Victoria Falls is one of the world’s most spectacular natural wonders, located on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe in Southern Africa. Over a mile wide and 350 feet high, this massive waterfall is a sight to behold as the Zambezi River plunges into the narrow Batoka Gorge below. However, there are certain times of year when you’re more likely to encounter less than ideal conditions for viewing and enjoying Victoria Falls. Here is an overview of the worst times to visit this natural wonder of the world.
Rainy Season from January to March
The rainy season from January to March is considered one of the worst times for viewing Victoria Falls. During these months, the area receives heavy rainfall which leads to flooding, access issues, and very high volumes of water going over the falls.
While the high water levels lead to large, powerful water flows, they also obstruct views and access to viewing points along the edges of the falls. Pathways can become flooded or dangerously slippery. The mist from the waterfall’s spray also becomes extremely dense, sometimes limiting visibility to just a few feet in front of you.
Unless you don’t mind getting drenched and hoping for momentary clear views between downpours, it’s best to avoid peak rainy season around Victoria Falls.
Early Dry Season in April
April falls in the odd transition between rainy season and dry season around Victoria Falls. At this time, the heavy rains have ended but the river levels and flows going over the falls remain quite high leading to tremendous spray and mist.
The greatly increased mist often continues limiting visibility for clean views of the falls throughout the day. The moist air also impacts accessibility as pathways remain wet and slippery. For photographers hoping to capture iconic long range views of Victoria Falls in its full glory, April can be a very frustrating time.
While the falls are still a wondrous sight and the greenery around the area remains lush, the excess spray and limited visibility pushes April into one of the worst times for ideal viewing conditions.
Late Dry Season from September to December
Towards the end of dry season between September to December, Victoria Falls faces the opposite problem of the rainy season – critically low water levels flowing over the falls. This vastly changes the landscape and detracts from its famously powerful, roaring spectacle that gives it the local name “The Smoke that Thunders.”
In the peak dry season months, the Zambezi River can be at less than 20% of its wet season flow rates. This takes Victoria Falls from its thundering, roaring self down to more of a mere trickle in some sections rather than the mighty, raging falls it’s renowned for.
While low water levels do allow excellent access for exploring with fantastic viewing angles not available when the falls are full and flowing, they also diminish that key element that makes Victoria Falls so mesmerizing as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.
Peak Tourist Visitation around Christmas / New Year’s
As one of the world’s most famous natural attractions, Victoria Falls receives visitors year round from across the globe. However, peak tourist season runs from around August through early January when crowds flock in to see Victoria Falls flowing in all its glory following the rainy season.
Of these months though, the absolute peak falls around the Christmas and New Year’s holidays. Increased flight and hotel prices also reflect this surge in visitors.
Dealing with enormous crowds makes it incredibly difficult to take in views of the falls with everyone jockeying for position at the different viewpoints and bridges that cross the gorge. Access to attractions like Devil’s Pool or views from Zambia become extremely limited if not impossible to arrange on short notice.
Massive tour groups and queues to buy tickets or access walkways also require lengthy waits that cut into time that could be enjoying this natural wonder rather than just dealing with crowds.
So while the actual natural attraction itself is at its peak from a water flow perspective, the peak holiday tourist crowds themselves make it one of the worst times for visitors hoping to enjoy quality viewing experiences of Victoria Falls.
Political Turmoil and Economic Problems
As a natural attraction that sits on both Zambian and Zimbabwean territory, Victoria Falls heavily relies on the stability of both nations to support a strong flow of international tourists. However volatile economic, social, and political problems often plague these countries.
Times of heavy inflation, currency fluctuations, fuel shortages, civil unrest, travel restrictions, safety concerns, negative travel advisories, etc. all have immediate negative impacts on the tourist industry around Victoria Falls. This can lead to park access restrictions, limited services, loss of related tourism business infrastructure, and cancellations of existing bookings.
Monitoring the stability of both countries is important to factor into deciding when is the best and worst times to plan a trip. Times of uncertainty or turmoil make visiting much more difficult or even impossible compared to times of economic progress and political stability.
While Victoria Falls itself remains accessible from Livingstone, Zambia even during Zimbabwe turmoil, impacts can still be felt from lack of access to viewing areas along the Zimbabwe side as well as associated infrastructure supporting tourists to the region.
Natural Disasters like Droughts or Flooding
Beyond normal seasonal rainfall and related changes in water flows, extreme drought and flood cycles also periodically impact Victoria Falls and the surrounding region.
Extended severe drought conditions greatly affect water levels to the point the falls risk drying up almost altogether. While grass and trees remain green around the waterfall and animals still visit to drink, the visual attraction and thundering spectacle of Victoria Falls disappears under extreme drought. Access also suffers without precipitation.
Conversely, years with heavier than normal rainy seasons or tropical activity can lead to extensive flooding around the falls. Roads and bridges close, power systems fail under floods, and rockslides can occur from excessive water flows eroding infrastructure and hillsides. Events like collapsed viewing platforms or restricted site access negatively affect visiting.
Natural disasters represent the most unpredictable and uncontrollable events that make planning the timing of a Victoria Falls visit difficult. Monitoring the weather cycles and geological events in the region provides key indicators of when seasonal conditions make trying to view Victoria Falls more challenging.
Summary
Victoria Falls offers a breathtaking natural spectacle that attracts visitors throughout the year. However, certain periods bring less than ideal conditions for viewing and enjoying this UNESCO World Heritage Site at its finest.
The worst times include the January to March rainy season, the April early dry season transition, peak September to December dry season, Christmas & New Years holidays when massive crowds converge, and politically/economically turbulent periods or during extreme weather events.
While Victoria Falls remains awe-inspiring year round due to its sheer massive size and beauty carved out over the centuries, checking the seasonal calendar, tourist density, regional stability, and current weather cycles allows choosing more optimal times where Mother Nature showcases this incredible natural wonder at its absolute best.