January is Da Nang's coolest month, with average lows of 19.7°C (67.5°F), highs of 25.2°C (77.4°F) and 83 mm of rain spread over 14 rain days, according to the 1991 to 2020 climate normals published by the World Meteorological Organization. The real wet season comes earlier: rain builds from September, peaks in October at 658 mm and eases through December, while February is the driest month of the year at 22 mm.
So Da Nang weather in January is mild and often gray, but rarely stormy. Sightseeing is easy, the beach is a day-by-day call, and the month that deserves your caution is October, not January.
Da Nang in January: Mild, Gray and Rarely Stormy
The Viet Nam Meteorological and Hydrological Administration's Da Nang normals, published by the WMO, put January's average daily low at 19.7°C (67.5°F) and its high at 25.2°C (77.4°F), the lowest of any month, with December a shade warmer at 20.5 to 25.3°C.
The rain figure is where January gets misread. The month averages 83 mm over 14 rain days, and the WMO data counts a rain day as any day with 0.1 mm or more. By our arithmetic, that's under 6 mm per January rain day, against more than 31 mm per October rain day. Expect gray mornings and drizzle that comes and goes, not the multi-day downpours of October and November.
Da Nang is also wetter in January than Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City. Hanoi averages 28 mm over 11 rain days at 14.6 to 20.0°C, and Ho Chi Minh City gets 12 mm over 2 rain days at 23.4 to 32.0°C. So January works for food, sightseeing and day trips; for reliable beach weather, March to May is the better bet.
What to Wear in January: Layers and a Rain Shell
Pack for 19.7°C mornings and 25.2°C afternoons: short sleeves for the day, plus a long-sleeve shirt or thin jacket for evenings, early starts and anything with wind in it, from the back of a motorbike to the top of the Hai Van Pass.
With 14 rain days in the month, a packable rain jacket beats an umbrella on a breezy seafront, and shoes that dry overnight beat canvas sneakers. Skip heavy cold-weather gear unless you're heading north, where Hanoi's January lows average 14.6°C. Our Vietnam packing list covers the rest.
January Days Out: Marble Mountains, Son Tra and Han Market
A gray day suits Da Nang's sights better than its beach. Vietnam Tourism describes the five Marble Mountains as limestone and marble hills that "hide caves, pagodas and sweeping viewpoints," climbed by stairs or a lift. The caves make them the drizzle plan, because much of the visit happens under rock.
The Son Tra Peninsula is the dry-morning plan: a winding coastal road through forest and quiet coves to the Lady Buddha statue, with rare red-shanked douc langurs in the trees. Save the Hai Van Pass, which climbs above the sea between Da Nang and Hue, for your clearest day. The view is the whole point.
On the wettest afternoons, eat. For street food from mi Quang noodles to grilled banh trang rolls, the tourism board's advice is blunt: "Start at the Han Market and follow the crowds." For guided options, see things to do and tours in Da Nang.
The Sea in Winter: Why a January Swim Depends on the Day
On a bright January afternoon the air is fine for the beach; the sea decides whether you swim. In late December 2024, powerful waves eroded about 100 meters of My Khe Beach, the city beach running from the base of the Son Tra Peninsula toward Marble Mountain. The stretch was fenced off, and the coast guard booth ended up at the water's edge.
No official source we checked publishes a January sea temperature for Da Nang, so we don't quote one. Read the beach instead: swim only in front of a staffed lifeguard post, watch the water from the sand first, and if the surf is pounding the shore, give the morning to Marble Mountains.
⚠️ Treat a fence or a no-swimming sign on the beach as final. After the December 2024 erosion, authorities installed signs prohibiting swimming along the affected coast, and erosion hit a stretch of about 50 meters at Man Thai Beach, 3 km away. Check for fencing and signs each morning, not just on the day you arrive.
Month by Month: Da Nang's 30-Year Averages
These are the 1991 to 2020 normals for Da Nang: average daily low and high, monthly rain and rain days.
| Month | Average Low to High | Rain | Rain Days |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 19.7 to 25.2°C (67.5 to 77.4°F) | 83 mm | 14 |
| February | 20.4 to 26.3°C (68.7 to 79.3°F) | 22 mm | 7 |
| March | 22.1 to 28.4°C (71.8 to 83.1°F) | 36 mm | 7 |
| April | 24.0 to 30.9°C (75.2 to 87.6°F) | 50 mm | 7 |
| May | 25.4 to 33.4°C (77.7 to 92.1°F) | 71 mm | 10 |
| June | 26.3 to 34.9°C (79.3 to 94.8°F) | 68 mm | 9 |
| July | 26.0 to 34.4°C (78.8 to 93.9°F) | 92 mm | 12 |
| August | 25.8 to 34.0°C (78.4 to 93.2°F) | 167 mm | 14 |
| September | 24.8 to 32.0°C (76.6 to 89.6°F) | 394 mm | 17 |
| October | 23.7 to 29.6°C (74.7 to 85.3°F) | 658 mm | 21 |
| November | 22.5 to 27.7°C (72.5 to 81.9°F) | 486 mm | 21 |
| December | 20.5 to 25.3°C (68.9 to 77.5°F) | 272 mm | 21 |
Three patterns stand out. February, not January, is the driest month, with 22 mm over 7 rain days. June is the hottest, with an average high of 34.9°C (94.8°F), and every month from May to August averages a high of 33.4°C or more. And by our sum of the WMO monthly figures, September to December brings 1,810 mm of the year's 2,399 mm, three-quarters of the annual rain.
Storm Season: September to December, Peaking in October
Rain jumps from 167 mm in August to 394 mm in September, peaks at 658 mm over 21 rain days in October, and stays heavy through November (486 mm) and December (272 mm), per the WMO normals. It's also when tropical depressions reach the central coast, and 2025 showed how bad that can get.
Between October 22 and 29, 2025, 300 to 600 mm of rain fell across Da Nang and 450 to 900 mm in Hue. Bach Ma Peak, near Hue, logged 1,739.6 mm in the 24 hours from 7 p.m. on October 26, the highest single-day rainfall on record in Vietnam. Hue's Bo River crested at 5.31 meters on October 27, above its 2020 record. Hoi An, about an hour's drive from downtown Da Nang, runs on the same calendar: VnExpress puts its rainy season at September to January, with floods especially in October and November.
For Da Nang weather in October 2026, the normals are the honest guide: 23.7 to 29.6°C and 658 mm over 21 rain days, according to the WMO. On the evening of September 12, 2026, isolated heavy rain caused localized flooding in parts of Da Nang, and a tropical depression made landfall in central Vietnam on September 13. We don't forecast; the averages are your guide until a 10-day forecast covers your dates.
⚠️ Build slack into an October or November trip. In the late-October 2025 floods, rising water severed transportation links and landslides isolated communities across Hue, Da Nang and neighboring areas. Between September and December, book on flexible terms where you can and keep any Hai Van Pass day movable.
Best Months to Visit: Where the Tourism Board and the Records Disagree
Vietnam's national tourism board and the weather records don't agree on when Da Nang is wet. Vietnam Tourism calls March to May and September to October "ideal for the beach and the Hai Van Pass," and describes "a rainy season of long showers and moody weather from November to February." The WMO normals say otherwise: September and October are two of the three wettest months, and February is the driest.
Both describe something real. Count rain days and October, November and December tie at 21 each, September has 17, and January and August follow at 14, so the gray, showery feel does run into January. Measure the rain in millimeters and the wet season is September to December, two months earlier than the board's dates at both ends.
Our read: avoid October and November if a washed-out day would cost you something, and use December and January for sightseeing with a rain plan. Book beach time for March to May, when monthly rain stays between 36 and 71 mm and average highs climb from 28.4 to 33.4°C before June's peak. For how Da Nang fits the rest of the country, see the best time to visit Vietnam.
Tet 2027 and Your eVisa: Sort the Paperwork Before February
Tet, the Lunar New Year, falls on February 6, 2027, with the public-sector holiday running February 4 to 10. A January trip lands before the holiday, but Immigration's processing slows around Tet and public holidays, so the paperwork shouldn't wait.
Da Nang International Airport (DAD) is one of the airports on the government's eVisa list under Resolution 127/NQ-CP, so you can fly straight in, and Da Nang's seaport is on the same list if you're arriving by cruise ship. Use one of the border gates on the government's eVisa list to enter and leave, and pick the gate you actually plan to use when you apply.
Vietnam Visa by BDA is a private company. We're not affiliated with the Vietnamese government. Our prices per applicant are $54 for a 1-month single-entry eVisa, $84 for 1-month multiple entry, $94 for 3-month single entry and $104 for 3-month multiple entry, with the Vietnam Immigration stamp fee included. If you'd rather apply yourself at evisa.gov.vn, you pay only that stamp fee: $25 single or $50 multiple. Passport validity and entry-point questions are covered in eVisa questions answered.
⚠️ Apply before the Tet slowdown, not during it. By law, Vietnam Immigration has three working days to decide an eVisa once it has the complete application and the fee, and three to five working days is what usually happens. Tet and public holidays push it further. Processing times are set by Vietnam Immigration: we can file, chase and correct, but we can't push an approval to the front of the line. Give yourself one to two weeks and the speed tiers stop mattering.
Before You Fly: Trust the Forecast Over the Average
Every figure in the table is a 30-year average, covering 1991 to 2020. It tells you what a normal January or October looks like, not what your week will bring.
For the week itself, use Vietnam's National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting. The site is in Vietnamese, but browser translation handles its 10-day forecast and its storm and tropical depression bulletins. Check it a week out, then again two days before any boat trip, pass crossing or beach day you care about.