When is it cheapest to visit Ho Chi Minh City?

Ho Chi Minh City is cheapest to visit in May, June, July, August, and September.

Peak season is January, February, November, and December, when rooms cost the most.

Ho Chi Minh City seasons and room prices

Ho Chi Minh City has a dry season from December to April and a wet season from May to November, when rain comes as a short heavy burst most afternoons rather than all day. Rooms are most expensive over Christmas and New Year and around Tet, the lunar new year in late January or February, when many restaurants and shops close for several days. June through September is the cheap stretch, and the rain rarely spoils a whole day. The city hosts a lot of business travel, so midweek nights in District 1 can cost more than the weekend, the reverse of most resort destinations.

Ho Chi Minh City local costs and payment

The currency is the Vietnamese dong, and the large numbers take a day to get used to. Hotels, malls and chain cafes take cards, but street food, markets and most taxis are cash only, so change a modest amount at the airport or a gold shop in town. Registering a card in the Grab app removes cash from most of your rides. Hotels commonly quote a room rate plus ten percent VAT and a five percent service charge, and booking sites differ in whether they show that in the headline price, so always compare the total. Decline any offer to be billed in your home currency.