Best Time to Visit Tanzania

The short answer

There is no bad month for a Tanzania safari, but there is a best month for what you want to see. The long dry season from late June to October is the classic choice: vegetation thins, animals gather around rivers and waterholes, and game viewing is at its easiest.

January to March is the second sweet spot. The short rains have passed, the southern Serengeti is green, and hundreds of thousands of wildebeest give birth on the plains around Ndutu, which draws lions, cheetahs and hyenas close behind.

Dry season: June to October

This is peak safari season. Tarangire comes into its own as elephants crowd the Tarangire River, the Ngorongoro Crater is reliable as always, and the Great Migration moves into the northern Serengeti, where dramatic Mara River crossings usually happen between July and September.

Days are sunny and mornings are cool, especially on the Ngorongoro rim, so pack a warm layer. Popular camps fill early, so we recommend booking six to twelve months ahead for July and August.

Green season: November to May

The short rains in November and December usually arrive as afternoon showers that refresh the landscape. Prices soften, the parks are quieter, and migratory birds arrive from Europe and Asia.

April and May bring the long rains. Some camps close and certain roads become slow, but travellers who come now enjoy lush scenery, low rates and an almost private feeling in the parks. It is also an excellent time for Zanzibar's east coast.

Matching the month to your priorities

If river crossings are the dream, aim for July to September in the northern Serengeti. For newborn wildebeest and predator action, choose late January to early March in the south. For elephants and baobabs, Tarangire in the dry season is hard to beat.

Kilimanjaro is best climbed in the drier windows of January to early March and June to October. Zanzibar is at its best from June to October and from December to February.

Tell us when you can travel and what matters most, and we will recommend the region, route and pace that fit your dates.