If you’re planning a holiday to Victoria Falls and are wondering which time of year is best for a visit, this post is for you!
RAINY SEASON VS DRY SEASON
Here in the Southern Hemisphere, our seasons look somewhat different to those in the north. Victoria Falls is mild to hot throughout the year, seldom becoming very chilly, so we prefer to characterise seasons according to rainfall.
Our winters are mild and dry, falling between June to early September. Our summers, on the other hand, are hot and wet – something like a sauna, if we’re honest – but absolutely gorgeous and green. (We even call it the Green Season!) Summer in Zimbabwe falls between mid-November and early March.
Overall, Victoria Falls is a year-round destination weather-wise, but your activities will be determined by the rain and, therefore, how full the Zambezi River becomes.
Bear in mind, when we say “rain,” we don’t mean miserable days under cloud cover; we mean bursting torrents of water pelting down during a flash thunderstorm, followed by blue skies and hot temperatures shortly afterward. It’s really quite beautiful.
BY THE MONTH
So, what’s the best time to visit Victoria Falls? This will depend on what you’d like to do on your vacation.
If you’d like to do lots of game-viewing, for example, dry months are best. If you’d like to view the Falls at maximum volume, just after the rainy months is ideal. Some activities, like white water rafting, happen somewhere in between.
Let’s take a closer look.
JANUARY - MARCH
• High summer
• High rainfall
• River water levels still relatively low
• Outside of peak season – great bang for your buck
• River is at a good level for white water rafting
• Good viewing of the Falls at max capacity from February onwards
APRIL - JUNE
• Summer rains end
• Mild days
• Great for walking tours of the town and outdoor activities like bungee jumping
• Still good viewing of the Falls, though the spray might impede visability
• Temperature drops in May
• Game-viewing is best enjoyed from June onwards
JULY - SEPTEMBER
• Mild weather
• Good visability of the Falls (less spray), though lower levels
• Lunar rainbows
• Devil’s pool usually opens in August
• River is at a good level for white water rafting in August
OCTOBER - DECEMBER
• October is the hottest month of the year
• Zambezi’s water levels are low
• Great time for birding – migratory flocks return
• Plenty of thunderstorms
• Landscape becomes green again
MONTHLY RAINFALL IN VIC FALLS
• January – 175 mm
• February – 140 mm
• March – 80 mm
• April – 25 mm
• May – 5 mm
• June – 1 mm
• July – 0 mm
• August – 0 mm
• September – 2 mm
• October – 25 mm
• November – 70 mm
• December – 170 mm
Note: The above information was collected by climatestotravel.com
You might be wondering why the monthly rainfall doesn’t perfectly coincide with the water levels of the Zambezi or the capacity of the Falls… This is because the Zambezi’s source is many kilometres away in the highlands of Angola. The water must thus travel across a great distance before it cascades down our great waterfall.
This delay can be anything between a few days to a few weeks, depending on what’s happening up river.
So you see, it’s tough picking a best time to visit Victoria Falls. Each season holds its own surprises and marvels and, as we all know, weather is not an exact science. Sometimes the rains come early; sometimes they come late.
Our advice is to aim for a time that best suits your itinerary and lock in the dates. To get further information, don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and give us a call – we’re always happy to share news regarding the weather and what’s happening on and off-river.
One thing’s for sure, though: You’ll never be short of something to do!
Wild Zambezi is most grateful to The Palm River Hotel,in Victoria Falls, who compiled the original article from various sources, including Go2Africa, ClimatesToTravel and Siyabona).