Shubham Bhatnagar
04-Jun-2026
One moment you are sipping egg coffee in Hanoi, the next you are watching the sunset from a beach resort in Da Nang. That is summer in Vietnam.
By Shubham Bhatnagar, a lifestyle journalist covering luxury, travel, and culture, often found paying attention to the details most people miss.
Vietnam in summer feels energetic in the best possible way. Rainstorms appear out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. Streets smell of grilled seafood, strong coffee and fresh herbs. Scooters stream through busy intersections while hidden cafés quietly fill up above old apartment buildings. One morning begins with pho on a plastic stool in Hanoi, another ends with a spa session overlooking the beach in Da Nang. In between come lantern-lit evenings in Hoi An, rooftop cocktails in Ho Chi Minh City and coffee breaks that somehow stretch into entire afternoons.
For Indian travellers, Vietnam also feels easy to plan right now. Flight connectivity has improved, luxury hotels remain comparatively affordable and the country offers completely different travel experiences within one itinerary. Hanoi is all about café culture and street food. Da Nang leans beachy and wellness-focused. Hoi An slows the pace down with riverside cafés and boutique stays. Ho Chi Minh City stays lively deep into the night. Summer may not be the coolest time to visit Vietnam, but it is easily one of the most atmospheric.
What Summer Weather In Vietnam Is Really Like
Vietnam’s summer season usually runs from May to August, though the weather changes depending on where you are travelling. Hanoi and northern Vietnam tend to feel hot and humid during this time, with temperatures often ranging between 30 and 38 degrees Celsius alongside short bursts of rain. Central destinations like Da Nang and Hoi An, meanwhile, see sunnier beach weather, making them especially good for coastal stays during summer.
The smartest way to experience Vietnam in summer is to follow the country’s rhythm instead of trying to pack too much into the day. Start mornings early, slow down when the afternoon heat peaks and leave evenings open for food walks, riverside dinners and café-hopping. Lightweight cotton clothing, comfortable footwear, sunscreen and a compact umbrella will quickly become your most-used travel essentials.
Direct Air India Flights From Delhi: Air India launched its direct Delhi-Hanoi service on May 1, 2026, making Hanoi the airline’s second destination in Vietnam after Ho Chi Minh City, which is also connected via non-stop flights from Delhi. The Hanoi route operates five times a week aboard Air India’s Airbus A320neo aircraft and includes Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins as part of the airline’s full-service offering.
The overnight schedule works particularly well for shorter holidays, with late-night departures from Delhi and early morning arrivals into Hanoi.
Delhi to Hanoi: Non-stop, approx. 4.5 hours
Mumbai to Hanoi: One-stop, approx. 7 to 10 hours
Bengaluru to Hanoi: One-stop, approx. 7 to 10 hours
Kolkata to Hanoi: One-stop, approx. 5.5 to 8 hours
Most international flights arrive at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi or Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.
Hanoi: For Street Food, Hidden Cafés And Slow Mornings
Hanoi does not immediately reveal its charm. The city feels loud, humid and chaotic at first, but somewhere between the bowls of pho, hidden cafés and rainy evenings, it slowly begins making sense.
What To Do In Hanoi During Summer
Walk Through The Old Quarter Without A Plan: Hanoi’s Old Quarter works best when experienced slowly. Historically, each street specialised in a different trade, and traces of that still remain today. One lane sells lanterns, another silver jewellery, another traditional medicines. The smartest way to explore the area is to leave room for spontaneity. Some of the city’s best moments come from wandering into hidden alleyways, climbing narrow staircases leading to cafés or stumbling upon tiny local food stalls filled with office workers and students.
Start The Morning Around Hoan Kiem Lake: Before the city fully wakes up, Hoan Kiem Lake feels almost meditative. Elderly locals practise tai chi by the water, runners circle the lake and cafés slowly begin serving strong Vietnamese coffee to regulars settling into morning routines. It is also one of the easiest ways to understand Hanoi’s pace beyond its traffic and noise.
Visit Hanoi Train Street Responsibly: Yes, Hanoi Train Street has become extremely popular online. But beyond the Instagram crowds, it remains one of the city’s most unusual experiences. Watching a train pass inches away from cafés and homes still feels surreal the first time. The better way to experience it is to slow down rather than rush in for photographs. Sit at a café, order coffee and spend time observing daily life around the tracks.
Spend Time Inside Hanoi’s Hidden Cafés: Some of Hanoi’s best cafés sit behind faded yellow walls, above bookstores or inside old apartment blocks you would normally walk past without noticing. Loading T Café remains one of the city’s most atmospheric coffee spots, while Nola Café feels like a maze of rooftops and mismatched vintage furniture. Hanoi House near St Joseph’s Cathedral is another favourite for lingering over coffee during rainy afternoons.
What To Eat In Hanoi
Hanoi’s food culture feels deeply tied to its daily rhythm. Meals happen on pavements, beside scooters and under tiny fans battling the summer heat.
Pho Tastes Different In Hanoi: Pho in Hanoi feels lighter, cleaner and more herb-forward than many versions elsewhere. Breakfast bowls begin appearing early in the morning, often alongside strong coffee and conversations between locals who have been visiting the same stalls for years.
Bun Cha Works Surprisingly Well In Humid Weather: Smoky grilled pork, cold noodles, herbs and dipping broth somehow feel perfectly balanced during Hanoi’s warmer afternoons. The dish remains one of the city’s defining meals.
Coconut Coffee Is Made For Summer: While egg coffee may be Hanoi’s most famous drink, coconut coffee feels tailor-made for summer. Cold, creamy and lightly sweet, it becomes especially welcome after long walks through the Old Quarter.
The Best Egg Coffee Spots In Hanoi
Café Gi?ng: Widely considered the birthplace of Vietnamese egg coffee, Café Gi?ng remains Hanoi’s most iconic place to try it. Hidden inside a narrow alley in the Old Quarter, the café still serves its original recipe decades later.
Cafe Dinh: Located above a weathered building overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake, Cafe Dinh feels quieter and more nostalgic than many of Hanoi’s busier cafés.
Loading T Café: Inside a French-era apartment building, Loading T Café pairs cinnamon-infused egg coffee with vintage interiors and a slower atmosphere.
Cafe Pho Co: Reached through a narrow corridor off a busy shopping street, Cafe Pho Co offers rooftop views overlooking Hoan Kiem Lake alongside excellent egg coffee.
Da Nang: Vietnam’s Summer Wellness Escape
After Hanoi’s intensity, Da Nang feels calmer and more spacious. The coastal city has quietly become one of Vietnam’s strongest luxury and wellness destinations, particularly during summer.
Best Beaches In Da Nang
My Khe Beach Is Best Experienced Early: My Khe Beach feels most beautiful around sunrise, when locals head into the water before temperatures climb higher. Evenings become lively again, with seafood restaurants and cafés filling up along the coastline.
Non Nuoc Beach Feels More Relaxed: For travellers looking for quieter stretches of sand, Non Nuoc Beach offers a calmer atmosphere alongside luxury beachfront resorts.
Where To Slow Down And Unwind: Da Nang’s luxury wellness scene has grown significantly in recent years, with several resorts building spa experiences around Vietnamese herbs, traditional therapies and oceanfront settings. Properties like InterContinental Danang Sun Peninsula Resort, TIA Wellness Resort and Hyatt Regency Danang Resort and Spa are particularly popular for slower summer stays focused on massages, herbal baths, meditation sessions and beachside downtime. Summer afternoons here work best when there is absolutely nothing urgent on the itinerary besides a spa appointment and a long view of the ocean.
What To Eat In Da Nang: Seafood quickly becomes part of daily life in Da Nang, especially around the city’s beachside dining areas. Restaurants like Nha Hang Be Man and Hai San Moc Quan are known for grilled scallops, tamarind prawns, fresh oysters and bubbling crab hotpots served family-style. Along the coastline, seafood dinners often stretch late into the evening, usually with sea breeze, cold beer and tables full of shared plates.
Hoi An: Lantern-Lit Evenings And Boutique Stays
About an hour from Da Nang, Hoi An brings a softer and slower energy.
Yes, the lantern-lit streets are beautiful, but the town’s real charm lies in its quieter moments.
Hoi An rewards travellers who move slowly. Mornings begin with bicycles passing through yellow-walled lanes, riverside cafés opening gradually and local markets quietly waking up before the crowds arrive.
Best Experiences In Hoi An
Stay At A Boutique Riverside Property: Hoi An’s smaller boutique stays often feel far more intimate than larger city hotels, with many focusing on wellness treatments, herbal therapies and quieter hospitality.
Spend Evenings By The Thu Bon River: Once the lanterns light up after sunset, Hoi An’s riverside transforms into one of Vietnam’s most atmospheric evening settings.
Try Local Specialities: Cao lau noodles, white rose dumplings and fresh seafood dishes remain deeply tied to Hoi An’s food culture and slower pace.
Ho Chi Minh City: Rooftop Bars, Café Culture And Summer Nights
Where Hanoi feels nostalgic, Ho Chi Minh City feels fast-moving and contemporary.
The city’s summer personality comes alive through rooftop bars, apartment cafés, hidden cocktail spaces and a nightlife scene that stretches well past midnight.
Where To Go In Ho Chi Minh City
Stay Around District 1 For Food, Nightlife And Café Culture: For first-time visitors, District 1 remains the easiest base in Ho Chi Minh City. The neighbourhood places you close to rooftop bars, shopping streets, major landmarks and some of the city’s best cafés and restaurants. Popular spots like Nguyen Hue Walking Street, Ben Thanh Market and Dong Khoi Street are all within easy reach.
Visit The Café Apartments On Nguyen Hue Street: One of the city’s most interesting creative spaces, The Café Apartments on Nguyen Hue Street houses hidden cafés, boutiques and concept stores inside an ageing apartment block. Spots like Thinker & Dreamer, Saigon Oi and Partea feel especially good for escaping the afternoon heat.
Hidden Cocktail Bars Are Part Of The City’s Personality: Ho Chi Minh City’s bar scene is at its best when it feels slightly hidden. Cocktail spaces like Snuffbox, Summer Experiment and The Alley Cocktail Bar sit behind unmarked doors or inside old buildings, giving the city a more intimate after-dark energy.
Watch The Chow Show For A Different Kind Of Evening: For something beyond bars and cafés, the Chow Show blends live music, visual storytelling and contemporary Vietnamese performance into a fast-paced theatrical experience. It feels modern, playful and distinctly local without becoming overly tourist-focused.
The Best Egg Coffee Spots In Ho Chi Minh City
Little Hanoi Egg Coffee: One of the city’s most popular spots for traditional northern-style egg coffee, Little Hanoi channels old Hanoi’s café culture surprisingly well.
Okkio Caffe: Minimalist and design-forward, Okkio Caffe offers a more contemporary take on Vietnamese coffee culture.
The Workshop Coffee: A major name in Ho Chi Minh City’s speciality coffee movement, The Workshop focuses on elevated Vietnamese coffee experiences and meticulous brewing techniques.
Trung Nguyen Legend Café: One of Vietnam’s most recognisable coffee brands, Trung Nguyen Legend Café offers accessible introductions to Vietnam’s robusta coffee traditions.
Why Vietnam Works Well As A Summer Escape
Vietnam’s biggest strength lies in how many different kinds of travel experiences fit into one itinerary. Within days, travellers can move from chaotic street food markets to luxury beach resorts, from hidden cafés to spa retreats, from lantern-lit evenings to rooftop cocktail bars.
And unlike destinations that feel overly polished for tourism, Vietnam still feels deeply lived-in. Tiny stools spill onto pavements every evening, coffee still arrives slowly through metal phin filters and local life continues uninterrupted around you. Summer may bring humidity and sudden rain, but it also brings Vietnam fully to life.
