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Zambia
Zambia in January
🌧️ Rainy seasonPleasant, a little humid and very wet.
🎒 Pack: compact umbrella or rain jacket
Why January scores 8.2What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.6
- ✓Comfortable temperatures (27°C highs / 18°C lows)
- !Humid (dew point 18.5°C)
- !Wet: ~238 mm rain, ~8 heavy-rain days
- Air quality8.5
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~15 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards9.5
- !Flood: ~8 heavy-rain days in an average January
- Safety baseline8.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Jan | Apr | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.2 Very good | 9.6 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 27° / 18° | 27° / 14° |
| Rain | 238 mm | 36 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 19° | dew pt 15° |
| PM2.5 | 15 µg/m³ | 7 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Lusaka weather-station normals.
Holidays & crowdsJanuary 2027
Long weekendThere's at least one long weekend. Domestic travel picks up and popular spots get busier over those days.
- New Year 1–3 Jan · 3 days off in a row
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore ZambiaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA landlocked country in southern Africa known for walking safaris in South Luangwa, the Zambian side of Victoria Falls and the Lower Zambezi.
No major events on our calendar for January.
Coming up later
Dry seasonDate variesUsually May to October
Peak safari season, when vegetation thins and animals gather near water.
Why go: Book camps early; October is very hot.
Where: National parks
Kasanka bat migrationDate variesUsually late October to December
Millions of fruit bats gather in the park.
Why go: One of the largest mammal migrations.
Where: Kasanka National Park
South Luangwa National Park
A park known for leopards and the birthplace of walking safaris.
💡 Many camps close in the rainy season.
Victoria Falls from Livingstone
The Zambian side of the falls, with Devil's Pool and the Knife-Edge Bridge.
Lower Zambezi National Park
A park along the Zambezi known for canoe safaris among elephants and hippos.
Kafue National Park
One of Africa's largest national parks, with the Busanga Plains in the north.
Kasanka National Park
Site of a huge seasonal straw-coloured fruit bat migration.
Nshima
A stiff maize porridge, the staple eaten with relishes.
💡 Local restaurants
Kapenta
Small dried freshwater fish from Lake Kariba, fried with tomato and onion.
💡 Markets
Bream
Tilapia from Zambia's rivers and lakes, usually grilled or fried.
💡 Restaurants
Chitenge
Colourful printed cotton cloth worn as wraps or sewn into clothing.
💡 Markets
Wood carvings and baskets
Carved animals, bowls and woven baskets made by local artisans.
💡 Craft markets in Livingstone and Lusaka
Airport transfer Kiwitaxi
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