We are often asked what is Best Time to Visit Victoria Falls? We believe there is no one size fits all when it comes to travelling to Victoria Falls and safaris in general. Our Travel & Safari Experts are always ready to discuss with you and find out more on your expectations so that we recommend the best possible time that suits your specific requirements.
The general Victoria Falls rule is that the best time to visit this spectacular Natural Wonder of the World (Victoria Falls) is from February to May. This is directly after the end of the rainy season and the world’s largest sheet of falling water flowing at its greatest volume.
The green season usually starts around November with the initial spring rains. It then takes a bit of time for the water that has fallen in the Angolan Highlands to negotiate its way down to a series of massive gorges. Any traveller to Victoria Falls can expect a sensory overload: the noise, heat and moisture coming together creating a truly unforgettable natural show-stopper. Roughly double the height of North America’s Niagara Falls, Victoria Falls is a marvel with a thunderous roar that can be heard for miles around. The sheer force of the water cascading down the gorge drives a column of spray high into the air, covering the edge of the Falls in a fine mist and giving rise to its traditional name, Mosi-Oa-Tunya or ‘The Smoke That Thunders’.
Of note is the fact that the best time to visit Victoria Falls does not coincide with peak safari season in neighboring destinations such as Botswana, Namibia, South Africa or the rest of Zimbabwe. In addition, activities such as swimming in the Devil’s Pool and certain sections of white-water rapids are closed during this time the water is at its highest and fastest.
What Do We Recommend?
We certainly don’t advise visiting the Falls at the end of the dry winter period (October through November). This is when the water level is lowest and the weather is very hot and humid. Low water levels will guarantee you some of the best and clear shots of Victoria Falls with panoramic views (no misty spray) on both sides of the Falls. However the Zambian side of the Falls (about one quarter of its width) normally dries up during this leaving a bare rock face. The Zimbabwean Side has an all year round water flow but ebbs in volume with the seasons.
Every single month however offers a different experience and reveals new shades of colour, the presence of various wildlife and a completely different yet thrilling Victoria Falls Rainforest experience.
