Victoria Falls: When is the best time to visit? When is the best time to visit Victoria Falls? That is a tricky question because it really depends on what you're looking for. For instance, if you want to see the falls at its most impressive, you'll want to be here when it is flowing well. If you want to do more things and get closer to the falls, you'll want to be here when the falls have low flow. Of course, most of us like happy mediums and would prefer to come when you can do both, but it's very difficult to make such timing as there are numerous factors that come into play that are hard to predict, especially if you're traveling from far and away. So here's the breakdown...
The falls is in its lowest flow around the October-December time frame. Under this condition, the falls will have been segmented into several smaller "strands" of water with much of the underlying basalt bedrock wall exposed. The falls will lack its thunderous impact at this time (sometimes large sections of the falls seems dry due to some degree of water diversion for hydroelectricity on the Zambia side), but plenty of other activities become possible. Among such activities are the Devil's Swimming Pool, which lets you swim right at the edge of the falls! Plus, aquatic activities in the Zambezi River below the falls becomes possible. Moreover, mist obscuring your viewpoints won't be as much of a problem.
Around January through March/April is the wet season. This is when the area is the hottest and muggiest, and thundershowers are more likely. Like the peak season, the falls is in a transitional period, but it's going from from low flow to high flow. Thus, you're likely to have satisfying views of the falls without mist being as much of a problem as during full flood. Actually, even though it does typically rain this time of year, the flow of the Zambezi River really depends on drainage systems further upstream so really it has to rain where water drains into the Zambezi River from Western Zambia and Angola.
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The falls is in its highest flow around the May-June time frame. Under this condition, you can expect the falls will span the entire 1.7km width of the Zambezi River as it plunges over its 108m basalt wall. Unfortunately, most viewpoints are too wet to photograph effectively (be careful not to destroy your electronic equipment by exposing it in the rain for too long) and ponchos are a must. This would be the time to see the waterfall from the air and truly appreciate the falls' grandeur, scale, magnitude, and sheer beauty.
Perhaps the most popular and optimal time to visit Victoria Falls (from the standpoint of good views and best weather) would be around the July through September time frame. The falls is gradually in transition from a flooded state to a low flow state so you might have fewer problems with mist while still having an acceptable volume of water so as to not feel underwhelmed. But with this being perhaps the best time to go (in terms of getting the best of both worlds of visual impact and most activities), the cost of accommodations and amenities as well as the crowds (though even this is relative to what the visitor is used to) are at their worst.
