Best time to visit Brunei: rain by month, Ramadan 2027, haze and holidays

Hot all year, with two rainy peaks

Brunei lies on Borneo's north-west coast, just north of the equator, so the temperature hardly moves: the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991-2020 normals for Brunei Airport, beside the capital, put the monthly mean between 27.1°C in January and 28.2°C in May. Rain is the variable. Even the driest month averages 161 mm, so expect a heavy shower on most trips and plan the outdoor hours for the morning.

The year follows the two monsoons that Malaysia's meteorological department describes for the region: the north-east monsoon from November to March, the main rainy season, which brings heavy rain to Sarawak, and the south-west monsoon from late May to September, which is relatively drier across most of Malaysia, with short inter-monsoon spells in between. Brunei Tourism names October to January and May to July as Brunei's wettest months, and the airport normals show the main peak in December (398.1 mm) and a smaller one in May (271.8 mm). Germany's travel advice adds that monsoon-like rain and storms in the rainy seasons can cause floods and landslides.

Single years stray far from the averages. Brunei Airport recorded 594 mm in December 2025, 373 mm in February 2026, normally one of the driest months, and only 46 mm in March 2026. Treat the table below as the odds, not a forecast.

Rain, heat and the calendar, month by month

Temperature and rain are the 1991-2020 normals for Brunei Airport; the events come from Brunei Tourism's indicative Visit Brunei 2027 programme, whose dates may change. AsiaVela's 2027 festival calendar lists Brunei's dated events beside those of the rest of Asia, and our festivals and events guide explains each one and what it changes for a visit.

Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri in 2027

Ramadan moves about eleven days earlier each year. In 2027 it is expected to run from about 9 February to 9 March: Singapore's official holiday list puts Hari Raya Puasa, the festival that ends it, on Wednesday 10 March 2027, and Brunei fixes its own dates after the local moon sighting, so they can differ by a day. Brunei Tourism's 2027 programme places Ramadan and Hari Raya in its January-to-March season.

For a visitor, the fast changes the daytime. Eating, drinking and smoking in public during fasting hours are against the law for everyone, non-Muslims included, with a fine of up to BND 4,000, up to a year in prison or both; eating in private, such as in your room, is allowed. Restaurants serve only takeaway or delivery while the fast lasts, typically from about 4-5 am to 6-7 pm. The evenings make up for it: at sunset families break the fast, and Ramadan bazaars and the Taste of Ramadan events of Brunei Tourism's food programme fill with stalls.

Hari Raya Aidilfitri is the year's biggest holiday. Most shops and restaurants close for its first three days, so a visit from about 10 to 12 March 2027 leans on hotel restaurants, but it is also one of the few times Istana Nurul Iman, the Sultan's palace, opens to the public, after a long queue and in modest dress that covers the arms.

National Day and the Sultan's birthday

National Day on 23 February marks independence with parades, cultural performances and fireworks; in 2027 it is a Tuesday, the 43rd celebration, and it falls inside Ramadan. The Sultan's birthday on 15 July, a Thursday in 2027, is a national holiday, with celebrations that Brunei Tourism's programme spreads over July and August. In October 2027 the Sultan marks 60 years on the throne, and the Diamond Jubilee programme runs from October to December.

Government offices close on these days, and a parade morning fits beside a city day. Our festivals and events guide has the programme, the dress code for royal events and what is still unannounced.

Haze from August to October

Late in the dry season of the southern ASEAN region, smoke from land and forest fires, mostly in Kalimantan and Sumatra, can drift across Borneo. The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre (ASMC) watches it and issues regional alerts on a three-level scale. In 2026 it raised Alert Level 2 for the southern ASEAN region on 3 August and Level 3 on 26 August, when dense haze drifted north from West Kalimantan in an El Niño year, and lowered it to Level 2 on 29 October as the showers returned; its review of September 2026 reports moderate to dense smoke haze over Borneo on 2 and 5 September. The dry season began on 17 July in 2024, 12 June in 2025 and 10 July in 2026.

The alerts cover the whole southern ASEAN region, not Brunei alone. If you have asthma or a heart or lung condition, keep the dates flexible from August to October and check ASMC's alerts page in the week before you fly.

Fridays and public holidays

Every Friday, banks, shops, restaurants and places of interest close from 12 noon to 2 pm for prayers. Plan the city day for Sunday to Wednesday: on Fridays the Jame' 'Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque does not open to visitors and the Royal Regalia and Malay Technology museums are closed all day, on Thursdays the Kampong Ayer Cultural and Tourism Gallery closes at noon, and the Malay Technology Museum lists no Saturday hours. BorneoGuide's Brunei Essentials day (from BND 145 per person, minimum two, checked on 1 November 2026) changes its itinerary on Thursdays and Fridays for the mosque closures.

Brunei's 2027 public-holiday list is not yet published. In 2026 it ran to New Year's Day, Isra' Mi'raj, Chinese New Year, the first day of Ramadan, National Day, Nuzul Al-Qur'an, four days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Hari Raya Aidiladha, the Armed Forces anniversary on 31 May, the Islamic New Year, the Sultan's birthday, the Prophet's birthday and Christmas. For 2027, Singapore's official list puts Chinese New Year on 6 February and Hari Raya Haji (Aidiladha) on 17 May, and Brunei sets its Islamic holidays after the moon sighting. On holidays government offices close, and Freme notes that places of interest may close on local holidays; most shops and restaurants close for the first three days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri.

Book rooms and tours early for Hari Raya, for Brunei's school holidays (in 2026, 13 to 29 March, 29 May to 7 June, 7 to 23 August and all of December) and for the Diamond Jubilee from October to December 2027. Our Bandar Seri Begawan guide plans the city day around the closures.

Rain and the Temburong rainforest day

The rainforest day in Ulu Temburong runs in every month: Freme's Explore Temburong + Canopy Tower day departs daily at BND 155 per adult, minimum two, checked on 3 November 2026. The tours run all year; heavy rain or a low river can change the boat times, and the waterfall stop depends on the river and the weather. In the wettest months, from October to January, keep a spare day in case a storm moves the trip.

The forest is where the dry months make the most difference, so if Temburong is the point of the trip, aim for February or March, the driest months, or April just after them. Our Ulu Temburong guide compares the day trips and a night at a lodge.

Which month for which trip

Match the month to what you want to see:

• An ordinary first visit: mid-March to April 2027, after Ramadan and Hari Raya and before the May rain peak; June to September is about as wet as April (232 to 255 mm a month).
• The driest weather: February and March, which fall in Ramadan in 2027.
• National Day: 23 February 2027, in Ramadan; book a room within reach of the capital's parade.
• Ramadan evenings and bazaars: mid-February to early March 2027.
• The Sultan's birthday: 15 July, with celebrations into August.
• The Diamond Jubilee: October 2027, in one of the wettest months; book early.
• For a sensitive chest: avoid August to October, when haze can drift in.