When To Go On Safari In Tanzania

Tanzania is a year-round destination, but the right time to go depends on what you most want to see.

June to October is the classic dry season — the easiest time for game viewing, since animals concentrate around rivers and waterholes and vegetation thins out. This is also generally when the wildebeest migration reaches the northern Serengeti, close to the Kenyan border.

December to March brings the short dry season and, in the southern Serengeti and around Ngorongoro, the calving season — when huge numbers of wildebeest give birth within a few short weeks, drawing in predators. It's warm, mostly dry, with only brief afternoon showers.

April and May are the long rains. Some camps close for the season, and roads can turn to mud, but it's also the quietest, least expensive time to visit if you don't mind the occasional downpour and don't need to see every park at its absolute best.

Kilimanjaro has its own separate climbing seasons, which don't always line up with the safari calendar — see our best time to climb Kilimanjaro guide if you're combining a climb with your safari.