Sapa weather in October

In October, Sapa sees average daytime highs of 24°C and overnight lows near 18°C, with 108 mm of rain across 17.4 wet days and about 11.5 hours of daylight. It is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in October, and the air most often feels muggy.

Daylight stretches from about 11 h 48 min at the start of October to 11 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, October is Sapa's 7th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sapa's year-round climate.

Daytime high
24°
7th warmest
Overnight low
18°
7th coldest
Rainfall
108 mm
17.4 wet days
Daylight
11 h 30 min
6:05 AM – 5:34 PM
Cloud cover
67%
7th clearest
Wind
4 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
3.76 kWh/m²
Travel score
5.7
out of 10

Temperature in October

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 25°C in the first days to 23°C by the end.

A typical October day in Sapa reaches about 24°C in the afternoon and slips back to 18°C overnight — a 7°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 21°C and 27°C. Set against its neighbours, October runs about 2°C cooler than September and about 3°C warmer than November.

10°15°20°25°30°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12619
22619
32519
42519
52519
62519
72518
82518
92518
102518
112518
122518
132518
142518
152418
162418
172418
182418
192417
202417
212417
222417
232417
242417
252317
262317
272316
282316
292316
302316
312316

Sapa weather by month

How October compares with the rest of the year at a glance. October is the 7th-warmest and 8th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan18° / 10°8212.410.85.3
Feb19° / 11°731311.25.6
Mar23° / 14°13216.911.85.8
Apr25° / 17°17721.712.55.0
May27° / 20°23625.813.14.1
Jun27° / 21°34428.913.33.4
Jul27° / 21°39629.713.23.4
Aug27° / 21°38528.712.83.6
Sep26° / 20°20222.412.14.5
Oct24° / 18°10817.411.55.7
Nov22° / 14°6110.310.96.4
Dec18° / 11°631010.75.9

Cloud cover in October

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 16% of the time in October.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 23% of October, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 62%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
13862
23763
33862
43862
53862
63862
73763
83763
93763
103763
113664
123664
133565
143565
153565
163664
173763
183763
193862
203862
213862
223763
233961
243961
254060
264159
274258
284258
294357
304555
314555

Chance of precipitation in October

Any precipitation

Sapa gets around 108 mm of rain over 17.4 wet days in October. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 55% and peaks near 60% on the wettest days. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%20%40%60%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
160
259
359
459
559
659
759
859
959
1059
1159
1259
1359
1458
1558
1657
1757
1856
1955
2055
2154
2254
2353
2452
2551
2650
2749
2848
2947
3046
3144

Humidity in October

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of October feels muggy — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, October lands in the muggy band about 40% of days. Sticky, muggy-or-worse air turns up on roughly 41% of them.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)
11928584
21929574
32929573
42930563
52931562
62931562
731032541
831033531
931034521
1031036501
1131137490
1231138480
1331239460
1431240450
1531241430
1641342410
1741343400
1841444380
1941545360
2051546340
2151646330
2261747310
2371847290
2481846280
2591946260
26102045240
27122144230
28142244210
29152243200
30172342180
31182441170

Wind in October

Winds average 4 km/h in October.

Across October, daily wind ranges from about 3 km/h on the calmest days to 4 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
13calm
23calm
34calm
44calm
54calm
64calm
74calm
84calm
94calm
104calm
114calm
124calm
134calm
144calm
154calm
164calm
174calm
184calm
194calm
204calm
214calm
224calm
234calm
244calm
254calm
264calm
274calm
284calm
294calm
304calm
314calm

Sunrise & sunset in October

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 h 48 min at the start of October to 11 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 36 minutes over October. Sunrise moves from 6:00 AM to 6:13 AM, and sunset from 5:47 PM to 5:23 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.86:005:47
211.86:005:47
311.86:005:46
411.76:015:45
511.76:015:44
611.76:015:43
711.76:025:42
811.66:025:41
911.66:035:40
1011.66:035:39
1111.66:035:38
1211.66:045:37
1311.56:045:36
1411.56:055:36
1511.56:055:35
1611.56:055:34
1711.56:065:33
1811.46:065:32
1911.46:075:31
2011.46:075:31
2111.46:085:30
2211.46:085:29
2311.36:095:29
2411.36:095:28
2511.36:105:27
2611.36:105:27
2711.36:115:26
2811.26:115:25
2911.26:125:25
3011.26:125:24
3111.26:135:23

Solar energy in October

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in October, about 3.76 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.85 kWh/m² to a high of 5.08 kWh/m² in April across the year — October's 3.76 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
14.2Bright
24.2Bright
34.2Bright
44.1Bright
54.1Bright
64.1Bright
74.0Bright
84.0Bright
94.0Moderate
103.9Moderate
113.9Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.8Moderate
143.8Moderate
153.8Moderate
163.7Moderate
173.7Moderate
183.7Moderate
193.7Moderate
203.6Moderate
213.6Moderate
223.6Moderate
233.6Moderate
243.6Moderate
253.6Moderate
263.5Moderate
273.5Moderate
283.5Moderate
293.5Moderate
303.5Moderate
313.5Moderate
Planning a trip in October

Hazard calendar for Sapa

In seasonPeak

None of Sapa's seasonal hazards are active in October. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Sapa's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is October a good time to visit Sapa?

Our two travel scores rate October for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

5.7
Sightseeing
4th-best month of the year
4.9
Beach & pool
1st-best month of the year

October is a reasonable time to visit Sapa for sightseeing.

What to pack for Sapa in October

From October's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In October, Sapa sees daytime highs around 24°C and nights near 18°C. Pack rain gear. Worth having: light clothes. About 17 days see rain.

rain gearlight clothes

UV index in Sapa in October

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in October peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sapa peaks around June 21 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 5 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecHighVery highVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 21UV 13Dec 18UV 5
UV index (midday)Level
Jan6High
Feb8Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr8Very high
May10Very high
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug12Extreme
Sep10Very high
Oct8Very high
Nov7High
Dec5High

Air quality in Sapa in October

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where October falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Sapa is worst in April — around 70 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.0× the cleanest month (July, 14 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyModerateApr 1367 µg/m³Jul 1814 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan25Moderate
Feb33Moderate
Mar54Poor
Apr70Unhealthy
May28Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul14Moderate
Aug15Moderate
Sep18Moderate
Oct22Moderate
Nov23Moderate
Dec25Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sapa?

Sapa sits at 22.3°N, 103.8°E, 0 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Lào Cai, 21 km away.

Ít OngThị Trấn Việt QuangThị Trấn Thuận ChâuBắc Quang

Topography around Sapa

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sapa.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sapa has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 957 m around an average of 1,481 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,006 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,050 m.

The land around Sapa is covered by trees (56%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, trees (86%) within 16 km, and trees (84%) within 80 km.

3 km
957 m
16 km
3,006 m
80 km
3,050 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
October weather nearby: Lào Cai 21 km · Thị Trấn Phố Lu 35 km · Lai Châu 40 km · Mường Lay 82 km · Ít Ong 93 km · Thị Trấn Việt Quang 99 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 102 km · Bắc Quang 106 km

Vietnam travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,066
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 500
Religion
none 86%Catholic 6%Buddhist 6%Protestant 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Sapa (22.3402°, 103.8441°, elevation 0 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).