When to Go to Northern Thailand

Northern Thailand has three seasons. The region is hottest and driest from March to May. The rainy season is June to October, with the wettest weather in September. Unpaved roads are often impassable at this time of year. November to March is the best time to visit, when days are warm, sunny, and generally cloudless, and nights pleasantly cool. (At higher altitudes, it can be quite cold in the evening.) Book hotel accommodation a month or two ahead of the Christmas and New Year holiday periods and the Songkran festival (Thai New Year festival; also known as the Water Festival, because revelers douse each other with water), in mid-April.