Hue's best window, when the last of the northeast monsoon fades and drier, clearer days settle in. Late January is usually when the rain properly breaks, the first few weeks can still catch a leftover soggy spell some years. By mid-March the heat starts climbing fast, so this stretch is at its best in its first half.

This tier spans the hot half of the year. April carries on the dry season's low rainfall, but the heat builds hard heading into the hottest months. May through August see little rain and plenty of sun on paper, but temperatures regularly push into the high 30s and beyond, sometimes past 40°C, so the imperial tombs and citadel are best toured in the early morning. September starts the turn toward the wet season, with rain climbing noticeably from the months before it.

The heart of the northeast monsoon, when Hue earns its reputation as the rainiest stretch of Vietnam's central coast. October is the wettest month of the year by a wide margin, and November isn't far behind, with the Perfume River prone to rising and streets around the citadel sometimes flooding. December's rain eases some but still runs heavy, especially in its first half.