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Zambia travel guide

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

South Luangwa National Park
South Luangwa National Park. Photo: Geoff Gallice, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
10h 15mflight from London
Zambian kwachacurrency
No visafor UK passports
Type C, D, Gplugs

The home of the walking safari and the Devil's Pool

Don't miss

  1. South Luangwa
  2. Devil's Pool
  3. Lower Zambezi
Good forWildlife & safariAdventure

Best time to visit Zambia from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Nov. May–Oct; Sep–Oct for walking safaris. Busiest and priciest: Jun–Oct.

22.4 C22°J22.1 C22°F22.1 C22°M21.4 C21°A20 C20°M17.9 C18°J17.4 C17°J20.3 C20°A23.9 C24°S26.6 C27°O25.9 C26°N23.3 C23°D
Best valueBusy and pricierQuietAverage temperature in Lusaka, °C, 2001–2025 (NASA POWER).

Each bar is the average temperature in Lusaka 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 (21–26°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
  • Peak season: Jun–OctUsually 17–27°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
  • Quiet season: Dec–MarAround 22–23°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
  • Warmest: October (27°C) · coolest: July (17°C)A 10°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.
Temperatures as a table
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
22.422.122.121.42017.917.420.323.926.625.923.3

Festivals and events

  • Kuomboka Mar–Apr · Western Province
  • Livingstone Cultural Festival Jul · Livingstone
  • Ncwala Feb · Chipata

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

Getting there from the UK

Flight time
About 10h 15m
Distance
7,941 km
Main airport
LUN

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

Add Zambia to your bucket list Search flights to LUN

Practical info and travel guidance

Zambian kwachaCapital: Lusaka
Type C, D, G · 230VUK plugs fit
Drive on the leftSame as the UK
999
EmergencyPolice, fire, ambulance
Drink bottledOr treated water
  • VisaNo visa neededUp to 30 days
  • 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 Zambia, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 1 June 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Zambia before you book and again before you go.

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