is a passive but very effective way to seize good opportunities without spending hours monitoring fares manually.
Finally, remember to clear your browser cookies or use an incognito window when searching for flights. Some comparison sites use your previous searches to adjust prices upward—a controversial but real practice. Private browsing ensures you always see the most neutral and objective fares possible.
Vietnam: what total budget should you plan for a cheap stay, depending on the season?
The price of the flight ticket is often the first expense one thinks of when preparing for a trip to Vietnam. But the total budget for a stay is much more than that. Once there, Vietnam is one of the most accessible destinations in Southeast Asia. On average, the cost of living for a trip to Vietnam in 2026 is 65% lower than in France, with restaurant meals 75% cheaper and hotels 68% cheaper than in France. This is more than enough to largely offset the cost of the flight and fully enjoy the trip without breaking the bank.
Daily expenses on site
An economical budget ranges between €25 and €30 per person per day, with accommodation costing €8 to €15 per night in a dormitory or single room, meals costing €3 to €6 per day in street food stalls and local restaurants, and free activities or group excursions.
For intermediate comfort, the mid-range budget varies from €45 to €60 per person per day, with 3-star hotels between €25 and €50 per night and meals between €8 and €12 per day, alternating between restaurants and street food.
Concrete calculations for 15 days in Vietnam
Here is how a realistic budget for 15 days on site breaks down, depending on your traveler profile, adding the cost of the flight based on the departure period:
🧮 Backpacker profile (tight budget):
- Round-trip flight in May (cheapest period): €933
- On-site budget: €27 × 15 days = €405
- Total: €1,338 per person
🧮 Intermediate comfort profile:
- Round-trip flight in March (favorable period): €880
- On-site budget: €50 × 15 days = €750
- Total: €1,630 per person
🧮 July profile (most expensive period):
- Round-trip flight in July: €1,260
- On-site budget: €50 × 15 days = €750
- Total: €2,010 per person
The difference between leaving in May versus July therefore represents savings of over €670 on the flight ticket alone, which is almost the entire on-site budget for 15 days on an economy budget. Choosing when to travel is thus one of the most powerful levers for managing your total budget.
According to a survey of 124 travelers who visited Vietnam, the median daily budget is €35 per person for solo travelers and €29 per person for couples, which confirms that traveling as a pair allows for significant savings, especially on accommodation. Tour du Monde
Summary table: total budget for 15 days in Vietnam by profile and period
| Traveler profile | Budget/day on site | Departure period | Average RT flight | Estimated total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €27/day | May (cheapest) | €933 | ~€1,340 |
| Backpacker | €27/day | July (most expensive) | €1,260 | ~€1,665 |
| Intermediate comfort | €50/day | March-April | €880 | ~€1,630 |
| Intermediate comfort | €50/day | July | €1,260 | ~€2,010 |
| Luxury | €150/day | Any period | €980 | ~€3,230 |
Price per person, excluding visa (free up to 45 days for French citizens)
FAQ: all your questions about the cheapest time to go to Vietnam
What is the cheapest month to travel to Vietnam from France?
The month of May is generally the cheapest time to travel to Vietnam from France, with a round-trip ticket available on average around €933. According to Liligo, March is also one of the cheapest months to book a flight between France and Vietnam, with very competitive fares. These two months represent the best booking windows of the year for travelers who want to combine good prices with decent weather conditions.
What are the most expensive months to go to Vietnam?
Unsurprisingly, it is the summer months that show the highest fares. July is the most expensive month of the year, with round-trip tickets averaging €1,260 from France, closely followed by June at around €1,155. This price surge is directly explained by the pressure of French school holidays, which generates very high demand for all long-haul destinations. The high fare season corresponds to the months of February, July, and January—three periods to watch if you want to control your flight budget.
Is it better to travel in the high or low season in Vietnam?
It all depends on your priorities. The tourist high season in Vietnam (December to April) corresponds to the dry season; weather conditions are ideal, but flight prices can be higher, especially in December and February during Tet. The low season (May to October) corresponds to the monsoon in some regions, but flights are often cheaper. The dry season, from December to April, is ideal for visiting Vietnam with pleasant temperatures of 25°C to 30°C—it is therefore the best compromise for those who do not want to sacrifice the weather for the price.
How far in advance should you book your flight to Vietnam?
It is advisable to book your ticket between 40 and 75 days before departure to get the best possible price for a flight to Vietnam. More specifically, for a flight to Hanoi, the ideal booking window is between 5 and 6 months before departure with an average price of €862, while for Ho Chi Minh City, it is better to book between 6 and 7 months before departure. In any case, avoid booking in the last month before departure, when prices systematically climb.
What is the best day of the week to leave for Vietnam?
The best day of the week to take a flight to Vietnam is Tuesday; leaving on a Tuesday or even a Monday allows you to benefit from lower prices, while Saturday is generally the most expensive day to fly to Vietnam. This simple adjustment in your departure dates can save you dozens of euros on your ticket with no additional constraints.
Do French citizens need a visa to go to Vietnam?
Great news for French travelers: if you stay for 45 days or less in Vietnam, you do not need a visa—it is a free visa exemption. If you are planning a longer stay, you can obtain an e-visa online before entering Vietnam for a cost of $25 for single entry or $50 for multiple entries, allowing stays of up to 90 days. This is a considerable advantage that lightens your total travel budget accordingly.
What is the cheapest airline to fly to Vietnam?
The airlines offering the lowest fares to Vietnam are Vietnam Airlines, Vietravel Airlines, and VietJet Air, with prices starting from €26, €37, and €45, respectively. For flights from France, airlines with layovers such as Turkish Airlines via Istanbul, China Eastern via Shanghai, or Emirates via Dubai often display lower fares than direct flights. Systematically compare on several comparison sites before booking to be sure of getting the best offer available.
How much does a full 2-week stay in Vietnam cost?
If you organize your trip yourself, expect between €1,630 and €2,370 per person for a 14-day stay including flights. In backpacker mode with a flight in May, the budget can drop to around €1,340 all-inclusive, while an intermediate comfort profile with a July departure can reach €2,000. Vietnam remains one of the most accessible destinations in Asia, with a cost of living on site 65% lower than that of France.
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