Best Time to Visit Lesotho

Lesotho Sunrise (Andrew Moore)  [flickr.com]  CC BY-SA 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources'
On this page, you will find information about the climate and the best time to visit Lesotho. We created climate tables and charts for the location of Maseru. These contain details about temperatures, precipitation and more.

Furthermore, we analyzed all climate data and provide a recommendation about which months are best to visit Lesotho for your holiday.

Climate Overview

Thermometer Symbol -1 °C to 28 °C
Rainy Cloud Symbol 0.434.37 in (1 – 10 Days of Rain)
Show temperatures in degree

Geographical location

The enclave Lesotho is located in the southeast of South Africa and is also called the”kingdom in heaven” because of its altitude and form of government.

Around 1.95 million people live in an area of 19000 square miles in Lesotho. This results in a population density of about 64 inhabitants per square kilometre.

On the Human Development Index, Lesotho ranks 162 out of 187, making it one of the least developed countries in the world.

Lesotho borders on the South African provinces of Free State, KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape. The lowest elevation in the country is at the intersection of the two rivers Oranje and Makhaleng at an altitude of 1390 metres above sea level. 80 percent of the country’s territory is at an altitude above 1800 metres.

The capital Maseru is an interesting tourist destination. The higher regions such as the Sani Pass and the Sehlabathebe National Park in the south-east of the country are also increasingly being developed by tourism. With the so-called Afri-Ski area in the east of the country, Lesotho even has its own ski area.

Maseru has an airport, most of which is served by South Africa.

Climate in Lesotho

Malealea Band, Lesotho (Di Jones)  [flickr.com]  CC BY 
License Information available under 'Proof of Image Sources' Lesotho has a temperate warm climate almost throughout the country. Due to the enormous altitudes, the temperatures are comparatively low by African standards. The daily values in Maseru range between 16 °C to 28 °C during the year. The differences between day and night are relatively high. At night the temperatures cool down strongly, in the African winter it even comes to frost in the high altitudes.

Lesotho is located in the southern hemisphere, therefore the seasons are opposite to the European ones. In the winter months of June to August it gets relatively cool even during the day with a maximum of 16 °C. Only from September the values climb back above the 20 °C mark and remain mild until the end of April. The hottest months are December and January – but it is also the wettest time of the year.

With peak values of up to 30 °C and up to 10 hours of sunshine, short but strong summer thunderstorms with increased rainfall can occur time and again. Rainfall reaches a maximum of 4.37 in in January and is distributed over an average of 10 rainy days per month. During this time, nature blossoms enormously and an impressive colourful atmosphere is created. In the winter months the expanses of Lesotho appear rather dull and bare.

Best Time to Visit Lesotho: Overview

JanuaryJan
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FebruaryFeb
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MarchMar
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AprilApr
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MayMay
TemperaturesTemp. up to 18 °C
JuneJun
TemperaturesTemp. up to 15 °C
JulyJul
TemperaturesTemp. up to 16 °C
AugustAug
TemperaturesTemp. up to 19 °C
SeptemberSep
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OctoberOct
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NovemberNov
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DecemberDec
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When to go to Lesotho?


Basically, Lesotho is easy to travel all year round with appropriate clothing. Only the winter months from mid-May to mid-August are sometimes extremely cold and therefore only recommended for the”hard-boiled”. Snowfall is also not uncommon in the high altitudes. You will find the best visibility and pleasant temperatures in the fringe months of March and April as well as September and October, which we recommend as the best travel season in Lesotho.

The summer from November to March is also suitable for a trip to Lesotho. With the heat, however, there is also a higher risk of precipitation at this time of year. You should therefore always carry a rain jacket, but the blooming landscapes and summer temperatures compensate for smaller showers. In general, the weather in Lesotho is very erratic, there may be short-term changes at any time.

Climate Chart Lesotho

Maseru

Climate Chart Maseru
Show temperatures in degree

Source of Data: German Weather Service (Offenbach) and Wikipedia

Climate Table Lesotho

In the following, you will find the climate table for Lesotho, containing information about Temperatures, Precipitation, and Hours of Sunshine.

Temperatures, Precipitation, Sunshine in Maseru (Lesotho)

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Day Temperature28°27°25°21°18°15°16°19°23°24°26°28°
Night Temperature14°14°12°-0°-1°12°13°
Precipitation (inch)4.373.73.582.321.140.430.470.550.792.363.433.46
Rainy days10108641222689
Hours of Sunshine9988888999910
Show temperatures in degree
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Maseru is 15.1 °C.

For comparison: London 11 °C, NYC 12 °C, LA 17.9 °C

Warmest month: January (21.2 °C)
Coldest month: June (7.5 °C)

Precipitation
Overall annual precipitation: 26.61 inch on 68 rainy days

For comparison: London 24.06 in, NYC 41.57 in, LA 12.01 in

There is no rainy season (months with more than 6.9 in of precipitation).

Months that have possible snowfall: May, June, July, and August

Sunshine
As our climate table shows, December is the sunniest month with an average of 9.9 hours of sunshine per day. Over the year, there are 8.8 hours of sunshine per day on average. For comparison: London has 4.1, NYC has 7 and LA has 8.9 hours of sunshine per day on average.

Highlights and Attractions


Near the capital Maseru is Katse Dam, an incredible and unreal looking lake. You should not miss this extraordinary place on your Lesotho trip. The Maluti Mountains are another scenic highlight in the immediate vicinity. Southeast of the capital is Semonkong with the raging Maletsunyane Falls (192 meters drop height).

In the south of Lesotho you can admire historical dinosaur tracks at Maphutseng, in Ha-Khotso old cave paintings of the San people await you. Other important sights are the iconic Mount Qiloane near Thaba Bosiu, which embodies the traditional hat shape of the Basotho. Mount Thabana Ntlenyana, the highest peak of the Drakensberg, is also a fascinating natural monument.

Current Weather and Forecast

Current Weather in Maseru
overcast clouds     overcast clouds, 19.2 °C
Clouds: 100 %       Wind: 3 mph NO
Air Pressure: 1012 hPa       Humidity: 65 %
Last updated: 7th Feb 2023, 08:32 pm
The next days …
8th Feb 20239th Feb 202310th Feb 202311th Feb 202312th Feb 202313th Feb 2023
heavy intensity rain14 °C to 18 °Cmoderate rain15 °C to 20 °Cmoderate rain15 °C to 22 °Clight rain15 °C to 18 °Clight rain14 °C to 27 °Csky is clear15 °C to 29 °C
14 °C to 18 °C15 °C to 20 °C15 °C to 22 °C15 °C to 18 °C14 °C to 27 °C15 °C to 29 °C
Clouds: 100 %Clouds: 100 %Clouds: 95 %Clouds: 100 %Clouds: 19 %Clouds: 0 %
2.19 in of rain0.17 in of rain0.31 in of rain0.25 in of rain0.01 in of rainNo Precipitation
Weather information provided by OpenWeatherMap. (CC BY-SA)
Show temperatures in degree

Lesotho: Experiences of our Visitors

There are 1 reviews for Lesotho holiday already. Average rating is 5 of 5 stars.
  1. Avatar Preview
    Harald , 75 years old was there in March

    All I had all day was sun. Temperatures ranged between 28 and 32 degrees. The weather couldn’t have been better.

    Weather Rating: 5 stars – Excellent

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'The boys' (Michiel Van Balen)  [flickr.com]  CC BY 
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I57 Snow Village Malealea Jul94.jpg (Di Jones)  [flickr.com]  CC BY 
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Ramabanta dawn (K. Kendall)  [flickr.com]  CC BY 
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Lesotho – the forgotten kingdom

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