Guide
Monsoon and rainy season calendar
The single most expensive planning mistake in tropical travel is assuming a country has one rainy season. It usually has two, on opposite coasts, months apart. This calendar lists every destination in our database whose wettest month passes 250 mm, with the months that exceed 200 mm marked and the driest month of the year shown as the alternative.
The calendar
| Destination | Wet months (200 mm+) | Wettest | Driest |
|---|---|---|---|
| MumbaiIndia | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | July (1340 mm) | February (0 mm) |
| GoaIndia | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | July (1162 mm) | February (2 mm) |
| KindiaGuinea | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | August (1087 mm) | February (0 mm) |
| HueVietnam | Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | October (963 mm) | March (51 mm) |
| HuếVietnam | Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | October (963 mm) | March (51 mm) |
| ConakryGuinea | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | July (940 mm) | February (0 mm) |
| NizwaOman | Aug | August (900 mm) | September (1 mm) |
| BahlaOman | Aug | August (900 mm) | September (1 mm) |
| LabeGuinea | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | August (895 mm) | February (0 mm) |
| Glacier Bay National ParkAlaska | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | October (813 mm) | July (166 mm) |
| GondarEthiopia | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | July (779 mm) | February (2 mm) |
| FreetownSierra Leone | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | July (764 mm) | January (0 mm) |
| BijagosGuinea-Bissau | Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | August (747 mm) | February (0 mm) |
| BafataGuinea-Bissau | Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | August (741 mm) | February (0 mm) |
| Tayrona National ParkColombia | May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov | May (703 mm) | January (7 mm) |
| Tayrona National ParkColombia | May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov | May (703 mm) | January (7 mm) |
| BissauGuinea-Bissau | Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | August (680 mm) | April (0 mm) |
| GuilinChina | Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul | June (679 mm) | October (42 mm) |
| SagadaPhilippines | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | July (662 mm) | March (23 mm) |
| Hoi AnVietnam | Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | October (658 mm) | February (72 mm) |
| TamarindoCosta Rica | May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct, Nov | November (646 mm) | January (3 mm) |
| TamarindoCosta Rica | May, Jun, Jul, Sep, Oct, Nov | November (646 mm) | January (3 mm) |
| Phong NhaVietnam | Sep, Oct, Nov | October (642 mm) | February (38 mm) |
| Bocas del ToroPanama | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | November (637 mm) | January (59 mm) |
| Puerto Viejo de TalamancaCosta Rica | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | November (637 mm) | January (59 mm) |
| Bocas del ToroPanama | Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | November (637 mm) | January (59 mm) |
| Da NangVietnam | Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | October (633 mm) | May (66 mm) |
| DarjeelingIndia | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | June (623 mm) | November (2 mm) |
| Glacier Bay National ParkAlaska | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | October (606 mm) | June (166 mm) |
| PokharaNepal | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep | July (596 mm) | November (1 mm) |
| TrinidadCuba | May, Jun, Aug, Sep | June (587 mm) | January (33 mm) |
| San Juan del SurNicaragua | May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov | November (584 mm) | January (1 mm) |
| Ometepe IslandNicaragua | May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov | November (584 mm) | January (1 mm) |
| San Juan del SurNicaragua | May, Jun, Sep, Oct, Nov | November (584 mm) | January (1 mm) |
| SiargaoPhilippines | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Oct, Nov, Dec | December (583 mm) | September (162 mm) |
| Marina Bay SandsSingapore | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | March (580 mm) | April (285 mm) |
| Gardens by the BaySingapore | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | March (580 mm) | April (285 mm) |
| ViganPhilippines | Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | July (577 mm) | March (16 mm) |
| PenangMalaysia | Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | October (572 mm) | January (131 mm) |
| Kenai Fjords National ParkAlaska | Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Dec | January (562 mm) | June (237 mm) |
| MalaboEquatorial Guinea | Apr, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct | September (561 mm) | January (13 mm) |
| Bahir DarEthiopia | Jun, Jul, Aug | July (560 mm) | December (7 mm) |
| IslamabadPakistan | Jul, Aug | July (559 mm) | December (6 mm) |
| San JoseCosta Rica | May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov | October (548 mm) | February (17 mm) |
| AntananarivoMadagascar | Jan, Feb, Mar, Nov, Dec | January (542 mm) | September (43 mm) |
Reading the numbers
Under 100 mm a month is a dry month almost anywhere. 200-300 mm means daily showers you can plan around. Above 400 mm, expect entire days lost and coastal transport disrupted. The driest-month column is the fastest way to find the opposite end of a destination's year.
Frequently asked questions
- When is monsoon season?
- There is no single answer — it depends on which side of a landmass you are on. India's southwest monsoon runs June to September, while Tamil Nadu's rain arrives October to December. Thailand's west coast peaks in September, the Gulf coast in November. This calendar lists the wet months per destination rather than per region for exactly that reason.
- Can you travel during the monsoon?
- Often, yes — rain in the tropics usually arrives as intense afternoon downpours rather than all-day drizzle, and prices drop sharply. The months to genuinely avoid are the ones above 300 mm, where multi-day rain, closed boat routes and reduced visibility start to shape the whole trip.
- What counts as a wet month here?
- 200 mm or more of monthly rainfall. Only destinations whose wettest month exceeds 250 mm appear on this page, so every entry has a genuinely pronounced wet season rather than a slightly damper stretch.
More guides: all guides