Planning
The best time to visit Tanzania
What each month is actually like, for game, for trekking and for the coast.
There is no single best month. June to October is dry and reliable and busy; January to March is hot, quieter and the calving season; April and May are the long rains. Pick for what you want to see.
January – February
Calving on the southern Serengeti plains. Hot, mostly dry. Excellent for Kilimanjaro.
March
Warm and increasingly wet towards month end. Quiet parks, lower rates.
April – May
The long rains. Greenest and cheapest; some camps close. Not the season to trek.
June – July
The dry season opens. Game concentrates on water. The Mara crossings begin.
August – September
Peak season. Best game viewing and the busiest trails on Kilimanjaro. Book early.
October
Dry and clear, with the crowds thinning. One of the best months overall.
November
Short rains, usually brief afternoon showers. Migration turning south.
December
Green, warm and busy over Christmas. Herds back on the southern plains.