When to visit Tanzania?

Many travellers ask us when the best time is to visit Tanzania. The answer is … there is not one right answer. It depends on what you want to see, where you want to go, your budget and your interests.

Every time of the year has its pros and cons. Some people will prefer to visit Tanzania during the dry season when the roads are better, it doesn’t rain and you can see a lot of wild animals. But the prices will be higher as well as the number of tourists around you.

Other people are fine with a little bit of rain and go during the wet season where you can see lots of birds and colourful nature, for a cheaper price and with fewer travellers.

We have made a list of all pros in the dry and wet seasons in Tanzania. We hope that it will help you to make your choice. Everyone is different, there is no correct choice. Tanzania Travel is beautiful the whole year!

Dry season

The dry season starts in June and ends in October and also runs from December to March. The most popular months for a safari in Tanzania are during the dry months from June to October.  The pros of travelling during this dry season:

Wildlife gathers around rivers and waterholes (easier to spot)

Pleasant temperatures of 25-27 °C (sunny and no rain)

July/Aug are great months to see the wildebeest migration and epic river crossings

There are fewer mosquitoes

The roads are better and game drives easier

Best time to visit the southern parks. Northern parks can be visited all year.

Cool temperatures from evening to early morning

Clear blue skies

The best conditions to climb Kilimanjaro are during the dry months

Wet season

• The wet season (also called the rainy season) runs from October to December and from March to June. The pros of travelling during this wet season:
• Nature is colourful (flowers in bloom, forest and grass is green)
• The parks in North Tanzania offer good all-year wildlife viewing
• January to February is the time to see the calving in the southern Serengeti which attracts large numbers of predators
• Bird watching at its best
• The game is in good condition
• Lower rates make it a cheaper safari
• Parks are less crowded with other visitors, more intimate safari experience
• If the wildebeest migration is the main reason you visit Tanzania, it is important to know where the herds are and at what time. Check out our article Great Wildebeest Migration.
• Low, mid and high seasons in Tanzania
• Tanzania has three different holiday seasons:

High-season: January, February, June October and December. This season is the most popular with tourists and therefore hotels charge the highest rates. Some hotels charge a peak rate from December 22nd until January 10th.

Mid-season: March, November 1st – December 21st.

Low-season: April and May. This season is the least popular and therefore hotels charge the lowest rates.