Best time to go on Safaris in Tanzania

Tanzania and Zanzibar is a great destination for most of the year. The rainy months of April and May are are worth avoiding.  Zanzibar follows a similar pattern to the mainland Tanzania and combining safari and beach has never been easier than here! 

Tanzania is on the equator and therefore has a very nice temperature year-round. The only place it ever really gets chilly is in the peaks of Kilimanjaro or on the rim of the mighty Ngorongoro Crater. When safari and beach is the aim of a trip here (which 9 times out of 10 it is), then the main thing to consider is when it rains. There are two main rainy seasons in Tanzania; the short rains and the long rains. The short rains are in November, and can trickly into the following months, but generally it turns nice and dry again before the long rains which erupt in late March/April and carry on through until the end of May.

The best time to go to Tanzania if you are looking to absolutely avoid rain is therefore their winter months of July, August and September… For your beach time this is definitely the best time to go. However, you can sneak in a winter break in December, January and February and have mostly clear sunny skies. It is also important to focus on when the wildlife is at it’s best when deciding when to go to Tanzania.

Generally speaking, across Tanzania the best time to see the most prominent wildlife is from mid-June to the end of October, when the weather is dry and the wildlife is more concentrated around the water in the parks. The bushes are also less dense to the wildlife is easier to spot, which is very true for the more seasonal parks of Southern Tanzania. The Great Wildebeest migration is also spectacular in Northern Tanzania in February as the herds congregate in their thousands for calving season… As you can probably tell, each park in Tanzania has it’s own microclimate and unique times to visit, so please see the breakdowns below for a more detailed review of each month.

However, don’t be put off by the green and shoulder season months – in these months the wildlife can be equally as thrilling, and for quite literally half the cost… Talking to an expert is definitely the best way to discover your perfect time to visit, aligning with your particular interests and priorities.