The best time of year to visit Tanzania
If your main objective is to see large quantities of animals, then the easiest time of year to do this is between June and October - Tanzania's dry season. This is particularly the case in Ruaha and Selous in Southern Tanzania, Katavi in Western Tanzania as well as Mahale Mountains on Lake Tanganyika, although in June and early July the chimps can still be high up in the mountains.
The Ngorongoro Crater Highlands can still be full of flowers in June and July but be prepared for changeable temperatures, it being often cold with low cloud through these months. Tarangire in Northern Tanzania, which acts as a dry season refuge for wildlife from the entire Maasai Steppe is at its best for game between late July to late October, but is always good for elephant and in the green season (December to May) has tremendous birdlife.
The Serengeti and Surrounding Areas offers spectacular game viewing year round, so works a bit differently. What matters here is that you head to the right part of the park for the time of year and that you avoid the main tourist traps. For further information on how to do this take a look at How the Serengeti works.
If the wildebeest migration is a major objective, then there isn’t really a "best" time to visit. River crossings happen between July and October on either the Grumeti or the Mara River, and the calving, one of the most spectacular times to visit happens in around February, with game action remaining excellent through March and April, before the wildebeest start moving off the plains during the rut in mid May.
If you’re traveling between December and May, then combining Serengeti Southern Plains and Serengeti Loliondo is particularly important. The latter is a must if you’re interested in walking, nightdriving and more of a wilderness experience.
People tend to overlook the green season months in Southern and Western Tanzania, but between December and the end of February can be a great time to visit. Selous can become quite humid by January / February which makes it less good for longer walking safaris but everything is green and there are plenty of young animals and migrant bird species around. In Ruaha the bush can have closed in a bit making game viewing less easy in some areas but there is still good game around. The water levels will have started rising in Katavi and you may not encounter such large concentrations of animals, but as long as you don't rush things, this is a much more benign season to be there and there is plenty to see.
Which are Tanzania's best game parks?
What are Tanzania's main safari Highlights?
An overview of Northern Tanzania - Serengeti and the rest
An overview of Southern Tanzania - Selous and Ruaha
Why Tanzania is so good for a family safari
Combining a safari and time on the beach
A few of Tanzania's best small camps
For videos, articles, ideas and news from Africa:
Have a look at our blog at safarigeek.com
1747 898 104Do you need some help with this?
At Natural High, we've all lived and worked in Africa, so our knowledge is born of
hands-on experience rather than simply visiting on holiday. We can't over-stress how
worthwhile it is to take a few minutes to call us. We're not in the business churning
out thousands of packages so if you'd like to discuss things in detail, take a few
minutes and call Catherine, Fiona, Vanessa or Alex on 1747 898104.close
