A Season by Season Guide
If you ask ten people when to visit Zambia, you will get ten different answers. The best time to visit depends on what you hope to experience. The answer to when to book is simpler: earlier than you think.
When is the best time to visit the Lower Zambezi?
For exceptional game viewing along the river, visit between July and October. For migrant birds, quiet channels and a green valley, March to June and November. For prime tiger fishing, September to November. Baines’ River Camp is open from 1 March to 30 November, a longer season than many camps in the valley, which close for part of the wet months.
There is no wrong month inside that window. There is only the month that suits the trip you have in mind.
What is each season like at Baines’?
March and April: the valley turns green
The camp reopens to a valley at its most lush. Summer visitors linger before heading north, the woodland is full of song, and the light after rain is soft. Expect afternoon showers, fewer vehicles and a river that is almost yours. Tiger Fish are still on the line, and our guide to birding in the Green Season explains why birders plan their year around these weeks.
May and June: the river reveals itself
The rains end and the Zambezi begins to drop. Sandbanks surface, and with them the African skimmers, herons and plovers. Mornings are cooler, which makes a long session on the boat a pleasure.
July to October: the river at its most intense
The floodplain dries and the river becomes the only water for miles. Herds come down to drink in long, unhurried lines, elephants swim between the islands, and lion and leopard follow the game. September and October bring hotter days, with wildlife tightly packed along the riverbanks and Tiger fishing at its best. This is High Season, and the weeks that fill first.
November: the first rains
The heat breaks, the first storms roll in, and the migrants return to the canopy. November is the last month of the camp’s year, and a short, quiet window for groups who want to hear the season’s opening chorus.
When should you book your 2027 safari?
Most guests book their stay at Baines’ three to twelve months in advance. 2026 has been one of our busiest years yet, and we’re already seeing strong interest in 2027. If you have a particular time of year in mind, it’s worth getting in touch early.
Certain stays are best planned well in advance, particularly exclusive camp bookings, Tiger fishing trips between September and November, and family holidays during school breaks.
If you have specific dates in mind, we recommend booking as early as possible. If your plans are flexible, three to six months in advance will generally still offer a good choice of dates, although availability becomes more limited as the year progresses.
How does booking work?
Three steps to planning your trip:
- Tell us when. Share your dates, or the season you have in mind, and who is travelling with you.
- Choose your journey. Linda and the reservations team will help you shape it, from a first visit to the river to a full-camp group week.
- Arrive. Step off at the Royal Airstrip. Your guide is waiting.
Every stay at Baines’ is all-inclusive, with two guided activities each day and a maximum of just 20 guests in camp. This intimate setting is part of what makes Baines’ so special, and why our most sought-after weeks tend to book well in advance.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit the Lower Zambezi?
For exceptional game viewing along the river, July to October. For migrant birds, quiet channels and a green valley, March to June and November. For Tiger fishing, September to November. Baines’ River Camp is open from 1 March to 30 November.
Is Baines’ River Camp open all year?
No. The camp is open from 1 March to 30 November and closed from December to February. Green Season runs from 1 March to 30 June and from 1 to 30 November, and High Season runs from 1 July to 31 October.
How far in advance should I book a Lower Zambezi safari?
Most guests plan Baines’ three to twelve months ahead. If your dates are fixed, such as a fishing party, a school holiday or a week for the whole camp, begin as early as you can. If you are flexible, three to six months still leaves a good choice of available weeks.
Is the Green Season a good time to visit the Lower Zambezi?
Yes, for the right trip. The valley is green, migrant birds are present and many are in breeding plumage, and on many days you will have the river almost to yourself. It suits birders, photographers and anyone who prefers the quiet to crowds.
When is Tiger fishing at its best on the Lower Zambezi?
September, October and November are the prime weeks. The river drops, runs clearer and warmer, and the baitfish gather along the channels. Fishing is catch-and-release.
Can a group book all of Baines’ River Camp?
Yes. The camp has eight suites and a family cottage, with room for up to twenty guests, and can be taken on an exclusive-use basis so that no other guests are in camp during your stay.
