Zimbabwe travel guide

Best time to visit Zimbabwe from the UK

Best value: Apr–May, Nov. May–Oct; Feb–May for Victoria Falls at full flow. Busiest and priciest: Jun–Oct.

Each bar is the average temperature in Harare 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 (19–23°C), with fewer crowds than peak season.
• Peak season: Jun–OctUsually 14–22°C. The busiest time, so book flights and rooms early and expect higher prices.
• Quiet season: Dec–MarAround 20–22°C. The cheapest and least crowded time, though often because of rain or heat.
• Warmest: November (23°C) · coolest: July (14°C)A 9°C swing between the warmest and coolest months.

Festivals and events

• Harare International Festival of the Arts Apr–May · Harare
• Victoria Falls Carnival Dec · Victoria Falls

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

Getting there from the UK

Flight time

About 10h 30m

Distance

8,290 km

Main airport

HRE

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

Add Zimbabwe to your bucket list Search flights to HRE

Practical info and travel guidance

• VisaVisa on arrival30-day visa on arrival
• 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 Zimbabwe, checked October 2026. FCDO page last updated 15 July 2026. Rules change: read the official FCDO travel advice for Zimbabwe before you book and again before you go.