Best Time to Visit Tanzania & Weather

• June – October: the long dry season and the best wildlife viewing, as animals gather around rivers and water holes. This is peak season, so book early.
• November – December: the short rains, usually brief afternoon showers. The landscape turns green and the herds move south.
• January – March: calving season in the southern Serengeti, with thousands of wildebeest born every day and predators close behind.
• April – May: the long rains and the green season, with fewer visitors and lush scenery. Some seasonal camps close during these months.

• December – March: southern Serengeti and Ndutu, with calving in January and February.
• April – May: the herds move north through the central Serengeti.
• May – July: the Western Corridor and the Grumeti River crossings.
• July – October: the northern Serengeti and the Mara River crossings.
• November: the herds head south again through the central Serengeti.

The migration follows the rains, so timings vary from year to year. Our guides follow the herds every season and plan your route around where they are.

Tanzania lies just south of the equator, so temperatures change more with altitude than with the seasons. In the safari parks, days are warm, usually around 25–30°C, with cool early mornings. Arusha, at about 1,400 m, is mild all year, and nights on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, at around 2,300 m, can be cold, so bring a warm layer.

The best months to climb Kilimanjaro are the drier periods, from January to early March and from June to October. Whatever the season, summit night is cold, often well below freezing, and our crew will brief you on the right clothing.

Zanzibar has warm tropical weather all year. The driest months are June to October and December to February, and the long rains fall in April and May.