Best Time to Visit Victoria Falls

Wet season: green, loud and misty

From December to February, the rains arrive and the Zambezi swells. January is the wettest month, with 160 mm on 22 days. It's warm and sticky, and the sky is often grey. The falls are at their most powerful, but the spray can be so thick that you barely see the cliff face from the Zimbabwe side. You'll get soaked on the Rainforest trail, so bring a poncho you don't mind losing.

Flights over the gorge are often bumpier and hazier now, and the views are less clear. Still, if you want to hear the falls roar, this is the time. Local people call them Mosi-oa-Tunya, "the smoke that thunders", and in these months the name makes sense.

May to August: the sweet spot

This is the season we'd pick. May has almost no rain, and from June to July the days are mild at 27°C. Nights get properly cool, down to 10°C in July, so you'll want a jumper for evening game drives and sunset cruises on the river. The falls are still full after the rains, and the views are far clearer than in the wet months.

It's also high season, so lodges and the best river cruises fill up. If you hate crowds, aim for May or late August. Travelling with kids? The school holidays in Europe and the US bring more families in July and August.

August is dry and a bit hotter, and the Devil's Pool experience on the Zambian side usually opens only when the river drops. That's typically from around late August into the dry months. Check with operators first, since it depends on the water level.

September to November: hot and heading wet

September is dry but hot, and October is the hardest month, with highs of 37°C. Afternoons are fierce, so a swim at your lodge pool beats a long walk. The falls are thinner now, and you can see more of the rock wall. Some people like this because the Eastern Cataract can look almost bare and the gorge is easier to photograph.

Wildlife is a big plus. Animals gather near water at Zambezi National Park, and Chobe in Botswana is a popular day trip. November brings the first storms, with 67 mm of rain and more clouds. Crowds are thinner and prices tend to soften.

April is a quiet bonus. The rain has mostly gone, the bush is green, and the falls are still strong.