The Best Time for a Tanzania Safari, Month by Month

Tanzania has no bad safari season — only different ones. Here is how each part of the year actually feels on the ground.

By Maasai Hopeland Safari Team

The question we are asked most often is when to come. The honest answer is that Tanzania delivers wildlife in every month of the year, and the better question is what you most want to see.

June to October — the classic dry season

Vegetation thins, water sources shrink and wildlife concentrates in predictable places. Roads are firm, skies are usually clear and mornings are cold in an open vehicle. This is also when the migration moves through the western and northern Serengeti.

It is the busiest window, so camps in prime positions book out many months ahead.

November to December — the short rains

Brief afternoon showers green the plains without disrupting travel. Wildlife spreads out a little, but so do vehicles, and rates are often lower.

January to March — calving season

Hundreds of thousands of wildebeest calves are born on the southern short-grass plains within a few weeks, and predators arrive in force. For drama, this is arguably the best time of year in the Serengeti.

April to May — the long rains

The quietest and greenest months. Some camps close, some roads soften, and photographers who don't mind cloud can have extraordinary landscapes almost to themselves.