When To Visit Tanzania For A Safari : When planning a safari to Tanzania, one of the questions asked by travelers is the best time to visit Tanzania for a safari. Unfortunately, there is no right answer as it depends on what you want to see, where you want to go, your budget and your travel interests.
Every time of the year has pros and cons, some travelers prefer to visit Tanzania during the dry season which is considered to be best time to visit time, in the dry season the roads are better/ less slippery as it rarely rains and you can see a lot of wild animals and the incredible sights are because the grass vegetation is thin and the animals congregate on the remaining watering holes.
The cons of visiting Tanzania during the dry season which coincides with the peak season in Tanzania, the prices will be higher and the parks are normally crowded with fellow travelers.
This article lists all pros in the dry season and wet season in Tanzania, every traveler is difficult and there is no correct choice to when to visit Tanzania.
Kindly note: Tanzania is beautiful all year
Dry Season
The dry season in Tanzania starts in June and ends in October and also runs from December to March, the dry season coincides with the peak tourism season in Tanzania and the most popular months for safari in TANZANIA are the dry months from June to October.
The pros of travelling during the dry season
- Wildlife gathers around rivers and waterholes which makes them easy to spot
- Pleasant temperatures of 25-25 °C, the days are sunny and there is no rain
- July – August are great months to see the wildebeest migration and epic river crossing
- There are less mosquitoes thus low chances of fever
- The roads are better and game drives are easier
- There are cool temperatures from evening to early morning
- Clear blue skies for perfect photography
- The dry seasons offers the best conditions to climb Mount Kilimanjaro
- The dry season is the best time to visit the southern parks, however Northern Parks can be visited all-year.
Wet Season
The wet season also called rainy season in Tanzania runs from October to December and from March to June, the pros of travelling to Tanzania during this season
- Nature is colorful as flowers are in bloom, forest and grass is green
- Parks in North Tanzania offers good all year wildlife viewing
- January to February is the time to see the calving in the southern Serengeti national park which attracts large numbers of predators
- Bird watching is at its best
- The lower rates make the safari cheaper
- Parks are less crowded with other visitors thus a more intimate safari experience
If you are visiting Tanzania mainly to see the wildebeest migration, it is important to know where the herds are throughout the year.
The Great Wildebeest Migration is the largest mammal migration in the world and one of the seven New wonders of the world, it is a true spectacle of nature and impressive to see millions of wildebeests, zebras and gazelles crossing the endless plains of the Serengeti. The exact timing of the Serengeti wildebeest migration depends on the rainfall patterns each year.
- From December till April – the wildebeest migration is the southern part of the Serengeti, in the Ndutu area. In February half a millions calves are born on these southern plains
- In May/June – the wildebeest migration head further north getting ready for a Grumeti River Crossing
- From July – September – the herds head around the Mara River
- From October till December – the wildebeest migration leaves the North – Serengeti and make their way back to South – Serengeti/Ndutu via the Central Seronera region. The annual cycle starts all over again.
When To Visit Tanzania For A Safari
Low, Mid and High Season in Tanzania
Tanzania has three different holiday seasons
High-season: January, February, June till October and December – This season is the most popular by tourist, as a result accommodation options such as lodges, hotels and resorts charge high rates. From December 22nd until January 10th , lodges and hotels charge a peak rate.
Mid-season: March, November 1st – December 21th.
Low-season: April and May. This season is the least popular and therefore hotels charge the lowest rates.
