Great Migration Safari
Month-by-month guide to following 1.5 million wildebeest across the Serengeti.
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Best Time to Visit Tanzania
A month-by-month breakdown of safari conditions, migration movements, Kilimanjaro weather and Zanzibar beach days — plus where prices fall.
Seasons
Tanzania has two dry seasons and two wet ones
Tanzania sits just south of the equator, so temperature varies less than rainfall. The long dry season runs from June to October, the short dry season from late December to February, the long rains fall in April and May, and short rains arrive in November. Everything about a safari — where the wildebeest are, how green the Serengeti looks, what a lodge charges — follows that calendar.
There is no single best month, only the best month for what you want. Below is how each period actually feels on the ground.
June to October
The classic safari season
Cool mornings, dry dusty air, thinning vegetation and animals concentrated around water. This is the easiest time to see wildlife, the window for the Mara river crossings in the northern Serengeti, and the most reliable weather for climbing Kilimanjaro and for Zanzibar beach days.
- Best for: first-time safaris, river crossings, Kilimanjaro, families
- Downsides: highest prices, busiest parks and camps, cold early mornings
- Book: six to twelve months ahead
Late December to February
Calving season on the southern plains
A short dry window with hot afternoons and green short-grass plains in the southern Serengeti, where around half a million wildebeest calves are born in a few weeks. Predators follow, and the resulting action is arguably the best wildlife viewing of the year. Kilimanjaro is warm and often snowy at the summit; Zanzibar is hot and beautiful.
- Best for: photography, predator action, warmer Kilimanjaro climbs
- Downsides: busy over Christmas and New Year, hot midday temperatures
- Book: six months ahead, more for the festive period
March to May
The green season and the long rains
April and May bring the heaviest rain. Some camps close, roads soften and grass grows tall enough to hide cats. In exchange, you get dramatic skies, newborn animals, extraordinary birding, near-empty parks and discounts of 30–40% on accommodation. Kilimanjaro is climbable but wet — Rongai and Marangu are the sensible route choices.
- Best for: budget travellers, birders, photographers who like storm light
- Downsides: rain, fewer open camps, harder game viewing in long grass
- Book: as little as four weeks ahead
November
Short rains, short showers
Afternoon thunderstorms that rarely last long, a green flush across the parks and shoulder-season prices. The migration herds are drifting south through the central and eastern Serengeti. A genuinely underrated month for value.
- Best for: value seekers who want dry-season-style game viewing without the crowds
- Downsides: unpredictable showers, some routes muddy on Kilimanjaro
Month by month
Quick reference
- January–February — Calving season, hot, good Kilimanjaro conditions
- March — Transition; first half is fine, second half turns wet
- April–May — Long rains; cheapest, quietest, greenest
- June — Dry season begins; Grumeti crossings, excellent value early in the month
- July–August — Peak season; Mara crossings, cold Kilimanjaro nights, busy
- September–October — Superb game viewing, crossings continue, slightly quieter than August
- November — Short rains; good value, herds moving south
- December — Dry from mid-month; festive prices, migration reaching the southern plains
Questions
Related questions
What is the cheapest time to visit Tanzania?
April and May, during the long rains, when lodges discount by 30–40%. November is the next cheapest, with much better weather odds.
Can you climb Kilimanjaro all year?
Technically yes, but April, May and November are wet and considerably harder. January to mid-March and June to October are the recommended windows.
Is it hot in Tanzania?
On safari expect 25–30 °C by day and 10–15 °C at dawn on the Ngorongoro rim, which sits at 2,300 m. Zanzibar runs 28–33 °C and humid. On Kilimanjaro the summit is routinely below −10 °C.
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