Last updated: 16 October 2026
Which city should you fly into for a golf trip, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City (still often called Saigon)? There is no permanent winner. The two cities sit about two hours apart by air and run on opposite weather calendars, so the right answer depends on the month you travel, then on what you want around the golf.
Quick Answer
Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City golf comes down to the month. December to February: choose Ho Chi Minh City (dry, 26–32°C) while Hanoi mornings drop to 10–15°C with fog. March–April and October–November: choose Hanoi, its best weather of the year. May to August: both are wet and hot, so book early tee times in either city.
The short answer: pick the month first, then the city
Start with your travel dates, because the weather decides more than the course list. Hanoi has four seasons, including a real winter; Ho Chi Minh City has two, a dry season and a rainy one, and is warm all year.
Then decide on the trip around the golf. Hanoi pairs naturally with Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh and the Old Quarter. Ho Chi Minh City pairs with the Ho Tram coast, the Mekong Delta and a flight on to Phu Quoc.
Hanoi vs Ho Chi Minh City golf at a glance
| Hanoi | Ho Chi Minh City | |
|---|---|---|
| Courses in our guides | 12 | 14, including The Bluffs on the coast |
| Courses golfers ask for most | BRG Kings Island, Sky Lake, BRG Legend Hill, Long Bien | Long Thanh, Vietnam Golf & Country Club, Vinpearl Golf Leman, Royal Long An |
| Best months | February–April and September–November; October is the most reliable | December–February |
| Hardest months | December–January mornings (cold, fog); May–August heat | March–April heat; September–October rain |
| Drive from the city centre | 20–30 min (Long Bien) to about 90 min | About 45 min (Tan Son Nhat) to 1 h 50 min in daytime traffic |
| Course nearest the airport | BRG Legend Hill, about 15 min from Noi Bai | Tan Son Nhat Golf Course, 25–30 min to the terminal |
| Caddie and cart | Standard, included in our packages | Compulsory at every course, included in the green fee |
| Beyond the golf | Old Quarter, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh | Ho Tram coast, Mekong Delta, Phu Quoc by air |
| 4-day package from | USD 599 per person | USD 649 per person |
| Best for | Spring and autumn trips, course variety, culture | Winter-sun trips, short breaks, Phu Quoc add-ons |
Drive times: Hanoi from Hoan Kiem, our course pages; Ho Chi Minh City from Ben Thanh Market, Google Maps, October 2026, daytime traffic. Prices: our live four-day, three-round packages, twin share.
Month by month: which city is dry?
In most months, one city is clearly the better bet. The ratings below come straight from our two season guides, and the only real overlap is the wet, hot middle of the year.
| Month | Hanoi | Ho Chi Minh City | Our pick |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 14–20°C, dry; morning fog on some days | Peak dry season, 26–32°C | Ho Chi Minh City |
| February | 15–21°C, light drizzle; season opens | Dry, warm rather than hot | Either |
| March | 18–23°C, drizzle easing | Dry, heat building towards 35°C | Hanoi |
| April | 21–28°C, excellent | Hottest month, up to about 38°C | Hanoi |
| May | 25–32°C, afternoon storms begin | Afternoon storms begin; mornings usually dry | Either, early tee times |
| June–July | 27–33°C, heavy rain | Short afternoon downpours | Ho Chi Minh City, mornings |
| August | 27–32°C, heavy rain | Heavy rain | Either, early tee times |
| September | 26–31°C, rain tapering | Wettest stretch, long storms | Hanoi |
| October | 22–29°C, our most reliable month | Wettest stretch, long storms | Hanoi |
| November | 19–25°C, dry and clear | Rain tapers off by mid-month | Hanoi |
| December | 15–21°C, fog returns late month | Dry, low humidity | Ho Chi Minh City |
For the detail behind the Hanoi column, see what the cold, foggy months mean for Hanoi tee times. GoGolfVietnam, a local golf tour operator based in Da Nang, books Hanoi winter rounds at 9 or 10am rather than first light, because fog over the lakes typically costs 30–90 minutes at dawn.
Courses: variety in the north, depth in the south
Hanoi offers more variety in a short trip; Ho Chi Minh City offers more courses within a similar drive. Both cities give you more than a four-day trip can use.
Around Hanoi, each flagship plays differently. Kings Island has lake holes on Dong Mo Lake, Sky Lake has hills and a resort on site, and BRG Legend Hill sits close to the airport. Our complete guide to golf in Hanoi covers all 12.
Around Ho Chi Minh City, the strength is depth. Long Thanh has 36 holes, Vietnam Golf & Country Club has two courses, and Vinpearl Golf Leman opened in Cu Chi in October 2025. The Bluffs, Greg Norman’s dunes course at Ho Tram, adds a coastal round about two hours away. The courses are flatter and less scenic than the north’s limestone hills and lakes. That is the honest trade-off.
Drive times: how many rounds a day really fit?
One round a day in both cities, with an early start. Neither city suits two rounds on separate courses in one day.
In Hanoi, the main courses sit 40–60 minutes from the Old Quarter and the furthest about 90. Winter fog adds a delay at dawn, so a mid-morning tee time is the norm from December to January. In Ho Chi Minh City, the issue is daytime traffic: Google Maps gave about 45 minutes to Tan Son Nhat Golf Course and 1 h 30 to Vinpearl Golf Leman from Ben Thanh Market at midday in October 2026.
The answer in Ho Chi Minh City is the same as for the heat: leave early. A 6:30 start beats both the traffic and the rainy-season storms that usually break around 3 or 4pm, which is why we suggest reading why Ho Chi Minh City rounds start before 7am for most of the year before you fix tee times.
Cost: a four-day trip in each city
Hanoi is slightly cheaper on our packages, but the gap is small. Both four-day trips include three rounds, caddies, carts, hotel nights and transfers.
| Package | Hanoi | Ho Chi Minh City |
|---|---|---|
| 3 days, 2 nights, 2 rounds | From USD 399 | From USD 449 |
| 4 days, 3 nights, 3 rounds | From USD 599 | From USD 649 |
Prices are per person, twin share, from our live package pages in October 2026. In the south, the Ho Chi Minh City itinerary with Vietnam Golf & Country Club on day two is the best starting point; in Hanoi, the four-day package plays Kings Island, Sky Lake and Long Bien. Weekend green fees rise sharply in both cities, so Tuesday-to-Friday rounds matter more than the city itself.
Flights and the airport round
Both airports have a course close by, which makes an arrival-day or departure-day round realistic.
- Hanoi: BRG Legend Hill is about 15 minutes from Noi Bai, so a morning round before an afternoon flight works well.
- Ho Chi Minh City: Tan Son Nhat Golf Course is beside the airport; allow 25–30 minutes from the course to the terminal in traffic.
Check your flight times before choosing: they decide whether that airport round fits.
Beyond the course
This is where many groups make the final decision. Hanoi is the stronger choice for culture and scenery; Ho Chi Minh City is the stronger choice if you want the coast or an island after the golf.
From Hanoi, the usual add-ons are a night on Ha Long Bay, a day in Ninh Binh and evenings in the Old Quarter. From Ho Chi Minh City, the add-ons are two nights at Ho Tram with a round at The Bluffs, a day in the Mekong Delta, or a short flight on to Phu Quoc. We usually suggest Ha Long for spring trips in the north and Ho Tram for winter trips in the south.
Can you play both cities on one trip?
Yes. The domestic flight takes about two hours (Vinpearl flight guide), so a seven- or eight-day trip can split evenly. February to April is the easiest window: Hanoi warms up while Ho Chi Minh City is still dry. We do not sell a ready-made two-city package; we build it from the two city itineraries. For the southern half, start from the southern itineraries we pair with a northern leg.
Our pick by type of traveller
| Traveller | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Escaping winter, December–February | Ho Chi Minh City | Dry and warm while Hanoi is cold |
| Spring or autumn break | Hanoi | Its best weather; Ho Chi Minh City is hot or wet |
| Course variety in four days | Hanoi | Lake, hill and airport courses in one trip |
| Weekend stopover, two rounds | Ho Chi Minh City | Courses closer to the airport and centre |
| Golf plus beach | Ho Chi Minh City | Ho Tram coast or Phu Quoc by air |
| Golf plus culture and scenery | Hanoi | Old Quarter, Ha Long Bay, Ninh Binh |
| Corporate or society group | Depends on the month | Use the month table, then book early |
Choosing the north? Send us your dates and we will match them to the Hanoi golf trips timed for spring and autumn.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City better for golf?›
Neither wins every month. Ho Chi Minh City is the better choice from December to February, when it is dry and warm while Hanoi is cold and foggy in the mornings. Hanoi is better in spring and autumn, especially October and November, when Ho Chi Minh City is still in its rainy season.
2. Which is better for golf in January, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?›
Ho Chi Minh City. January is the heart of its dry season, with daytime highs of about 26–32°C. Hanoi is playable in January, but mornings can be 10–15°C and winter fog can delay the first tee times by 30–90 minutes.
3. Which city has more golf courses, Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?›
They are close. Our Hanoi guide covers 12 courses and our Ho Chi Minh City guide covers 14, including The Bluffs on the Ho Tram coast, about two hours from the city. Either city gives you more than enough for a four-day trip.
4. Is golf cheaper in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City?›
Hanoi is slightly cheaper on our own packages: a four-day, three-round Hanoi package starts from USD 599 per person and the Ho Chi Minh City equivalent from USD 649. Weekend green fees rise sharply in both cities, so playing Tuesday to Friday saves more than the choice of city.
5. Which city has the better airport golf course?›
Hanoi has the shorter hop: BRG Legend Hill is about 15 minutes from Noi Bai. In Ho Chi Minh City, Tan Son Nhat Golf Course sits right beside the airport, but allow 25–30 minutes from the course to the terminal in traffic.
6. Can I play golf in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in one trip?›
Yes. The domestic flight between the two cities takes about two hours, so a week can split into three days in each. February to April is the easiest window for both, because Hanoi warms up while Ho Chi Minh City is still dry.
7. Which city is better for a golf group?›
For groups flying in December to February, Ho Chi Minh City. For spring or autumn trips, Hanoi, where a group can play a different style of course each day, from Kings Island’s lake holes to Sky Lake’s hills and Legend Hill near the airport.
GoGolfVietnam is a Vietnam-based golf tour operator arranging tee times, transfers and hotels in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and across Vietnam.
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