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Lower Zambezi National Park

When to Visit Zambia

Zambia is located in the tropics, but there is none of the fiery heat that characterizes other tropical states. Instead, much of Zambia has a pleasant climate, thanks to its altitude.

There are significant variations in rainfall and temperature in between the seasons of Zambia. The country’s average temperature is 20.6 °C (69 °F), with the maximum temperature at 31 °C (88 °F) in October and the minimum temperature at 10 °C (50 °F) in June and July.

The rainy season of Zambia begins in the middle of November, with strong storms arriving and staying until April. The cool season is in May to August. After that, the temperatures increase quickly to a very dry September.

The average recorded rainfall in Zambia is 837 mm (33.0 in) annually, or roughly 70 mm (2.8 in) each month. The wettest month in Zambia is January, with an average of 218 mm (8.6 in) of rain, hail, sleet, or snow falling during this month.

If you plan on exploring Zambia’s every nook and cranny, the best months to do so would be from May to October, though you should be prepared for the relatively greater heat in the latter months of this time period.