May - October

May is the start of the dry season and is considered one of the best times to go to Zambia for game viewing. Not only does this month mark the end of the rainy season, but is also renowned as the most scenic month of the year. Some safari camps and lodges in Zambia have re-opened and this is also a great time to view Victoria Falls in all its mighty glory.

June marks the start of peak safari season for game viewing. The weather tends to get very hot later in the dry season, but June is cooler, making it one of the best times to go to Zambia for walking safaris. The Luangwa Valley is Zambia’s walking safari mecca, although many of the major parks offer guided walks as well.

July is one of the busiest months, but the best time for a Zambia safari as the wildlife viewing is spectacular. However, the camps do charge their highest rates during this peak season. The vegetation is no longer lush from all the rainfall in previous months, making the wildlife far easier to spot. Late July is when the white-water rafting season starts, but the conditions of the rapids all depend on how much rainfall occurred during the rainy season.

Peak safari season in Zambia continues in August with the perfect combination of cool and dry weather conditions thinning out the vegetation, making this the best time to visit Zambia for phenomenal wildlife encounters. The dry air causes the surface water sources to evaporate by the end of the month, which sends the herds out in their masses to their regular watering holes. South Luangwa National Park is especially good at this time of year, when you can embark on walking safaris.

In September temperatures rise, birdwatching is spectacular, and sightings of eagles and storks preying on fish in the depleted pools are very common. Despite the warm days, things do cool off by the afternoon and make for great conditions for a walking safari. There are plenty of things to do in Zambia during this month.

The heat is relentless during October in Zambia, as the extremely warm weather sweeps over the low-lying regions of the country. By this time white-water rafting is not just an adventure challenge, but a great way to cool down from the heat when you visit Zambia. For fishermen, Lake Kariba is where to go in Zambia for tiger fishing in October. There may be no water coming over the Zambian side of Victoria Falls at this time and you may need to cross over to Zimbabwe to see the main falls.