Best Time To Travel To: Laos

Laos borders Myanmar and China to the north, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west. Climatically, the relatively mountainous country is dominated by a tropical monsoon climate.

On the whole, the climate in Laos has certain similarities to that of Vietnam. There is a rainy season, which is between May and October. Otherwise it remains rather dry and warm. Somewhat problematic can be the phase from March to May. Then it is very warm on the one hand and the southwest monsoon brings humid air masses. This in turn means that the humidity is often unbearably high.

Basically, however, also in Laos - the higher you get, the cooler it gets. Especially towards the north, it can get quite cool in higher elevations during the winter season at the time of the north monsoon. In addition, the north then also always receives some cold air from China.

For Laos, it is actually quite pleasant in the dry phase in the country. The humidity is lower due to the lower rainfall. Especially the months from October/November to February/March are considered less rainy and warm or moderately warm. The main tourist season in the country is between December and February. From January onwards, one can observe a strong decrease in precipitation and a steady increase in temperatures. For those who want to go swimming, the optimal travel time begins at the end of February. End of March/beginning of April until May is then a phase, in which it can already become very hot. Especially April and May are described by many observers as rather unpleasant because of the high temperatures. From May to October there is the rainy season. However, this phase shifts more and more. In the south, one must definitely expect the onset of the rainy season from mid-April. During this phase of the summer monsoon, nearly 1,800mm of precipitation comes down. Traveling is then quite difficult in the country. The unpaved roads are then often difficult or even impossible to drive on. Air traffic, e.g. to the north, is then also often severely impeded. However, this phase can be quite suitable for a cruise on the Mekong River or generally for boat trips on the rivers.

When is the best time to go to Laos

According to many travelers, the best time for Laos is between October and March, from December to February is the main travel season in the country. In this phase it is not quite so hot and not very rainy. For those who like it warm and would like to swim, for example, the months of February, March and perhaps the first half of April represent good travel months. The rainy season is considered by many travelers as a possible travel time. Usually it rains short and heavy, so you have to expect only limited days of continuous rain (which is also theoretically possible!). But the vegetation is very impressive during the rainy season. Also a cruise on the Mekong or a boat trip on another river can be done in this phase. Especially in higher altitudes, the phase from May to July can even represent the best travel time for Laos.

Climatetable Laos

(* days >0.25mm precipitation)