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Malawi travel guide

Best time to visit from the UK, weather, festivals, flights from London and FCDO travel advice.

Cape Maclear
Cape Maclear. Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
10h 15mflight from London
Malawian kwachacurrency
On arrivalfor UK passports
Type Gplugs

The lake of stars: freshwater beaches and kayaking

Don't miss

  1. Lake Malawi
  2. Liwonde National Park
  3. Mount Mulanje
Good forBeachesWildlife & safari

Best time to visit Malawi from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Nov. May–Oct. Busiest and priciest: Jun–Oct.

21.4 C21°J21.2 C21°F20.7 C21°M19.4 C19°A17.6 C18°M16 C16°J15.9 C16°J18.2 C18°A21.4 C21°S24.2 C24°O24.7 C25°N22.6 C23°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Lilongwe, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Lilongwe for that month, and its colour shows the season for visitors: best value (good weather, fewer crowds and lower prices), busiest and priciest, or quiet (off-peak, sometimes because the weather is poorer).

  • Our pick: April and NovemberThe warmest of the best-value months (19–25°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Jun–OctUsually 16–24°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Dec–MarAround 21–23°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: November (25°C) · coolest: July (16°C)A 9°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
21.421.220.719.417.61615.918.221.424.224.722.6

Festivals and events

  • Lake of Stars Festival Sep · Lake Malawi
  • Umthetho Aug · Mzimba

Festival dates move from year to year: check before you book.

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 10h 15m
Distance
7,994 km
Main airport
LLW

Flight times are straight-line estimates for a direct flight from Heathrow; journeys with a change take longer.

Add Malawi to your bucket list Search flights to LLW

Practical info and travel guidance

Malawian kwachaCapital: Lilongwe
Type G · 230VUK plugs fit
Drive on the leftSame as the UK
997
EmergencyAmbulance 998
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • VisaVisa on arrivalVisa on arrival (US dollars)
  • HealthcareNo free healthcareYou pay for treatment, so travel insurance with medical cover is essential.
  • LGBT+ travellersSame-sex relations are illegal or prosecutedRead the FCDO LGBT+ advice before you go.
  • Women travellersNo specific FCDO warningTake the usual precautions.

For British passport holders, summarised from the FCDO's advice for Malawi, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 3 July 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Malawi before you book and again before you go.

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